A sequel to Carl Sagan's ground-breaking television series "Cosmos" premiers this weekend, with astrophysicist and Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson at the helm.

DeGrasse Tyson said with this reboot, producers wanted to replicate what made the original "Cosmos" such a beloved and memorable show.

"It conveys not only the science but it also conveys why science matters, and why science matters to you the viewer," Tyson said.

Carl Sagan's "Cosmos: A Personal Voyage" premiered on PBS in 1980 and became the most widely-watched PBS series in the world, reaching 500 million viewers in 60 countries. The new sequel has links to the original with original scribes Steven Soter and Ann Druyan, Sagan's widow, serving as lead writers for the new show. Among the new talent is executive producer Seth MacFarlane, creator of the animated sitcom "Family Guy."

"Seth has a very serious science interest," said Tyson.  "Seth wanted to do something for science and the country, And I said, 'Do I have an idea for you!'"

The 13-part "Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey" premiers Sunday, March 9, on all 10 of FOX's networks and National Geographic's channels.