# NOVA (1974)

> PBS's long-running science documentary series that unpacks the science behind current headlines and the people who pursue it.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/3387

## Facts

- Seasons: 53
- Episodes: 1029
- Episode runtime: 55 min
- Status: Returning Series
- Genres: documentary
- Network: PBS
- Cast: Courtney B. Vance, Corey Johnson, Jay O. Sanders, Demetri Goritsas, Richard Smith, Bray Poor, Lance Lewman, Michael Scott
- TMDB rating: 8.7/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0206501/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: inspirational, instructive, curious, warm, accessible

## What critics say

Viewers broadly regard NOVA as an acclaimed, authoritative science documentary series that explains complex research clearly and vividly.

## Synopsis

NOVA (1974-present) is a American public television science documentary series created for PBS, running for fifty-three seasons and over a thousand episodes of roughly fifty-five minutes each. Rather than following a single protagonist, it is held together by a rotating cast of narrators, including Jay O. Sanders and Lance Lewman, who guide viewers through each investigation. Each episode takes a current scientific question or a headline and follows researchers, engineers and field scientists as they test ideas, build instruments and chase answers, so the engine of every installment is curiosity meeting obstacle: a puzzling result, a difficult experiment, a debate that has not yet been settled. The format is an anthology of self-contained documentaries rather than a continuing story, so episodes can be watched in any order. Its scope spans physics, biology, archaeology, medicine and technology, with settings ranging from laboratories and observatories to remote field sites around the world. The tone is inspirational and instructive, patient and clear, with a warm respect for the people doing the work. Viewers drawn to the wonder of Cosmos, the natural history sweep of Planet Earth, or the explanatory clarity of Connections will find the same blend of rigor and accessibility here, suited to families, students and anyone curious about how the world works.

## Shows like NOVA

- [Nature (1982)](https://ember.film/tv/13940)
- [American Experience (1988)](https://ember.film/tv/1112)
- [The Mind, Explained (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/79099)
- [Cosmos (2014)](https://ember.film/tv/52325)
- [3-2-1 Contact (1980)](https://ember.film/tv/2975)
- [Our Universe (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/134572)
- [How It's Made (2001)](https://ember.film/tv/1647)
- [Connections (1978)](https://ember.film/tv/139303)
- [Mind Field (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/61077)
- [Through the Wormhole (2010)](https://ember.film/tv/30279)

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