As Nerdist‘s resident sci-fientist (TM), there are never enough collisions between science and pop culture. I truly believe that exploring our nerdy passions with science helps appreciate both even more. I’ve tried my best to do this for the last few years with Because Science, but something was missing…oh, right, I wasn’t in sppppppaaaaacccccceeeee!

Starting today, you can watch the first episode of my new Alpha show The S.P.A.A.C.E. Program. It takes all the geeky analysis that I do on Because Science and combines it with a real set, actual production value, and a snarky artificial intelligence. It’s like if Carl Sagan’s COSMOS and Mystery Science Theater 3000 had a weird, long-haired baby. Check out a promo below:

In each episode — new episodes every Thursday along with a new BS — my companion A.I. and I will travel to a famous fictional world to explore the real science behind its flora, fauna, and technology. Star Wars’ desert planet Tatooine is up first, but a total of eight universes will be scienced this season. Let’s go behind the scenes for a second.

First of all, we shot this show in four days, on a set that was once used at the interior of Firefly’s Serenity:

Memorizing 25 pages of script a day over a long weekend is no joke. But at least our own Amy Vorpahl looks like she had a hilarious time.

Or not. LV-426 isn’t really a pleasure cruise, man. The S.P.A.A.C.E. Program won’t be all science fiction though. We’re also flying to the Known Realm:

Whenever we weren’t filming, the King and I were straight chillin’. Because he’s very cold. You get it.

I really hope you enjoy my latest geeky excursion. If you’re into it, and want the grand journey to continue, let us know in the comments which planet or universe you’d like us to explore next.

The first episode of The S.P.A.A.C.E. Program is now live on Alpha, where you can sign up right now for a free 30-day trial. New episodes every Thursday.