ro phys ic ist ▁Neil ▁de Gr asse ▁T ys on ▁sought ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁new ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁series , ▁aim ed ▁to ▁appeal ▁to ▁as ▁wide ▁an ▁audience ▁as ▁possible ▁and ▁not ▁just ▁to ▁those ▁interested ▁in ▁the ▁sciences . ▁They ▁had ▁strugg led ▁for ▁years ▁with ▁rel uct ant ▁television ▁networks ▁that ▁failed ▁to ▁see ▁the ▁broad ▁appeal ▁of ▁the ▁show . ▁ ▁Development ▁ ▁S eth ▁Mac F ar lane ▁had ▁met ▁Dru yan ▁through ▁T ys on ▁at ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁kick off ▁event ▁for ▁the ▁Science ▁& ▁Entertainment ▁Exchange , ▁a ▁new ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁office ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Academy ▁of ▁Sciences , ▁designed ▁to ▁connect ▁Hollywood ▁writers ▁and ▁direct ors ▁with ▁scient ists . ▁A ▁year ▁later , ▁at ▁a ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁l unch ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁with ▁T ys on , ▁Mac F ar lane ▁learned ▁of ▁their ▁interest ▁to ▁re - create ▁Cos mos . ▁He ▁was ▁influenced ▁by ▁Cos mos ▁as ▁a ▁child , ▁bel ieving ▁that ▁Cos mos ▁served ▁to ▁"[ bridge ] ▁the ▁gap ▁between ▁the ▁academic ▁community ▁and ▁the ▁general ▁public ". ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁Mac F ar lane ▁told ▁T ys on , ▁" I ' m ▁at ▁a ▁point ▁in ▁my ▁career ▁where ▁I ▁have ▁some ▁dispos able ▁income ▁... ▁and ▁I ’ d ▁like ▁to ▁spend ▁it ▁on ▁something ▁worth while ." ▁Mac F ar lane ▁had ▁considered ▁the ▁reduction ▁of ▁effort ▁for ▁space ▁travel ▁in ▁recent ▁dec ades ▁to ▁be