"Cosmos" (1980) TV mini-series

Director:

Adrian Malone

Writer:

Ann Druyan (writer)

Seasons:

1 | unknown

Release Date:

28 September 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)

Series Directed by
David F. Oyster		(13 episodes, 1980)
Adrian Malone		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Carl Sagan		(13 episodes, 1980)
Ann Druyan		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Gregory Andorfer	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Judy Flannery	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Geoffrey Haines-Stiles	....	senior producer (unknown episodes)
David Kennard	....	senior producer (unknown episodes)
Adrian Malone	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)
Rob McCain	....	producer (unknown episodes)
David F. Oyster	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Tom Weidlinger	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Richard Wells	....	producer (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
Larry Fast		(unknown episodes)
Gordon Skene		(unknown episodes)
Tôru Takemitsu		(unknown episodes)
Isao Tomita		(unknown episodes)
Vangelis		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
James Lathom		(unknown episodes)
Roy Stewart		(unknown episodes)

Series Art Direction by
John Retsek		(unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Rick Sternbach	....	astronomical artist (12 episodes, 1980)
Don Davis	....	astronomical artist (unknown episodes)
Jon Lomberg	....	chief artist (unknown episodes)
Anne Norcia	....	astronomical artist (unknown episodes)
Ernie Norcia	....	astronomical artist (unknown episodes)
Adolf Schaller	....	astronomical artist (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Kent Gibson	....	sound designer / sound re-recording mixer (13 episodes, 1980)
Richard Van Dyke	....	production sound mixer (unknown episodes)
Gerald Zelinger	....	sound mixer / sound re-recording mixer (unknown episodes)

Series Visual Effects by
Robert Blalack	....	effects production (12 episodes, 1980)
James Shourt	....	effects production (12 episodes, 1980)
John Allison	....	visual effects supervisor (11 episodes, 1980)
Adolf Schaller	....	visual effects supervisor (8 episodes, 1980)
Bob Buckner	....	visual effects: Magicam, Inc. (4 episodes, 1980)
Pat Cole	....	computer animation (4 episodes, 1980)
Jim Dow	....	visual effects: Magicam, Inc. (4 episodes, 1980)
Joe Matza	....	visual effects: Magicam, Inc. (4 episodes, 1980)
Susan Racho	....	visual effects production coordinator (2 episodes, 1980)
Christopher S. Ross	....	magicam crew (unknown episodes)
Donna Tracy	....	visual effects (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Mark J. Levin	....	lighting technician (13 episodes, 1980)
Hilyard John Brown	....	location cinematographer (unknown episodes)
Chris O'Dell	....	location cinematographer (unknown episodes)

Series Animation Department
Russ Mooney	....	animator (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Janelle Balnicke	....	location & production coordinator (unknown episodes)
Stephen H. Burum	....	magicam crew (unknown episodes)
John Gale	....	magicam crew (unknown episodes)
Larry Heider	....	magicam crew (unknown episodes)
Mike Johnson	....	magicam crew (unknown episodes)
Robert C. King	....	magicam crew (unknown episodes)
Cleve Landsberg	....	magicam crew (unknown episodes)
Carey Melcher	....	technical designer (unknown episodes)
George C. Reilly	....	magicam crew (unknown episodes)
Joe Wolcott	....	magicam crew (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Carl Sagan Productions
• KCET

Distributors

• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1980) (USA) (TV)
• Bright Vision Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Animagraphics
• Cartoon Kitchen
• Cinema Research
• Computer Graphics Research Group, Ohio State University (computer animation)
• Evans and Sutherland (computer animation)
• Jet Propulsion Laboratory (computer animation)
• Lumeni Productions
• Magicam
• Modern Film Effects
• Motion Pictures (MPI)
• NASA Ames Research Center (computer animation)
• New Genesis Productions
• Opticam
• Precision Film Group
• Universal Hartland
• Wexler Film Productions (computer animation) (as Wexler Productions)

Other Companies

• Animagraphics  stills camera

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: Up there in the immensity of the Cosmos, an inescapable perception awaits us. National boundaries are not evident when we view the Earth from space. Fanatical ethnic, religious or national chauvinisms are a little difficult to maintain when we see our planet as a fragile blue crescent fading to become an inconspicuous point of light against the bastion and citadel of the stars.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Jeopardy!: Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational Quarterfinal 1 (#26.4)" (2009)

A "must" for anyone carrying a throbbing heart.

Such apparently disassociated issues as deciphering hieroglyphics from ancient Egyptians and accompanying the Voyager spacecraft along its planetary tour meet up in these wonderful series. Carl Sagan not only transmits the facts, but also and perhaps most important, his enthusiasm swoops down deeply into the spectator skin.

Sagan (who hosts the series himself) magnificently shows that science is the art of solving Nature's mysteries. Every topic that is encompassed in Cosmos, is shown as so: Beginning in the knot, showing the big efforts that are made to untie it, and the final breath-out of the human mind prevailing over the (previously) unknown. Not only science, but everyday subjects are researched as well, such as astrology or the UFO phenomenon. History also shares a good role in Cosmos.

Overall, the great production and the soundtrack make this series a MUST for everyone carrying a throbbing heart.