For every generation, there is at least one defining television show that reminds everyone that science doesn't have to be boring. It can be exciting, intriguing and even explosive. The 80s had Cosmos, the 90s had Bill Nye The Science Guy, and the 2000s and 2010s had Mythbusters. Every episode, Mythbusters would take a belief or rumour and utilize real science to determine whether or not it's possible to do things like curve a bullet or if a Penny dropped from a certain height could kill someone. Many fans of the series were disappointed when the series was cancelled in 2016, leaving a void in real-science television. However, Netflix is throwing their hat into the science docuseries ring – with the help of some Mythbusters favorites. Is Netflix's White Rabbit Project the next Mythbusters?
While the stars of Mythbusters were special effects experts Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage, their "Build Crew" was an equally important part of the show. The Build Crew, which featured Kari Byron, Tory Belleci, and Grant Imahara, would assist the two main Mythbusters with their experiments and often tackle Myths all on their own. Now, after having been fired from Mythbusters in 2014, the Build Crew is coming back in a major way by hosting their own series where they go down various scientific rabbit holes.
White Rabbit Project premieres on Netflix on December 9th, 2016 and, according to Deadline, will feature the team back together again as they "immerse themselves in experiments, builds and tests as they sleuth the truth behind ... well googled themes" Basically, it's Mythbusters with a more internet-friendly focus. Appealing to the internet isn't a bad idea for the new show, as it will be housed on the most popular streaming platform and likely featured on Youtube, where some Mythbusters videos – like their attempted busting of the Coke & Mentos myth – have 9 million views or more.
Kari Byron, Tory Belleci, and Grant Imahara spent over a decade on the sidelines of Mythbusters, and White Rabbit Project is their first time working together as a trio again after leaving the series. Although the three worked on other projects post-Mythbusters, it sounds like this crew hasn't missed a beat as in this new series they will be diving into topics like "jailbreaks, superpower technology, heists and crazy world war two weapons," covering similar territory to what they worked on with Mythbusters, but placing their talents and contributions squarely in focus.
Described at the show's premiere at DragonCon as “Mythbusters in Wonderland”, White Rabbit Project will be the perfect show for anyone who misses the fun, playful tone mixed with the genuine scientific background of Mythbusters. This combination of tone and content made the show easily binge-watchable during all-day Discovery Channel marathons before Netflix innovated streaming, but now that binge-watching is the norm White Rabbit Project will be a perfect addition to Netflix's growing catalog of non-fiction programming.
Bryon, Belleci, and Imahara may have been supporting players before, but they've proven themselves to be more than capable of anchoring their own show and are the perfect choice to introduce a new generation to the fascinating world of science. Any fan of Mythbusters would be doing themselves a disservice to not check out White Rabbit Project when it premieres.
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