GE Brings Science to the Masses with a New TV Show
Posted May 12th, 2015
Much of the debate in the STEM community over the last few years has focused on the dwindling number of people getting interested in these fields at a young age. Fewer students seek out these majors in college, graduate with the skills employers need, and go on to develop the innovative technologies of the future.
G.E. is hoping to reverse that trend, and get the broader population engaged in science with a new TV show. First announced in April, the TV show titled “Breakthrough” will run a six-episode series broadcast on The National Geographic Channel beginning next November. The high-profile producers Ron Howard and Brian Glazer have signed on as well as big-name directors like Brett Ratner and Peter Berg. That level of talent suggests that this program will have a much higher production value than your average science show.
For those worried that the show will devolve into an advertisement for G.E., the company addressed that concern specifically. The stated goal for the program is to show how the team of over 4,000 scientists in G.E.’s research department has made a meaningful impact on science and technology globally. Scientists from elsewhere will also participate, and G.E. has no plans to run its own commercials during the broadcast.
So far, several show topics have been announced and include the brain, water supplies, alternative energy, pandemics, and biotech. A specific budget for the series has not been announced, but reports indicated that it is substantial, further suggesting that the show will offer a look at science we don’t normally get on TV.
Anyone with an interest in the sciences, or an interest in engaging their kids in the sciences, has reason to look forward to Breakthrough. For too long, the only positive images of scientists we have had on TV have come in the form of criminal forensic investigators. And while that made for good entertainment, it didn’t do much to build the next generation of engineers.
If G.E’s experiment with sponsored television pays off, it could certainly lead to more quality science programming. In fact, G.E is not even a pioneer in this area. Intel created their own show in 2012 and actually won an Emmy Award, and just last year Chipotle released a satirical series about the dangers of factory farming. If all goes well, we are entering a renaissance for science television. Watch out for the debut of Breakthough next November, and follow along with Bayside Solutions to stay at the forefront of science and culture.
