What Got Harder as MythBusters Got Bigger?

Adam Savage and former MythBusters showrunner Dan Tapster answer Tested member SamuraiCoding's question, "How did the success and scale of MythBusters change how you ran the show?"

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Intro bumper by Abe Dieckman

Thanks for watching!

[crispy_]

You guys were so important to so many people’s childhood and education journey. I mean MB is the reason I’m an engineer today.

[galactor]

Can I just say, as someone interested in the evolution of language, it is kind of fascinating hearing Adam reminisce about Discovery forcing him into conference calls and just dropping the phrase "Zoom calls" as if that was just how conference calls were always thought of, even though Zoom as a company was essentially unheard of until the pandemic, and the software for Zoom would have only been around for three years of Mythbusters run (2013 onward).

And yet, knowing all that, I bet most people didn't even think twice about it as everyone understood what a "Zoom call" meant even in this ahistoric context. Interesting.

[blackdragonking]

I can absolutely picture Adam being told to send less footage, hanging up the phone, turning to Jamie and saying "We're absolutely not doing that" Jamie agreeing and them both laughing.

[donsample]

The very first episode has a segment of Jamie calling the Air Force to try to get a JATO rocket, and having to explain who he was, and why he wanted it, before getting a resounding “No!”

[Sumaleth]

On that idea of "Mythbusters for the impatient", my one discomfort with the show was the constant recapping of each sub-story's progress within the episode. I would have loved a version of the show without the recaps, for it to have treated us as if we have a working memory and just jumped directly between the myths and straight back into it after ad breaks. It was something that never got better for the whole run of the show and it tried my patience. :)

[archangel]

Mythbusters will forever be a staple of my education history. The whole team and crew made the scientific method come ALIVE and showed me the possibilities of not just learning about the world... But building it 😊💙 thank you

[DynamixWarePro]

I love these chats. It is great to hear what went on behind the scenes that we didn't know about. I learned so much growing up as a teenager watching the show from when it first aired until the final episodes and rewatching them at times. My favourite parts with the myths was the whole process of you guys figuring out how to test the myths and the various ways you would do that. Also seeing how different you and Jaimes ideas were sometimes.

I never knew about that condensed Mythbusters channel, but going straight from what the myth to seeing it being tested with the conclusion is like the "Teach a man to fish" quote. It cuts out the important things you learn along the way that could be useful (like the car underwater myth) and you don't get that understanding of why people thought this myth/idiom etc... was true or false.

[marscaleb]

That creative collaborative process you describe sounds so amazing! I have never been in an environment where everyone has been able to offer different ideas and everyone honestly considers them and looks for ways to improve what they are doing. That must have been such an incredible job to be able to work with such great people.

[New_user-hmug]

I loved mithbusters as a child, you basically changed the path of my childhood. Thank you for what you’ve done and what you will do, I love you all in all. No matter what you do.

[kyltredragmire]

I always remember one closing blueprint room scene where Karry, Tori and Grant throw their scripts onto the table. Their faces just screamed "finally we're free!". Is it safe to say that was the last scene filmed on one of those 8 hour filming days?

[TastyBusiness]

While I hadn't heard of "Mythbursters for the Impatient", I did encounter some fan edits once of all the episodes, but without the intro sequence, any post-commercial recaps, or any redundant footage. It varied from episode to episode, but it streamlined each episode as if it were on a streaming service rather than broadcast television with commercials, and it was great to watch.

[christophermitchellsr]

one of the many reasons why people love the show still yet today is the fact that you took on the challenge of dealing with myths an tall tales an movie physics in a fun science way .the myths dealing guns an other relatable every day things was so much fun to watch an along the way told a good story an taught people to think out side of the box an inspired people to ask an think . keep up the great work

[zackmarkham]

Oh yeah my fave part of Mythbusters was ALWAYS the middle acts. The research, the small scale, the failures and rethinking, the personalities. SO GOOD! I watched it more for that than the pay-off, but HAD to watch the pay-off.

[laurencechase]

I think the reason Mythbusters for the impatient is popular is because it unamericalised the way the show was presented. There's nothing wrong with the journey of how you reached a conclusion, or the best method to get to a result, that's the best bit and I think modern younger audiences are totally up for watching that (see how long some Youtube content can be and still get millions of views?!) but when you have to sit through the "ad break" and watch ANOTHER summary of what you missed before the ad break, it gets tedious when binge watching.

[ChefSarah]

I love these "behind the scenes" chats. More insight into one of my favorite shows ever.

[ToddBlackToddTalk]

I still watch Mythbusters to this day, and I'm grateful for all the hard work you all put in to make this show shine!

[PrinceofArfon]

This was a fantastic conversation. I love hearing about how your understanding of a myth changed as you researched and tested.

Mythbusters was one of the very few shows my whole family enjoyed and would watch together.

[MarcFutoran]

I got hooked on your show when I saw the Buster vs the Barrel episode. That story was told by a camp counselor at campfire 25 or so years before at my summer camp to me. The other thing I remember about the show was the music. The theme would be modified in the show through the years. In the later years, there was an episode where you were dropping a vintage Cadillac from a crane with Buster inside. The music was so haunting, I loved it. Thank you for all your efforts and input into the show, it was immensely informative and entertaining.

[lagautmd]

On shooting the 'blueprint' scene last: Similarly, I teach my students that you write the abstract of your paper last, because it is only then that you know what the paper really is.

[mrmattable]

I love the first few seasons were you guys went out shopping and calling people and sourcing things and all that included in the show was awesome! Along with the planning and building of rigs and experiments, loved that vibe of the first few seasons! Rest of the show is awesome as well