Rant Mythbusters losing 3 cast members

[Andy44]

I have decided to give this thread the prefix of "rant", because in my opinion this seems like a boneheaded move.

http://www.inquisitr.com/1425668/mythbusters-cast-changes-leave-fans-heartbroken/

I mean, I understand nothing lasts forever and all, but seriously, these people are fan favorites, and what nerd doesn't have a giant crush on Kari Byron? Best R2D2 costume ever!

 

[Quick_Nick]

There's still a few days to get that dress on eBay. The money goes to ALSA, rather than her doing the popular ice bucket challenge.

Anyways, like I said in Random Comments, there's not much I find watchable on TV anymore and the Discovery network of channels are very disappointing with little actual science and so much gimmick. The Science Channel still resembles science, but it's normally like sketchy multiverse stuff.
I hope Neil deGrasse Tyson and Bill Nye can work together to get SOMETHING on the air. It doesn't have to be Cosmos, but hopefully something multi-season could happen. Both are too busy to host, but they could get something started with the right focus and the right people.

 

[Andy44]

THe problem with all these single-purpose cable channels, especially the science and history-based ones, is that they have to go sensational and commercial to stay in business. Thus we have Ancient Alien Hair Guy on "History" channel and "rednecks at work" type shows like Ice Road Truckers.

Mythbusters has always been an exception, a great mix of pop science, engineering, and entertainment.

When I want to watch good shows or documentaries I search around youtube. Makes me wonder if we Orbinauts couldn't put out a good half-hour video on spaceflight every once in a while...topic for another thread I guess.

Meanwhile, back to caveman pig nerd mode for me. Kari with guns.

 

[Quick_Nick]

YouTube has very good science channels, though not as popular as television.
SciShow (also SciShow Space), Veritasium, and SmarterEveryDay are my favorites. Plus a large number of channels run by Brady Haran like Numberphile, Computerphile, Periodic Videos, Sixty Symbols, and DeepSkyVideos. Let's not forget Vi Hart whenever she gets around to posting something. A lot of people also like MinutePhysics and the Vsauce channels but they're too simplistic for me from what I've seen.

 

[n0mad23]

A bone headed move indeed! The three youngsters have provided an enthusiasm that neither Adam nor Jamie can really pull off, and I've always suspected were the bridge to a younger demographic that made the show as popular as it's been. Whenever I'm visiting someone with TV access I always check to see if there's a Mythbusters episode running.

I recently stumbled across Rocket City Rednecks on Netflix, and actually thought there might be a show to recommend to fellow orbinauts....but outside of a couple of episodes I found it to be rather disappointing. Some good ideas, but subject to the Discovery "hurry up and do this and we'll call it a success even when it fails" format that's so annoying. If you haven't seen any of Rocket City Rednecks, the episode "Alabama Blastoff" is worth seeing. Having NASA security turning Travis Taylor and his gang of rednecks away from the gate of the Mile High rocket comp and their Big-Ass-Rocket's actual launch are worth the other 40+ minutes, to be sure.

BTW - has anyone ever read any sci-fi by Travis Taylor? I haven't and wonder if there's anyone to recommend any of his work here?

 

[Unstung]

Anyways, like I said in Random Comments, there's not much I find watchable on TV anymore and the Discovery network of channels are very disappointing with little actual science and so much gimmick. The Science Channel still resembles science, but it's normally like sketchy multiverse stuff.

I've stopped watching TV a few years ago. When I checked what the Discovery Channel was airing recently, I was disappointed in the direction the channel went, but not surprised. It's reminiscent of what the History Channel has become. What is popular and gets high ratings is very lowbrow yet appeals to a wide audience. While the Science Channel has programs like Through the Wormhole, there is now plenty of garbage like The Unexplained Files to balance it. It's difficult to find any decent programming, which airs at very specific time slots like Mythbusters.

There's also so much advertising on television. Watching TV simply isn't worth it.

 

[Zatnikitelman]

This season of Mythbuster hasn't really been its best I'm afraid. It started out ok with the Star Wars myths, but it never really felt like the other seasons. I'm hopeful though that with a return to the "basics" we'll get back to that. I'm also hopeful that Kari, Grant, and Tory will be part of something else similar to what they were doing on Mythbusters. We'll see.

 

[statickid]

I'm here to read any articles that folks might be posting on this subject :shifty:

 

[Cairan]

When I look at what is on cable TV, at large, one word comes to mind: Idiocracy. :suicide:

 

[Beavis]

My first post here. I created an account so I could ask a technical question about Orbiter (and I'll get back to that later), but got sidetracked when I saw this ...

these people are fan favorites, and what nerd doesn't have a giant crush on Kari Byron?

Well, here's a dissenting opinion. She started off doing some behind-the-camera work for Mythbusters, then got her big break in the episode that examined the myth of a woman getting stuck on a vacuum toilet seat on an airplane. They needed to create an artificial derriere to plant on a toilet seat. She served as the model and appeared on screen wearing a skin-tight leotard. Truly impressive, and quite a few male viewers were drooling.

I guess they thought she might draw in more viewers and so gave her more air time. And it turned out that yes, she was hot, and yes, guys out there noticed she was hot, and yes, they could be counted on to notice her hotness week after week instead of getting bored with her after a few appearances.

Then it happened. She realized that she had what it took to grab male viewers' attention and do it on a regular basis … and instead of acting naturally, she started shamelessly mugging to the camera. At that point she went from "attractive" to "seriously irritating," at least in my book. And yes, I'm male, I'm straight, and there's nothing wrong with my endocrine system.

I think the bigger problem with Mythbusters, though, is the same one MST3K had. If you create a show that's dedicated to skewering bad movies, exploding myths, etc, sooner or later you're going to run out of bad movies or interesting myths. Granted, not every show can be in the JATO rocket class, but although I haven't watched it regularly in several years I'll check it out every now and then. Among the episodes I have seen lately they haven't done anything that's grabbed my attention in quite a while.

THe problem with all these single-purpose cable channels, especially the science and history-based ones, is that they have to go sensational and commercial to stay in business.

Agreed, and not just the little channels. No disrespect meant to either one of these celebrities, but we recently saw the mainstream media duly updating us every day that Robin Williams was still dead, and now they're doing the same with Joan Rivers.