"Cosmos" (1980) TV mini-series

User Rating:

9.6/10   

Director:

Adrian Malone

Writer:

Ann Druyan (writer)

Seasons:

1 | unknown

Release Date:

28 SZEPTEMBER 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

Astronomer Carl Sagan leads us on an engaging guided tour of the various elements and cosmological theories of the Universe.

Plot Keywords:

Earth | Universe | Star | Venus | Library

Awards:

Won 3 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Carl Sagan

...

Himself - Host (13 episodes, 1980)

Runtime:

60 min (13 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Alaska, USA

Company:

Carl Sagan Productions

Trivia:

When Turner Broadcasting bought the rights to release Cosmos on VHS for the 10th anniversary of the original PBS series, CNN filmed a special 1-hour program titled "Cosmos, Episode 14: Ted Turner Interviews Dr. Sagan", where Ted Turner talks with Carl Sagan about his creation, Cosmos. In it, Sagan and Turner discuss the preservation of the Earth, nuclear weapons, the greenhouse effect, and other topics. It is only available as the last tape of the fourteen-tape series and it is not included on the DVD version.

Quotes:

Carl Sagan: Human history can be viewed as a slowly dawning awareness that we are members of a larger group. Initially our loyalties were to ourselves and our immediate family, next, to bands of wandering hunter-gatherers, then to tribes, small settlements, city-states...

Movie Connections:

Featured in Miracle Mile (1988)

a milestone in scientific educational fun and amusement: outstanding work of art

More than twenty years on, but this documentary series still stands out head and shoulders above most. It is not simply the fact that it was a well-made production, but more of how it was presented. Professor Carl Sagan offered ordinary intelligent viewers an enthralling scientific series without the scientific language; he presented it as if he were an excellent school-teacher, right there before the class, in his careful, methodical way of speaking. His carefully worded explanations of all that could be seen on screen added superbly to that something which is close to magical; thus, for many people, it was a magnificent series for people to learn English; and I include a lot of North Americans and British people!

The magnificent use of visual concepts as Professor Sagan took us on his voyage into the unknown, was admirably backed up by a sensational selection of music which just lifted the entire work way above the run-of-the-mill documentaries. Here there is no preaching: just simple plain old-fashioned teaching; but so carefully carried out. The universe came to life as we journeyed on through the Cosmos: it was at once exciting, it was fun, it was spell-binding, but this series was always educational in the first degree.

And do not think I am talking about it being for a classroom of 14 year-olds: this is not the case. Whatever your age, `Cosmos' is one of those great landmarks in the making of anything for the screen, whether the big one or the small one.

Previous to this wonderful series, I had only heard Vangelis' music in `Chariots of Fire', but with the selection used in `Cosmos' I have become the firmest stalwart of this brilliant Greek musician and composer. Who can forget such delightful pieces as `Entends-tu les Chiens Aboyer' and - on my LP recording! - the Bulgarian Shepherdess Song, as well as the other pieces used to such effective advantage for this unrepeatable TV documentary series?

This is a series that should be repeated again and again. Outstandingly brilliant.

Many thanks to the late Professor Carl Sagan and to KCET, Los Angeles.