The show's title was based on the legend of Isaac Newton sitting under a tree and an apple falling near him—more popularly, on his head—prompting him to ponder what makes things fall, leading to the development of his theory of gravitation (an event often loosely described as him "discovering" gravity).

[4] The last three seasons were hosted by the team of Peggy Knapp, Dave Huddleston, Brian Hackney, David Heil and SuChin Pak.

An occasional short feature called "Science of the Rich and Famous" featured celebrities explaining a scientific principle or natural or physical phenomenon; for example, rock star Ted Nugent explained guitar feedback, Olympic gold medalist skater Scott Hamilton demonstrated angular momentum in the context of a skater's spin, Monty Hall explained principles of probability, and Betty White showed how cats purr.

A segment in the early years, titled "Newton's Lemons," used 1950s-era newsreels of a device that was considered "futuristic" at the time of its introduction but had long since been simply forgotten.

Quick clips from the series were also aired in between programming as "A Bite from Newton's Apple" on many PBS stations.