The original series COSMOS: A PERSONAL VOYAGE first premiered in September 1980 on PBS, and for 10 years was the most watched series ever on public television in America. Based on Carl Sagan's book of the same name, and written for television by Sagan, Ann Druyan and Steven Soter, the series was a stunning and iconic exploration of the universe as revealed by science that took viewers through a galaxy of topics to help explain the universe and humanity's place in it. Called "a watershed moment for science programming" by Dave Itzkoff of The New York Times, Sagan brought science into the mainstream by explaining complex theories in a way that everyone could comprehend and appreciate. Among the areas explored are the life cycle of stars, genetics, laws of planetary motion, the journey to Mars, the search for intelligent life beyond Earth and the big bang theory.