Nova Launches New Original YouTube Series GROSS SCIENCE

NOVA, a production of wgbh.org, and PBS Digital Studios today announced the launch of "Gross Science," a new original Youtube series that will explore the world of Science through disgusting and bizarre stories pulled straight from natural history, medicine, engineering. Consisting of two-to-three minute videos, the series combines compelling scientific imagery with beautiful handcrafted animations. New episodes will premiere weekly on the "Gross Science" Youtube Channel beginning Wednesday, April 8, 2015.

"'Gross Science' is a great (and disgusting!) example of how WGBH is extending our approach to programming for new platforms-discoveringnew audiences passionate about Science and expanding our communities of engaged fans for NOVA," said John Bredar, head of National Programming for WGBH.

"Paradoxically, I find the most beauty and wonder in Science when I examine its slimy, smelly, creepy underbelly," said NOVA Digital Producer and "Gross Science" Host Anna Rothschild. "We're thrilled to partner with PBS Digital Studios to bring to life a new series that inspires curious people of all ages to enjoy science, to see it as a story, and to ask lots of questions about the world-especially if they're about poop and parasites."

Get a sneak peek below:

Produced by Rothschild, the 40-episode season features topics that range from examining how different diseases make you smell, to the way in which sea cucumbers eviscerate themselves by shooting their internal organs through their head or butt, to three-foot-long parasites called "Guinea Worms" that mate in humans' abdomens and squirt larvae out of a hole in your foot.

"This is one of the grossest shows we have ever encountered, and we couldn't be more delighted!" said Don Wilcox, Vice President, PBS Digital. "'Gross Science' delivers a highly watchable blend of the weird and the wondrous, and it's a perfect fit for PBS Digital Studios."

Planning for the "Gross Science" series began after the overwhelming success of a pilot video, "The Tongue-Eating Parasite," which profiles the natural history of a parasite that crawls into a fish's mouth, replaces its tongue, and goes on to feed on mucus and mate while still in the fish's mouth. Within a week, the video had just shy of 350,000 views on YouTube, and a number that has since grown to over 600,000. Numbers alone do not tell the story. Audience reviews on Youtube were overwhelmingly positive, garnering comments such as "informative and entertaining, without being sensationalist or obnoxious."

The host of "Gross Science," Anna Rothschild, is a digital producer for the PBS Science series, NOVA with a passion for all things gross. She first fell in love with Science while doing disgusting classroom experiments as a kid-dissecting owl pellets, growing bacteria in petri dishes, and playing with a slime chemistry set, to name a few. She later became infatuated with parasites, and spent time studying malaria in lizards at the American Museum of Natural History. Rothschild has a bachelor's degree in biology from Brown University and a master's in Science journalism from New York University. Her work has been included in Science Studio, an anthology of the best Science multimedia on the web. Rothschild was awarded the "Science Communication Award for New Media" by the American Institute of Physics in 2012.

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About NOVA
Now in its 42nd season, NOVA is the most-watched prime time Science series on American television, reaching an average of five million viewers weekly. The series remains committed to producing in-depth Science programming in the form of hour-long (and occasionally longer) documentaries, from the latest breakthroughs in technology to the deepest mysteries of the natural world. NOVA airs Wednesdays at 9pm ET/PT on WGBH Boston and most PBS stations. The Director of the WGBH Science Unit and Senior Executive Producer of NOVA is
Paula S. Apsell. More information about NOVA is available online at www.pbs.org/nova, or by following the series on Facebook and Twitter.

About WGBH

WGBH Boston is America's preeminent public broadcaster and the largest producer of PBS content for TV and the Web, including Frontline, Nova, American Experience, Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow, Arthur, Curious George and more than a dozen other prime-time, lifestyle, and children's series. WGBH also is a major supplier of programming for public radio, and oversees Public Radio International (PRI). As a leader in educational multimedia for the classroom, WGBH supplies content to PBS LearningMedia, a national broadband service for teachers and students. WGBH also is a pioneer in technologies and services that make media accessible to those with hearing or visual impairments. WGBH has been recognized with hundreds of honors. More info at http://www.wgbh.org.

About PBS Digital Studios
The PBS Digital Studios network on Youtube includes more than 60 online original series, including more than a dozen co-productions with PBS member stations across the country, designed to engage, enlighten and entertain online audiences. The PBS Digital Studios network has more than 4 million subscribers and has generated more than 320 million views. Series include the multiple Webby Award-winning PBS Idea Channel, as well as popular series such as Blank on Blank, It's Okay To Be Smart, Everything But the News and more.

About PBS
PBS, with its over 350 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and online content. Each month, PBS reaches nearly 109 million people through television and over 28 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS' broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry's most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. PBS' premier children's TV programming and its website, pbskids.org, are parents' and teachers' most trusted partners in inspiring and nurturing CURIOSITY and love of learning in children. More information about PBS is available at http://pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the Internet, or by following PBS on Twitter Facebook or through our apps for mobile devices

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