Five-part Series, Featuring Stunningly Realistic Animations and a Cast of Planetary Scientists, Premieres Wednesdays, October 2 – 30 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS

Also available for streaming at pbs.org/nova, NOVA on YouTube, and the PBS App

(Boston, MA - October 2, 2024) —The award-winning PBS science series, NOVA, a production of GBH, will premiere an epic new five-part series, SOLAR SYSTEM, Wednesdays, beginning October 2 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS. The latest BBC Studios Science Unit Production with NOVA for PBS and the BBC, SOLAR SYSTEM journeys around our celestial neighborhood, exploring extremes of storms, ice, volcanoes, and all sorts of other-worldly mysteries. The series will also be available for streaming at pbs.org/nova, NOVA on YouTube, and the PBS app.

Our solar system is a weird place. Much more than a home to eight planets, it’s filled with a myriad of fascinating other smaller bodies, including moons, asteroids, and comets. In recent decades, space exploration missions have brought these neighboring worlds into sharper focus. SOLAR SYSTEM delves into the latest scientific discoveries to uncover the greatest and most bizarre mysteries of our planetary community, revealing the ever-changing nature of our solar system and possibly providing clues about regions we have yet to explore.

From global dust storms to corrosive clouds and active ice-cold eruptions on frozen moons, SOLAR SYSTEM uses scientific imagery and state-of-the-art VFX animations to take viewers to some of the most exciting extremes within our astronomical region — hinting at the many, many worlds out there that we have yet to discover throughout the Universe. The series takes an immersive approach, interwoven with commentary by leading planetary scientists, enabling viewers to imagine how it would feel to arrive on a far away planet — and illuminating why Earth may be the oddest world of all.

“We’re delighted to be partnering again with PBS and BBC Studios on this extraordinary series,” said NOVA Co-Executive Producer Julia Cort. “It allows us to take viewers to the farthest edges of exploration in our solar system, and thanks to spectacular graphics, immerse them in totally bizarre worlds. We hope viewers gain a new appreciation for some of the extreme phenomena that exist within our own solar system, as well as how unique the conditions are here on Earth that allow for our survival.”

SOLAR SYSTEM looks at many of the phenomena that exist on Earth, and demonstrates how they differ across our planetary system. Our solar system is full of weird and wonderful weather, from planetary dust storms, to monsoons of liquid methane, and storms with lightning that’s ten times more energetic than anything on Earth. In addition to weather, the series dives into the solar system’s shocking diversity of volcanoes, from Olympus Mons — a giant volcanic mountain on Mars more than twice the size of Mount Everest – to the thousands of volcanoes that produce the toxic atmosphere that keeps Venus boiling. SOLAR SYSTEM also challenges how we understand ice, by showing us Uranus’s ultra hot superionic ice, glaciers of nitrogen ice on Pluto, and carbon dioxide snow on Mars.

“The grandeur of the planets has always captured humanity’s imagination, but little did we know that between and around those fixtures in the sky lie what may be the true wonders of the SOLAR SYSTEM,” said NOVA Co-Executive Producer Chris Schmidt. “Each episode takes us to mysterious moons, distant asteroids and oddball objects far from the warm embrace of the sun. So many familiar features on Earth, like flowing ice and rumbling volcanoes take on surprising and even monstrous forms on those worlds. We are proud to bring these amazing discoveries to our audience, while celebrating just how special and unlikely our own planet is.

SOLAR SYSTEM features interviews with scientists whose passion for outer space helps bring the bizarre wonders of our solar system into focus. Scientists in the series include Carly Howett from Oxford University; Lynnae Quick from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center; Veronica Bray Durfey from University of Arizona; Leigh Fletcher from the University of Leicester; James O’Donoghue from the University of Reading; James Dottin III from Brown University; Hakeem Oluseyi from George Mason University; Michael L. Wong from the Carnegie Institution for Science; Katherine de Kleer from the California Institute of Technology; George Dransfield from Birmingham University; David Grinspoon from NASA; Derrick Pitts from the Franklin Institute; Shannon MacKenzie from Johns Hopkins University; Abigail Fraeman from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Peter Gao from Carnegie Science; Alejandro Soto from the Southwest Research Institute; Jen Gupta from the University of Portsmouth; Sara T. Port, from the NASA Glenn Research Center; Amy Mlinar from the Planetary Science Institute; and many more.

“We could not be more thrilled to be partnering with PBS and NOVA on another visually spectacular, global science series,” said BBC Studios Executive Producer Andrew Cohen. “SOLAR SYSTEM brings together some of the most exciting researchers and scientists in the field to share the most recent findings from our planetary neighbors. So many of the oddities and peculiarities portrayed in the series have altered the way that these astronomers have understood what is possible on other planets beyond our corner of the universe.”

The series’s five one-hour episodes are as follows (check local listings):

NOVA “Solar System: Storm Worlds” Premieres Oct. 2, 2024 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS

Across the solar system, wild storms are raging. From globe-spanning dust storms, to monsoons of liquid methane, to monstrous storms with lightning bolts ten times more energetic than anything on Earth – our solar system is full of weird and wonderful weather. Explore the forces that create the truly awesome and extreme conditions found on our neighboring planets and moons.

NOVA “Solar System: Strange Worlds” Premieres Oct. 9, 2024 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS

There’s no other way to describe it: Some worlds in our solar system just look strange. But these worlds, misshapen in the weirdest ways, offer clues to understanding how a fundamental force of nature – gravity – works to shape our solar system. From a dwarf planet that looks like a deflated football, to a tiny moon with cliffs taller than Mt. Everest, to the spectacular rings of Saturn, discover how the effects of gravity produce the amazing variety of bizarre worlds in our solar system.

NOVA “Solar System: Volcano Worlds” Premieres Oct. 16, 2024 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS

All around our solar system, volcanoes are powerful shapers of worlds. Next door on Mars is Olympus Mons, a giant volcanic mountain more than twice the size of Mt. Everest. And closer to the Sun, thousands of volcanoes produce the toxic atmosphere that keeps Venus boiling. Then there’s Jupiter’s moon Io, the most volcanically active world in the entire solar system, and Saturn’s moon Enceladus, where clues in its watery eruptions hint at the possibility of life. Discover the explosive forces that molded each of these worlds – and what makes the volcanoes right here on Earth so special.

NOVA “Solar System: Icy Worlds” Premieres Oct. 23, 2024 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS

Ice might seem familiar to us on Earth, but out in the solar system, it can get quite exotic. From Uranus’s ultra hot superionic ice, to glaciers of nitrogen ice on Pluto, to carbon dioxide snow on Mars, ice is a fundamental building block throughout our cosmic neighborhood. Visit some of the strange, frozen worlds of our solar system to discover why the ice here on Earth so special – and why we wouldn’t be here without it.

NOVA “Solar System: Wandering Worlds” Premieres Oct. 30, 2024 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS

The classic view of our solar system contains eight orderly planets, some with moons in neat orbits — but when we look closer, we discover a bunch of stuff missing from this simple, clockwork model. Wandering worlds that seem out of place, found in the gaps between and beyond the planets, offer clues that our cosmic neighborhood is far more dynamic than we once thought. From the meteorites that impact Earth, to a moon that orbits backwards, to an imposter lurking in the asteroid belt, these wandering worlds are rewriting what we know — and even how we think about — our solar system.

NOVA “SOLAR SYSTEM,” a five-part series, premieres Wednesdays, October 2 through October 30, 2024 at 9pm ET/8C on PBS (check local listings) and will be available for streaming at pbs.org/nova, NOVA on YouTube, and the PBS app.

NOVA “SOLAR SYSTEM” is a BBC Studios Science Unit Production with NOVA and GBH for PBS and the BBC. The partnership provides a pipeline of the high-quality, entertaining factual programs that PBS and BBC audiences have come to expect. Series Producer is Milla Harrison-Hansley. Series Producers for BBC Studios are Alice Jones and Suzy Boyles. Executive Producers for BBC Studios are Gideon Bradshaw and Andrew Cohen. SOLAR SYSTEM was commissioned for BBC Two by Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual, the Commissioning Editor is Tom Coveney, Head of Commissioning, Science. Executive in Charge for PBS is Diana El-Osta. Executive Producers for NOVA are Julia Cort and Chris Schmidt. Senior Producer for NOVA is Caitlin Saks. NOVA is a production of GBH. BBC Studios is handling global distribution.

Funding for NOVA and SOLAR SYSTEM is provided by Carlisle Companies, the NOVA Science Trust with support from Margaret and William Hearst, and Roger Sant, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

About NOVA
NOVA is the most popular primetime science series on American television, demystifying the scientific and technological concepts that shape and define our lives, our planet, and our universe. The PBS series is also one of the most widely distributed science programs around the world, and is a multimedia, multiplatform brand reaching more than 55 million Americans every year on TV and online. NOVA’s important and inspiring stories of human ingenuity, exploration, and the quest for knowledge are regularly recognized with the industry’s most prestigious awards. As part of its mission to make the scientific enterprise accessible to all, NOVA is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all its work, from the production process to the range of stories we tell and the voices we amplify. In addition, science educators across the country rely on NOVA for resources used in the classroom as well as in museums, libraries, and after-school programs. NOVA is a production of GBH; more information can be found at pbs.org/nova, or by following NOVA on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

About PBS
PBS, with more than 330 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches over 36 million adults on linear primetime television, more than 16 million users on PBS-owned streaming platforms, 53 million viewers on YouTube, and 60 million people view PBS content on social media, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature, and public affairs and to take front-row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’s broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS LearningMedia for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. As the number one educational media brand, PBS KIDS helps children 2-8 build critical skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality content on TV — including a PBS KIDS channel — and streaming free on pbskids.org and the PBS KIDS Video app, games on the PBS KIDS Games app, and in communities across America. More information about PBS is available at PBS.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the internet, Facebook, Instagram, or through our apps for mobile and connected devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Communications on X.

About BBC Studios
BBC Studios is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC Group with sales of £2.1 billion (2021/22: £1,630 million). Able to take an idea seamlessly from thought to screen and beyond, the business is built on two operating areas: the global Content Studio, which produces, invests and distributes content globally and Channels & Streaming, with BBC branded channels, services and joint ventures in the UK and internationally. Around 2,500 hours of award-winning British programmes are made by the business every year, with over 80% of total BBC Studios revenues coming from non-BBC customers including Discovery, Apple and Netflix. Its content is internationally recognised across a broad range of genres and specialisms, with brands like Strictly Come Dancing/Dancing with the Stars, Top Gear, the Planet series, Bluey and Doctor Who. BBC.com is BBC Studios’ global digital news platform, offering up-to-the-minute international news, in-depth analysis and features.

About GBH
GBH is the leading multiplatform creator for public media in America. As the largest producer of content for PBS and partner to NPR and PRX, GBH delivers compelling experiences, stories and information to audiences wherever they are. GBH produces digital and broadcast programming that engages, illuminates and inspires, through drama and science, history, arts, culture and journalism. It is the creator of such signature programs as MASTERPIECE, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, FRONTLINE, NOVA, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, Arthur and Molly of Denali, as well as WORLD Channel and a catalog of streaming series, podcasts and on-demand video. With studios and a newsroom headquartered in Boston, GBH reaches across New England with GBH 89.7, Boston’s Local NPR®; CRB Classical 99.5; and CAI, the Cape and Islands NPR® station. Dedicated to making media accessible to and inclusive of our diverse culture, GBH is a pioneer in delivering media to those who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind and visually impaired. GBH creates curriculum-based digital content for educators nationwide with PBS LearningMedia and has been recognized with hundreds of the nation’s premier broadcast, digital and journalism awards. Find more information at wgbh.org.

Press Contacts:

Jordan Lawrence
DKC Public Relations
jordan_lawrence@dkcnews.com
212.981.5220

Jennifer Welsh
NOVA/GBH
jennifer_welsh@wgbh.org
978.985.9835