''Killers of the Cosmos'' is a documentary science television series hosted by

Aidan Gillen Aidan Murphy (born 24 April 1968), better known as Aidan Gillen (), is an Irish actor. He is the recipient of three Irish Film & Television Awards and has been nominated for a British Academy Television Award, a British Independent Film Award, ...

. Aired by the

Science Channel Science Channel (often simply branded as Science; abbreviated to SCI) is an American pay television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The channel features programming focusing on science related to wilderness survival, engineering, man ...

, it premiered on September 19, 2021.

Format

In a format the

describes as "space noir," ''Killers of the Cosmos'' explores possible lethal threats the

cosmos The cosmos (, ) is another name for the Universe. Using the word ''cosmos'' implies viewing the universe as a complex and orderly system or entity. The cosmos, and understandings of the reasons for its existence and significance, are studied in ...

poses to life on

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

through the "investigations" of a

private investigator A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI and informally called a private eye), a private detective, or inquiry agent is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigators of ...

—the "Gumshoe Detective," modeled in the style of a character in a Raymond Chandler novel—portrayed by

in animated form. In scripted dramatic sequences combining the characteristics of film noir with those of a

pulp fiction ''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, who conceived it with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Vin ...

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

set in the mid-20th century, the Gumshoe Detective hosts each episode. Aided by a mysterious informant portrayed by Sarah Winter, the detective takes on a "case" and hunts down a "killer" by exploring a lethal threat the cosmos poses to humanity. The animated sequences link conventional live-action documentary segments in which experts in

astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, g ...

, astrophysics,

cosmology Cosmology () is a branch of physics and metaphysics dealing with the nature of the universe. The term ''cosmology'' was first used in English in 1656 in Thomas Blount's ''Glossographia'', and in 1731 taken up in Latin by German philosopher ...

, planetary science,

biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...

, and aerospace engineering describe and explain phenomena that could threaten the Earth, how they pose a threat, what would happen on Earth if they actually took place, the likelihood of them occurring, and how to counter them.

Production

Wall to Wall Media produced ''Killers of the Cosmos''. The executive producers for Wall to Wall Media were Tim Lambert and Jeremy Dear and for

Discovery, Inc. Discovery, Inc. was an American multinational mass media factual television conglomerate based in New York City. Established in 1985, the company operated a group of factual and lifestyle television brands, such as the namesake Discovery Channel ...

, were Caroline Perez, Abram Sitzer and Wyatt Channell. The series producer was Nigel Paterson. Ben Scott directed the episodes.IMDB Killers of the Cosmos: The Case of the Killer Rocks
/ref>IMDB Killers of the Cosmos: Death Ray
/ref>IMDB Killers of the Cosmos: Cosmic Scrap
/ref>IMDB Killers of the Cosmos: Little Green Men
/ref>IMDB Killers of the Cosmos: Dark Star
/ref>IMDB Killers of the Cosmos: Big Sleep
/ref>

Episode list

SOURCES

References

External links

*{{IMDb title, 15334452
tvmaze.com Killers of the Cosmos – Episode GuideDiscovery UK ''Killers of the Cosmos'' promotional video on YouTube
2021 American television series debuts 2020s American documentary television series American television series with live action and animation Documentary television series about astronomy Science Channel original programming Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios

Format

Production

Episode list

See also

References

External links