PBS Science TV: The Verdict

After watching the three pilots that PBS is considering for a new science series, it’s clear why they asked viewers to help decide which one to green-light. They all ROCK. No matter which show wins, science aficionados will have reason to rejoice. We will finally have something other than those stuffy “Nova”-like shows. Something that speaks to the techno-savvy, well-rounded, multi-cultural iGeneration. We want our ScienceTV! But, we want it to be fun, hip and smart. Just like us.

“WIRED Science” from KCET/Los Angeles is all that and more – and, for the record, it’s my winner if I were forced to choose just one. It is fast-paced and full of variety, from how a plasma TV works (courtesy of the chainsaw-wielding Ziya Tong) to an in-studio interview with former physics grad student and founder of PayPal Elon Musk. The profile of a stem-cell researcher not only detailed her work, but included her personal history and even her embarrassing big-hair teenage photos! The segments were shorter and more compelling than in the other pilots, although the segment that featured a visit to an underwater training facility for space station astronauts veered into the hokey by “conversing” with a sea turtle. (And what was with the supposed NEEMO headquarters? It looked like a hotel room!) The pace and the emphasis on the people behind the science is what gave “WIRED Science” the real edge over my second choice, “Science Investigators.”

WGBH/Boston’s “Science Investigators” takes its cues from the hit “CSI” franchise, but comes off as a bit contrived. Reports from the field are interrupted by scripted cell phone calls and video chats in which members of the team give each other clues and leads in their search for answers. Topics ranged from amphibian decline to bionic arms, but the format did not seem as varied or as gripping as the ones on “WIRED Science.” The reporters, however, were awesome; each one attractive and highly credentialed. (Could there be a HOTTER snowboarding physicist than the French-speaking Basil Singer? I think NOT!)

“22nd Century” is in a category by itself. It features a nicely polished host, Robin Robinson, and two virtual co-hosts: actors playing “Brave New World” author Aldous Huxley and a visitor from the future, Orlanda Bell. These co-hosts argue about the ethics and consequences of cutting-edge science in a way that, to my surprise, adds to the topic at hand without coming off as phony. For example, they hash it out over the potential of creating a network they call the World Wide Mind. The technique has the bonus of letting the show delve deeply into a given topic. However, it’s not iGeneration. It’s a bit older, more conceptual and more than a tad metaphysical. But, if they would fire the film editor whose idea it was to make interviews more interesting by focusing in on chins and noses, I would watch this one, too.

If I were the goddess of science TV, I would create “WIRED Investigators.” But I wouldn’t just give all their correspondents double espressos and let them loose. They should steal a few hints from the other two pilot shows. I would use the “WIRED Science” format, along with its crew as the hip in-studio hosts. And then plug in the “Science Investigators” team as field correspondents. (Although the WIRED segment where Aomawa Shields hunted for extremophile viruses in the battery-acid-like waters of Yellowstone National Park was ridiculous fun). Then I would let “22nd Century” explore the consequences of the larger social issues facing our increasingly techy, and let’s face it, geeky world.

Whatever PBS chooses, it is fabulous to see how science TV is evolving before our very eyes – hosts, reporters and scientists from diverse backgrounds proving that science is everywhere and for everyone. And lots of fun. What could be better?

***********
There’s still time to catch all the pilots online and give your two cents. Watch the pilots and leave comments at each of the individual PBS sites: WiredScience, ScienceInvestigators and 22nd Century.