Genius by Stephen Hawking: Season 1

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Generally favorable reviews based on 4 Critic Reviews

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Season Details & Credits

PBS | Season Premiere Date: May 18, 2016

Summary: In each episode a group of volunteers are asked to try to answer some of the universe's biggest science questions such as alien life, time travel and why humans exists in this six-part series hosted by Professor Stephen Hawking.

Genre(s): Documentary, Science, Educational

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Season 1 Episodes

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Critic Reviews

Verne Gay

May 18, 2016

Genius can be gimmicky, while those eternal questions about time travel and alien life forms are ultimately beyond the power of TV (or sand piles) to answer. But the value of this series lies in the attempt, which is ambitious and edifying. Read full review

David Wiegand

May 18, 2016

The six-part series not only makes science accessible, but it’s also fun to watch. Read full review

Brian P. Kelly

May 18, 2016

One wishes that PBS had let the program’s grand ideas stand on their own, with Prof. Hawking as an optimistic guide; those looking to be wowed by the mysteries of the universe should search elsewhere. Read full review

Melissa Maerz

May 18, 2016

The pilot is a slog. ... Watching them drive around in a Back in the Future-style DeLorean is a cute way to illustrate how space-time works, but the lessons are basic high school physics. [20 May 2016, p.55]

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User Reviews

aldaco

Jul 18, 2016

Promotes thinking. Fascinating content. Beautiful show.
Well done and positive series for promoting science, mathematics and astronomy.
Stephen Hawking shares his genius.

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mirja

Jun 29, 2016

So trivial - even master of physics like Stephen Hawking is speaking with his oracle like voice (I really love it!), it does not make it better. Waste of time mostly. Fun? Yes. Educating? Just a little.

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MissMarbles

Jun 17, 2016

Ithe was sorely disappointed in this series. I had expected that because Stephen Hawking was associated with it, it would be his take on the latest discoveries in physics and cosmology. Instead, it taught very basic information in a patronizing way, leaving me wondering if it was perhapsIthe was sorely disappointed in this series. I had expected that because Stephen Hawking was associated with it, it would be his take on the latest discoveries in physics and cosmology. Instead, it taught very basic information in a patronizing way, leaving me wondering if it was perhaps aimed at elementary school children. And it was patronizing ight from the introduction, where Hawking says he wanted to let "ordinary" people discover important principles of the universe. Excuse me.... "ordinary"? How does he define that?

When one episode showed the group of "ordinary" people being presented with a racecar on a track, I thought, "Doppler red shift." And indeed, the big "discovery" these people made, the Doppler effect, took quite a bit of time on the show and was something I had learned about back when I took basic astronomy in college in 1967.In fact, I'm hard-pressed to think of one thing this show presented that I haven't already heard elsewhere. If this series was intended to spark a fascination with physics and astronomy, all I can say is Carl Sagan's "Cosmos" did it a LOT better, and without treating adults like idiots.

I don't often doze off during a science show, but this one is a great fix for insomnia.… Expand

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