MythBusters (2003–2018) User Reviews

Started out great, went downhill recently

[DrLex · 7/10 · 3 March 2014]

This used to be one of my most favorite TV shows ever. It was the first show I looked up on IMDb so I could rate it a 10. It has never been entirely rigorously scientific, but that would have been too boring anyway. In the first seasons they managed to strike a great balance between sensation and scientific validity. Initially each episode spent quite a bit of time showing how Jamie and Adam constructed their experiments, which made it quite educational.

Then it gradually went downhill. The attention for how the experiments were built, was gradually reduced with every new season. Until 2013 however it never reached a level where the show was reduced to all style and no substance. Then however, episodes started popping up that were obviously intended to promote some other Discovery show. This only got worse with the 2014 season which started with a Star Wars special that gave a forced impression like "someone paid us to spend an entire episode on this franchise that has no ground in reality at all".

Then came the live Twitter pop-ups, which I find horribly annoying. Every thirty-something seconds there is this moving rectangle in the corner of the screen that grows to cover a substantial area of the image. I do not care at all about the text inside it. Having comments from random viewers shoved in my face is like watching YouTube and being forced to read the inane comments below the video. Ignoring these pop-ups is nearly impossible due to the attention-grabbing animation and the simple fact that they cover essential parts of the image. Please, please stop superimposing this junk on the broadcast. TV is not interactive and I like it that way, so do not pretend it is by feeding us these obviously heavily moderated tweets. Anyone who badly wants to read live tweets can see them on any other device they like.

My dwindling respect for this show got another hit when I stumbled upon a report of some episodes being unauthorized re-makes of copyrighted material, like the "airplane boarding" episode which never aired in the USA because the lawsuit is still ongoing. I still have respect for Jamie and Adam because I tend to believe they just go with what their producers hand them, and most of all, because of all the years of televised enjoyment they offered me. Yet I am afraid that if MB continues on its current trajectory, I will have to say it goodbye.

The Best Science Show In the World

[I_Am_The_Taylrus · 9/10 · 2 November 2006]

Mythbusters is a fantastic show for people who love science and dummy abuse. Mythbusters features Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, and sometimes Kari Byran, Tori Belleci, and Grant Imahora. It also features Buster, the dummy.

Mythbusters tests urban myths to see if they are true or not. Some of those myths include:

If you fall in water, can throwing a hammer in front of you save your life?

Can jumping before an elevator hits the ground save your life?

Is a dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's?

There are much more myths. There are about two or three myths in each episode. When a human can not do a myth, Buster comes in. Buster the dummy acts like a human doing some myths. If a myth is too dangerous for a human, Buster takes their place. He's been blown up, limbs severed, fall injuries, and trust me, much, much more.

Mythbusters combines science and humor. Odd combination, but it works, trust me.

9/10

Recommended Television Shows: Brainiac.

I Loved When They Busted Myths

[view_and_review · 9/10 · 3 November 2021]

"Mythbusters" drew me in with the simplest proposition: that they'd put to the test all of the various "myths" we'd heard growing up or that we'd seen on TV and movies. I couldn't wait to find out if those things I believed or disbelieved were real or not. So many things that had been established as cinematic fact would be put to the test and I just wanted that affirmation that Hollywood was BS'ing me.

One of the few shows on TV I actually make time for

[Pythe · 10/10 · 28 November 2004]

Rarely do we, the television audience, experience the privilege of a show that is equal parts educational and entertaining. Not that I'm learning anything from it, mind you, but other people very well might.

The simple premise is that our two hosts, Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage, recreate the conditions of popular myths to verify or, as is more often the case, bust them. Of course, a premise alone does not a good show make. The fun comes from watching Jamie and Adam gleefully trounce the sometimes ridiculous stories. Adam is the energetic and outgoing one, taking every opportunity to goof off and make the work look more like play, whereas Jamie reacts to things with a much drier sense of humor and is somewhat more sarcastic. I was as disappointed as anyone upon learning of the inclusion of three "Jr. Mythbusters" for the second season, but my concern was ill-founded, as I realized that they had just as much personality as Jamie and Adam, and my conclusion is that anyone who thinks the show has gone downhill as a result of the new additions is simply averse to any change whatsoever. The show remains a favorite.

On a side note, you really have to admire how smart these guys are. Most of what they do can be traced back to physics, which makes me respect them all the more, based on my consistent inability to grasp the simplest of concepts in this particular field.

Makes the scientific method fun!

[flourish_and_blotts · 14 January 2004]

I didn't think it was possible, but this show actually makes the scientific method fun. I love this show, and this is what I call good television. I think it's highly entertaining, and educational. Did you know most eel skin wallets or actually made out of hagfish? Just a snippet of what you might learn on this show. The two hosts also make a great team, Jamie with his sarcasm, and Adam is just crazy and hilarious. It's the only show I watch on discovery channel.

The name says it all.

[Bronco46 · 10/10 · 18 January 2004]

This show is nothing but fun. You can only hope that some of the individuals who pass on these urban myths will watch this and start using there head when it comes to passing on these ridiculous stories. That being said, it's a lot of fun watching these guys use science, engineering, and art to debunk, or in some cases prove possible some the stories we've all heard while growing up. Well worth watching, for all ages.

Please, change the name of this program!

[matti_kaki · 10/10 · 28 March 2018]

I have been watching Mythbusters from the very beginning and have usually enjoyed a lot. But now when Adam and Jamie have retired, this serie continues with very weak and unprofessional manner. Why an Earth the name is still Mythbusters? It is wrong, WRONG. Please respect Adam and Jamie and change the name to New Mythbusters or something. I still keep my ten stars to respect the original Mythbusters.

The best of its kind ever

[RNMorton · 10/10 · 26 December 2016]

The right show with the right hosts and the right ideas at the right time. So for everyone who ever said, gee I wonder if it's true that you could (fill in the blank), Hyneman and Savage came along to help out. The general format was excellent, on many levels - the bar room-type discussion and research, the preliminary explorations and commentary by the stars along the way, the excellent if under-appreciated narration by Lee, all the way to the full scale resolution. Occasionally the pacing was off, so that you got to the finale without a lot of time to fully appreciate the event but whatever. Hyneman and Savage are effective if somewhat different personalities with some fun interplay, in retrospect the inclusion of B Team members Imahara, Belleci and a very attractive Byron probably extended the life of the series for several years and gave a needed break from the two leads. All the work on this was so professionally done, the biggest issue was coming up with enough myths to explore. Sometimes the cupboard seemed a little bare (a postage stamp on a helicopter wing causing an accident, c'mon). But one of the best science shows ever and tops for background television watching.

Educational, But Still Hilarious!

[johnny-386 · 10/10 · 15 November 2006]

This is BY FAR my favorite show. Period. Its funny, no, downright hilarious, and still educational. I love how different Adam and Jamie are. Adam is immature, funny, and goofy, while Jamie is sardonic, sarcastic, and serious but still funny. They go great together. Another great part of this show isn't just watching the experiments, but seeing how they made it, what problems came up with the experiment, and fixing them. So that is somewhat the educational part, but more so is that the are busting myths that are actually heard of. Like whether walking or running is better in the rain. So, basically, this is stuff that you could use in everyday life. But my favorite part of the shows is the massive projects that they do. Like say blowing a house up with bug bombs, or getting the life rafts on airplanes dropped from a helicopter. So its like the movie, Jackass, but for nerds.

Can science be fun? Confirmed.

[Son_of_Mansfield · 10/10 · 9 June 2007]

What says entertainment like a little bit of science, a lot of destruction, and a man in a beret? It's easy to criticize the science on Mythbusters, but watching it is like being a kid again. Everyone remembers that wonder of finding things out or the fun of destroying other things. It's those two polar opposites that makes this fun to watch. Jamie is a proponent of the former while Adam is a lover of the latter. Among my favorite bits: duck's quacks do echo, just at a frequency that humans can't hear, ping pong balls can bring up a small boat from the bottom of the water, and almost every cool thing from a movie is impossible. Then, as if all this wasn't enough for the show, the second season put the Bust in Mythbusters with the introduction of the redhead with the great smile, Kari. Pinch me.

a dangerous show

[wooxr_pt · 7/10 · 9 June 2010]

i'm an avid follower of this show for 3 years now, and i've seen the past episodes too. it's with great sadness that i have to say that around 80% to 90% of the experiments are poorly conducted making it a very painful show to watch sometimes. the thing about mythbusters is that there isn't another show on TV that tries to solve the things they try to solve, so they deserve a better rating that they really work to. i seriously hope that they have competition on a near future so we can see things stepping up. mythbusters also fails to tell us what are the testing conditions of many experiments and that's why i can't possibly consider valid most of the experiments. the 10 to 20% of the experiments that they conduct flawlessly are just brilliant and i accept the final results as truthful ones. on the experiments that are poorly conducted i can always see things they missed and i can always think of what would be the possible result of those experiments if they done things right, but that means a huge doubt about myths they considered Busted and that's unacceptable on most cases. the worst thing about this is that other people can't prove them wrong because of don't having the means to do it, and that's annoying. it is a good show BUT you have to be very careful with it because it's dangerous to believe on something when things aren't done properly. see it, think about it, and if you don't know much about science, never believe it, it's my advice. if you want to see it just for the good explosions and stuff, solely by entertainment purposes, go ahead as this is almost purely an entertainment program.

This is one of the best programs on television, which makes you think, laugh and wonder.

[Roman_597 · 10/10 · 19 April 2023]

I love this series because it shows interesting and unusual experiments that test the veracity of different legends and rumors. The series "Mythbusters" is one of the most interesting and informative programs that I have ever seen. I've been watching it since the beginning, since 2003, and I haven't missed a single issue. I love this series because it shows how the scientific method can be applied to a variety of unusual hypotheses and legends.

The series "Mythbusters" has a homely, warm, delightful atmosphere. It creates the feeling that you are next to the characters and watching them work. It makes you laugh, wonder, worry and applaud. It gives you joy and pleasure from watching.

I love watching Adam Savage and Jamie Heineman experiment, build different devices and models, blow up, shoot and smash everything that gets in their way. I love their humor, their charisma, their friendship. I love their team: Carey Byron, Tory Bellici and Grant Imahara, who also participate in myth checking and add their contribution to the show. I love watching them put into practice the various myths, legends and rumors that surround us in everyday life. They use the scientific method, engineering prowess, and common sense to prove or disprove these claims. At the same time, they are not afraid to risk their lives and health, as well as arrange explosions, fires and other spectacular experiments.

I like this show because it is not only entertaining, but also educational. I learned a lot of new and interesting things about physics, chemistry, biology, history, culture and technology. I also admire the creativity and humor of the presenters, who always find original ways to test a particular myth. They are also not shy about admitting their mistakes and double-checking their results if there are doubts or new data.

I love how the presenters approach their work with humor and enthusiasm. They are not afraid to take risks and experiment with different things.

I am very grateful to the creators of this series for giving us knowledge, entertainment and inspiration. I recommend everyone to watch Mythbusters and see for yourself that science can be fun and fun. I am very grateful to the creators of this series for giving me and millions of other viewers such a wonderful series This is a super program not only for adults, but also for children. It teaches them to think critically, to check facts, to be inquisitive and creative. It shows that science is not a boring set of rules and formulas, but an exciting adventure and discovery of new things.

Something Happened

[davidbeland · 7/10 · 16 August 2013]

The first three seasons were excellent. Two brilliants guys putting legendary myths to the test and blowing things up if they fail. Simple, efficient, entertaining and informative with few irrelevant myths and some sloppy executions here and there, but overall a very good show!

Then something happened...

The producers had the idea to introduce a new team (as if Adam & Jamie weren't cool enough) and they told them to act like if they were 4 years old retarded children on spring break. Yeah that's right, making car and gun noises WITH THEIR MOUTH all the time!! Stop that, you are not actors! Really annoying and almost insulting, get rid of that unnecessary embarrassment, the quality suffers.

The myths are less and less relevant and the show starts to look like a sorry excuse to blow things up. Not to mention that there's a big difference between a popular expression like "poop hit the fan" and "like taking a candy from a baby" and a proper myth. How low they will go to keep their jobs on TV is the question. "Making a cannon with bamboo", "curve bullet", "Airplane on a Conveyor Belt", "finding Jimmy Hoffa in a stadium"?! I mean come on, you call that science? I call that "Discovery ChSCIENCE" to be polite. An entertainment machine with a pinch of science is more like it in my opinion. And while i'm at it: what a huge waste of material and resources only to prove that they are not out of ideas...

Adam is still funny and Jamie is still cool though, but i'm afraid that there's no cure, they are victims of their own success.

Kind of cool, but lacks a bit

[zizumia · 4/10 · 12 June 2012]

I have seen this show many times over the years and I used to like it, till I found repeated times that their myths they test, are not what they claim it (mostly when they say it is false), for I have personally experienced these myths before and proved them true.

Example is when they test a myth that you can be knocked out of your shoes, well they "proved" this myth wrong, because they never could get the dummy to fall out of its shoes when run over. Well I know someone could be knocked out of their shoes for I saw someone get hit by a train right in front of me and his shoes lay, still in the position they were in when he was wearing them, right where he was standing. So the myth is right, but since it didn't get THEIR results, it's automatically false.

The show is interesting, but I have seen quite a few episodes that were not to their results so they proved it false, even though I know it is true..

Great show!

[Blkbush · 27 December 2004]

Mythbusters is one of my 'don't miss it' programs.

I don't think I've ever seen quite the talent for destruction that Adam & Jamie share. Nearly every episode has to feature a myth involving things blowing up, or shattering into thousands of pieces. And I LOVE it!

Their enjoyment for what they do, whether seen in Adam's nearly boundless enthusiasm, or in Jamies much more controlled attitude, along with the well-known & lesser-known myths that are proved or 'busted' each week make Mythbusters a winner.

Highly entertaining, and educational.

Science Redefined

[AngelOfPolitik · 10/10 · 29 July 2007]

I had seen ads for the Mythbusters around 2005, but I didn't start watching it until September or October 2006.

The only thing I was wondering, why didn't I watch this before! This show is hosted by these two guys who are complete opposites. Jamie is the dry, sometimes sarcastic, no nonsense guy who has to stand the other host, Adam, who is energetic and always getting into trouble just to get a good laugh.

And once they got season two, they added a few other people to the Mythbusting team, dubbed "The Junior Mythbusters" or more recently "The Build Team". When they first started, it consisted of three members: Kari Byron, an artist, Tory Belleci, a former employee of Jamie, and Scottie Chapman, the proclaimed "Mistress of Metal".

But Scottie then left the team for reasons unknown and they had to hire someone else. That someone else was Grant Imahara, a robotics expert and former model maker for films. I was quite satisfied with their decision. Not that I hate Scottie, but Grant, he just adds to the show, in some way.

So for every episode, they put myths to the test. And they always have to have explosive results, which makes the show enjoyable.

And to wrap this up, I think the Mythbusters did great job in making a show that actually appeals to people. All other attempts makes science boring. These guys redefine science...

Best show on TV

[jamest1994 · 10/10 · 7 November 2009]

What a great show. One of the very few which have managed to make science and education fun.

Jamie and Adam are hilarious, and the myths (and the lengths they'll go to), are very entertaining. Watching someone blow up a cement truck with 400 pounds of C4, and trying to make diamonds with 5000 pounds of C4, how can you go wrong?! But, of course, the whole show isn't about blowing stuff up (although there wouldn't be anything wrong with that), it's about busting or confirming myths, and the results are usually very surprising.

Overall, I give this show a 10 out of 10. It couldn't get much better.

Fun AND Educational

[VetteRanger · 9/10 · 14 June 2009]

The premise of the show is well documented. Two special effects experts and their staff take on common myths (and many not so common) and subject them to the scientific method.

The principals are all personable and obviously enjoy this work. That is important to the success of the show. Without their enthusiasm some of the things they film could be quite dry.

Whether exploring household myths such as whether it is safe to eat a piece of food that drops on the floor, or exploring tactics used in movies, you'll learn a lot and have fun doing it.

Highly recommended show.

Fantastic Show!

[rowansterling · 9/10 · 11 May 2006]

I am terribly and incurably addicted to MythBusters. This is one of the best science shows around! It presents scientific contents in a fun and interesting way. The hosts don't overdue the jargon and the results of all the tests are understandable to the layperson. Not only does one learn science, but everyone I know is taken back in time to their childhood when the big bully on the block made them eat pop rocks and soda telling everyone it would make them explode! Adam and Jaime are knowledgeable about all the myths they test as well as being simply fun to watch. The co-hosts, Grant and Kari, are just as entertaining. If you don't want to know the truth about urban legends and myths, stay far from this show. If you are just as interested as I am in knowing whether the "5" second rule applied to that chip you just dropped on the floor...tune in!

I can't believe it ended but thanks of the science!

[sooriyah007 · 9/10 · 15 March 2016]

In summary, Mythbusters take myths, superstition and basically any unanswered questions and out them to the test using whatever scientific method they can think of.

I am a kid from Singapore and I grew up watching this show! I enjoyed watching the big builds and the science and it is what inspired the engineer in me. After 14 season I can say I am losing part of my childhood and I am thankful on behalf of my generation who had the opportunity to grow up learning science and mainly learning to become critical thinkers. Anyone who is coming here in the future wondering if 14 season of myth buster is worth watching, All i can say is go find out for yourself. I don't know if another generation changing show like myth buster will be around for my kids. Thanks for the memories!

One Of My Favorites

[PartialMovieViewer · 10/10 · 30 December 2014]

As with any show or movie…I sit in front of a screen to be entertained. I do not depend on Hollyweird for moral direction; factual telling of a 'true?' story; repackaging of a book or even getting accurate news anymore (BBC is the best choice now-a-days). I solely watch these productions for entertainment. And when it comes to unchallenged entertainment, Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage are king. For years these two have been putting on a very good show. "Mythbusters" is the mother-of-all reality-based TV. A true ground-breaker in its genre and, I feel, is probably the best-of-the-best. (I know people are already disagreeing, and not only expect that – I can also accept it). Peter Rees has brilliantly manufactured a show that questions countless assumptions; by placing them under the scrutiny of Adam and Jamie whose mission is to validate each myth. Do I question their methodologies? Let's see, since I do not close my name with PHD, so I do not. I sit, splashing in my puddle of drool and spittle, uncontrollably nodding my head in amazement and capitulation. OK, so it doesn't take much to entertain me – so what. Anyways…I will miss the three additions; Kari Byron, Tory Belleci and Crant Imahara. These three added so much to the show, but I also understand people do have to move on. Good luck to them and good luck to an awesome show.

Very experimental show and fun

[yongxi-92716 · 7/10 · 11 November 2018]

It is full experimental. I probably want bit more theory assumptions and calculations in it. As an television show it fun to watch. And thank the team , PD , shooting range and Air Force corporate, lovely and peaceful country!

Keeps getting better

[ketchuppackets-1 · 10/10 · 26 June 2008]

After several years on the Discovery Channel, Mythbusters just keeps getting better. Many people argue that their scientific standards aren't this highest, which may be true, but at least they get people to think about what they know, and question what they believe. The show is also remarkably entertaining because of the personalities, the subject matter, and of course, the occasional explosion. The programing on the Discovery channel is some of the highest quality on TV, and Mythbusters is one of their best shows. Keep up the good work Adam, Jamie, and team! By the way, this websites has results from all of the episodes: http://mythbustersresults.com/

They aren't actually scientists.

[ItsJustSlater · 7/10 · 14 January 2023]

Let me preface this review by stating I have seen every MythBusters episode ever made multiple times. This review is not based on initial impressions but instead is a thorough look into the whole show.

Let's be real here, the MythBusters are not scientists, they worked in special effects before the show. Trying to pass themselves off as expert scientists annoys me and discredits real scientists. They use science buzzwords and really hammer them into the ground. You could make a drinking game out of how often they say words like "data point" or "result" and be drunk as a skunk before the episode is even halfway done.

They get plenty of things right but they also get a ton of stuff wrong, or they don't pursue it far enough and just declare it busted because they couldn't easily accomplish it. To state your opinion as fact and the case is closed is completely against scientific principles. We all know Discovery Channel has become infamous for faking reality shows and while MythBusters is supposed to be legitimate the fact is it is first and foremost an entertainment show produced on a timeline. That should immediately make everyone take the outcomes with a grain of skepticism. The hosts even regularly complained that people would contact them/Discovery about how they got things wrong.

Every time one of the MythBusters picks up a gun you know it's going to be a mess. Especially when they were doing a quick draw myth and ended up firing bullets into the ground a few feet in front them because they didn't know how to safely and quickly draw a firearm and fire it accurately at a target. They even repeatedly point guns at the cameraman in clear violation of basic firearm safety. It doesn't matter whether the gun is supposedly unloaded or not, you DO NOT point it at anything you don't want to shoot. Again showing how they are Hollywood prop people, not professionals.

The most intelligent person on the show was hands down Grant. May he rest in peace. Kari was only there as a token and window dressing, plus she was Jamie's pet intern. Her and Tory had zero scientific aptitude but Kari had looks and Tori was a skilled fabricator. If you pay attention you'll notice Kari nearly always avoided having to do anything even remotely uncomfortable or physical and instead Grant and Tory were always made to do it. At which she took much delight in torturing them. If we're all about representing equality for women then she should have been in there right beside "the boys", as she called them, getting her hands dirty instead of acting like a dainty princess.

Jamie has the personality of a turnip and while he tried to present himself as a big badass manly man he constantly wussed out. It always fell to Adam to complete the task because Jamie was too scared or didn't like any type of pain being inflicted. Jamie is also arguably the least scientific person on the show. Adam was there as the host with an actual personality since there was no way Jamie could carry it himself. But even Adam was just a model marker for movies.

At the end of the day MythBusters was an entertainment show, not a scientific one, and should be viewed as such. It has been one of Discovery's biggest hits and being on the Discovery channel people sadly took the show as gospel. As far as reality shows go you could watch a lot worse, but just like all reality shows don't believe everything they tell you.

I can't believe I actually used to be a fan of this show...

[sinjinza1984-1 · 4/10 · 14 December 2015]

I used to like Mythbusters, I really did. Then, something happened and I think that I've started to despise it a bit. I'm not really sure what happened, I just know that sometime in about 2010 my interest in the show declined rapidly. I have this sort of nostalgia for a couple of the older episodes, like when they packed a cement truck so full of explosives that they practically vapourised it. Or when they sabotaged a water heater to destroy a room-sized house that they had built. Watching the hosts test those urban legends was a lot of fun.

Then came the episodes to bust myths about Batman, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, zombies, and even The Simpsons. Have you ever watched any of the Terminator movies with someone who entirely ignores the fact that the titular character is a time-travelling cyborg, but who will comment on how you almost never see anyone reloading their gun? Mythbusters is kind of like that when they're testing myths about fictional

Let's ignore the fact that Luke Skywalker can travel between star systems at what is probably way above light speed, that he has a sword made out of light, or that he uses a mystical energy to move objects with telekinesis. Mythbusters will ask you to suspend your disbelief on all of these things, but to question whether the wire he uses to swing across a small gap is too thin to hold his weight.

Therein lies the problem - the show's producers and hosts have stopped subjecting suspicious viral videos and dodgy internet rumours to real-world tests. They've stopped looking at those nonsense chain emails that everyone gets with claims of the hazards of microwaving organic carrots, so that they can examine the minutiae of costume design in a science fiction movie.

The absolute worst example of this has to be the zombie episode. Telling a group of actors to pretend to be zombies is not scientific. Telling them to act like the zombies that they've seen in films is not empirical science. All that does is show whether your group of volunteers can follow basic instructions.