StarTalk (2015 TV series)

StarTalk
Genre	Talk show
Starring	Neil deGrasse Tyson Bill Nye
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	20 (list of episodes)
Production
Running time	60 minutes
Release
Original network	National Geographic Channel
Picture format	16:9 HDTV
Original release	April 20, 2015 – present
External links
Website

StarTalk is an American talk show hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson that airs weekly on National Geographic. StarTalk is a spin-off of the podcast of the same name, which features Tyson discussing various scientific topics through one-on-one interviews and panel discussions. Space.com called it the "first-ever science-themed late-night talk show."^[1] The series premiered on April 20, 2015.^[2]

On July 29, 2015, it was announced that StarTalk was renewed for a second season, starting October 25, 2015, with Bill Clinton as the first guest.^[3]

As of February 4, 2016, audio recordings of all twenty TV episodes have subsequently aired as podcast episodes.

Format

The format of the show broadly follows the format of the podcast. This consists of a pre-taped discussion between Tyson and the guest of the week, which is shown in segments interspersed with the segments filmed in front of the live audience. Those segments consist of a discussion between Tyson, a specialist related to the guest's area of expertise, and a comedian (most commonly Chuck Nice or Eugene Mirman). Near the end of the episode, a short taped segment of Bill Nye, giving his view of the episode's topic, is aired.

Episodes

Season 1 (2015)

No.	Guest(s)	Original air date	U.S. viewers (millions)
1	George Takei	April 20, 2015	N/A
2	Christopher Nolan	April 27, 2015	N/A
3	Dan Savage	May 4, 2015	N/A
4	Arianna Huffington	May 11, 2015	0.151[4]
5	Richard Dawkins	May 18, 2015	N/A
6	Jimmy Carter	May 25, 2015	N/A
7	Chris Hadfield	June 1, 2015	N/A
8	Biz Stone	June 8, 2015	N/A
9	Charles Bolden	June 15, 2015	N/A
10	Norman Lear	June 22, 2015	N/A

Season 2 (2015)

Guests for season two began with Bill Clinton and will also include Susan Sarandon, David Byrne, Larry Wilmore, Bas Lansdorp, and Penn & Teller.^[3]

No.	Guests	Original air date	U.S. viewers (millions)
11	Bill Clinton	October 25, 2015	0.219[5]
12	Larry Wilmore	November 1, 2015	N/A
13	Seth MacFarlane	November 8, 2015	N/A
14	Penn & Teller	November 15, 2015	N/A
15	Susan Sarandon	November 29, 2015	N/A
16	David Byrne	December 6, 2015	N/A
17	Bas Lansdorp (Mars One)	December 13, 2015	N/A
18	David Crosby	December 20, 2015	N/A
19	Brian Cox	December 27, 2015	N/A
20	Gina McCarthy	January 3, 2016	N/A

Broadcast

In Australia, the series premiered on National Geographic Channel on April 27, 2015.^[6]

In popular culture

On August 27, 2015, 20th Century Fox released a viral video advertisement for the movie The Martian, taking the form of a special episode of StarTalk, with Tyson discussing the fictional Ares 3 mission from the film.^[7]

See also

• StarTalk (podcast)
• The Sky at Night
• Science communication

References

1. Cofield, Calla. "'StarTalk,' NatGeo Channel's 1st Late-Night Science Talk Show, Debuts Tonight". space.com.
2. Kevin Day, Patrick (18 March 2015). "Neil deGrasse Tyson reveals first guests, premiere date for 'StarTalk' show". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
3. Announcing Season 2 of StarTalk TV on National Geographic Channel Premiere Date and First Episodes
4. Metcalf, Mitch. "SHOWBUZZDAILY’s Top 100 Monday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 5.11.2015". ShowBuzzDaily. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
5. Metcalf, Mitch (27 October 2015). "SHOWBUZZDAILY’s Top 100 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Update: 10.25.2015". ShowBuzzDaily. Archived from the original on 29 October 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
6. "NEW THIS WEEK (Apr 27): Australia’s Next Top Model, StarTalk, Hart Of Dixie, #MayPac and more". The Green Room. 23 April 2015. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
7. Bradley, Laura (August 28, 2015). "Neil deGrasse Tyson Soothingly Explains the Science Behind The Martian". Retrieved September 1, 2015.

External links

• Official web site