"The Smartest Man on TV" - Rolling Stone

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL'S EMMY(R)-NOMINATED "STARTALK" HOSTED BY NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON RETURNS FOR SECOND SEASON BEGINNING SUNDAY, OCT. 25, AT 11/10c

President Bill Clinton to Be First Guest of the Late-Night Talk Show's New Season

(Washington, D.C. - Oct. 7, 2015) The second season of National Geographic Channel's Emmy(R)-nominated series StarTalk hosted by Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson (natgeotv.com/StarTalk, #StarTalkTV) will premiere Sunday, Oct. 25, at 11/10c. President Bill Clinton will be the first guest of the new season, and additional guests include Susan Sarandon, Seth MacFarlane, David Byrne, Larry Wilmore, Bas Lansdorp, Penn and Teller, David Crosby, Brian Cox and Gina McCarthy. For more information, visit our press room at foxflash.com and follow @NGC_PR on Twitter.

"I couldn't think of a more appropriate guest to kick off our second season," said Tyson. "President Bill Clinton is a public figure whose impact and influence span politics, pop culture and science - with an occasional dose of humor. That's exactly the mission statement of StarTalk, and I look forward to sharing our conversation with viewers."

In the season premiere, President Clinton opens up on a variety of topics, including the importance of a shared appreciation for science, using the cosmos to solve problems in the Oval Office, artificial intelligence and even the demotion of Pluto.

"It's okay if you can't break down and draw the chemistry signs; it's okay if you can't do the math equations," said President Clinton. "You need to ... be able to have a feeling for what science, and the technology that supports it, can do to open horizons. Not just in medicine, but the horizons of the mind."

Based on Tyson's prominent podcast of the same name, the weekly hourlong series infuses pop culture with science, while bringing together comedians and celebrities to delve into a wide range of topics. Each week, in a private interview, Tyson explores all the ways that science and technology have influenced the life and livelihood of his guests, whatever their background.

The guest interview frames the conversation between Tyson, his comedian co-host, and various influencers in media, science and pop culture, held before a studio audience in the Cullman Hall of the Universe at the American Museum of Natural History's (AMNH's) Rose Center for Earth and Space in New York City - where Tyson serves as the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium. Throughout the season, Tyson calls on his friend Bill Nye the Science Guy to weigh in on the week's theme while influencers across pop culture and science join via live video call to share their perspective.

Premiere episodes include:

Bill Clinton Premieres Sun., Oct. 25, 11/10c In the season premiere, Neil deGrasse Tyson sits down with former President Bill Clinton, who was a strong advocate of science education and advancement during his two presidential terms. President Clinton opens up about his deep appreciation for science as he delves into topics including the importance of science in politics, the cosmic perspective, the Human Genome Project and Einstein. At the Cullman Hall of the Universe, Tyson continues the conversation with his comedian co-host Chuck Nice and genomics expert Juan Enriquez. Meanwhile, Bill Nye gives his take on advancing scientific progress in America, author Richard Muller joins via video call to talk about the influence of science on politics and Tyson answers fan questions about artificial intelligence.

Larry Wilmore Premieres Sun., Nov. 1, 11/10c Emmy(R) award-winning producer, actor, comedian and writer Larry Wilmore joins Tyson in the hot seat as the two delve into the intersection of science and comedy. At the Cullman Hall of the Universe, Tyson is joined by his co-hosts: comedian Chuck Nice and Scott Weems, author of "Ha! The Science of When We Laugh and Why." The three discuss the physiology of laughter, the mathematics of crafting jokes and the link between humor and creativity. Adding to the discussion, author Andy Weir patches into the studio to discuss the comedy in his book "The Martian" and Bill Nye presents an improv performance to demonstrate that science can, in fact, be funny.

Seth MacFarlane Premieres Sun., Nov. 8, 11:30e/10:30c/11p* *Special East Coast and Central times; Pacific Coast will air at regularly scheduled time Neil deGrasse Tyson joins Seth MacFarlane, creator of "Family Guy" and fellow executive producer of "Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey", to discuss the role science plays in his work and personal life. In a private interview, the two take on myriad topics, including social issues in cartoons, the science of "Family Guy" and the science fiction parodies that abound in the series. Tyson is joined in the Cullman Hall of the Universe by comedian co-host Chuck Nice and astrophysicist and AMNH research associate Charles Liu, and later Bill Nye gives his take on cartoons and animation.

Premieres continue through Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016.

StarTalk is produced by Curved Light Productions and National Geographic Studios for National Geographic Channels. For Curved Light Productions, executive producers are Neil deGrasse Tyson and Helen Matsos. For National Geographic Studios, executive producer is Brian Lovett, co-executive producer is Drew Pulley and president is Brooke Runnette. For National Geographic Channels, executive producer is Michael Kovnat, vice president of production is Char Serwa and president of original programming and production is Tim Pastore.

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National Geographic Channels

Based at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Channels US are a joint venture between National Geographic and Fox Networks. The Channels contribute to the National Geographic Society's commitment to exploration, conservation and education with smart, innovative programming and profits that directly support its mission. Launched in January 2001, National Geographic Channel (NGC) celebrated its fifth anniversary with the debut of NGC HD. In 2010, the wildlife and natural history cable channel Nat Geo WILD was launched, and in 2011, the Spanish-language network Nat Geo Mundo was unveiled. The Channels have carriage with all of the nation's major cable, telco and satellite television providers, with NGC currently available in nearly 90 million U.S. homes. Globally, National Geographic Channel is available in more than 440 million homes in 171 countries and 45 languages. For more information, visit natgeotv.com, find us on Facebook at facebook.com/NatGeoTVUS or follow @NatGeoChannel on Twitter and Instagram.

StarTalk Radio

StarTalk Radio, hosted by Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, is a groundbreaking, weekly one-hour radio talk show and podcast, where science, pop culture and comedy collide. With a unique combination of comedy and celebrity star power, including frequent guest host Bill Nye, the show aims to bring the universe down to Earth. Now in its sixth season, StarTalk is available on SiriusXM Insight Channel 121, iTunes (where it recently ranked as the No. 1 podcast and made the "Best of 2014" list), Stitcher (where it won the Stitcher Award for Best Science and Medicine podcast), SoundCloud and TuneIn. The podcast has more than 3 million downloads per month. For more information and to listen, visit www.startalkradio.net.

The 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 the Rose Center for Earth and Space and the Hayden Planetarium, where Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson serves as the Frederick P. Rose Director. The museum's five active research divisions and three cross-disciplinary centers support 200 scientists, whose work draws on a world-class permanent collection of more than 33 million specimens and artifacts, as well as specialized collections for frozen tissue and genomic and astrophysical data. Through its Richard Gilder Graduate School, it is the only American museum authorized to grant Ph.D. degrees. Approximately 5 million visitors from around the world came to the museum last year, and its exhibitions and Space Shows can be seen in venues on five continents.