Official poster for NOVA

Documentary series · PBS

NOVA

7.0IMDb140 votesWorth your time
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1974 –53 seasons · 1025 episodes~55 min per episodeTV-PGReturning series
Documentary
View seasons

Who's in it

Cast

The principal ensemble across the run of the series.

Courtney B. Vance

Courtney B. Vance

Narrator

1 eps

Corey Johnson

Corey Johnson

Narrator

4 eps

Jay O. Sanders

Jay O. Sanders

Self - Narrator (voice)

39 eps

Demetri Goritsas

Demetri Goritsas

Narrator

3 eps

Richard Smith

Richard Smith

Host

4 eps

Bray Poor

Bray Poor

Narrator

1 eps

Lance Lewman

Lance Lewman

Narrator (voice)

24 eps

Michael Scott

Michael Scott

Narrator

1 eps

Ted Marcoux

Ted Marcoux

Narrator

3 eps

Peter Thomas

Peter Thomas

Narrator

5 eps

Jim Carter

Jim Carter

Narrator

1 eps

Kenichi Nakamaru

Reporter

1 eps

Shu Morino

Reporter

1 eps

Brian Greene

Brian Greene

Host

7 eps

Jamie Effros

Jamie Effros

Narrator

4 eps

Eric Meyers

Eric Meyers

Narrator

3 eps

John Lithgow

John Lithgow

Narrator

6 eps

John McKenzie

Narrator

1 eps

Neil Ross

Neil Ross

Narrator

22 eps

Henry Ian Cusick

Henry Ian Cusick

Charles Darwin

1 eps

Frances O'Connor

Frances O'Connor

Emma Darwin

1 eps

Nigel Bennett

Nigel Bennett

Sir Charles Lyell

1 eps

Liev Schreiber

Liev Schreiber

Narrator (voice)

20 eps

Neil deGrasse Tyson

Neil deGrasse Tyson

Self - Host

6 eps

Rushmore DeNooyer

Rushmore DeNooyer

Narrator

1 eps

Mark Oliver Everett

Mark Oliver Everett

Himself

1 eps

Stefanie E. Frame

Narrator

1 eps

Kathryn Walker

Kathryn Walker

4 eps

John Benjamin Hickey

John Benjamin Hickey

Narrator

1 eps

Stockard Channing

Stockard Channing

Self - Bible Reader

2 eps

Alan Yentob

Alan Yentob

Narrator

1 eps

Craig Sechler

Craig Sechler

Narrator

20 eps

Rob Tinworth

Narrator

1 eps

David Slavin

Narrator

1 eps

Ray Magliozzi

Ray Magliozzi

Host

1 eps

Tom Magliozzi

Tom Magliozzi

Host

1 eps

Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford

Narrator

1 eps

Richard Donat

Richard Donat

Narrator

5 eps

Christian Pedersen

Christian Pedersen

Gustav Wiik

2 eps

David Attenborough

David Attenborough

Narrator

3 eps

The Nutevio profile

TV DNA

How NOVA actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.

Signature profile

NOVA reads strongest on Character Depth, Bingeability and Emotional Weight.

Character DepthVery strong7.6

How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.

BingeabilityPresent5.1

How hard it is to stop after one episode.

Emotional WeightPresent4.5

How much the series is designed to affect you.

TensionPresent4.0

The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.

World BuildingLight3.5

The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.

Cliffhanger IntensityLight3.0

How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.

HumourLight2.5

How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.

SpectacleLight2.5

Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.

SerializedMinimal1.0

How much each hour depends on the one before it.

The story

What it's about

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.

The run

Seasons

53 seasons · 1025 episodes.

  • Official poster for Specials

    Season 0 · Complete

    Specials

    199913 episodes

  • Official poster for Season 1

    Season 1 · Complete

    Season 1

    197413 episodes

    10.0IMDb
  • Official poster for Season 2

    Season 2 · Complete

    Season 2

    197417 episodes

  • Official poster for Season 3

    Season 3 · Complete

    Season 3

    197620 episodes

  • Official poster for Season 4

    Season 4 · Complete

    Season 4

    197719 episodes

  • Official poster for Season 5

    Season 5 · Complete

    Season 5

    197821 episodes

    10.0IMDb
  • Official poster for Season 6

    Season 6 · Complete

    Season 6

    197919 episodes

  • Official poster for Season 7

    Season 7 · Complete

    Season 7

    198020 episodes

  • Official poster for Season 8

    Season 8 · Complete

    Season 8

    198120 episodes

  • Official poster for Season 9

    Season 9 · Complete

    Season 9

    198219 episodes

  • Official poster for Season 10

    Season 10 · Complete

    Season 10

    198321 episodes

  • Official poster for Season 11

    Season 11 · Complete

    Season 11

    198420 episodes

  • Official poster for Season 12

    Season 12 · Complete

    Season 12

    198520 episodes

  • Official poster for Season 13

    Season 13 · Complete

    Season 13

    198621 episodes

  • Official poster for Season 14

    Season 14 · Complete

    Season 14

    198721 episodes

  • Official poster for Season 15

    Season 15 · Complete

    Season 15

    198822 episodes

  • Official poster for Season 16

    Season 16 · Complete

    Season 16

    198920 episodes

  • Official poster for Season 17

    Season 17 · Complete

    Season 17

    199020 episodes

  • Official poster for Season 18

    Season 18 · Complete

    Season 18

    199119 episodes

    8.0IMDb
  • Official poster for Season 19

    Season 19 · Complete

    Season 19

    199220 episodes

  • Official poster for Season 20

    Season 20 · Complete

    Season 20

    199320 episodes

    8.3IMDb

    Best episode · S20E12 Secrets of the Psychics

  • Official poster for Season 21

    Season 21 · Complete

    Season 21

    199420 episodes

  • Official poster for Season 22

    Season 22 · Complete

    Season 22

    199513 episodes

    1.0IMDb
  • Official poster for Season 23

    Season 23 · Complete

    Season 23

    199519 episodes

  • Official poster for Season 24

    Season 24 · Complete

    Season 24

    199621 episodes

  • Official poster for Season 25

    Season 25 · Complete

    Season 25

    199720 episodes

    7.0IMDb
  • Official poster for Season 26

    Season 26 · Complete

    Season 26

    199820 episodes

  • Official poster for Season 27

    Season 27 · Complete

    Season 27

    199921 episodes

    7.0IMDb
  • Official poster for Season 28

    Season 28 · Complete

    Season 28

    200017 episodes

  • Official poster for Season 29

    Season 29 · Complete

    Season 29

    200117 episodes

  • Official poster for Season 30

    Season 30 · Complete

    Season 30

    200216 episodes

    8.2IMDb
  • Official poster for Season 31

    Season 31 · Complete

    Season 31

    200318 episodes

    8.0IMDb
  • Official poster for Season 32

    Season 32 · Complete

    Season 32

    200418 episodes

    7.6IMDb
  • Official poster for Season 33

    Season 33 · Complete

    Season 33

    200520 episodes

    7.3IMDb
  • Official poster for Season 34

    Season 34 · Complete

    Season 34

    200615 episodes

    7.5IMDb
  • Official poster for Season 35

    Season 35 · Complete

    Season 35

    200717 episodes

    6.7IMDb
  • Official poster for Season 36

    Season 36 · Complete

    Season 36

    200817 episodes

    7.5IMDb
  • Official poster for Season 37

    Season 37 · Complete

    Season 37

    200918 episodes

    7.2IMDb

    Best episode · S37E04 Becoming Human: First Steps

  • Official poster for Season 38

    Season 38 · Complete

    Season 38

    201018 episodes

    5.8IMDb
  • Official poster for Season 39

    Season 39 · Complete

    Season 39

    201119 episodes

    7.7IMDb

    Best episode · S39E07 The Fabric of the Cosmos: Quantum Leap

  • Official poster for Season 40

    Season 40 · Complete

    Season 40

    201220 episodes

    7.3IMDb
  • Official poster for Season 41

    Season 41 · Complete

    Season 41

    201322 episodes

    6.6IMDb

    Best episode · S41E07 Cold Case JFK

  • Official poster for Season 42

    Season 42 · Complete

    Season 42

    201422 episodes

    7.6IMDb

    Best episode · S42E11 Big Bang Machine

  • Official poster for Season 43

    Season 43 · Complete

    Season 43

    201522 episodes

    6.2IMDb

    Best episode · S43E01 Dawn of Humanity

  • Official poster for Season 44

    Season 44 · Complete

    Season 44

    201628 episodes

    7.1IMDb

    Best episode · S44E05 Treasures of the Earth: Gems

  • Official poster for Season 45

    Season 45 · Complete

    Season 45

    201823 episodes

    10.0IMDb
  • Official poster for Season 46

    Season 46 · Complete

    Season 46

    201923 episodes

    7.0IMDb
  • Official poster for Season 47

    Season 47 · Complete

    Season 47

    202016 episodes

    7.5IMDb
  • Official poster for Season 48

    Season 48 · Complete

    Season 48

    202125 episodes

    8.0IMDb
  • Official poster for Season 49

    Season 49 · Complete

    Season 49

    202219 episodes

    6.5IMDb
  • Official poster for Season 50

    Season 50 · Complete

    Season 50

    202318 episodes

    6.7IMDb
  • Official poster for Season 51

    Season 51 · Complete

    Season 51

    202418 episodes

    6.0IMDb
  • Official poster for Season 52

    Season 52 · Complete

    Season 52

    202520 episodes

    7.0IMDb

    Best episode · S52E05 Pompeii's Secret Underworld

  • Official poster for Season 53

    Season 53 · Complete

    Season 53

    202613 episodes

    4.4IMDb

Where the series peaks

Best Episodes

The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.

Still from The Fabric of the Cosmos: What is Space?

S39E05

The Fabric of the Cosmos: What is Space?

8.2IMDb5 votes

Space. It separates you from me, one galaxy from the next, and atoms from each other. It is everywhere in the universe. But to most of us, space is nothing, an empty void. Well, it turns out space is not what it seems.

2 Nov 201155 min
Still from Emperor’s Ghost Army

S42E08

Emperor’s Ghost Army

7.2IMDb5 votes

To defend himself in the afterlife, the First Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, was buried in a vast mausoleum accompanied by around 9,000 life-sized terracotta statues. With exclusive access to groundbreaking new research, NOVA investigates the secrets of how and why the astonishing figures were made and the technology behind the still lethal and highly-advanced crossbows, spears, and swords carried by the clay warriors.

12 Nov 201455 min
Still from Mind Over Money

S37E17

Mind Over Money

5.6IMDb5 votes

Exposes the mysterious and surprising nature of the two most powerful forces on the planet: the human mind and money. Using analysis and experiment, this film explores why economists failed to predict the 2008 crash and why we so often make irrational financial decisions.

27 Apr 201055 min

Recently aired

Latest Episodes

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S53E08

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29 Apr 202654 min
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S53E07

Rain Bombs

22 Apr 202654 min
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S53E06

Return to the Moon

10.0IMDb1 votes
15 Apr 202654 min
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S53E05

Stone Age Temple Mystery

3.5IMDb2 votes
25 Feb 202654 min
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S53E04

Mammal Origins

1.0IMDb1 votes
11 Feb 202654 min
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S53E03

Can Dogs Talk?

1.0IMDb1 votes
4 Feb 202654 min

Behind the series

Created by

Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.

The craft

Key Crew

Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.

Executive production

Writing

Direction

Cinematography

Music

Where to watch

Streaming

Availability verified against regional listings.

  • Amazon VideoBuy
  • Apple TV StoreBuy
  • Google Play MoviesBuy
  • Fandango At HomeBuy
  • YouTube TVStreaming
  • PBSStreaming
  • PBS America Amazon ChannelStreaming
  • PBS Documentaries Amazon ChannelStreaming

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Never stop watching

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