Legendary physicist and pop culture icon Stephen Hawking died early this morning, and TV networks are already planning tributes in his honor.
TheWrap has learned exclusively that Discovery Channel and Science Channel will be airing their Hawking-centric programs over the next several days, including primetime presentations of the Emmy-nominated “Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking” and “Stephen Hawking’s Grand Design.”
The networks will also be offering Hawking-related programs on their respective multiplatform apps, Discovery Go and Science Go, which are free to viewers who subscribe to the channels.
“One of the most brilliant minds of our lifetime, Stephen Hawking epitomized the missions of Discovery and Science Channel,” said Nancy Daniels, Discovery & Factual’s chief brand officer. “He was also no stranger to the networks, having participated in numerous projects for us, including ‘Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking,’ which was nominated for two Emmys. Having accomplished so much, we are pleased to join in celebrating his remarkable life.”
Competitor National Geographic Channel will also mark Hawking’s passing by making his appearance on “StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson,” one of his final interviews, available for free on NatGeo.com, YouTube, and Facebook, as well as Hulu. The episode aired last week as part of the season finale. It will run online commercial free.
See the full list of Discovery and Science’s planned Hawking-related programming below.
Discovery Channel
“Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking” (Thursday, March 15, 9-11am and Saturday, March 17, 8-11pm): The Emmy nominated mini-series presented the wonders of the universe, revealing the splendor and majesty of the cosmos as never seen before.
“Stephen Hawking’s Grand Design” (Thursday, March 15, 6-9am): Hawking addresses three more of the most contentious issues that surround scientific understanding. Did God create the universe? What is the meaning of life? And what he regards as the key to the cosmos: the Theory of Everything. Is science incompatible with religion?
Science Channel
“Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking” (Thursday, March 15, 3-5am and Friday, March 16, 4-7pm): The Emmy nominated mini-series presented the wonders of the universe, revealing the splendor and majesty of the cosmos as never seen before.
“Stem Cell Universe with Stephen Hawking” (Thursday, March 15, 5am): This 60-minute special delves into the subjects of stem cells, both embryonic and adult, to explore what these wondrous and baffling mechanisms are capable of. Hawking leads the exploration of what exactly stem cells are and if they are the key to our future or a ticking time bomb waiting to detonate?
“Did God Create the Universe?” (Thursday, March 15, 9am): Hawking unfolds his personal, compelling vision of the biggest question of all: Is there a god who created and controls the universe in which we live? To answer this controversial and age-old question, Hawking takes us on a journey through humanity’s history of appraising our place in the Universe – from Vikings facing down eclipses to the laws of modern cosmology.
“Stephen Hawking’s Brave New World” (Thursday, March 15, 6-9am): In this major series, Hawking presents his unique vision of the future by calling a summit of the world’s most forward thinking contemporary scientists in order to identify the innovations that will have the most impact in years to come.
“Stephen Hawking’s Grand Design” (Friday, March 16, 7-11pm): Hawking addresses three more of the most contentious issues that surround scientific understanding. Did God create the universe? What is the meaning of life? And what he regards as the key to the cosmos: the Theory of Everything. Is science incompatible with religion?