'Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey' Pulls In 8.5 Million Viewers: Report

Neil deGrassse Tyson and the 'Cosmic Calendar'

COSMOS: A SPACETIME ODYSSEY: More than three decades after Carl Sagan's groundbreaking and iconic series, "Cosmos: A Personal Voyage," it's time once again to set sail for the stars. Host and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson walks across the Cosmic Calendar, on which all of time has been compressed into a year-at-a-glance calendar, from the Big Bang to the moment humans first make their appearance on the planet, in the all-new "Standing Up in the Milky Way" Series Premiere episode of COSMOS: A SPACETIME ODYSSEY airing Sunday, March 9 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX and simultaneously across multiple U.S. Fox networks, including National Geographic Channel, FX, FXX, FXM, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Mundo and FOX Life. (Image credit: FOX)

The launch of Fox's "Cosmos" TV series reboot on 10 different networks Sunday (March 9) attracted in 8.5 million viewers according to a Neilsen ratings summary, the Los Angeles Times reports today. According to the LA Times' Ryan Faughnder, Fox's "Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey" pulled in a "solid" audience despite tough competition in its 9 p.m. ET/PT time slot.

Hosted by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, the new 13-part "Cosmos" is a 21st-century follow-up the landmark 1980 series hosted by the famed astronomer Carl Sagan, who died in 1996. Sagan's series brought the wonder of science and space to the public like never before during its 13-episode run on PBS. The new series aims to capture that same spirit, but include stunning visual effects and new discoveries that are now possible with today's technology. [The New "Cosmos": Complete Coverage]

"Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey" debuts on 10 different Fox-affiliated networks Sunday night, including Fox Sports 1 and 2, and was re-aired on the National Geographic Channel Monday night with additional material. Sagan's widow Ann Druyan — who co-wrote the original "Cosmos" series —serves as a writer and executive producer of the new series. Seth MacFarlane (of "Family Guy" fame among other work) also serves as an executive producer, as does Brannon Braga ("Star Trek" TV franchise). Read the full story from the Los Angeles Times.

Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

Tariq is the Editor-in-Chief of Space.com and joined the team in 2001, first as an intern and staff writer, and later as an editor. He covers human spaceflight, exploration and space science, as well as skywatching and entertainment. He became Space.com's Managing Editor in 2009 and Editor-in-Chief in 2019. Before joining Space.com, Tariq was a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times covering education and city beats in La Habra, Fullerton and Huntington Beach. He is also an Eagle Scout (yes, he has the Space Exploration merit badge) and went to Space Camp four times as a kid and a fifth time as an adult. He has journalism degrees from the University of Southern California and New York University. To see his latest project, you can follow Tariq on Twitter.