‘Bill Nye: Science Guy’ Streams April 25
PBS DISTRIBUTION’S
“POV: BILL NYE: SCIENCE GUY”
AVAILABLE FOR STREAMING ON NETFLIX
BEGINNING APRIL 25, 2018
Film features exclusive access and personal look at celebrity scientist, with appearances by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Ann Druyan and other luminaries in the field
PBS Distribution proudly announces “POV: BILL NYE: SCIENCE GUY” available for streaming on Netflix beginning April 25, 2018. Bill Nye is on a mission to stop the spread of anti-scientific thought and action. Once the host of a popular kids’ show and now the CEO of the Planetary Society, he’s leading a mission to launch LightSail, a satellite propelled by sunlight, while in turn fulfilling the legacy of his late professor and Planetary Society co-founder Carl Sagan.
With intimate and exclusive access, as well as plenty of wonder and whimsy, the film is a behind-the-scenes portrait of the “Science Guy,” who continues to inspire millennials to participate in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). In addition to Nye, the film features Neil deGrasse Tyson, Ann Druyan and many other notable voices in the field.
In addition to taking off his signature “Science Guy” lab coat, Nye has started taking on those who deny the importance of science, from prominent creationist Ken Ham to climate change skeptic, meteorologist and occasional Fox News commentator Joe Bastardi. Nye goes head-to-head to advocate for the scientific community and its invaluable findings.
In his role as CEO of the Planetary Society, Nye and his team are working toward the first-ever successful launch and flight of a solar sailing satellite propelled by sunlight in space. But Nye’s focus never strays far from what initially propelled him to fame: education. His mission is driven in part by anxiety about what future generations may face.
Another flashpoint in the film comes when Nye is touring the Creation Museum founded by Christian fundamentalist Ken Ham. The museum features displays suggesting that humans lived alongside dinosaurs and that the earth is 6,000 years old. Nye finds it alarming.
Nonetheless, Nye is not without his own critics. Even some in the scientific community feel there have been times when Nye’s mission has taken a back seat to his ego. Some say that by agreeing to a televised debate with Ham about our evolutionary origins, Nye gave Ham undeserved media attention.
The program also illuminates Nye’s private life. He remains close to his two siblings, who are struggling with a hereditary neurological disorder that Nye doesn’t have. Numerous friends, both from his childhood and from his Science Guy days, speak to his quirks and ambitions. Nye even opens up about his romantic life.
Ultimately, the Science Guy and Nye are indistinguishable from each other. “Bill has always wanted to be famous,” one of his longtime friends says. Expertly chronicling the TV character and the very real human subject behind him, the program presents an absorbing, charming portrait of a man and his not-so-modest mission to educate and change the world.
“POV: BILL NYE: SCIENCE GUY” is also available to stream via Passport, a member benefit for PBS station donors that offers extended access to a rich library of public television programming (contact your local PBS station for details).
