Bill Nye the Science Guy Is Going to Trial Against Disney

Bill Nye spent years educating kids on the wonders of science through his fun and informative Disney TV series, Bill Nye the Science Guy. As light-hearted and exciting as the show seemed while it was on the air, there were apparently some frustrating issues taking place on the business side of things, according to Nye at least. The TV personality has filed a lawsuit against the House of Mouse for punitive damages, claiming Disney short-changed the profits from his show.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Nye’s case has now taken a substantial step forward. On Wednesday, a Los Angeles Superior Court granted Nye the ability to take Disney to court with limited claims.

Nye’s latest amendment to the suit estimates $28 million in damages for the reported loss of profits during the run of his show. He will also seek punitive damages for Disney’s “long and consistent pattern of under-reporting revenue and improperly applying deductions.

Disney attempted to get the case down to what’s considered an accounting spectacle and different interpretations of the contract. The company also argued that Nye waited too long to object to the contract.

The trial is currently scheduled for May 2020 and is expected to last at least 10 days.

Bill Nye the Science Guy ran for 100 episodes in the mid-to-late 1990s. The episodes aired on local TV stations from 1993 to 1998, and on PBS from 1994 to 1999. The Science Guy was nominated for 23 Emmy awards over the course of its entire running, winning 19 of them.

Even though it’s been 20 years since Bill Nye the Science Guy was last on the air, the host hasn’t dwindled in popularity. Nye hosted a more adult-centric science series on Netflix called Bill Nye Saves the World, which released 25 episodes from 2017 to 2018.