Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey (a continuation of the 1980 Carl Sagan program Cosmos: A Personal Voyage) is a show on Fox that explores the big questions of the universe and strives to make the even most complex scientific concepts accessible to the average viewer. Meeting widespread success, Cosmos was honored with a celebration at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills on Sunday, August 3rd.
Interviewing on the red carpet, the first person I spoke with was Ann Druyan, the executive producer, writer, and director of Cosmos. She is also the widow of the late Carl Sagan. When speaking with Druyan, it’s impossible not to notice how warm and caring this woman is. She looked so touched and overjoyed that the continuation of her and her husband’s work had been so well received. Her pride in the TV show’s success was evident as I asked her questions such as:
Q: What is it like to have Cosmos be so well-received?
A: “It’s like a dream that I can’t wrap my head around. I’ve spent seven years worrying that we wouldn't measure up to what we had done before in the first series. Or that it just wouldn't be as a good as I needed it to be to be worthy of the original series. The fact that it’s been so embraced is the greatest thrill for me, and I just can’t believe it’s done. But I’m just thrilled, so happy.”
Q: What are the future plans of Cosmos? A season two maybe?
A: “There are some plans for some other projects at this time. And, you know, I think Cosmos is an event. So I think we may need just a little bit of time, so we can do something as fully-realized and thought out as this new series.”
Q: What should the modern viewer take away from Cosmos?
A: “Two things: that the romance of life in this universe is something that is a birthright…and that pale blue dot is small and tiny in that context and fragile. And it’s the only home we have, so we better get our act together because there’s a great universe of wonders awaiting us.”
