StarTalk

Tyson rightfully has earned a reputation for his ability to turn lofty scientific concepts into fascinating entertainment. Based on his long-running radio show of the same name, StarTalk tries hard to ride the wave of its host's success into late-night prowess, but it's hampered by a choppy format that alternates between previously filmed interview clips and Tyson's panel discussions with his two guest hosts, typically comprising a comedian and a fellow scientist. Rather than keeping viewers' attention, it succumbs to redundancy since the interviews don't really need the kind of translation that's Tyson's bread and butter.

Tyson and his hosts seem at ease with each other, and their conversations are entertaining, but because the guests aren't interacting in person there's little flow to the episodes. That's not to say that the show's topics aren't interesting, and the inclusion of a comedian each time ensures that there's plenty of levity to the conversations regardless of the subject at hand. Ultimately, though, this show caters more to viewers with a specific interest in the topic of the day than it does to a general audience.