by Helium is Awesome

Created on: January 26, 2007   Last Updated: May 09, 2007

Never has a show existed that offers so much promise, so much hope, or reestablishing decency and intellectualism in our society. It is both bizarre and poetic that the last bastion of Science in this modern era of Rabid Religiousness appears on a pseudo late night second tier cable network.

So be it.

Mythbusters airs on Wednesdays on the Discovery Channel and features hosts Jamie and Adam disproving various urban legends and folklore wisdom. The show consists of several different myths being "busted" via a series of tests of scale and analogy. It is perhaps here that the show fails to hit the mark it so nobly aims for, as the restrictions of budget, time, and television often conspire to throw good science out the door. Sloppy editing, lazy assistants, and frustration lead to unexplored myths, poorly drawn conclusions, and forced reasoning.

The show attempts to reconcile these disparities by airing follow-up episodes, which generates revenue and appeases many fans.

Adam and Jamie have excellent show presence and often their incessant banter creates the show's most memorable moments. Frequently the two spar off in "build-offs" and sundry competitions designed to see which will engineer the better version of a model, technique, or process. Jamie's rigid and conservative style frequently best Adam's more haphazard and loose constructs, but the two seem to genuinely enjoy each other's company and have a good time in most endeavors.

Some have wondered whether the two hosts are homosexuals. They have stated that they are not.

The "assistants" on the show have been featured with more frequency in the last two seasons, sometimes receiving half if not more of the show's hour long airtime. This is unfortunate, as they are often grating and typically represent the lazy and useless nature of today's youth. Except Grant. He's neat.

Mythbusters is a great show being poorly run. The show is taped in Jamie's laboratory in San Francisco, California, which provides for some incredible locations and shots. The near-perpetual calm weather and access to varios goods helps the show tremendously.

It is unfortunate that Mythbusters languishes on cable. Here's hoping it does not die the death of Junkyard Wars.

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