The one hundred twenty-eighth TV show: #303 Cosmos

Cosmos, initially, presents itself as a show about space. Talking about how we explored it, learned about the Earth, the solar system and galaxies, while teaching about what's there and how it interacts. It's simple if you've read up on it, and at times a bit outdated, but it explains it well, giving you some things to think about, with things we discussed afterwards and in between. It reflects on the Earth too, the dilemmas we face with things like climate change, an issue even in the seventies, and war, which was an even bigger threat at the time.

As the show continues though, that later part starts to overtake. While there might be life on other planets, they're unlikely to reach us unless we reach out, and only if we survive for long enough. It ends up preachy, but at the same time uses science and reason to promote a better, more conscientious earth. It paints the spreading of science as political and makes points that still ring true today - even if it feels we progressed a bit. I miss the space talk - it's the best bit - but Carl Sagan stays engaging throughout.