Netflix hit Nineties kids right in the nostalgia cortex when they added episodes of Bill Nye the Science Guy to their streaming catalog last year. Now Nye’s partnership with Netflix is evolving: he’ll host a new science-themed talk show beginning in 2017.
Variety reports that Bill Nye Saves the World will launch on Netflix next year, focusing on the intersections of science, politics, society, and pop culture. It will be Nye’s first return to series television since his beloved kids’ show Bill Nye the Science Guy made him a household name two decades ago. That series ran for five seasons beginning in 1993 and featured Nye introducing youngsters to concepts ranging from dinosaurs to gravity to space flight. The show won 19 Emmy awards over the course of its run.
In a statement, Nye said:
Since the start of the Science Guy show, I’ve been on a mission to change the world by getting people everywhere excited about the fundamental ideas in science. Today, I’m excited to be working with Netflix on a new show, where we’ll discuss the complex scientific issues facing us today, with episodes on vaccinations, genetically modified foods, and climate change. With the right science and good writing, we’ll do our best to enlighten and entertain our audience. And, perhaps we’ll change the world a little.
It sounds a bit like a scientifically oriented Daily Show…which sounds both amazing and much-needed. In recent years, Nye has become a vocal scientific activist, speaking out about the dangers posed by climate change and infamously debating creationist Ken Ham in 2014. The talk show format is also a niche Netflix hasn’t explored much, aside from Chelsea Handler’s Chelsea, which launched earlier this year.
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson‘s Michael Naidus will serve as showrunner and executive producer on Bill Nye Saves the World. The show will also enlist the talents of astronomer/science author Phil Plait as the show’s Head Science Writer.
