3-2-1 Contact: Scientists at the writers’ table

Ockert replies: Ralph Smallberg brings up an excellent point. While some 1970s shows had science advisers, the Children’s Television Workshop was one of the first production companies to give them a seat at the writers’ table. In 1977 the company launched a three-day workshop in Glen Cove, New York, bringing together leading scientists and educators—including MIT physicist Philip Morrison—to brainstorm topics for what became 3-2-1 Contact. From there, the Children’s Television Workshop formed a formal science advisory committee for the show, intentionally including scientists from Black, Hispanic, and Asian American communities.

As I note in the article, the first content director of 3-2-1 Contact was Charles Walcott, a biologist at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, who did a wonderful job of facilitating the collaborations between the scientists and the production staff. Likewise, Ted Ducas, a physicist at Wellesley College, deserves credit for his role in cowriting the show’s excellent first season.