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MythBusters

MythBusters

Failure is always an option.

2003–2018Ended16 seasons300 episodes~44 min/epTV-PGMidcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

MythBusters is a science entertainment television program created and produced by Australia's Beyond Television Productions for the Discovery Channel. The show's hosts, special effects experts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, use elements of the scientific method to test the validity of rumors, myths, movie scenes, adages, Internet videos, and news stories.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch MythBusters?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists MythBusters streaming on discovery+, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Pluto TV (free) and The Roku Channel (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Subscription

FreeFree

Rent / Buy

BuyBuy

Highlights

What stands out about MythBusters?

MythBusters earns 6 badges, led by Universally Loved and Top 10% of shows.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is MythBusters worth watching?

MythBusters' Midcredits score is the 94th percentile of all shows, from 58K ratings across 2 sources. 90% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

94th percentile

Better received than 94% of shows

91st percentile among Documentary91st percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)90th
Approval (how many liked it)93rd

Acclaim

Universally Loved: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

81 /100

90th percentile of all shows

85th percentile among Documentary88th percentile among 2000s

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

Approval

How many liked it

90% liked it

93rd percentile of all shows

90th percentile among Documentary92nd percentile among 2000s
90% rated it 7–1010% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

97th percentile

57K ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Documentary94th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 36% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A science-based entertainment show that prioritizes fun and destruction over rigorous experimentation.

Fans praised

  • Host chemistry: Adam's manic enthusiasm vs Jamie's dry sarcasm
  • Makes science entertaining and accessible for all ages
  • Creative, hands-on experimental design and spectacular explosions

Detractors panned

  • Poor scientific rigor and flawed methodology undermine results
  • Decline into shallow spectacle and promotional tie-ins (later seasons)
  • Trivial or obvious myths waste time on irrelevant stunts

What stands out

Effects and spectacleDivisive85

Explosions and destruction are the main draw

OriginalityDivisive85

Groundbreaking premise: testing myths via hands-on experiments

ActingDivisive75

Strong on-screen chemistry between hosts

HumorDivisive70

Playful antics and wisecracks keep it light

Characters65

Distinct personalities: Adam's goofball vs Jamie's stoic

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 12 points higher than women.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 1 point apart
  • Critics vs users 4 points apart
  • US vs non-US even

Episodes

16 seasons

Season 16 · 2018 · 8 episodes

  • S16E1

    Fire Arrow vs. Gas Tank

    Jan 3, 201843 min
  • S16E2

    Pane In The Glass

    Jan 10, 201843 min
  • S16E3

    Wild Wild West

    Jan 17, 201843 min
  • S16E4

    Spike In The Road

    Jan 24, 201843 min
  • S16E5

    Dynamite Deposit

    Jan 31, 201842 min
  • S16E6
    S16E6

    Backseat Getaway Driver

    Feb 7, 201842 min
  • S16E7
    S16E7

    Electrified Escape

    Feb 14, 201842 min
  • S16E8
    S16E8

    Dropping a Bomb

    Feb 21, 201842 minFinale

Watch experience

What is MythBusters like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, light and charged — an even-paced watch that leaves you entertained.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
JoyfulThrillingWarm
Heaviest: throughout
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
PlayfulExuberant · 4% of shows: Bursting with energy and joy in its own filmmaking.
Told as
Unscripted · 15% of showsStatus quo each season
ToneThe show treats its subject matter with playful curiosity and theatrical enthusiasm, inviting the audience to enjoy the scientific process and the often spectacular results.
The rideConsistently upbeat and exciting, built around the glee of controlled destruction and discovery.
StructureEpisodes are self-contained; no narrative devices apply.
Episode formatEach episode follows a repeated non-fiction format: identify myths, test via experiment, present results. No continuing story.
Season formatSeasons are essentially interchangeable batches; the format and cast remain stable — any season is an entry point.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
FunFeel-good
Why it leaves you this wayViewers leave entertained, grinning, and with a sense of having learned something interesting.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 40% of shows: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeNon-narrative unscripted format: each episode tests urban legends through scientific experiments, not a single plot.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfTruthIdeas
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5% (this title): Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% (this title) · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Ideas

Truth · 6% of shows
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe show is fundamentally about testing popular beliefs against empirical evidence, rewarding curiosity and scientific skepticism.
StanceThe show celebrates science as fun and accessible — low personal stakes but high enthusiasm for the pursuit of truth.

The world

ContemporaryInstitutionalRealistic
RockElectronicSupportive music · hybrid
SettingWorkshop/lab sets, outdoor testing ranges, and occasional on-location shoots
MusicUpbeat, energetic soundtrack underscores the excitement of build-ups and explosions.

Content guide

Is MythBusters okay for kids?

TV-PG

MythBusters is rated TV-PG. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (33/100), sexual content at mild (22/100), language at mild (26/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (27/100) and frightening material at minimal (13/100). Its language has too few votes to rank. Overall it is heavier than 21% of TV-PG shows.

Ratings in 12 other countries
  • AustraliaPG
  • Germany12
  • France12
  • BrazilL
  • Austria12
  • MexicoA
  • NetherlandsAL
  • PhilippinesG
  • PortugalNR
  • ROAP
  • SwedenFrån 11 år
  • Türkiye13+
Overall
Mild · all five categories
Heavier than 8% of all showsHeavier than 21% of TV-PG shows
Violence & Gore
Mild
typical for a TV-PG show
heavier than 43%
Sex & Nudity
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-PG show
heavier than 30%
Profanity
Mild
too few votes to rank (9 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for a TV-PG show
heavier than 42%
Frightening / Intense
None / Minimal
light for a TV-PG show
heavier than 21%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is violence, heavier than 43% of TV-PG shows.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does MythBusters have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in MythBusters?

Cast

Adam K. Brainich
as Zombie
Jonathan Banks
as Mike Ehrmantraut

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