National Geographic Announces New Season of Emmy(R)-Nominated Series "StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson"

Guests Include "Hidden Figures" Star Janelle Monáe and Director Ted Melfi, Cyclist Lance Armstrong, Basketball Legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Conservationist Fabien Cousteau

AUSTIN, Texas -- National Geographic's two-time Emmy(R)-nominated series StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson (#StarTalkTV) will return this fall with 20 all-new episodes. This was announced today at the Nat Geo Further Base Camp at SXSW where astrophysicist and StarTalk host Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) sat down with Ron Howard (@realRonHoward), executive producer and director of National Geographic's upcoming scripted series Genius, for a special StarTalk podcast interview. StarTalk airs on National Geographic around the world in 171 countries in 45 languages and in Spanish on Nat Geo Mundo.

StarTalk, the hourlong, weekly science-driven talk show series, is derived from Tyson's popular podcast of the same name. Each television episode features an intimate interview between Tyson and a guest hewn from pop culture, politics or news, discussing how science and technology have affected their lives and careers. The new season will include "Hidden Figures" star Janelle Monáe and director Ted Melfi, cyclist Lance Armstrong, basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and conservationist Fabien Cousteau.

"At National Geographic we believe in the power of science and embracing curiosity," said Tim Pastore, National Geographic's president of original programming and production. "StarTalk and Neil deGrasse Tyson not only make science accessible, but they make science fun and relevant, and we look forward to another engaging season."

"From actors to entertainers, from politicians to performers, and from artists to athletes, our guests have two things in common: They are drawn from pop culture, and science has profoundly touched their lives," said Tyson. "And in many cases, StarTalk provides a comfortable space for pop culture icons to lay bare an inner geek that you never knew they had."

In addition to the centerpiece interview, the show also features 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. Regular comedian co-hosts include Eugene Mirman, Chuck Nice 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.

Past StarTalk guests include Academy Award winner Whoopi Goldberg, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, President Bill Clinton, former U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, actor and director Ben Stiller, U.S. Soccer Team goalie Hope Solo, actor William Shatner, comedian and talk show host Bill Maher, writer and producer Seth MacFarlane and SETI astrophysicist Jill Tarter.

"StarTalk: Everything You Ever Need to Know About Space Travel, Sci-Fi, the Human Race, the Universe, and Beyond" is the show companion book from NatGeo Books and is available wherever books are sold.

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 and president of original programming and production is Tim Pastore.

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 & comedy collide on StarTalk's podcast network! Neil deGrasse Tyson, his fellow science educators including Bill Nye, comic co-hosts & guests bring the universe down to Earth in StarTalk Radio, StarTalk All-Stars & StarTalk Playing with Science. Now in its eighth season, the StarTalk Radio podcast has more than 3 million downloads per month, and the two-time Emmy nominated National Geographic Channel TV 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. The network's newest podcast, StarTalk Playing with Science, 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 iTunes 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:

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, as well as galleries for temporary exhibitions. It is home to the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial, New York State's official memorial to its 33rd governor and the nation's 26th president, and a tribute to Roosevelt's enduring legacy of conservation. 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, and one of the largest natural history libraries in the world. Through its Richard Gilder Graduate School, it is the only American museum authorized to grant the Ph.D. degree and the master of arts in teaching degree. Annual attendance has grown to approximately 5 million, and the museum's exhibitions and space shows can be seen in venues on five continents. The museum's website and collection of apps for mobile devices extend its collections, exhibitions and educational programs to millions more beyond its walls. Visit amnh.org for more information.