Adam, if you see my profile pic, what was your fascination with firefighter's bunker gear. I think I saw you wearing a number of different FF coats during the filming of Myth Busters and not at a fire department location but as if you had purchased them yourself? . This pic is of my locker at the station I was a fireman at for 21 years. ('90-'11) Thanks for the great shows!
I can think of one other thing that likely helped Mythbusters - the lack of artificial personal conflict that producers today seem to feel has to be inserted into everything they do. It always comes across more like a cheap soap opera than anything genuine, and it would have diluted the credibility of the show as a whole. :-)
Hey Adam!, I got a Myth busters question...a question related to this video. Do you think a Myth Buster's reunion/reboot could work solely on CZcams? If you didn't get it by now this is a myth in itself Bust, or confirm.
I volunteer to host! And I have many worthy friends... I grew up with MythBusters, it shaped my future probably more than any other media. I’m fairly confident we could do it right.
Two votes! There’s no shortage of fans to give ratings nor is there a dearth of talent available to bring Mythbusters back to the screen. All that’s missing is somebody willing to put up the $$$.
"Is the testing taking precedent over the shooting?" That's one of the things that made the show enjoyable to people like myself who were just tired of bullshit on the television, the focus on something of value over fluff.
Yeah I think we like to imagine that the show was great because they didn't script anything and they just focused on the science, but obviously they spent a ton of effort on the show aspects, scripted lots of stuff, etc. That's just part of what makes a good show good.
I'll never forget Adam donning one of Jamies shirts and getting caught. Adam, taking the piss, "I'm trying to differentiate myself..." or words to that effect. Hahaha
Destin would be awesome. He has a childlike enthusiasm that is endearing and an ability to communicate concepts in a way that feels like he is at your level whilst actually being above it.
Adam, Thank you for saying my name :) and spending so much time on the question. I do appreciate it. You effectively answered my question. I have been creating a lot of content, based on viewer requests. Some of which I am less than passionate about. I have been second guessing that, thinking I should focus on the areas I am curious and passionate about. After watching this, I think the path, while clearly in the middle of those two extremes, needs to be weighted towards what I am passionate about. As always, you are awesome, stay safe, and come back to Canada post COVID.
I am a trainer and speaker and have been offered lots (by my standards, anyway) of money to speak on things that I have no passion for. People always comment on how awesome my talks and classes are... but that's 100% because of my passion for the subject matter. I was once offered the chance to learn (and get paid to learn) an entirely different bit of technology so that I could then teach it, for which I would also get paid. The subject matter was so foreign and lit no spark that I turned it down. There was no way that I was going to convey the info with anywhere close to the level of enthusiasm as my normal classes. Viewers/students can tell when you have enthusiasm for your content. I'm glad to hear you'll be weighting it towards what you're passionate about. Great question for Adam!
Always lean towards what you are passionate about. Thats why people spend their time watching someone on YT. Thats the common denominator to any successful channel in the digital realm.
Wait that's what you were asking for ? I thought your question was more like "What makes Mythbusters... Mythbusters", not "how to replicate the success
@@MainGoldDragon I was looking for the one thing Adam felt was critical to the production of a mythbusters level show, the secret sauce if you will, he answered it with content aligned with the passion of the presenter
"There is something inherently interesting in watching someone do what they love." and this very channel is proof of that. I suspect like myself many of us have almost nothing to do with shops or props or many of the other things present here, but watching you all do everything you do and talk about it? Entertaining as all heck.
Yessir. I don’t have the traits or extensive experiences to go into any STEM fields, but watching Adam be passionate about it all is pretty inspirational and heartwarming.
I think in a lot of ways, all the amazing creators of CZcams have filled the Mythbusters shaped hole in our hearts. It's not the same, but the creativity, passion, and fun ways to learn are all out there for us all. And, available for US to give back to everyone else through our own videos, comments, and financial support.
On that note, I love how "mythbusting" became a generic term akin to "photoshopping", and entire communities here on CZcams strive to mirror Adam's and Jamie's work when they encounter something weird, interesting, or just plain unforseen, even if it's just a one-off and not the focus of their channel. Really shows the impact Mythbusters made on our culture.
This! Because you only start a channel doing stuff you can do, and love doing! And that is why (for me) a lot of Channels flew of my Sub-List once they reached a certain amount of Subs and you can tell (it mostly starts with moving) that other people (managers, editing team etc.) getting involved.
@@antraxxslingshots I feel this immensely. Some channels that used to be my favorites suddenly lost a lot of appeal when they hit that point. It goes from making content they want to make to making content that's expected of them or that they're told to make it because at that point they kind of have to. We need more youtubers that keep that personal aspect that once they start losing the spark for what they're doing they find another avenue that they're invested in and not just doing it because they feel like they have to. We can tell the difference, we notice
@@KillerKelMega Yes, but for me the "sad" part is those managers know what they are doing to a certain point. If those Creators would have kept going with their content they would ran into a lot of work and their channel might have grown even further, but with the "Team" it feels they can easily keep a high level without the old amount of work plus they often gain new subs that have a more mainstream appeal. I mean, sad for us, sounds mean, because in the first place we should be happy for them that their life improved a lot. It is, obviously, sadness out of selfishness. Colin Furze is maybe the only Channel i subbed to very very early and still enjoy watching till today. You can tell there are people in the background, but he is 100% in charge plus (even if he might have a bigger house now somewhere else) he still is in his old place. Some even found back to their old stuff. Direstas great time (for me) was when he had his Underground workshop in New York, when he started his bigger projects and Vlogs and all those CNC Machines came in out of nowhere for free, he lost me. But checking him out from time to time he luckily started doing his oldschool stuff again now from time to time which i like a lot. Mathias Wandel is also a Guy who will most likely never change, but that is due to him beeing Matthias :) Enough blabbering, Stay safe :)
"there's something inherently interesting in watching someone do what they love and are passionate about" .. *nail, squarely hit* .. see: Mike Patey , BPS Space, Colinfurze .. and on the very top of that list, is you Adam Savage .. thank you for letting us enjoy your skills and enthusiasm here
@Cindy Klenk yes! he just couldn't hold off any longer could he? :-) BTW is there anything he can't design and build? ... heh I'm going to push that button on the side of Scrappy if I ever get the chance ;-) Oh, and did you see him mention his "Safety Tie" ? .. a reference to colinfurze LOL
Weird how when he's answering a question about a potential reboot he skips over the actual attempt at a reboot. Maybe if they try again the hosts shouldn't be picked via a reality show.
I view it as polite, instead of weird. I’m sure he doesn’t begrudge the attempt! But, because there’s no real positive aspects to be mentioned about the endeavor, he simply won’t bring it up.
@@johnnyjohnson6643 Agreed, I think Adam was just being polite. Because if he addressed the attempt at a reboot, he'd also have to address the miserable, instant failure of the reboot, which might hurt some feelings. And Adam just doesn't roll like that.
@@bobrudolph5161 I agree, but I respect it more. The goal of that programme is a science show for kids by kids which is fair, they even got Adam back for a bit. The other one is just weirdly tone deaf.
The team and the chemistry is absolutely important.... for instance look at Top Gear... the three stooges pulled off history together doing a one of its kind epic car show... while there were others tried to get their feets wet but none even close to what James May, Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond managed to pull off... the show when ended had sequels but I believe those sequels simply failed because of the absence of the team....the three managed to pull something off again in the form of The Grand Tour and the main thing again was the team and passion. I would agree with Adam when he talks about team chemistry. This goes for any show... when you grow up watching a show and grow up watching Richard Dean Anderson as MacGyver... any reboot will fail simply because there cannot be anyone else but Richard as Macgyver. The team behind the show is equally important...
Yes, totally. I would even go as far as saying the Team and their Chemistry might be more importend then the stuff they present. Talking about the three stooges you mentioned there...i´d even watch them in their prime if they had a homeshopping channel :D
MythBusters and Top Gear/The Grand Tour are definitely about the team, not the subject. Just watched the Madagascar Special and it is amazing. Not just the trip, but the banter and jokes. There is never a moment where they aren't ripping into each other or their car, in ways that are too funny. They know each other so well, it is like watching your mates having a go at something. It is so relatable. New Top Gear isn't great, that is a fact. They should've just buried it when it was over. Another good example of team chemistry are Roadkill, Mighty Car Mods and The Skid Factory. Just mates having a laugh, driving or wrenching on cars. Anyone can do it, they make it worth watching.
I think the secret sauce there is that you need people who are passionate about the subject but who approach it in very different ways. That was very evident on Mythbusters and you can also see it in old Top Gear. Another thing you can tell from those shows is that the hosts don't have to especially like one another, they just need to get along well enough for the show. In fact, I think that kind of tension - if it can be controlled - adds quite a lot to the show itself. In my mind, I imagine Adam and Jamie arguing over the best way to dry paint, and it would still be entertaining.
@@rodh1404 That is also chemistry, people not liking each other but making it work to achieve a common goal. TG/GT is usually them working against each other, but there it is personalities. You can't fake chemistry, that's what it comes down to for me. TV or movie, or music even. If it doesn't click, it doesn't work.
4:30 This is one of the many things I love and admire about Adam. Not only is he thoughtful about what he says but he regularly demonstrates how _little effort_ it truly takes to be inclusive in the language you use and the ideas you share.
4:59 “To put your body into the mix, to make yourself super uncomfortable..." Cue the "Adam Butt Montage", like farting in a bathtub & airplane toilet suction.
Mark Rober and Dustin from Smarter everyday on the A team. And Simone Giertz (i know i didn’t spell that right) the guy from Stuff Made Here, and Steve Mould on the B team.
I can't help but think of Captain Disillusion as someone who has taken a sort of Mythbuster approach to the way they do things. Quirky, informative, and so much fun.
Mythbusters in a way mainstreamed a nerd culture, and with it created so many potential hosts for a Mythbusters-like content. It is out there in the form of youtube videos and streams. The format evolved, but I'd bet a lot of them would thank Mythbusters for influencing them. Adam collabed with so many "New Mythbusters" on this channel. Mythbusters was the start of the nerd reinassance and we will reap the benefits for years to come.
Genuine enthusiasm always shines through. If the host obviously loves what they are doing the show lights up. If a host is trying to fake it, it simply won’t make it. Adam and Jamies enthusiasm shone thru and it showed.
The enthusiasm you and everyone else on mythbusters had was very contagious and is definitely what kept me watching, even when the myth seemed a bit outlandish 😅 Should it be revived? Probably not a good idea to do that, but instead, build on it. Reviving past shows sounds good until it's actually done, then you're faced with letdown from expectations that couldn't be filled. I'm saying this, as often times it hurts the beautiful memories.💚 Now, another show that might address myths that couldn't be tested, or revisit some that quite get enough data. 🤔 That'd be really cool Maybe MythsBusted. 😅 Merry belated Christmas adam and team, y'all are awesome
The reason i think the reboot didn't work was mostly because the new hosts couldn't bring back the magic Jamie and Adam created. They're great and dynamic people and good hosts but they just can't do it.
in my opinion the reboot that they tried. the hosts were trying too hard to be jamie and adam instead of making their own person. thats also the big thing... there is no replacing adam and jamie you have to find a new "magic"
I totally agree with the excitement statement. The energy of the presenters drew me and many I know into the show. Another important aspect was the way earlier seasons, including a few later ones were shot. Watching the Mythbusters work in their shops, experiment with small scale, feeling like you were part of it was so exciting for viewers. The focus wasn't on scripted events or just the results, but on the process as a whole.
I don't disagree. What they had was totally unique, that's why it can't be recreated, but it can be something done completely fresh from someone else's unique passions and outlook. I don't view this as something negative, I just have admiration for these guys and I wanted to reach out with my own feelings towards everything.
Everything Adam just said can be summed up in one word: Passion. People with passion for the work will always strive to do it the very best that they can, and that not only improves the finished product, but leads to maximum audience engagement.
I didn't know you had a youtube channel! CZcams reccomended me this video and I honestly started crying. I know you probably get it a lot, but I have such wonderful memories with mythbusters. My dad passed away a few years ago and I always used to watch it with him. We also managed to go to SD comicon in 2013 before he got too sick and we went to your panel together 💞
The Lead balloon was with out doubt my favourite, myth buster project. It was sublime, artful, performative, and scientific all at the same time, watching Jamie and Adam running around, after this Giant floating Lead balloon, origami masterpiece, plugging up holes with scotch tape was mind blowing to watch. Transgressed the science and television, and became a performative artwork for me at least, and is still one of my favourite works of art as well as a Myth-busters episode.
@@noisypinkbubble875 August 2019, she was trying to break the womens speed record in a jet powered car, doing the second run in the reverse direction the front wheel assembly collapsed (a wheel have have hit something unexpectedly). No one would have survived that. Guinness later certified her 2 averaged runs (as she had completed enough of the second run) as the new world record holder at 522.783mph (825.13kph).
The passion of the people doing the show being one of the most important things. I can listen to a person really passionate and knowledgeable about anything.
You hit the nail on the head with ‘The formula for avoiding failure’. I think this is what made The Mandalorian such a success after Star Wars’ recent struggles. The enthusiasm of the people making the shows, their investment into the stories and a knowledge and respect for the history of the subject matter.
The earnest way you respond and the enthusiasm in your voice is a breath of fresh air and one of the reasons i kept watching Mythbusters and occasional go back and re-watch them.
I think the key element is having a childlike joy about what you're doing. It doesn't matter how skilled, talented, and articulate you are if the hosts aren't able to draw the audience into the narrative of the story. Like, you knew it was going to be good when even robot-man Jamie got the giggles about something. You made science fun!
Oh man, nail on the head with the whole "the presenter should exude that passion/enthusiasm for the topic/story"-aspect of it. Tangible passion/interest can make the difference in taking dry/"unsexy" material and making it approachable/accessible. I learned over the years, and through grad school + teaching that a lot of the time, subjects that you think you "hated" or were bad at, could be boiled down to uninteresting(uninspiring) teachers doing a poor job of communicating not only the material, but the interesting aspects of the material that made you *want* to learn it.
one of my favorite quotes from you Adam is "I swear I parked it right here!" from when you tested the clearing cement out of a cement truck with dynamite and you ehm Detonated the truck who's drum stalled. Also I think you could have done the Hotwheels vs a Real life car test better. had you had the time to screw the track into boards I think the hotwheels car could have made it the full length of the track. I doubt it would have won still but I really would have loved seeing you do the test to it's full potential and well "properly"
I'm glad I'm not the only one who had a problem with how they tested the toy car and how they laid the track out. I wanted them to try it again so badly in the winter or something.
I absolutely love your answer to this question, and I feel like it could be broadened just slightly to apply to most media. "Those people have to be in those questions. It doesn't matter how exciting the question is, it matters how excited the people testing that question are."
I gotta say. Even though it was "just a TV show" Mythbusters made my life better. I've never looked forward to something more than the next episode of Mythbusters. I'm embarrassed to say that as the last episode came to a close I cried, a lot. It felt like I was losing my best friends. Of course you were my favorite person on there. It would not have been the same without you. As you've said here your excitement for knowledge and testing was definitely addictive to watch. Lucky enough for me you still have a regular show here for us to watch. Thank you so much for letting us come along with you on your builds and answering our questions. You are the best!
"...watching someone do what they are passionate about..." That's why I have had amazing conversations with boxers and potters and welders and truck loaders and garbage collectors and librarians and... They were passionate about these activities and that made them interesting to talk to!
You hit the nail on the head. At the end of the day, it wasn't the myths or the explosions or the firearms or anything else. What made the show exceptional was the adventure and the spirit of fun. And that's why so many people who watched the show have taken up careers in STEM/STEAM. (Alhough the explosions captured via high-speed were pretty cool. But I considered those a bonus item!)
Mark Rober and Kyle Hill would be pretty awesome. The engineer and the science communicator. Throw in some other builder/science CZcamsrs for the build team and I think they'd have some great potential.
@@wuzzy41123 Those two work well for leads, but I think ingenuity would also be needed as well so I think the Backyard Scientist would work well for either a third lead or build team. Beyond the gleeful chaos he brings to projects, he also adapts to setbacks extremely well.
I think one of the most important aspects to any successful show is "chemistry"... that special relationship between the personalities on screen and with the audience.
I think for me personally, if I were to answer this question, as a wee lad who grew up watching Mythbusters and was SO inspired by all of you to be interested in science; I would have to say if someone picked up the torch the key thing is to make the content interesting for kids. Hosts being invested in the experiments they're doing is a big part of that, but dumbing the science down and making it easy to understand and making it look AWESOME the way you 5 did is the biggest part of it for me. In fact the last few weeks I've been rewatching the entire series on Hulu and I've loved every second of it. Just a nobodies opinion so take it with a grain of salt! Thank you, Adam, Grant, Tory, Kari, and Jamie for being such a massive inspiration on so many of us growing up and today!
Tori has got an upcoming show on Amazon with Richard Hammond, I'm definitely gonna give it a chance. Hoping that it's way more Mythbusters than Brainiac though
I paused the video after the question, and thought to myself what i loved so much about the show and my answer to the question from viewers perspective was that the host of the show must LOVE what they are doing. Then Adam goes and gives a much more elaborate and experienced answer which aligns with being passionate about what you're doing. No wonder why i loved the show and the ones presented to me so much.
I found Mythbusters during a weird period in my life. I had anxiety attacks, and the meds I got for it, got me in the hospital with psychosis, at the mental ward. I watched a few episodes while getting better, and a ton more while being at home. It got my mind off things, which does help when you think you're going crazy :)
I think the magical part of Mythbusters was the crew and camera actually capturing that interest in whatever topic or test that wound up airing on the show...in a way that was perfectly communicated through the screen. If anyone were to pick up the proverbial torch, that would be the one thing I’d want to carry over is seeing that interest.
I think you nailed it about the commitment, the enthusiasm. From episode 1, I said you were my cousin Darin and I at 14, just enjoying the hell out of finding out what would happen IF. You guys had better explosives and you wrote stuff down is all.
Adam! I completely agree! _the reason why we loved the show, and loved watching the show, was the fact that you, your teammates and crewmates, also _*_LOVED_*_ the show, the topics in the show, and you cared about the results_ . The results of the show became a part of your character and your personality! *You* were able to impart that love to us via the medium of television, stage, and podcast! In fact, _not only was the show able to change you, but it was able to change us by your actions and love of what you were doing!_ Find a job that you love to do, and you will never work a day, in your life! | Thank you for instilling that love of the procedure and process, in us too! Cheers!
In addition, I think another factor in the success of the show was the very interesting and contrasting personalities of Adam and Jamie and their ability to productively disagree with each other.
1. Did anyone keep going back to the "candle flame" on the left and think something is on fire? 2. I love that huge swiss army knife on the right. 3. I love this guys enthusiasm and passion in things he talks about.
"Am I too bright?" That reminds me of an old Yogi Berra story. The Yanks had gotten new uniforms. It was a sweltering day. A lady in the front row commented to Yogi about the new uniforms. "My, you look cool in that uniform." "Thanks, mam. You don't look so hot yourself."
Such a hard thing getting that lightning in a bottle twice. What made MythBusters work so well wasn't just the concepts and the myths and the builds and the format and the aesthetics and the music (which were all great), but the personality and chemistry of the hosts (as well as the narrator). Getting those 5 personalities that were all unique yet played beautifully off of each other is a very rare thing. It's like The Beatles coming together. Stuff like that happens once in a lifetime.
In a period that CZcams only threw me shows I didnt want and a few I'd already watched suddenly one of these came up and it got me watching all of Mythbusters. Still watching and I have to agree: its the human component that makes it entertaining. The show could have been about anything, painting even (Bob Ross anyone?), and it would have been entertaining to watch with an animated and enthusiastic crew. The questions, layout of the myths, the switching to other myths to keep it interesting all help (although I'm fortunately able to skip passed the commercials and re-hash of what happened in the last segments), but its the humans on the show that make it good. Watching you (Adam) say "beautiful" adds something important to the end of a test. Similarily watching you swear adds that same value, the emotion, that helps us understand what is happening. The hours and days of work we dont see so you can make less than an hour of show become visible in those moments of emotion. I really wish people would be able to discern between swearing to insult (bad) and swearing to convey emotion (good, extremely good even as it helps relieve stress). Its important to teach children to swear correctly, just as important as teaching them to laugh when they are happy. Jamie is also great to watch. While often made fun off (Walrus, the machine-man with few emotions) he's just showing his emotions differently but when you pay attention he's at least an even match to you in what kind of weird mayhem he wants to create. Grant's constant upbeat enjoyment of the things he creates, way he makes traditionally nerdy stuff look interesting and awesome is great to watch, with a pang of sadness now that he's gone. Contrast with Tory's dare-devil physical construction and stunts to help and Kari's enthousiasm and construction it helps make the show so much better. On top of all that its also nice to see that its kind of busy in the background. You hear the narrator tell about time constraints and production problems, during filming you sometimes see pieces being build or tested in the background, the crew is often (partially) visible in the background and that all helps make it more lively and active. It all helps the show give a more lived-in feeling. Its why quotes like these have meaning: When in doubt, C4 Beautiful! Failure is always an option There's the bang, , and there's the laugh. Woooooow Did you SEE that?!? Excellent!
The on-screen talent also has to be interesting for it to work. The unique chemistry between you and Jamie, your "excited puppy" approach to problems countering his almost emotionless analytical approach made this show so amazing. The addition of basically "a group of excited friends" made it perfect. I think it would be possible to recreate the production, but not the people. For me personally, this right here on Tested is the logical evolution of what Mythbusters gave us.
“There’s something inherently interesting in watching someone do something they love” I think that’s the premise of the Tested channel. Adam’s excitement towards anything, even as simple as a slide rule, is what keeps me coming back to every one of these videos.
Your remarks about being invested in the subject you’re testing and that being apparent and enjoyed by the audience, is like when watching comedians doing a skit, and you can see one or both of the comedians trying not to laugh - for me, that always makes it funnier. I think that’s why outtakes are so incredibly popular, for almost any show. Watching MB presenters getting excited and genuinely being interested in the subject matter are always the best episodes. Also, random addition and totally off topic, that episode where you sat on the aeroplane toilet and obviously had some kind of unexpected sensation/experience has always remained clear in my mind. I’d really love to know what it was really like for you sitting on that seat. I’m sorry that I laughed at your possible discomfort, but your face was priceless. Thanks again for sharing this video with me and for all the great memories, fun and knowledge. Take care 🙂🐿🇦🇺
I think Mythbusters was powered by three engines: science, entertainment, and heart. Your science was always good, never did it seem to be compromised in order to “make a better show”. Your team were all solid entertainers who knew what they had to do in the moment to make the episode as entertaining as it could be. Finally, the passion for what you were doing, chemistry between the hosts, and genuine curiosity all coalesced into the ineffable quality of “having heart”. The show had so much character that I don’t think it could be replicated, but I think that there are plenty of other great shows out there who use the qualities I’ve listed to continue Mythbusters’ legacy.
Mythbusters really peaked for me in the early episodes. I loved the show and will always love it. But there’s something about the first couple seasons.. it was raw, not overly produced. The latest seasons became more about cinematography & storylines and felt less genuine. I think people are drawn into the humanity of a show and not the “over the top” styling. Also the focus on “blowing stuff up” was never the attitude of the early seasons.. we don’t need huge explosions. We need raw & realness back.
I don’t think it would work as well today. Same with “Dirty Jobs”. It’s was an accident that the crew became part of the show. It wasn’t supposed to be that way. They just found it impossible to stay out of the camera shots.
What Adam’s saying is, what really comes down to in ALL endeavors, is PASSION. You need other things too, but without passion for the project, it’s DOA.
"It doesn't matter how exciting the question is, it matters how excited the people testing that question are" This is a perfect line to describe the issue with good and bad teachers. Science, physics, chemistry, these are subject that inherently are exciting, amazing, incredible (add whatever word for awe that you want), but if you don't have good teachers teaching those subjects, the students will just tune out and lose interest. Me for example, I loved chemistry, the idea of combining two things to make something new is just fascinating. That is the one thing I wanted to perfect and be good at, I wanted my life/work to be about chemistry, but for some reason I just couldn't make it work, no matter how hard I tried, I did poorly at it in school, now I don't remember if it was because of the teacher or what, but I never disliked that teacher so my guess is that it wasn't that and just something else making it not work out. Now when it comes to physics, I did really well and know that I liked that physics teacher, so maybe they were better? Or maybe it had nothing to do with the teacher who knows. But I do know that having a boring teacher teaching a subject is one of the quickest ways to make students lose interest in that subject.
Boiling the answer down, it comes to having amazing, excited, kind and caring as well as professional people working for the best show they can possibly make.
One thing that would help relates to the Adam-Jamie chemistry: One host is more enthusiastic than the other, for entertainment and energy. The other host is the "practical one" who helps provide a baseline for reference.
I love these videos. My favorite thing about mythbusters was always how they took these complicated intellectual scientific processes, which are usually largely internal, and presented them in a visually in a way that was interesting , compelling, but NOT condescending. You were watching people take a big problem and scientifically break it down into it's subsequent components for testing, which is a core part of research. And you were watching THEM figure it out along the way, not listening to them lecture you on how it should be done.... nostalgia has struck, will be binging mythbusters while studying immunobiology
The King of Random has become somewhat like what MythBusters use to be. would love for you, Adam, to be a guest on that show. MythBusters is probably their inspiration to continue the search to test myths.
I think what really made the show great was you guys. They tried to keep the show going with other people and it didn't work because they weren't you. All of you had this way of explaining things, a way of making it look fun and it wasn't scripted "pretend to be enthusiastic". You worked on a myth with surprise and love, so besides the interest of what you were doing, you made it fun. It's like having a teacher that loves his/her subject and teaches with real enthusiasm and ties different things to keep people engaged compared to one that just writes on a board and goes through the motions. I had a geology teacher that every class he showed slides. This could have been really boring if they were slides of what's in a text book or pictures from magazines, but he showed slides that he took when he went on digs and on vacation and those memories, he had talking about with the subject of geology mixed it made the class a lot of fun. I can say the same about Top Gear. They tried to make an American version of it and they tried to re-create the British version of it with other hosts and to me it just doesn't work. The three main hosts had such chemistry that the other versions were just car shows anyone could make. So, thank you for Mythbusters! Unless they find hosts that have great chemistry and that can make it fun as you did, I'm not sure it'll be a hit.
THIS IS SUCH A GOOD CHANNEL! I LOVE HOW IT'S UNSCRIPTED AND UNEDITED. what you say is what you mean and you don't have to edit and take it in multiple shots! 👍🥌
Mythbusters season 1, which is probably my favorite, reminds me a lot of MTV's "Jackass". But with science instead of pain, mostly. The commonality being "Let's actually test and see what happens". Turning the super structured shows that came before on their heads. Because it is basically experimental science at its core, not some guy in a lab coat showing you a structured and planned sequence. It brought the audience in by not acting as a teacher, telling you how things are, but instead asking questions they didn't know the answer to and finding those answers WITH the audience. As the show became more and more over produced that fell away, along with most peoples interest. They lost the core of what they were.
@@5chr4pn3ll Indeed. I'm sure, for example, that he has his own opinions as to why the recent reboot didn't make it... but he's a pro, and you're probably not going to hear him talk about it unless the setting is perfectly appropriate to do so.
Oh. That’s so simple and yet profound. I’ve known people that were on “reality” TV and almost without exception, the shot took precedence to the point that both circumstances and reactions were contrived before the cameras rolled.
Which I'm quite sure isn't what either of them wanted. MB kind of devolved into a cult of personality which is inherently unscientific. At this point it wouldn't matter at all how great new hosts for a new MB shows were, they would simply be dismissed out of hand by a too large portion of the fan base.
What got me to enjoy watching football with my dad was John Gruden's Monday Night Football commentary. He was so enthusiastic to explain the game. Same applies to any other topic.
I think part of the magic was that the show started as two dudes in their shop trying stuff out. Every successor show (including the Jon & Brian episodes) felt more like "reality TV" because of the sets. Two dudes (et al) in a real working shop felt way more genuine than "reality TV". I think this is where CZcams has picked up from, because so many creators are just working from their homes. The clutter and mess of stuff happening in and around the filming makes the space much more believable than a spotless set workshop designed for a camera. Any "recipe for success" for a Mythbusters successor needs to include the line: "exists in a post-Mythbusters world".
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again... There was nothing wrong with Jon Lung and Brian Louden. The issue was whoever made the show wanted it to be the same as Adam and Jamie (one ‘excitable’, wacky while the other with a beard and hat and appeared to be grumpy all the time). This is the exact same thing they did with Top Gear in the UK. This was never going to happen because: 1) You can’t just replicate that same dynamic. 2) Most of us would have expected Kari, Grant and Tori to take over. This would have been a natural progression. If they wanted to be revolutionary, they could have gone international with the myth teams. Personally I did enjoy Mythbusters Jr which I think would have been a better follow up to the end of the main show and wish they had done more!
That three point list at the end is good advice for any profession at any level. Be excited about what you do, treat your collaborators with care and keep an open mind.
Some great points and advice. I've been rewatching what I can of mythbusters lately, can' t find anywhere I can watch seasons 1-7 in Canada, but I have always loved the work your team did and the energy that you yourself brought.
There are definitely some CZcams personalities that would be fit for the myth busters adventure. Here’s a list: Mark Rober Dustin Sandlin Derek Muller Michael Stevens Simone Giertz Diana Cowern Shane Wighton Steve Mould Need more female representation above, but there’s a start.
Lieutenants study tactics. Majors study strategy. Generals study logistics. This bears directly on you concluding argument about the production team. You can have the "big idea". (Strategy) You can have the right excited people to do it. (Tactics) But you need the production team that can pull it off. Not just once, but again and again. (Logistics)
still heart broken that Mythbusters is no longer with us, it means so much to a lot of us and while it was time for it to end, it still hurts that it is gone
I think one key aspect should be considered: TIME. It has been 5 years but Mythbusters is still fairly recent and still definitely fresh in the minds of the fans. Any reboot will result in comparisons with the original, especially at this time when it has been gone long enough for the fans to miss it so much. Add to the fact Grant's passing and the reboot will be saddled with unbelievable expectations and comparisons that there is no way it could survive. I think the concept could be shelved until such time that the feelings and connections and the loyalty to the original has waned a bit. Otherwise it would just be unfair.
Honestly, this reminded me more of Dirty Jobs than Mythbusters. The entire show was nothing but seeing how much people liked doing what they do, no matter how weird, dangerous, or dirty it might be. Coupled with Mike's love for the people who take on the jobs that make the comfortable lives the rest of us live possible and his willingness to give anything a shot, I loved that show as much as I did the amazing amalgam of personalities, science, and creativity that made up Mythbusters.
Actually, I can't afford Patreon, but if anyone who is a patron wants to ask, I'd love to know if the Mythbusters crew ever crossed paths with Mike Rowe and his crew, and either way what Adam thought of Dirty Jobs.
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Adam, if you see my profile pic, what was your fascination with firefighter's bunker gear. I think I saw you wearing a number of different FF coats during the filming of Myth Busters and not at a fire department location but as if you had purchased them yourself?
.
This pic is of my locker at the station I was a fireman at for 21 years. ('90-'11)
Thanks for the great shows!
I can think of one other thing that likely helped Mythbusters - the lack of artificial personal conflict that producers today seem to feel has to be inserted into everything they do. It always comes across more like a cheap soap opera than anything genuine, and it would have diluted the credibility of the show as a whole. :-)
Hey Adam!, I got a Myth busters question...a question related to this video. Do you think a Myth Buster's reunion/reboot could work solely on CZcams? If you didn't get it by now this is a myth in itself Bust, or confirm.
Had me tripping 1:15
Would love to see you Colab with Colin Furze, i think your two styles would bounce well together....
I volunteer to host! And I have many worthy friends... I grew up with MythBusters, it shaped my future probably more than any other media. I’m fairly confident we could do it right.
You definitely would have my vote.
Two votes!
There’s no shortage of fans to give ratings nor is there a dearth of talent available to bring Mythbusters back to the screen. All that’s missing is somebody willing to put up the $$$.
@@GaAntifascist why you need $$$? It can be done using $ and being uploaded here, on CZcams.
@@barzaka12 Just a semi decent camera equipment costs £££. It needs to be 1080p with good audio as a bare minimum and that isn’t cheap
It's kind of too bad that you were relegated to only hosting the American Idol/Star Search version of Mythbusters in 2017.
"Is the testing taking precedent over the shooting?" That's one of the things that made the show enjoyable to people like myself who were just tired of bullshit on the television, the focus on something of value over fluff.
But think of the implication oft hat question though. That in their eyes the testing wasn't that important.
Yeah I think we like to imagine that the show was great because they didn't script anything and they just focused on the science, but obviously they spent a ton of effort on the show aspects, scripted lots of stuff, etc. That's just part of what makes a good show good.
The answer to this question is a Beret and a white shirt that never gets dirty....
And a glorious mustache.
CGI....
@@SoloPilot6 😂
I'll never forget Adam donning one of Jamies shirts and getting caught. Adam, taking the piss, "I'm trying to differentiate myself..." or words to that effect. Hahaha
Don't forget a hyperactive cohost who males it a daily challenge to get the white shirt dirty.
I think Destin from Smarter Every Day could be a mythbuster.
+ mark rober
Eh, support role at best. He's good for his own channel but doesn't really have the chops for the lead in a larger scale show.
Destin would be awesome. He has a childlike enthusiasm that is endearing and an ability to communicate concepts in a way that feels like he is at your level whilst actually being above it.
I personally think Cody form Cody's lab would be awesome mythbuster too
Obviously Allen Pan would make a perfect mythbuster... oh wait...
According to my hilariously timed CZcams ad, Raymond Chandler's quote is "Oh no, another pizza deal that's carry-out only?!"
For me the quote was “imagine yourself in a new Toyota”
Adam, Thank you for saying my name :) and spending so much time on the question. I do appreciate it. You effectively answered my question. I have been creating a lot of content, based on viewer requests. Some of which I am less than passionate about. I have been second guessing that, thinking I should focus on the areas I am curious and passionate about. After watching this, I think the path, while clearly in the middle of those two extremes, needs to be weighted towards what I am passionate about. As always, you are awesome, stay safe, and come back to Canada post COVID.
I am a trainer and speaker and have been offered lots (by my standards, anyway) of money to speak on things that I have no passion for. People always comment on how awesome my talks and classes are... but that's 100% because of my passion for the subject matter. I was once offered the chance to learn (and get paid to learn) an entirely different bit of technology so that I could then teach it, for which I would also get paid. The subject matter was so foreign and lit no spark that I turned it down. There was no way that I was going to convey the info with anywhere close to the level of enthusiasm as my normal classes. Viewers/students can tell when you have enthusiasm for your content. I'm glad to hear you'll be weighting it towards what you're passionate about. Great question for Adam!
Always lean towards what you are passionate about. Thats why people spend their time watching someone on YT. Thats the common denominator to any successful channel in the digital realm.
Wait that's what you were asking for ? I thought your question was more like "What makes Mythbusters... Mythbusters", not "how to replicate the success
@@MainGoldDragon I was looking for the one thing Adam felt was critical to the production of a mythbusters level show, the secret sauce if you will, he answered it with content aligned with the passion of the presenter
@@MikeysLab Sorry I'm too dumb to understand that
The main ingredient is:
"Am I missing an eyebrow?!"
"Yeah, and most of your hair too..."
"I reject your reality, and substitute it with mine" ;)
@@bioLarzen my own*
"There is something inherently interesting in watching someone do what they love." and this very channel is proof of that. I suspect like myself many of us have almost nothing to do with shops or props or many of the other things present here, but watching you all do everything you do and talk about it? Entertaining as all heck.
Yessir. I don’t have the traits or extensive experiences to go into any STEM fields, but watching Adam be passionate about it all is pretty inspirational and heartwarming.
I think in a lot of ways, all the amazing creators of CZcams have filled the Mythbusters shaped hole in our hearts.
It's not the same, but the creativity, passion, and fun ways to learn are all out there for us all. And, available for US to give back to everyone else through our own videos, comments, and financial support.
On that note, I love how "mythbusting" became a generic term akin to "photoshopping", and entire communities here on CZcams strive to mirror Adam's and Jamie's work when they encounter something weird, interesting, or just plain unforseen, even if it's just a one-off and not the focus of their channel. Really shows the impact Mythbusters made on our culture.
Here Here!!
This!
Because you only start a channel doing stuff you can do, and love doing!
And that is why (for me) a lot of Channels flew of my Sub-List once they reached a certain amount of Subs and you can tell (it mostly starts with moving) that other people (managers, editing team etc.) getting involved.
@@antraxxslingshots I feel this immensely. Some channels that used to be my favorites suddenly lost a lot of appeal when they hit that point. It goes from making content they want to make to making content that's expected of them or that they're told to make it because at that point they kind of have to. We need more youtubers that keep that personal aspect that once they start losing the spark for what they're doing they find another avenue that they're invested in and not just doing it because they feel like they have to.
We can tell the difference, we notice
@@KillerKelMega Yes, but for me the "sad" part is those managers know what they are doing to a certain point. If those Creators would have kept going with their content they would ran into a lot of work and their channel might have grown even further, but with the "Team" it feels they can easily keep a high level without the old amount of work plus they often gain new subs that have a more mainstream appeal. I mean, sad for us, sounds mean, because in the first place we should be happy for them that their life improved a lot. It is, obviously, sadness out of selfishness. Colin Furze is maybe the only Channel i subbed to very very early and still enjoy watching till today. You can tell there are people in the background, but he is 100% in charge plus (even if he might have a bigger house now somewhere else) he still is in his old place. Some even found back to their old stuff. Direstas great time (for me) was when he had his Underground workshop in New York, when he started his bigger projects and Vlogs and all those CNC Machines came in out of nowhere for free, he lost me. But checking him out from time to time he luckily started doing his oldschool stuff again now from time to time which i like a lot.
Mathias Wandel is also a Guy who will most likely never change, but that is due to him beeing Matthias :) Enough blabbering, Stay safe :)
"there's something inherently interesting in watching someone do what they love and are passionate about" .. *nail, squarely hit* .. see: Mike Patey , BPS Space, Colinfurze .. and on the very top of that list, is you Adam Savage .. thank you for letting us enjoy your skills and enthusiasm here
@Cindy Klenk yes! he just couldn't hold off any longer could he? :-) BTW is there anything he can't design and build? ... heh I'm going to push that button on the side of Scrappy if I ever get the chance ;-) Oh, and did you see him mention his "Safety Tie" ? .. a reference to colinfurze LOL
Yeeeeeeeeeessss, Colin would be perfect!
Simone Gertz for the robots and Ned Fullmer for the chemistry.
Weird how when he's answering a question about a potential reboot he skips over the actual attempt at a reboot.
Maybe if they try again the hosts shouldn't be picked via a reality show.
I view it as polite, instead of weird. I’m sure he doesn’t begrudge the attempt! But, because there’s no real positive aspects to be mentioned about the endeavor, he simply won’t bring it up.
@@johnnyjohnson6643 Agreed, I think Adam was just being polite. Because if he addressed the attempt at a reboot, he'd also have to address the miserable, instant failure of the reboot, which might hurt some feelings. And Adam just doesn't roll like that.
That kids one wasn’t fantastic either.
@@bobrudolph5161 I agree, but I respect it more. The goal of that programme is a science show for kids by kids which is fair, they even got Adam back for a bit.
The other one is just weirdly tone deaf.
@@N94able fair enough, I guess I just wasn’t a kid, wanting Adam back. 😩
I love watching myth busters. I wish it was still on the air.
I wish I had access to Mythbusters, as in, a way to watch full episodes
I wish Hulu had all the seasons. They only have 3
It's ironic that all these streaming services have made finding specific shows and movies harder.
@@John-iu1pd its not in the us sadly
In all fairness, they did do it for 13 years straight.
Cast chemistry is super important. As is giving a crap about the subject matter. You can usually tell when someone is phoning in a performance.
this is why nothing has come close to the OG Top Gear cast
The team and the chemistry is absolutely important.... for instance look at Top Gear... the three stooges pulled off history together doing a one of its kind epic car show... while there were others tried to get their feets wet but none even close to what James May, Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond managed to pull off... the show when ended had sequels but I believe those sequels simply failed because of the absence of the team....the three managed to pull something off again in the form of The Grand Tour and the main thing again was the team and passion. I would agree with Adam when he talks about team chemistry. This goes for any show... when you grow up watching a show and grow up watching Richard Dean Anderson as MacGyver... any reboot will fail simply because there cannot be anyone else but Richard as Macgyver. The team behind the show is equally important...
Yes, totally. I would even go as far as saying the Team and their Chemistry might be more importend then the stuff they present. Talking about the three stooges you mentioned there...i´d even watch them in their prime if they had a homeshopping channel :D
CLARKSOOOOOOOOOON!
MythBusters and Top Gear/The Grand Tour are definitely about the team, not the subject. Just watched the Madagascar Special and it is amazing. Not just the trip, but the banter and jokes. There is never a moment where they aren't ripping into each other or their car, in ways that are too funny. They know each other so well, it is like watching your mates having a go at something. It is so relatable.
New Top Gear isn't great, that is a fact. They should've just buried it when it was over.
Another good example of team chemistry are Roadkill, Mighty Car Mods and The Skid Factory. Just mates having a laugh, driving or wrenching on cars. Anyone can do it, they make it worth watching.
I think the secret sauce there is that you need people who are passionate about the subject but who approach it in very different ways. That was very evident on Mythbusters and you can also see it in old Top Gear. Another thing you can tell from those shows is that the hosts don't have to especially like one another, they just need to get along well enough for the show. In fact, I think that kind of tension - if it can be controlled - adds quite a lot to the show itself. In my mind, I imagine Adam and Jamie arguing over the best way to dry paint, and it would still be entertaining.
@@rodh1404 That is also chemistry, people not liking each other but making it work to achieve a common goal. TG/GT is usually them working against each other, but there it is personalities. You can't fake chemistry, that's what it comes down to for me.
TV or movie, or music even. If it doesn't click, it doesn't work.
4:30 This is one of the many things I love and admire about Adam. Not only is he thoughtful about what he says but he regularly demonstrates how _little effort_ it truly takes to be inclusive in the language you use and the ideas you share.
4:59 “To put your body into the mix, to make yourself super uncomfortable..."
Cue the "Adam Butt Montage", like farting in a bathtub & airplane toilet suction.
and the vacuum motor :) and I will never forget Tory on that bike trying to impress girls.
Ha, I’m pretty sure he was a lot more comfortable doing the butt-related myths than the scary stuff - bungee jumping, escaping a submerged car, etc.
Man, Adam is such a passionate guy that I can't help but smile throughout all of his Q&A videos, whatever the subject is.
Mark Rober, Jake Roper and Kyle Hill would make a wonderful Team for busting myth. And Adam as Producer.
I would say Alan Pan would need to be on the team xD
@@gammaprysem Yes and Colin Furze
@@gammaprysem which just Shows CZcams is the new mythbusting alternative
Mark Rober and Dustin from Smarter everyday on the A team. And Simone Giertz (i know i didn’t spell that right) the guy from Stuff Made Here, and Steve Mould on the B team.
Shut up and take my money!💰 🤑 💸
I can't help but think of Captain Disillusion as someone who has taken a sort of Mythbuster approach to the way they do things. Quirky, informative, and so much fun.
If you like Adam and Captain D, there's a whole skeptic community out there. CZcams is just the beginning.
My interpretation of Adam's smile is that he misses doing the show and would love to do it again.
Mythbusters in a way mainstreamed a nerd culture, and with it created so many potential hosts for a Mythbusters-like content. It is out there in the form of youtube videos and streams. The format evolved, but I'd bet a lot of them would thank Mythbusters for influencing them. Adam collabed with so many "New Mythbusters" on this channel. Mythbusters was the start of the nerd reinassance and we will reap the benefits for years to come.
That shark shirt looks good on you Adam.
Genuine enthusiasm always shines through. If the host obviously loves what they are doing the show lights up. If a host is trying to fake it, it simply won’t make it. Adam and Jamies enthusiasm shone thru and it showed.
The enthusiasm you and everyone else on mythbusters had was very contagious and is definitely what kept me watching, even when the myth seemed a bit outlandish 😅
Should it be revived? Probably not a good idea to do that, but instead, build on it. Reviving past shows sounds good until it's actually done, then you're faced with letdown from expectations that couldn't be filled.
I'm saying this, as often times it hurts the beautiful memories.💚
Now, another show that might address myths that couldn't be tested, or revisit some that quite get enough data. 🤔
That'd be really cool
Maybe MythsBusted.
😅 Merry belated Christmas adam and team, y'all are awesome
The reason i think the reboot didn't work was mostly because the new hosts couldn't bring back the magic Jamie and Adam created. They're great and dynamic people and good hosts but they just can't do it.
I can not agree more, even White Rabbit Project, which was awesome on it's own, was too different.
Mythbusters Junior wasn't too bad.
in my opinion the reboot that they tried. the hosts were trying too hard to be jamie and adam instead of making their own person. thats also the big thing... there is no replacing adam and jamie you have to find a new "magic"
I think they picked the wrong hosts. I was rooting for Alan and Tamara.
There was a Mythbusters reboot?
I totally agree with the excitement statement. The energy of the presenters drew me and many I know into the show.
Another important aspect was the way earlier seasons, including a few later ones were shot. Watching the Mythbusters work in their shops, experiment with small scale, feeling like you were part of it was so exciting for viewers.
The focus wasn't on scripted events or just the results, but on the process as a whole.
You can't recreate the passion you guys had, that's what made you so unique. That's why I'm here watching this video today haha.
No, but I think I can work with my own, and create content more inline with what I want to learn, like Adam, I am forever a generalist :)
I don't disagree. What they had was totally unique, that's why it can't be recreated, but it can be something done completely fresh from someone else's unique passions and outlook. I don't view this as something negative, I just have admiration for these guys and I wanted to reach out with my own feelings towards everything.
Everything Adam just said can be summed up in one word: Passion. People with passion for the work will always strive to do it the very best that they can, and that not only improves the finished product, but leads to maximum audience engagement.
I didn't know you had a youtube channel! CZcams reccomended me this video and I honestly started crying. I know you probably get it a lot, but I have such wonderful memories with mythbusters. My dad passed away a few years ago and I always used to watch it with him. We also managed to go to SD comicon in 2013 before he got too sick and we went to your panel together 💞
The Lead balloon was with out doubt my favourite, myth buster project. It was sublime, artful, performative, and scientific all at the same time, watching Jamie and Adam running around, after this Giant floating Lead balloon, origami masterpiece, plugging up holes with scotch tape was mind blowing to watch. Transgressed the science and television, and became a performative artwork for me at least, and is still one of my favourite works of art as well as a Myth-busters episode.
Honestly Discovery Channel needs to get some kinda MythBusters reunion before we lose anymore members since we have already lost Grant and Jessi.
Oh no, I didn't know Jessi had passed too.. How did I miss that? 😔
@@noisypinkbubble875 Jessi Combs passes away in 2019 after crashing a jet-powered race car trying to break her record for fastest speed.
@@noisypinkbubble875 August 2019, she was trying to break the womens speed record in a jet powered car, doing the second run in the reverse direction the front wheel assembly collapsed (a wheel have have hit something unexpectedly). No one would have survived that. Guinness later certified her 2 averaged runs (as she had completed enough of the second run) as the new world record holder at 522.783mph (825.13kph).
@@speedwaynutt I missed this news somehow. That's really sad to hear. Thanks for letting me know
@@joermnyc Thank you for the context. I had missed this news and it's sad to hear now, but good to know :(
The passion of the people doing the show being one of the most important things. I can listen to a person really passionate and knowledgeable about anything.
You hit the nail on the head with ‘The formula for avoiding failure’. I think this is what made The Mandalorian such a success after Star Wars’ recent struggles. The enthusiasm of the people making the shows, their investment into the stories and a knowledge and respect for the history of the subject matter.
When in doubt, C4
Adam is as passionate and enthralling as ever just to watch talking extemporaneously.
The earnest way you respond and the enthusiasm in your voice is a breath of fresh air and one of the reasons i kept watching Mythbusters and occasional go back and re-watch them.
I think the key element is having a childlike joy about what you're doing. It doesn't matter how skilled, talented, and articulate you are if the hosts aren't able to draw the audience into the narrative of the story. Like, you knew it was going to be good when even robot-man Jamie got the giggles about something. You made science fun!
5:38 All 6 of you Adam... don’t pretend buster wasn’t invested in the show...
Oh man, nail on the head with the whole "the presenter should exude that passion/enthusiasm for the topic/story"-aspect of it.
Tangible passion/interest can make the difference in taking dry/"unsexy" material and making it approachable/accessible.
I learned over the years, and through grad school + teaching that a lot of the time, subjects that you think you "hated" or were bad at, could be boiled down to uninteresting(uninspiring) teachers doing a poor job of communicating not only the material, but the interesting aspects of the material that made you *want* to learn it.
one of my favorite quotes from you Adam is "I swear I parked it right here!" from when you tested the clearing cement out of a cement truck with dynamite and you ehm Detonated the truck who's drum stalled. Also I think you could have done the Hotwheels vs a Real life car test better. had you had the time to screw the track into boards I think the hotwheels car could have made it the full length of the track. I doubt it would have won still but I really would have loved seeing you do the test to it's full potential and well "properly"
I'm glad I'm not the only one who had a problem with how they tested the toy car and how they laid the track out. I wanted them to try it again so badly in the winter or something.
I absolutely love your answer to this question, and I feel like it could be broadened just slightly to apply to most media. "Those people have to be in those questions. It doesn't matter how exciting the question is, it matters how excited the people testing that question are."
I gotta say. Even though it was "just a TV show" Mythbusters made my life better. I've never looked forward to something more than the next episode of Mythbusters. I'm embarrassed to say that as the last episode came to a close I cried, a lot. It felt like I was losing my best friends. Of course you were my favorite person on there. It would not have been the same without you. As you've said here your excitement for knowledge and testing was definitely addictive to watch. Lucky enough for me you still have a regular show here for us to watch. Thank you so much for letting us come along with you on your builds and answering our questions. You are the best!
At 7:50 , to avoid a failure of a series like Mythbusters, do not be afraid of failures in individual tests or scenes.
ah yes, the "failure is always an option" motto.
"...watching someone do what they are passionate about..." That's why I have had amazing conversations with boxers and potters and welders and truck loaders and garbage collectors and librarians and... They were passionate about these activities and that made them interesting to talk to!
You hit the nail on the head. At the end of the day, it wasn't the myths or the explosions or the firearms or anything else. What made the show exceptional was the adventure and the spirit of fun. And that's why so many people who watched the show have taken up careers in STEM/STEAM. (Alhough the explosions captured via high-speed were pretty cool. But I considered those a bonus item!)
Mythbusters Jr was just about as good, in my opinion it was nice to have the feel of mythbusters back with new myths 👍
Hopefully, we get the chance to bust some more myths in the near future!!
Mark rober and co would be great candidates to revive mythbusters
Mark Rober and Kyle Hill would be pretty awesome. The engineer and the science communicator.
Throw in some other builder/science CZcamsrs for the build team and I think they'd have some great potential.
@@wuzzy41123 throw in the TKOR team and the Mythbusters budget and a bunch of explosives.. not even the sky is a limit
True. But I think he probably earns more on his CZcams channel. And probably also likes it more and have control of everything.
@@runarandersen878 yup, i also think so, but can't think of anyone better to follow in the savage footsteps and make them their own
@@wuzzy41123
Those two work well for leads, but I think ingenuity would also be needed as well so I think the Backyard Scientist would work well for either a third lead or build team. Beyond the gleeful chaos he brings to projects, he also adapts to setbacks extremely well.
I think one of the most important aspects to any successful show is "chemistry"... that special relationship between the personalities on screen and with the audience.
I think for me personally, if I were to answer this question, as a wee lad who grew up watching Mythbusters and was SO inspired by all of you to be interested in science; I would have to say if someone picked up the torch the key thing is to make the content interesting for kids. Hosts being invested in the experiments they're doing is a big part of that, but dumbing the science down and making it easy to understand and making it look AWESOME the way you 5 did is the biggest part of it for me. In fact the last few weeks I've been rewatching the entire series on Hulu and I've loved every second of it. Just a nobodies opinion so take it with a grain of salt! Thank you, Adam, Grant, Tory, Kari, and Jamie for being such a massive inspiration on so many of us growing up and today!
I love these. It's like watching a post-mortem of my favourite childhood show!
Imagine the original Top Gear crew attempting a Mythbusters reboot
You sir are a genius
A million times this
Tori has got an upcoming show on Amazon with Richard Hammond, I'm definitely gonna give it a chance. Hoping that it's way more Mythbusters than Brainiac though
I paused the video after the question, and thought to myself what i loved so much about the show and my answer to the question from viewers perspective was that the host of the show must LOVE what they are doing. Then Adam goes and gives a much more elaborate and experienced answer which aligns with being passionate about what you're doing. No wonder why i loved the show and the ones presented to me so much.
I found Mythbusters during a weird period in my life. I had anxiety attacks, and the meds I got for it, got me in the hospital with psychosis, at the mental ward. I watched a few episodes while getting better, and a ton more while being at home. It got my mind off things, which does help when you think you're going crazy :)
I think the magical part of Mythbusters was the crew and camera actually capturing that interest in whatever topic or test that wound up airing on the show...in a way that was perfectly communicated through the screen.
If anyone were to pick up the proverbial torch, that would be the one thing I’d want to carry over is seeing that interest.
I think you nailed it about the commitment, the enthusiasm. From episode 1, I said you were my cousin Darin and I at 14, just enjoying the hell out of finding out what would happen IF. You guys had better explosives and you wrote stuff down is all.
Personality is probably the biggest factor. People won't tune in to boring.
Adam! I completely agree! _the reason why we loved the show, and loved watching the show, was the fact that you, your teammates and crewmates, also _*_LOVED_*_ the show, the topics in the show, and you cared about the results_ . The results of the show became a part of your character and your personality! *You* were able to impart that love to us via the medium of television, stage, and podcast!
In fact, _not only was the show able to change you, but it was able to change us by your actions and love of what you were doing!_
Find a job that you love to do, and you will never work a day, in your life! |
Thank you for instilling that love of the procedure and process, in us too!
Cheers!
In addition, I think another factor in the success of the show was the very interesting and contrasting personalities of Adam and Jamie and their ability to productively disagree with each other.
1. Did anyone keep going back to the "candle flame" on the left and think something is on fire?
2. I love that huge swiss army knife on the right.
3. I love this guys enthusiasm and passion in things he talks about.
"Am I too bright?"
That reminds me of an old Yogi Berra story. The Yanks had gotten new uniforms. It was a sweltering day. A lady in the front row commented to Yogi about the new uniforms. "My, you look cool in that uniform."
"Thanks, mam. You don't look so hot yourself."
Such a hard thing getting that lightning in a bottle twice. What made MythBusters work so well wasn't just the concepts and the myths and the builds and the format and the aesthetics and the music (which were all great), but the personality and chemistry of the hosts (as well as the narrator). Getting those 5 personalities that were all unique yet played beautifully off of each other is a very rare thing. It's like The Beatles coming together. Stuff like that happens once in a lifetime.
In a period that CZcams only threw me shows I didnt want and a few I'd already watched suddenly one of these came up and it got me watching all of Mythbusters.
Still watching and I have to agree: its the human component that makes it entertaining. The show could have been about anything, painting even (Bob Ross anyone?), and it would have been entertaining to watch with an animated and enthusiastic crew. The questions, layout of the myths, the switching to other myths to keep it interesting all help (although I'm fortunately able to skip passed the commercials and re-hash of what happened in the last segments), but its the humans on the show that make it good.
Watching you (Adam) say "beautiful" adds something important to the end of a test. Similarily watching you swear adds that same value, the emotion, that helps us understand what is happening. The hours and days of work we dont see so you can make less than an hour of show become visible in those moments of emotion. I really wish people would be able to discern between swearing to insult (bad) and swearing to convey emotion (good, extremely good even as it helps relieve stress). Its important to teach children to swear correctly, just as important as teaching them to laugh when they are happy.
Jamie is also great to watch. While often made fun off (Walrus, the machine-man with few emotions) he's just showing his emotions differently but when you pay attention he's at least an even match to you in what kind of weird mayhem he wants to create.
Grant's constant upbeat enjoyment of the things he creates, way he makes traditionally nerdy stuff look interesting and awesome is great to watch, with a pang of sadness now that he's gone. Contrast with Tory's dare-devil physical construction and stunts to help and Kari's enthousiasm and construction it helps make the show so much better.
On top of all that its also nice to see that its kind of busy in the background. You hear the narrator tell about time constraints and production problems, during filming you sometimes see pieces being build or tested in the background, the crew is often (partially) visible in the background and that all helps make it more lively and active. It all helps the show give a more lived-in feeling. Its why quotes like these have meaning:
When in doubt, C4
Beautiful!
Failure is always an option
There's the bang, , and there's the laugh.
Woooooow
Did you SEE that?!?
Excellent!
The on-screen talent also has to be interesting for it to work. The unique chemistry between you and Jamie, your "excited puppy" approach to problems countering his almost emotionless analytical approach made this show so amazing. The addition of basically "a group of excited friends" made it perfect. I think it would be possible to recreate the production, but not the people. For me personally, this right here on Tested is the logical evolution of what Mythbusters gave us.
It's the joy, the excitement, the weirdness and oddballeryness to the show. The "that sounds stupid! Let's do it" aspect.
“There’s something inherently interesting in watching someone do something they love” I think that’s the premise of the Tested channel. Adam’s excitement towards anything, even as simple as a slide rule, is what keeps me coming back to every one of these videos.
Your remarks about being invested in the subject you’re testing and that being apparent and enjoyed by the audience, is like when watching comedians doing a skit, and you can see one or both of the comedians trying not to laugh - for me, that always makes it funnier. I think that’s why outtakes are so incredibly popular, for almost any show. Watching MB presenters getting excited and genuinely being interested in the subject matter are always the best episodes.
Also, random addition and totally off topic, that episode where you sat on the aeroplane toilet and obviously had some kind of unexpected sensation/experience has always remained clear in my mind. I’d really love to know what it was really like for you sitting on that seat. I’m sorry that I laughed at your possible discomfort, but your face was priceless. Thanks again for sharing this video with me and for all the great memories, fun and knowledge. Take care 🙂🐿🇦🇺
To me, one of the biggest parts of Mythbusters was showing the whole scientific process, the highs and lows, failures and successes
I think Mythbusters was powered by three engines: science, entertainment, and heart. Your science was always good, never did it seem to be compromised in order to “make a better show”. Your team were all solid entertainers who knew what they had to do in the moment to make the episode as entertaining as it could be. Finally, the passion for what you were doing, chemistry between the hosts, and genuine curiosity all coalesced into the ineffable quality of “having heart”. The show had so much character that I don’t think it could be replicated, but I think that there are plenty of other great shows out there who use the qualities I’ve listed to continue Mythbusters’ legacy.
Mythbusters really peaked for me in the early episodes. I loved the show and will always love it. But there’s something about the first couple seasons.. it was raw, not overly produced. The latest seasons became more about cinematography & storylines and felt less genuine. I think people are drawn into the humanity of a show and not the “over the top” styling. Also the focus on “blowing stuff up” was never the attitude of the early seasons.. we don’t need huge explosions. We need raw & realness back.
I don’t think it would work as well today. Same with “Dirty Jobs”. It’s was an accident that the crew became part of the show. It wasn’t supposed to be that way. They just found it impossible to stay out of the camera shots.
What Adam’s saying is, what really comes down to in ALL endeavors, is PASSION. You need other things too, but without passion for the project, it’s DOA.
"It doesn't matter how exciting the question is, it matters how excited the people testing that question are"
This is a perfect line to describe the issue with good and bad teachers. Science, physics, chemistry, these are subject that inherently are exciting, amazing, incredible (add whatever word for awe that you want), but if you don't have good teachers teaching those subjects, the students will just tune out and lose interest.
Me for example, I loved chemistry, the idea of combining two things to make something new is just fascinating. That is the one thing I wanted to perfect and be good at, I wanted my life/work to be about chemistry, but for some reason I just couldn't make it work, no matter how hard I tried, I did poorly at it in school, now I don't remember if it was because of the teacher or what, but I never disliked that teacher so my guess is that it wasn't that and just something else making it not work out. Now when it comes to physics, I did really well and know that I liked that physics teacher, so maybe they were better? Or maybe it had nothing to do with the teacher who knows.
But I do know that having a boring teacher teaching a subject is one of the quickest ways to make students lose interest in that subject.
Boiling the answer down, it comes to having amazing, excited, kind and caring as well as professional people working for the best show they can possibly make.
One thing that would help relates to the Adam-Jamie chemistry: One host is more enthusiastic than the other, for entertainment and energy. The other host is the "practical one" who helps provide a baseline for reference.
I'm just now realizing that "Industrial Light and Magic" is such an amazing name for a company
I feel like Modern Rouge is the spiritual successor of today.
Legend Testers
miss watching mythbusters when i was 7 years old :(
jptop.buzz
For me it was Mr. Wizard's World when I wwas seven, and a non-zero-or-one digit in the tens column when Mythbusters started. Now I feel old....
I missing Grant Imahara.
R.I.P
I don't know if that's a typo, but it's absolutely correct.
@@zeikjt Corrected the typo
I love these videos. My favorite thing about mythbusters was always how they took these complicated intellectual scientific processes, which are usually largely internal, and presented them in a visually in a way that was interesting , compelling, but NOT condescending. You were watching people take a big problem and scientifically break it down into it's subsequent components for testing, which is a core part of research. And you were watching THEM figure it out along the way, not listening to them lecture you on how it should be done.... nostalgia has struck, will be binging mythbusters while studying immunobiology
The King of Random has become somewhat like what MythBusters use to be. would love for you, Adam, to be a guest on that show. MythBusters is probably their inspiration to continue the search to test myths.
I think what really made the show great was you guys. They tried to keep the show going with other people and it didn't work because they weren't you. All of you had this way of explaining things, a way of making it look fun and it wasn't scripted "pretend to be enthusiastic". You worked on a myth with surprise and love, so besides the interest of what you were doing, you made it fun. It's like having a teacher that loves his/her subject and teaches with real enthusiasm and ties different things to keep people engaged compared to one that just writes on a board and goes through the motions. I had a geology teacher that every class he showed slides. This could have been really boring if they were slides of what's in a text book or pictures from magazines, but he showed slides that he took when he went on digs and on vacation and those memories, he had talking about with the subject of geology mixed it made the class a lot of fun.
I can say the same about Top Gear. They tried to make an American version of it and they tried to re-create the British version of it with other hosts and to me it just doesn't work. The three main hosts had such chemistry that the other versions were just car shows anyone could make.
So, thank you for Mythbusters! Unless they find hosts that have great chemistry and that can make it fun as you did, I'm not sure it'll be a hit.
THIS IS SUCH A GOOD CHANNEL! I LOVE HOW IT'S UNSCRIPTED AND UNEDITED. what you say is what you mean and you don't have to edit and take it in multiple shots! 👍🥌
Mythbusters season 1, which is probably my favorite, reminds me a lot of MTV's "Jackass". But with science instead of pain, mostly.
The commonality being "Let's actually test and see what happens". Turning the super structured shows that came before on their heads.
Because it is basically experimental science at its core, not some guy in a lab coat showing you a structured and planned sequence.
It brought the audience in by not acting as a teacher, telling you how things are, but instead asking questions they didn't know the answer to and finding those answers WITH the audience.
As the show became more and more over produced that fell away, along with most peoples interest.
They lost the core of what they were.
I know. I wish Adam had addressed this. I'd like to know how much of the demise was producer meddling vs ever increasing budget demands.
@@f.eugenedunnamiii9452 Adam is probably just being smart and courteous. Speaking ill of people seldom opens doors, but will close many guarantied.
@@5chr4pn3ll Indeed. I'm sure, for example, that he has his own opinions as to why the recent reboot didn't make it... but he's a pro, and you're probably not going to hear him talk about it unless the setting is perfectly appropriate to do so.
Oh. That’s so simple and yet profound. I’ve known people that were on “reality” TV and almost without exception, the shot took precedence to the point that both circumstances and reactions were contrived before the cameras rolled.
That lead balloon episode was a banger for sure.
Adam and Jamie are litterally THE MYTH BUSTERS. They can't be replaced. That's like trying to replace Downy Jr as Ironman
That's y the 2 mythbusters spin offs failed
@@henrybusse6342 2 mythbusters spin offs? I only know one...which shows do you mean?
@@jddriver9565 mythbusters jr. And tho it wasn't technically a spinoff, the new mythbusters after Adam and jamie left the show
I agree. They brought a very high standard of ethics to the show. I just don't think it would work with anyone else. RIP Grant.
Which I'm quite sure isn't what either of them wanted. MB kind of devolved into a cult of personality which is inherently unscientific. At this point it wouldn't matter at all how great new hosts for a new MB shows were, they would simply be dismissed out of hand by a too large portion of the fan base.
there's really something special about watching somebody do something they love.... 5.7m viewers sit watching adam build a box ;)
What got me to enjoy watching football with my dad was John Gruden's Monday Night Football commentary. He was so enthusiastic to explain the game. Same applies to any other topic.
I think part of the magic was that the show started as two dudes in their shop trying stuff out. Every successor show (including the Jon & Brian episodes) felt more like "reality TV" because of the sets. Two dudes (et al) in a real working shop felt way more genuine than "reality TV". I think this is where CZcams has picked up from, because so many creators are just working from their homes. The clutter and mess of stuff happening in and around the filming makes the space much more believable than a spotless set workshop designed for a camera.
Any "recipe for success" for a Mythbusters successor needs to include the line: "exists in a post-Mythbusters world".
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again...
There was nothing wrong with Jon Lung and Brian Louden. The issue was whoever made the show wanted it to be the same as Adam and Jamie (one ‘excitable’, wacky while the other with a beard and hat and appeared to be grumpy all the time). This is the exact same thing they did with Top Gear in the UK.
This was never going to happen because:
1) You can’t just replicate that same dynamic.
2) Most of us would have expected Kari, Grant and Tori to take over. This would have been a natural progression.
If they wanted to be revolutionary, they could have gone international with the myth teams.
Personally I did enjoy Mythbusters Jr which I think would have been a better follow up to the end of the main show and wish they had done more!
Mythbusters Jr. has been an incredible part of my life, and hopefully, we get the chance to bust myths in the near future!!
@@rachelmichellepizzolato Look forward to it!
That three point list at the end is good advice for any profession at any level. Be excited about what you do, treat your collaborators with care and keep an open mind.
Getting unexpected results is what made the show so exciting.
That line from Blade Runner is one of my favorite Deepities.
Mark Rober, Peter Stripol, and Stuff Made Here (or some other combo like them) could make a youtube version of mythbusters that slaps
Some great points and advice. I've been rewatching what I can of mythbusters lately, can' t find anywhere I can watch seasons 1-7 in Canada, but I have always loved the work your team did and the energy that you yourself brought.
There are definitely some CZcams personalities that would be fit for the myth busters adventure. Here’s a list:
Mark Rober
Dustin Sandlin
Derek Muller
Michael Stevens
Simone Giertz
Diana Cowern
Shane Wighton
Steve Mould
Need more female representation above, but there’s a start.
Don't know why so many people get this wrong, his name is Destin. Not Dustin :)
Lieutenants study tactics.
Majors study strategy.
Generals study logistics.
This bears directly on you concluding argument about the production team.
You can have the "big idea". (Strategy)
You can have the right excited people to do it. (Tactics)
But you need the production team that can pull it off. Not just once, but again and again. (Logistics)
still heart broken that Mythbusters is no longer with us, it means so much to a lot of us and while it was time for it to end, it still hurts that it is gone
I think one key aspect should be considered: TIME. It has been 5 years but Mythbusters is still fairly recent and still definitely fresh in the minds of the fans. Any reboot will result in comparisons with the original, especially at this time when it has been gone long enough for the fans to miss it so much. Add to the fact Grant's passing and the reboot will be saddled with unbelievable expectations and comparisons that there is no way it could survive. I think the concept could be shelved until such time that the feelings and connections and the loyalty to the original has waned a bit. Otherwise it would just be unfair.
Honestly, this reminded me more of Dirty Jobs than Mythbusters. The entire show was nothing but seeing how much people liked doing what they do, no matter how weird, dangerous, or dirty it might be. Coupled with Mike's love for the people who take on the jobs that make the comfortable lives the rest of us live possible and his willingness to give anything a shot, I loved that show as much as I did the amazing amalgam of personalities, science, and creativity that made up Mythbusters.
Actually, I can't afford Patreon, but if anyone who is a patron wants to ask, I'd love to know if the Mythbusters crew ever crossed paths with Mike Rowe and his crew, and either way what Adam thought of Dirty Jobs.