National Geographic (DStv 181 / StarSat 220 / Cell C black 261) has now removed Neil deGrasse Tyson's StarTalk series from the schedule with completed episodes of the current 5th season not yet broadcast that have been shelved as the investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against him continues.
Meanwhile there's little clarity from FOX Networks Group as to whether the second season of the revived Cosmos with Neil deGrasse Tyson as presenter that is supposed to be broadcast from 3 March 2019 on National Geographic will actually go ahead or not.
Fox Networks Group hyped the return of Cosmos for a new season, produced by Ann Druyan's Cosmos Studios and Seth MacFarlane's Fuzzy Door Productions, as a "global event".
Several serious allegations of sexual misconduct have been made against the American astrophysicist with the investigation that is continuing.
"In order to allow the investigation to occur unimpeded, we chose to hold new episodes of StarTalk until it is complete. We expect that to happen in the next few weeks at which time we'll make a final decision," says National Geographic in a statement.
The 5th season of StarTalk started in November 2018 but is now gone after just 3 episodes, although several more episodes with guests like George R.R. Martin, former American vice-president Al Gore, Weird Al Yankovic, Bill Nye, Dan Rather, Jeff Goldblum, Jack Black, James Marsden and Anna Deavere Smith have already been produced for broadcast.
In a statement on Facebook, Neil deGrasse Tyson said he welcomes an investigation: "In any claim, evidence matters. Evidence always matters. But what happens when it's just one person's word against another's, and the stories don"t agree?"
"That's when people tend to pass judgment on who is more credible than whom. And that's when an impartial investigation can best serve the truth – and would have my full cooperation to do so."
