It’s a big day for nostalgic nerds with Netflix accounts: only hours after it was announced that the streaming service’s ’80s pastiche sci-fi marvel Stranger Things would be returning for a second season, they’ve revealed plans for another new series that’ll surely have appeal among a similar demographic: a talk show hosted by none other than the bow-tied Lincoln lookalike in your bulky ’90s science class TV sets — Bill Nye.
Though Nye, most known for Bill Nye the Science Guy, may be a figure immediately evocative of ’90s nostalgia, he has also become an outspoken critic and challenger of politicians and other influential figures who favor religion over science — having famously gone head-to-head in debate with Answers in Genesis President Ken Ham at Petersburg, Kentucky’s Creation Museum. (He also recently published the book Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation.) As most scientists and non-religious-zealots do, Nye has voiced frequent concern about people ignoring the facts of climate change.
The upcoming series, titled Bill Nye Saves the World, will continue in the vein in which Nye has already emerged as a relatable scientific voice in the past few decades. Netflix’s description reveals that “each episode will tackle a topic from a scientific point of view, dispelling myths, and refuting anti-scientific claims that may be espoused by politicians, religious leaders or titans of industry.”
Nye said in a statement:
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.
The series is planned to premiere in Spring 2017.
[Via Indiewire]