I couldn't find a thread on this, so I figured we should start one.
First, I do think that this new series measures up to the original. Tyson is, of course, the acknowledged heir to Carl Sagan. And they've made it very clear where they are getting their inspiration. I misted up at the end of the first episode. I also want to commend them for finally making the common "compress the history of the universe into a year" teaching device WORK for me. It was beautifully done.
Also, I look forward to hearing the fundies whine about last night's episode. I think that Ann Druyan made a conscious decision to give minimal time to intelligent design, save to take one of their favorite arguments and RIP IT TO SHREDS!
Finally, did anyone else think that the intro was basically Star Trek minus the Enterprise?