Cosmos (1980– )

Astronomer Carl Sagan leads us on an engaging guided tour of the various elements and cosmological theories of the Universe.

Stars:

Carl Sagan, Jaromír Hanzlík, Jonathan Fahn

Won 3 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Carl Sagan	...	Himself - Host (13 episodes, 1980)

Storyline

Astronomer Dr. Carl Sagan is host and narrator of this 13-hour series that originally aired on Public Broadcasting Stations in the United States. Dr. Sagan describes the universe in a way that appeals to a mass audience, by using Earth as a reference point, by speaking in terms intelligible to non-scientific people, by relating the exploration of space to that of the Earth by pioneers of old, and by citing such Earth legends as the Library of Alexandria as metaphors for space-related future events. Among Dr. Sagan's favorite topics are the origins of life, the search for life on Mars, the infernal composition of the atmosphere of Venus and a warning about a similar effect taking place on Earth due to global pollution and the "greenhouse effect", the lives of stars, interstellar travel and the effects of attaining the speed of light, the danger of mankind technologically self-destructing, and the search, using radio technology, for intelligent life in deep space.

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Plot Keywords:

earth | universe | library of alexandria | star | greenhouse effect | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 September 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

Carl Sagan: Kozmosz

Filming Locations:

Alaska, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,250,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

KCET, Carl Sagan Productions, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min 60 min (13 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Many of the studio sequences filmed in rooms with entirely black walls and floors, in the middle of which various minimal set elements would be arranged, were shot in the studio classrooms of the iEAR (Integrated Electronic Arts at Rensselaer) at Renssalear Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, New York, near Albany. RPI students also constructed the prototype "Mars rover" shown in one of the episodes speculating on robotic exploration of other planets.

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Quotes

Carl Sagan: Our loyalties are to the species and the planet. We speak for Earth. Our obligation to survive is owed not just to ourselves but also to that Cosmos, ancient and vast, from which we spring.

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Connections

Referenced in C.O.D. (1981)

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Soundtracks

"Cosmos"
(Main Theme)
Composed by Vangelis

User Reviews

A "must" for anyone carrying a throbbing heart.

Such apparently disassociated issues as deciphering hieroglyphics from ancient Egyptians and accompanying the Voyager spacecraft along its planetary tour meet up in these wonderful series. Carl Sagan not only transmits the facts, but also and perhaps most important, his enthusiasm swoops down deeply into the spectator skin.

Sagan (who hosts the series himself) magnificently shows that science is the art of solving Nature's mysteries. Every topic that is encompassed in Cosmos, is shown as so: Beginning in the knot, showing the big efforts that are made to untie it, and the final breath-out of the human mind prevailing over the (previously) unknown. Not only science, but everyday subjects are researched as well, such as astrology or the UFO phenomenon. History also shares a good role in Cosmos.

Overall, the great production and the soundtrack make this series a MUST for everyone carrying a throbbing heart.