BEAMING OUT ACROSS ALL OF SPACE AND TIME, "STARTALK WITH NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON" RETURNS SUNDAY, OCT. 1, AT 11/10c

New Season Features Even Bigger Star Power, Including Stephen Hawking, Stephen Colbert, Jane Goodall, Kevin Smith and Katy Perry

(WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sept. 18, 2017) StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson is back with more star power than ever! The three-time Emmy-nominated talk show returns on Sunday, Oct. 1, at 11/10c with 20 all-new episodes featuring mind-blowing conversations, scientific commentary and cosmic queries - all with a comedic punch.

This season, hear from Katy Perry, Stephen Colbert, Lance Armstrong, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jane Goodall, Stephen Hawking, Katie Couric, Kevin Smith, Sylvia Earle, Fabien Cousteau, Adrien Grenier, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence and filmmaker James Cameron and more. This season's comedian co-hosts include Chuck Nice, Scott Adsit, Godfrey, Eugene Mirman, Sasheer Zamata and Maeve Higgins. Occasionally, Tyson calls on his friend Bill Nye the Science Guy to weigh in on the week's theme, while other influencers across pop culture and science join via live video.

StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson, the first-ever science-based talk show on television, is derived from Tyson's popular radio show and podcast of the same name. Each episode features an intimate interview between Tyson and a guest from pop culture, politics, sports or news, in which they discuss how science and technology have affected their lives and careers. In addition to the centerpiece interview, StarTalk episodes boast a panel of comedians and experts who analyze the conversation in front of a studio audience at the American Museum of Natural History's Rose Center for Earth and Space in New York City - where Tyson serves as the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium.

Premiere Episodes Include:

Lance Armstrong Premieres Sunday, Oct. 1, at 11/10c Host Neil deGrasse Tyson features his interview with controversial world-champion cyclist Lance Armstrong. Tyson is joined in the Cullman Hall of the Universe by comedian co-host Scott Adsit, along with science journalist Max Glaskin and bioethics professor Arthur Caplan to discuss the science of cycling, sports ethics and performance enhancement. Adding to the discussion, Chuck Nice joins from the Sports Science Lab to test cycling training techniques.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Premieres Sunday, Oct. 8, at 11/10c Host Neil deGrasse Tyson sits down with NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Later, in the Cullman Hall of the Universe, Tyson is joined by comedian co-host Chuck Nice and astrophysicist Charles Liu to discuss the science and history of basketball as well as Abdul-Jabbar's legacy. NBA analyst and former 76er Jim Spanarkel joins the conversation in the studio.

Jane Goodall Premieres Sunday, Oct. 15, at 11/10c Legendary chimpanzee researcher Jane Goodall joins host Neil deGrasse Tyson for a featured interview. Tyson is joined in the Cullman Hall of the Universe by comedian co-host Chuck Nice and biological anthropologist Jill Pruetz to discuss chimp behavior, animal and environmental ethics and the evolutionary differences between chimpanzees and humans. Primatologist and anthropologist Natalia Reagan joins the conversation from a chimpanzee sanctuary in Georgia.

Katie Couric Premieres Sunday, Oct. 22, at 11/10c Host Neil deGrasse Tyson features his interview with renowned news anchor Katie Couric. Tyson is joined in the Cullman Hall of the Universe by comedian co-host Eugene Mirman and journalism professor Jeff Jarvis to discuss the intersection of science and journalism. Adding to the discussion, Chuck Nice chimes in with the crowds at the March for Science.

Kevin Smith Premieres Sunday, Oct. 29, at 11/10c Filmmaker, comic book fanatic and all around geek ambassador, Kevin Smith sits down with host Neil deGrasse Tyson. Later, in the Cullman Hall of the Universe, Tyson is joined by comedian co-host Chuck Nice and astrophysicist Charles Liu as they discuss science fiction, comic books and the science of superheroes. StarTalk science correspondent and anthropologist Natalia Reagan sends a dispatch from San Diego Comic-Con, where hundreds of thousands of fans converge to share their passion for comics, science fiction, movies, TV and cosplay.

SciFi Meets National Defense Premieres Sunday, Nov. 5, at 11/10c Host Neil deGrasse Tyson sits down with Arati Prabhakar, former head of the U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Tyson is joined in the Cullman Hall of the Universe by comedian co-host Chuck Nice and national security journalist Sharon Weinberger to discuss the intersection of science fiction, technology and national defense. Adding to the discussion, rocket scientist Natalie Panek joins via video call and Hod Lipson demonstrates his self-aware robot.

Katy Perry Sunday, Nov. 12, at 11/10c Host Neil deGrasse Tyson joins Grammy-nominated pop star Katy Perry in Los Angeles, where Tyson answers all of her cosmic queries. In the Cullman Hall of the Universe, comedian co-host Sasheer Zamata and astrophysicist Charles Liu join Tyson to discuss science in pop culture and music.

Sylvia Earle, Fabien Cousteau & Adrian Grenier Sunday, Nov. 19, at 11/10c Host Neil deGrasse Tyson features his interviews with legendary oceanographer Sylvia Earle and famed aquanaut Fabien Cousteau. Tyson is joined in the Cullman Hall of the Universe by comedian co-host Scott Adsit and marine biologist and conservationist Laure Katz to discuss ocean exploration and conservation. Adding to the discussion, actor and activist Adrian Grenier joins via video chat, and National Geographic Explorer Erika Bergman shows off her submarine.

James Cameron Sunday, Nov. 26, at 11/10c As the 20th anniversary of James Cameron's film "Titanic" approaches, host Neil deGrasse Tyson features his interview with the legendary filmmaker and National Geographic explorer-in-residence. Cameron discusses everything from the inspiration behind his record-breaking film "Avatar" to his solo dive down to the deepest point of the Mariana Trench. Joining Tyson in the Cullman Hall of the Universe are comedian co-host Chuck Nice and astrophysicist Charles Liu to discuss the intersection of storytelling, exploration and science.

Celestial Navigation Sunday, Dec. 3, at 11/10c Host Neil deGrasse Tyson features his interview with master navigator Nainoa Thompson, an ocean voyager who uses the traditional Polynesian methods of non-instrument navigating. Joining Tyson in the Cullman Hall of the Universe are comedian co-host Maeve Higgins and celestial navigation expert Frank Reed to discuss the science of non-instrument navigating.

StarTalk is produced by Curved Light Productions and National Geographic Studios for National Geographic. For Curved Light Productions, executive producers are Neil deGrasse Tyson and Helen Matsos. For National Geographic Studios, executive producers are Brian Lovett and Drew Pulley, and executive vice president of production and development is Jeff Hasler. For National Geographic, executive producer is Betsy Forhan, vice president of production is Kevin Tao Mohs and president of original programming and production is Tim Pastore.

For more information, visit our press room at www.natgeotvpressroom.com and follow @NGC_PR on Twitter.

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National Geographic

National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between National Geographic and 21st Century Fox, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic's media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children's media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 128 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers ... and reaching over 730 million people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

StarTalk Radio

Science, pop culture and comedy collide on StarTalk's podcast network! Neil deGrasse Tyson, his fellow science educators including Bill Nye, comic co-hosts and guests bring the universe down to Earth in "StarTalk Radio," "StarTalk All-Stars" and "StarTalk Playing with Science." Now in its eighth season, the StarTalk Radio podcast has more than 3 million downloads per month, and the three-time Emmy nominated National Geographic show based on the podcast is about to start its fourth season. StarTalk All-Stars, currently in its second season, features a revolving slate of scientist and science educator hosts. StarTalk Playing with Science, also in its second season, hosted by professional British soccer player and sports broadcaster Gary O'Reilly and fan favorite StarTalk co-host Chuck Nice, explores the science behind the most iconic moments in sports with guests including pro athletes, coaches, sports experts, and scientists. Each StarTalk network podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, SoundCloud, Stitcher and TuneIn. StarTalk Radio and StarTalk All-Stars are also carried on SiriusXM Insight Channel 121. For more information and to listen to all of our shows, visit www.startalkradio.net. Keep looking up!

American Museum of Natural History

The American Museum of Natural History, founded in 1869, is one of the world's preeminent scientific, educational, and cultural institutions. The Museum encompasses 45 permanent exhibition halls, including those in the Rose Center for Earth and Space and the Hayden Planetarium, as well as galleries for temporary exhibitions. It is home to New York State's official memorial to Theodore Roosevelt, a tribute to Roosevelt's enduring legacy of environmental conservation. The Museum's approximately 200 scientists draw on a world-class research collection of more than 34 million artifacts and specimens, some of which are billions of years old, and on one of the largest natural history libraries in the world. Through its Richard Gilder Graduate School, the Museum grants the Ph.D. degree in Comparative Biology and the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree, the only such program at any museum in the United States. Annual physical attendance has grown to approximately 5 million, and the Museum's exhibitions and Space Shows can be seen in venues on six continents. The Museum's website, digital videos, and apps for mobile devices bring its collections, exhibitions, and educational programs to millions more around the world. Visit amnh.org for more information.