The `` ship of the imagination '' is roaring ahead into its second voyage . `` Cosmos , '' the new , updated version of Carl Sagan 's popular 1980 documentary series exploring the hows , whats and whys of the universe , premiered Sunday night on Fox , the National Geographic Channel and various corporate cousins . Its `` ship of the imagination '' -- a vehicle to take viewers through wonders large and small -- now has a new captain , astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson , but the reaction to the show 's debut shows that entertaining , informative science never goes out of style . `` I 'll be eagerly tuning in for future episodes , '' wrote the Los Angeles Times ' Jennifer Ouellette , praising Tyson as `` affable '' and `` engaging '' and noting the debut episode 's lively use of ideas -- such as the `` powers of 10 '' -- that could turn to cliché in other hands . `` Tonally the show strikes just the right balance between education and inspiration , '' wrote The Verge 's Bryan Bishop , though adding that he believed the premiere tried too hard . `` It feels like it 's missing its own point : that the greatest wonders are n't CG ( computer generated ) spectacle , but our own marvelous universe , '' he wrote . Science fans -- and fans of the original series -- have been awaiting the new `` Cosmos '' for months . The show has the imprimatur of Sagan 's widow , Ann Druyan , and is being produced by `` Family Guy '' mogul Seth MacFarlane , an avowed `` Cosmos '' geek . Through it all , Tyson has maintained his good humor as he 's promoted the show . `` The universe is hilarious ! '' he told GQ in a recent interview . `` Like , Venus is 900 degrees . I could tell you it melts lead . But that 's not as fun as saying , 'You can cook a pizza on the windowsill in 9 seconds . ' And next time my fans eat pizza , they 're thinking of Venus ! '' Tyson told CNN 's Brian Stelter that one of the ideas behind `` Cosmos '' is to reignite `` that flame of curiosity in us all . '' Neil deGrasse Tyson on `` Cosmos '' debut . `` One of our mission statements in 'Cosmos ' is to present science with all of its glory and the majesty and the mystery and the wonder -- the things we all take for granted as children , '' Tyson said on Sunday 's `` Reliable Sources . '' Tyson acknowledged that he 's bothered about the debate between science and religion that 's became a mainstay of political campaigns and op-ed pages . `` There was a time when science and religion kind of co-existed under the same roof , '' Tyson told Stelter . `` I find it odd that we live in a time where people who are strongly religious want to make everyone else the same kind of religious way they are , and break down the door of the science classroom to put their religious philosophies in there . '' Though there was some tweaking of religion on social media -- `` SPOILER ALERT : apparently the earth is not 6000 years old ... Who knew ! ? '' tweeted JaclynGlenn -- in general , people were impressed . `` That was the best commercial for science ever , '' tweeted Dan Treadway . And Wil Wheaton -- who knows a little something about TV , entertainment and science , having been an actor on `` Star Trek : The Next Generation '' and `` The Big Bang Theory '' -- was positively effusive . `` Dear everyone involved in making # cosmos : Thank you . Thank you so much . I hope you inspire an entire generation to fall in love with science , '' he tweeted . `` Cosmos '' will continue for 12 more episodes .
` ` ' '' premiered on CBS Sunday Night . New series is a new version of popular 1980 PBS show with Carl Bernstein . ` ` Cosmos '' hosted by astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson . A goal : Present science with ` ` beauty and wonder and wonder ''