NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ANNOUNCES NEW SEASON OF "STARTALK WITH NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON" FOLLOWING THIRD EMMY(R) NOMINATION TO RETURN IN OCTOBER

Guests Include Three-Time Academy Award(R) Winner James Cameron, Journalist Katie Couric, Primatologist Jane Goodall, Filmmaker Kevin Smith and Grammy(R)-Nominated Pop Star Katy Perry

(WASHINGTON, D.C. / LOS ANGELES - July 25, 2017) National Geographic announced today that the 20-episode fourth season of the weekly, hourlong science-driven talk show series StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson will premiere this October. The series also just picked up its third Emmy(R) nomination for Outstanding Informational Series or Special.

StarTalk, which is recorded in front of a live studio audience at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, is derived from Tyson's popular radio show and podcast of the same name - the first and only space-based popular commercial radio show.

Each episode features an intimate interview between Tyson and a guest from pop culture, politics, sports or news, in which they discuss how science and technology have affected their lives and careers. Past seasons have featured guests such as Bill Clinton, Seth MacFarlane, Whoopi Goldberg and Buzz Aldrin. The impressive guest roster has included eight Emmy(R) award winners, five Academy Award(R) winners, four former astronauts, three Grammy(R) Award winners, two former U.S. presidents, an Olympic gold medalist and a Noble Prize winner.

This season will feature new illuminating interviews with:

· Alan Alda (actor)

· Arati Prabhakar (technologist, U.S. Department of Defense)

· James Cameron (three-time Academy Award(R)-winning director)

· Jane Goodall (primatologist)

· Janelle Monáe (singer; actress, "Hidden Figures"), Ted Melfi (director, "Hidden Figures") and Margot Lee Shetterly (author, "Hidden Figures")

· Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (former basketball player)

· Katie Couric (journalist)

· Katy Perry (Grammy(R)-nominated pop star)

· Kevin Smith (filmmaker)

· Lance Armstrong (cyclist)

· Mae Jemison (astronaut)

· Nainoa Thompson (celestial navigatior)

· Salman Rushdie (author)

· Sam Harris (neuroscientist)

· Sylvia Earle (oceanographer) and Fabien Cousteau (conservationist)

In addition to the centerpiece interview, StarTalk episodes feature 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. This season's comedian co-hosts include Chuck Nice, Scott Adsit, Godfrey, Eugene Mirman, Sasheer Zamata 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.

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, vice president of production is Kevin Tao Mohs and president of original programming and production is Tim Pastore.

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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 and comedy collide on StarTalk's podcast network! Neil deGrasse Tyson, his fellow science educators including Bill Nye, comic co-hosts and guests bring the universe down to Earth in "StarTalk Radio," "StarTalk All-Stars" and "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, and 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.