NOVA
NOVA
Now Showing

NOVA

7.1
Yr 1974
Rt 55m
Status Returning Series
Documentary
Your Verdict
Unrated

Rate this show to unlock picks like it. Create a free account.

Back
Series Brief

Overview

PBS' premier science series helps viewers of all ages explore the science behind the headlines. Along the way, NOVA demystifies science and technology, and highlights the people involved in scientific pursuits.

Status

Latest

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 94 /100

Since its debut in 1974, NOVA has been regarded as one of the most celebrated and durable institutions in educational broadcasting. Recognized as the highest-rated and most watched science television series in the world, the documentary program has earned widespread industry acclaim, accumulating dozens of major accolades including multiple Emmy, Peabody, and Westinghouse Science Journalism honors.

Commentators praise the series for its thorough, documentary-style approach that thoughtfully unpacks complex scientific subjects layer by layer. Reviewers also highlight the show's consistent ability to foreground the human element behind technical discoveries, solidifying its place as a cornerstone of PBS's factual programming.

“The series takes a documentary-style approach to its topics -- each episode exposes and explores many layers of the subject at hand, with an emphasis on the human factor.”

“It is also one of television's most acclaimed series, having won every major television award, most of them many times over.”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

YouTube TV
US
PBS America Amazon Channel
US • UK
PBS Documentaries Amazon Channel
CA • US
Show 2 more
Hoopla
CA • US
PBS
US
Why fans love it

NOVA has occupied a unique place in television since 1974. By focusing on the mechanics of nature and the technical realities shaping the news, the series avoids the fluff typically associated with documentary programming. It favors a candid, instructive approach that treats the audience as capable of understanding complex inquiry.

The program creates drama through the pursuit of facts rather than manufactured conflict. Narrators like Courtney B. Vance guide viewers through scientific breakthroughs, balancing the intimidating scale of the universe with the human persistence required to study it. The result is a consistent record of discovery that remains grounded in the tangible work of scientists.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 75
Regulars 5
Longest run 39 eps
Courtney B. Vance
Courtney B. Vance
as Narrator
1 episode
Corey Johnson
Corey Johnson
as Narrator
4 episodes
Jay O. Sanders
Jay O. Sanders
as Self - Narrator (voice)
39 episodes
Demetri Goritsas
Demetri Goritsas
as Narrator
3 episodes
Richard Smith
Richard Smith
as Host
4 episodes
Bray Poor
Bray Poor
as Narrator
1 episode
Lance Lewman
Lance Lewman
as Narrator (voice)
24 episodes
Michael Scott
Michael Scott
as Narrator
1 episode
Show 67 more
Ted Marcoux as Narrator 3 episodes Peter Thomas as Narrator 5 episodes Jim Carter as Narrator 1 episode Kenichi Nakamaru as Reporter 1 episode Shu Morino as Reporter 1 episode Brian Greene as Host 7 episodes Jamie Effros as Narrator 4 episodes Eric Meyers as Narrator 3 episodes John Lithgow as Narrator 6 episodes John McKenzie as Narrator 1 episode Henry Ian Cusick as Charles Darwin 1 episode Neil Ross as Narrator 22 episodes Frances O'Connor as Emma Darwin 1 episode Nigel Bennett as Sir Charles Lyell 1 episode Liev Schreiber 20 episodes Neil deGrasse Tyson as Self - Host 6 episodes Rushmore DeNooyer as Narrator 1 episode Mark Oliver Everett as Himself 1 episode Stefanie E. Frame as Narrator 1 episode Kathryn Walker as Narrator 4 episodes Stockard Channing as Narrator (voice) 2 episodes John Benjamin Hickey as Narrator 1 episode Alan Yentob as Narrator 1 episode Craig Sechler as Self - Narrator 20 episodes Rob Tinworth as Narrator 1 episode David Slavin as Narrator 1 episode Ray Magliozzi as Host 1 episode Tom Magliozzi as Host 1 episode Harrison Ford as Narrator 1 episode E.O. Wilson as Himself 1 episode Ruben Santiago-Hudson as Percy Julian 1 episode Richard Donat as Narrator 5 episodes Aidan McArdle as Albert Einstein 1 episode Shirley Henderson as Mileva Maric 1 episode Steven Robertson as Michael Faraday 1 episode Julian Rhind-Tutt as Antoine Lavoisier 1 episode Ty Glaser as Marie Anne Lavoisier 1 episode Brendan Fleming as Hermann Einstein 1 episode Stephen Noonan as Marat 1 episode Anton Lesser as Voltaire 1 episode Emily Woof as Lise Meitner 1 episode Alex Macqueen as Chater 1 episode Samuel West as Humphry Davy 1 episode Robert Styles as Newman 1 episode Philip Herbert as Count de Amerval 1 episode Christian Pedersen as Gustav Wiik 2 episodes David Attenborough as Narrator 3 episodes Gene Galusha as Narrator 6 episodes David Ogden Stiers as Narrator 8 episodes Jeremiah Kissel as Narrator 5 episodes Oliver Platt as Narrator 2 episodes Edd Gasper as Narrator 2 episodes Tony Kahn as Narrator 3 episodes Stacy Keach 11 episodes Joe Morton as Narrator 3 episodes Roy Scheider as Narrator 3 episodes John Hockenberry as Narrator 3 episodes Kirk Johnson as Host 3 episodes Will Lyman as Narrator 14 episodes David Pogue as Host 13 episodes Beatrix Gardner as Self 2 episodes Ian Holm as Narrator (voice) 2 episodes Valerie Harper as Narrator (voice) 3 episodes Don Wescott as Narrator (voice) 2 episodes Paul Vaughan as Narrator (voice) 4 episodes Martin Jarvis as Narrator (voice) 2 episodes Ella Al-Shamahi as Self - Presenter 5 episodes
Signal Match

Similarity

Where NOVA overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

nature candid inspirational factual dramatic instructive
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
March 03, 1974
Status
Returning Series
Episode Runtime
55 minutes
Origin
US
TMDB Votes
143