Gather around, everyone, and let me tell you a story of the land from which I come. Welcome to Seattle, where the rain falls for many moons at a time and the natives grow webbed feet. (I’m kidding. Sort of.)

Anyway, there was once a really funny sketch comedy show called Almost Live!, which ran for 15 years on broadcast TV. Some people who were on the show were simply local comics who were happy being local celebrities. Some have gone on to achieve much bigger things. And then there was a guy with a mechanical engineering degree who dreamed of being funny. Let’s call him Bill.

His initial recurring character on the show was a superhero named Speed Walker.

And then he discovered that if he simply put on a lab coat, bow tie, and a pair of safety goggles, he could create a whole new character.

Thus was born Bill Nye the Science Guy. This character went on to star in his own kids show, produced by Disney, aimed at making science entertaining.





Now, let’s jump ahead 20 years. Bill Nye has been playing this character for that long, and now the kids who once watched him on TV eagerly believe him as an actual scientific authority. Which is how he has turned a comedy sketch into his entire public persona and gained celebrity status.



And because continuing to pontificate on CNN is just not as fun as having your own show, Netflix gave Nye his own show. Welcome to Bill Nye Saves The World.

Or not.

I know it's a cliche now but my god, this is why Trump won. https://t.co/xT8co3YZu1 — Luxury Yacht Owner (@CounterMoonbat) April 24, 2017



Apparently, the new show is all about Bill Nye yelling, some science, bad music, and social justice.

Sweet Jesus, there's more cringeworthy video from Bill Nye. https://t.co/2SaePiSy6E — Luxury Yacht Owner (@CounterMoonbat) April 25, 2017

Bill Nye's show made ice cream have an orgy to explain sexuality. All my memories of him are ruined now — Jake the pancake (@JakeabaileyJb) April 23, 2017

and then there's something about a bachal ice cream orgy. i'm not sure i understand it. i guess i dont f**king love science pic.twitter.com/0Tq0bl6s0g — T. Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) April 25, 2017



Even the left-leaning Gizmodo is confused. They want to like it, because they once liked Bill Nye. But they just don’t like the show.

I was excited when I heard that a new science show for adults was hitting Netflix, especially one starring ‘90s-kid nerd hero Bill Nye. But either the science guy’s jokes haven’t aged well or his schtick—a zany dad-figure in a lab coat stirring beakers full of colored liquids—doesn’t quite work when he’s bellowing, red-faced, about the dangers of climate change denial, alternative medicine, and the anti-vaxxer movement. While seemingly aimed at the average layman who holds some science-skeptical views, Nye’s new show delivers delivers so little information in such a patronizing tone it’s hard to imagine a toddler, let alone a sentient adult, enjoying it.

So yes, this is a cautionary tale. Beware the man who started as a comedian, who was never able to leave his most famous role behind. Be careful of the actor who believes his own hype. Be mindful of the man with the mechanical engineering degree who decided he was the epitome of science TV.

In Seattle, we still laugh over Speed Walker. The rest of the country can keep Bill Nye the Science Guy.