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FOX To Host New Cosmos

twocows writes "FOX is set to make a new season of Carl Sagan's 'Cosmos: A Personal Voyage,' hosted by Neil Degrasse Tyson and written by none other than Ann Druyan (Carl Sagan's widow). Let's hope they don't screw it up like every other good show they've aired in the past decade."

46 of 206 comments (clear)

  1. How long? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    How long will it survive the flood of complaint calls about forcing evolution into peoples houses?

    1. Re:How long? by bky1701 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Given this is Fox, they will most likely attempt to avoid evolution as much as humanly possible, or present "other theories" along with it.

    2. Re:How long? by 680x0 · · Score: 3, Funny

      And Venus will be a paradise planet according to them, because CO2 couldn't possible cause it to be hotter than Mercury. :-)

    3. Re:How long? by jbonomi · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Fox and Fox News have always been very different.

    4. Re:How long? by ObsessiveMathsFreak · · Score: 3, Funny

      Billions and Billions of years.

      --
      May the Maths Be with you!
    5. Re:How long? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 3, Informative

      Fox and Fox News have always been very different.

      One is the tanker car full of manure and the other is the maglev that pulls the bullshit train.

      I'm comfortable refusing to give my money to both, especially since anything they make that is of interest can be obtained free of charge and commercial free.

      How you like me now, Rupe?

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    6. Re:How long? by sub67 · · Score: 2

      How you like me now, Rupe?

      He's probably not too fond of you but I bet he'd love your voicemail.

    7. Re:How long? by Antisyzygy · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Ive seen Neil Degrasse Tyson before and follow him quite a bit. He will NOT go for this. If they try to make him, he will just stop hosting the show.

      --
      That brings me to an interesting point, / . is just "the ramblings of socially-inept, technology-literate news-mongers".
    8. Re:How long? by The+Mighty+Buzzard · · Score: 2

      Erm... Mars's atmosphere is 95.32% CO2 according to a quick wikipedia check. Which doesn't matter in the slightest really. All that matters for your point is that Mars is unaffected by Earth pollution but still has rising temperatures.

      --
      Violence is like duct tape. If it doesn't solve the problem, you didn't use enough.
    9. Re:How long? by mmarlett · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Yes, NDT will be good. He's an ass kicker. He'd probably quickly point out that they Martian temp rise has been attributed to a slight increase in radiation (sunlight) on a mostly CO2 atmosphere (heat trapping) that has led to a great increase in dust clouds (making the atmosphere denser and more heat absorbing) and at the same time the soil left behind after the dust is kicked up is darker, which means that it's also more heat absorbing. So the mechanism is entirely different. The minor increase in solar radiation just wouldn't have that effect on the Earth — not without massive deforestation and a huge outpouring of CO2 (even more massive than what we've done already).

      No, how Fox will screw this up is by ordering 13 episodes, airing them out of order (so that ape-like creatures evolve from liberals, perhaps) and then only airing about eight or so before canceling the series. But then it has the rights and no one else can show them.

    10. Re:How long? by Arlet · · Score: 2

      if a climatologist will go on the record and predict the weather on a certain date

      Sorry, climate is not weather, and if you don't know the difference, you're well advised to take some lessons.

    11. Re:How long? by TapeCutter · · Score: 2

      Not saying you did this, but I love that people jump on the Mars is warming propaganda to try and show that climate science in general is bullshit. It's the same intellectually dishonest tactic that creationists use and frankly anyone who falls for it cannot possibly qualify as a skeptical thinker on the subject.

      The "Mars is warming" myth is argument #27 on this excellent list of arguments from "climate skeptics", you may want to check on some other things you've "heard". Of course there's also a WP page describing the main lines of evidence that puts AGW firmly in the "scientific fact" category.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
  2. We just have to trust NDT by AdmiralXyz · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Probably like most people here, my initial reaction was to wonder why the hell an organization that hates science and rational thought is hosting Cosmos, and more importantly, whether they'll turn it into a soapbox for god-knows-what. If Neil Degrasse Tyson is on board though, I'm a little less worried. That man doesn't take any bullshit, and if Fox tries to muscle him into anything, he's going to walk away. That can be your canary in the coal mine to see if the show is worth watching.

    --
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    1. Re:We just have to trust NDT by ThorGod · · Score: 2

      From the article: "The deal with Fox is reportedly due to MacFarlane’s long-running relationship with 20th Century Fox, which helped him create the Family Guy franchise."

      I think we're talking about the entertainment channel and not the propaganda/entertainment channel. Like you, I'm hoping Degrasse Tyson properly 'informs' the show. If it's one thing our society needs it's a good, strong shot-in-the-arm of scientific appreciation.

      --
      PS: I don't reply to ACs.
    2. Re:We just have to trust NDT by samkass · · Score: 2

      Sarah Palin hosting a Discovery show and Neil Degrasse Tyson on FOX. What's going on??

      --
      E pluribus unum
    3. Re:We just have to trust NDT by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      They're under the same umbrella, but you do have a point.

      FOXNEWS wants to get people in with propaganda and..."creative" truths.

      FOX the entertainment channel wants people to watch with as much entertaining TV as possible. They'll broadcast a special of religion RIGHT NEXT TO a special about atheism if they thought it would get more viewers.

      Ah, capitalism. Sometimes you smell so good.

    4. Re:We just have to trust NDT by milkmage · · Score: 4, Informative

      The man said it best himself.
      http://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/99600564995887104

      "Simple Logic: Worried that FOX viewers don't know, think, or care about science? That's why COSMOS belongs on FOX."

      and he's right. if anyone can spark an interest in science it's Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson.

      If you can't bring yourself to tune into Fox
      http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=139033386
      National Geographic Channel will air a same-night encore of the episodes following their broadcast on Fox.

    5. Re:We just have to trust NDT by ArcherB · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Probably like most people here, my initial reaction was to wonder why the hell an organization that hates science and rational thought is hosting Cosmos, and more importantly, whether they'll turn it into a soapbox for god-knows-what. If Neil Degrasse Tyson is on board though, I'm a little less worried. That man doesn't take any bullshit, and if Fox tries to muscle him into anything, he's going to walk away. That can be your canary in the coal mine to see if the show is worth watching.

      Like someone else mentioned, the Fox that airs Family Guy, The Simpsons and formerly Married with Children is not the same as FoxNews that airs Bill O'reilly, Sean Hannity and formerly Glenn Beck. I guess it's true that ignorance is the base bigotry. The sad part is, you don't even know who to hate.

      You are like General Custer hating Gandhi because he was an Indian.

      --
      There is no "I disagree" mod for a reason. Flamebait, Troll, and Overrated are not substitutes.
    6. Re:We just have to trust NDT by CrimsonAvenger · · Score: 2, Interesting

      You are like General Custer hating Gandhi because he was an Indian.

      It should be noted that General Custer did NOT hate Indians. He rather admired them, actually. Alas, his job didn't care whether he liked them or not, he still had to protect the "settlers" (yes, even when the settlers were doing illegal things).

      Of course, this was the period of the "noble savage" concept, which automagically made Indians kind of cool to people who had never encountered them.

      --

      "I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
    7. Re:We just have to trust NDT by enormouspenis · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You are, without question, the most breathtakingly stupid poster I have ever read in all my years at /.. Congratulations. You are proof that God exists; Nature and evolution alone would never allow your parents and you to survive this long.

      --
      "I didn't spend six years in Evil Medical School to be called 'Mr.Evil,' thank you very much!"
    8. Re:We just have to trust NDT by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I think the original argument stands. Politics aside, FOX is still the network responsible for hack documentaries such as "Alien Autopsies" and that moon landing hoax nonsense which was bad enough to compelled NASA to issue a public statement to the contrary. I find it very unlikely that NDT will see eye to eye with the network executives on this endeavor and will leave the project screaming bloody murder sooner rather than later.

    9. Re:We just have to trust NDT by The+Mighty+Buzzard · · Score: 2

      Fuck, who wouldn't? Me, I want to be hung by a nice, shoddy, dry rotted rope that's as close to certain to break as possible.

      --
      Violence is like duct tape. If it doesn't solve the problem, you didn't use enough.
    10. Re:We just have to trust NDT by Jah-Wren+Ryel · · Score: 2

      Like someone else mentioned, the Fox that airs Family Guy, The Simpsons and formerly Married with Children is not the same as FoxNews that airs Bill O'reilly, Sean Hannity and formerly Glenn Beck.

      There is some leakage between the channels. For example, remember when Paris Hilton was trying to "break in" to the big leagues of celebritism? She had that show, "The Simple Life" and it aired on the Fox Network. One day before the premiere episode, O'Reilly, in his "no spin zone" 'broke the news' of her sex tape.

      So, when it comes down to making mo money, the two channels don't have quite so much editorial independence.

      --
      When information is power, privacy is freedom.
  3. On second thought by Rooked_One · · Score: 2

    Sagan would absolutely want it played to the masses if it would educate. Just being on fox makes me cringe though - even though seth macfarlane is the producer - which is really cool. :D

  4. Just update the original by Rheostatik · · Score: 2

    I always wish they'd update the original Cosmos. Keep all of Sagan's appearances and narration, just update all the graphics. Call it Cosmos "Re-Mastered" or something.

  5. Showing on Fox? by Anaerin · · Score: 2

    What do you know, it's already cancelled!

  6. One exception I can think of... by damn_registrars · · Score: 2

    screw it up like every other good show they've aired in the past decade

    FOX has yet to screw up Fringe, which is one of the best shows on TV - broadcast or cable - aside from moving it to Friday nights. But since every good geek has some sort of DVR (and would be home on a Friday night anyway) that doesn't matter too much for this series.

    If they screw up Fringe, though, then a pox on all their families. And a plague on their villages for good measure!

    --
    Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
  7. Re:10 - No! by beadfulthings · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Well, then I suppose my spouse must have been a lucky man, since we watched every episode together, purchased and read the book, and sought out Sagan's various works of science fiction. Our children were a little young to have benefitted from the original airing of the series, and I don't recall whether they ever saw it in reruns. But both of them read and enjoyed our small collection of books by Sagan. And I'd have to assert that we weren't the only young couple watching and enjoying the series together.

    Sagan was a confirmed atheist, and there's no way I can see that Fox will be able to do an honest job of this. I hope Ann Druyan is maintaining some sort of control.

    As for me, my husband died last month. I take a great deal of comfort in Sagan's assertion, which I can still hear clearly in my memory, that "we are made of star-stuff."

    --
    "Here's what's happening. You're starting to drive like your Dad..." - Red Green
  8. all this slanted commentary... by knacky805 · · Score: 2

    Wow, sure is Digg in here.

  9. ITS FOX not FOX NEWS by ctmurray · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Remember when Fox Business News was booed while filming in Madison WI during the legislative walkout? And the reporter being booed said "This is Fox Business not Fox News". Somehow in FOXlandia there is a distinction.

    1. Re:ITS FOX not FOX NEWS by Arlet · · Score: 2

      Is that the same FOX channel that aired the "Conspiracy Theory: Did We Land on the Moon?" program, that promoted moon hoax claims ?

  10. Fox != Fox News by Pete+Venkman · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Fox is not Fox News channel. Knee-jerk anyone? BTW, Fox News channel exists because people want to fucking hear what they say. Love it or hate it, you have to share the planet with people that watch it and enjoy it too.

    Carl Sagan's Cosmos is a great show and I'm sure any attempt to recreate some of that brand of awesome will be commendable. You know, Carl Sagan wrote in his book "The Demon-Haunted World" that people shouldn't be silenced just because you don't agree with them. Use reason, not emotion. We are all humans, let's start to prove it.

    1. Re:Fox != Fox News by thestudio_bob · · Score: 2

      BTW, Fox News channel exists because people want to fucking hear what they say. Love it or hate it, you have to share the planet with people that watch it and enjoy it too.

      Thank you. I've been telling this to both Democrats and Republicans alike for the past few years. It's like they don't realize that there's people on this planet that are never, and I mean NEVER, going to see their point of view. A farmer in the midwest is not going to get a New Yorker's point of view and visa versa. But they both need to realize that the other one exists and make compromises.

      --
      The real Sig captains the Northwestern. This one captains /.
    2. Re:Fox != Fox News by Antisyzygy · · Score: 2

      Fox is not Fox News channel. Knee-jerk anyone? BTW, Fox News channel exists because people want to fucking hear what they say. Love it or hate it, you have to share the planet with people that watch it and enjoy it too.

      Even so, a news organization has an ethical obligation to speak the truth, and they really exaggerate it. Fox by far is the worst of any news organization out there short of tabloids when it comes to stretching the truth and outright lying.

      --
      That brings me to an interesting point, / . is just "the ramblings of socially-inept, technology-literate news-mongers".
    3. Re:Fox != Fox News by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I know you cannot rationalize this.... but I am a huge Carl Sagan -Cosmos fan and a Fox News Fan.

      I get plenty of left wing media from traditional sources.... Fox gives us diversity.

      I can be conservative and agnostic, love science and fiscal responsibility and capitalism.

    4. Re:Fox != Fox News by twocows · · Score: 3

      Sorry, but they ruined Firefly. I won't forgive them for that.

    5. Re:Fox != Fox News by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      This is not correct, and Sagan would not agree. Sagan spent his whole life trying to fight the forces of superstition and disinformation. In recent years, Fox News has caused "Fair and Balanced" to come to mean bowing to treat conservative viewpoints as equal even when their arguments can be proved factually wrong. Sagan not only wouldn't have approved of Fox News, but many people would be surprised as he would likely be very terse on that issue. We do not need to sugar coat the truth. Fox News is an Orwellian attempt to control public discourse, it is not a fair and balanced viewpoint. Sagan would have had much stronger words than this.

    6. Re:Fox != Fox News by Luke727 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I think the concern is less about politics and more about dumbing it down, fucking it up, or cancelling it. Have you seen network television lately?

      --
      If you find this post offensive, don't read it! THINK ABOUT YOUR BREATHING! I am what I am because of how apes behave.
  11. Given that Tyson is on it by NotSoHeavyD3 · · Score: 2

    I hope he doesn't go and whore up black holes yet again. (Oh well, at least he's not as bad as Michio Kaku)

    --
    Did you know 80 to 90% of the moderators on slashdot wouldn't recognize a troll even if one dragged them under a bridge.
  12. Glad to hear it will be on fox by mattmarlowe · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If it was on PBS, I'd be worried that it would be biased.....

    I give up even trying to watch charlie rose on pbs these days....... whenever reporters are brought in to discuss current events, there are always 2 from the editorial wing of the new york times, and 3 from other left leaning news outlets and the conversation always goes around to complaining about tea partiers.

    I used to watch frontline, newshour, and other shows on pbs and the BBC....haven't been able to for the last 10 years, especially as even the science shows are no longer willing to consider all sides of an argument, and the bias is as much in what issues are covered as in the content and who they consult as experts. Pretty much ever since gore lost the election, and the AP decided that that fair fact based reporting wasn't informing voters properly, the closest I've found to fair reporting is the wall street journal (assuming you skip the editorial pages) and focus just on the news.

    Fox also isn't that bad in the sense that they actually are open about their biases.....CNN/etc not so much.

    1. Re:Glad to hear it will be on fox by Required+Snark · · Score: 2
      Over here in the real world, Fox is the least reliable source of information available. Here is a current example based on actual collected data, reporting on the News of the World phone hacking scandal:

      The study found that during the time period studied, CNN and MSNBC each devoted roughly 16 minutes per night to the topic, compared with only three minutes on Fox.

      In daytime coverage, CNN spent about four minutes per hour on the scandal, while MSNBC spent about half that much time. The total at Fox was closer to 30 seconds per hour.

      All three channels carried live daytime coverage of Tuesday's hearing before the British Parliament, where Murdoch and his son James appeared.

      http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43829568/ns/business-us_business/t/truthiness-fox-going-light-scandal-coverage/ This article is on MSNBC, but the study quoted is from the Pew Media Research Center.

      For some other, more amusing examples, look at these Actual Headlines vs. Fox News Headlines

      http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/actual-news-headlines-vs-fox-news-headlines and http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/more-fox-news-headlines-vs-actual-news-headlines

      So "AP Poll: Economic worries pose new snags for Obama" becomes "AP: Obama Has A Big Problem with White Women". This is not news, it's organized lying.

      If you think this is "Fair and Balanced" and that it's OK because they "admit their bias" then you have serious mental problems. I suspect that you should be under professional mental health care. There are many treatment options that will address your delusional thinking. Current drugs along with cognitive therapy are very effective. I urge you get evaluated, because in your current state you are a danger to yourself and others. You should not be diving or operating heavy equipment, or be allowed access to sharp objects or guns without close supervision. It would be a shame if someone got hurt because of your untreated mental illness.

      --
      Why is Snark Required?
    2. Re:Glad to hear it will be on fox by Microlith · · Score: 2

      even the science shows are no longer willing to consider all sides of an argument

      There aren't always two sides to everything. Can you give an example of this bias in science shows?

      Fox also isn't that bad in the sense that they actually are open about their biases

      Fox News? Nonsense. They are horribly biased but say "we're unbiased" with a straight face. CNN is wishy-washy and gives too much credence to broken, invalid standpoints. It sounds more like you've lost perspective on what "unbiased" is.

      I suspect many people would be whining about Edward R. Murrow these days. Would he be "liberal" and "biased" to you?

    3. Re:Glad to hear it will be on fox by CoonAss56 · · Score: 2

      Then you must just love to keep yourself ignorant, and out of touch. Which is your prerogative of course, but don't come on here and become an imbecile by spouting nonsense.

      --
      Won't Bow.....Don't Know How
  13. Re:PR Job, nothing else by Tulsa_Time · · Score: 2

    "An Atheist voting Republican is like a Jew voting for Hitler." That would imply that Republicans killed six million atheists in gas chambers... you lose credibility and sound ignorant.

    --
    5 out of 6 people enjoy Russian Roulette & 6 out of 7 Dwarfs are not Happy
  14. MacFarlane talks about that aspect of Fox by Sycraft-fu · · Score: 3, Insightful

    On one of the Family Guy DVD extras, he answers a fan question about the politics of the show and Fox. He explains that Fox Broadcasting and Fox News are run very separate, and that Fox in total is a massive company. So massive that he, one of their rather big name creators, has never met Murdoch. He said that in the entertainment division, what they care about is people watching a show. If the show gets viewers and sells ads, that's all that matters there are not concerns with the political content.

    Makes sense too. Fox News is what it is because people want to hear that narrative. They have to maintain their slant because that is precisely why they have the viewers they do. They have people who desire to hear that and (sometimes I think even more) people who listen to make themselves angry at what "the other guy" is saying. So they do it for ratings.

    Well their entertainment branch, the regular Fox stations, are the same, except they don't have a narrative because it is entertainment. They want to give people what they want, which for the entertainment side is often very different. It is a different set of viewers for different programs.

    Hence they are fine with MacFarlane. His show brings in viewers, probably not the same ones as Fox News but that doesn't matter. Even better for that matter, the Fox News viewers can watch that while the Family guy viewers watch that and Fox gets more money.

  15. Or beams, maybe. by Quiet_Desperation · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If you ask me, I think it's rays.

    The same rays that has guys hating Transformers and loving Little Ponies.

    Fire the orbital friendship cannon! Set weapons to "tolerate!"