Curiosity: Did God Produce the World?

Created by Darlow Smithson. Senior executive producer (series), Simon Andreae executive producers, Alan Eyres, John Smithson, Ben Bowie, Susan Winslow. 60 MIN."Curiosity" -- an extensive initiative made to tackle an eclectic variety of provocative and puzzling subjects -- certainly lives as much as that billing in the premiere, an adaptation of Stephen Hawking's book "The Grand Design," where the famous physicist concludes God did not produce the world. Very little else about the menu looks determined to match this as "Large Questions" go, but kudos to Discovery for venturing to address what it really precisely dubs "the 3rd rail of academia and theology," at any given time when hostility to science and insufficient intellectual curiosity frequently taints political discourse. Thematically, the "Curiosity" special offers -- to encompass 60 payments over 5 years, within plan created by Discovery founder John Hendricks -- should challenge and enlighten. With science trapped by individuals in opposition to its most bothersome facts, some subjects surely appear more questionable than the others. Just like his 2010 documentary series "In to the World," Hawking provides some narration, giving way up to the more stately sounding actor Benedict Cumberbatch waiting in for him. Clearly conscious the scientist's conclusions will outrage followers in Divine Creation, the funnel plans an hourlong round-table discussion with theologians to follow along with. Hawking is really a master at offerring complex ideas in easily understood terms, and also the producers help illustrate individuals points with elaborate graphics -- from Vikings enduring threatening seas to some tennis match showing the laws and regulations of character. Like a researcher, Hawking concludes, it's totally valid to question "whether we want a God to describe the world whatsoever," proceeding to systematically construct the situation for that Large Bang Theory (and what could create something from nothingness) and natural laws and regulations that do not need a spiritual component. Of course, the premiere is really a tough act to follow along with, intellectually speaking, and little of what's slated for coming days seems equally inspired rather, many game titles are skewed to popular culture or sci-fi -- "Exactly why is Sex Fun?," "Would You Live Forever?" and "Could Computer systems Overtake Humans?" -- and have celebrity hosts. Still, if this involves science on television, anything able to enticing a crowd to consume their veggies appears useful. And even when not every one of this undertaking matches Hawking's large brain, the perfect of utilizing TV to arouse viewers' curiosity surely qualifies being an intelligent design. Contact John Lowry at john.lowry@variety.com