Cosmos: A Personal Voyage was a 13-part TV series that first appeared on television in 1980. The series tackled a wide range of scientific topics including Carl Sagan’s perspective of our existence in the universe and the origin of life.

On March 9, a reboot of Cosmos entitled Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey premiered with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. The series is produced by Seth MacFarlane, the creator of Family Guy. MacFarlane decided to enter the project after a meeting with Tyson. McFarlane was interested to know if Tyson was doing a scientific project that he could be part of. Tyson then encouraged MacFarlane to back a project by Ann Druyan, Sagan’s widow, on a remake of Cosmos. MacFarlane got on board and produced the series together with Druyan, and Brannon Braga, the producer of Star Trek.

In an interview with National Geographic, Tyson said that now is a good time to recreate Sagan’s Cosmos, as there have been a lot of changes in the last 34 years. Since the program’s last airing, thousands of new planets have been discovered.

Tyson also said that the reboot features a new way of storytelling through cinematic that may provide emotional fulfillment for viewers. He also said that the purpose of the show is not to educate viewers about the latest scientific discoveries, but to tell the stories that will allow viewers to understand how science is the center of our lives.

The reboot follows the structure of the original show, but there are some notable differences that make Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey blunter. The premiere ended with Tyson explaining his personal connection to Sagan, and how he was dazzled by the late astronomer’s compassion and intelligence.

According to Tyson, he wants viewers to walk away from watching the show realizing “how far we have come and how wonderful is this world of ours.”

The 13-part series airs on Fox and the National Geographic Channel.

Neil Degrasse Tyson Talks About ‘Cosmos’

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