TV REVIEW: MYTHBUSTERS

CHECK OUT THIS REVIEW ON THE POPULAR CULT SHOW ON THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL, MYTHBUSTERS

Discovery Channel's "MythBusters" uses science to uncover the truth behind popular myths and legends.

So. You're minding your own business, filling up your gas tank, when your cell phone rings. Hmmm. Should you answer it? Because you've heard you shouldn't use cell phones near gas stations since they can produce small sparks that can ignite big fires. But wait. Could that actually be true? Sounds like a job for "MythBusters"!

This season, the "MythBusters" experiments range from the huge (sonic booms, anyone?) to the household (to double dip, or not to double dip?). Hosted by Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage, and build team members Tory Belleci, Kari Byron and Grant Imahara, the "MythBusters" mix scientific method with gleeful curiosity and plain old-fashioned ingenuity to create their own signature style of explosive experimentation. Each week they take on three myths and use modern-day science to show you what's real and what's fiction. That's right, they do more than explain how something may or may not be scientifically possible. Through trial and error they actually demonstrate it.

Called the best science show on television, "MythBusters" has aired on Discovery Channel since October 2003. To date, "MythBusters" has tested nearly 600 myths with more than 1,900 experiments that included more than 650 explosions and the destruction of 77 vehicles!

In the season premiere for Season 7, "MythBusters" tackle four fables of automotive mayhem in a Demolition Derby Special. Adam and Jamie test whether a key scene from an iconic motoring movie is fact or fake film physics could moving the passengers to one side of a bus stop it from rolling in a sharp, fast right hand turn? Then, they revisit an early "MythBusters" fan favorite involving two trucks and a compact car and of course, rockets and high explosives. Meanwhile, Kari, Tory and Grant take on Hollywood as they look at four familiar chase scene clichs to find out if they match up to reality, and then test a gravity race seen in a popular car commercial.

Additional season 7 episodes of "MythBusters" will see the gang travel once again to Alaska to test local myths and anecdotes; testing whether a banana peel is really an accident waiting to happen and whether a double-dipped chip is actually germ warfare; testing experiments send in from fans via YouTube—including whether you can actually build a giant 7-foot diameter ball of Lego and roll it down a hill Indiana Jones-style, and more.

After six seasons, "MythBusters" remains as popular as ever. In 2008, while in premieres, "MythBusters" was the #1 program for Men 18-34 delivery in its timeslot (excluding sports and election coverage), and the series ranked as one of Discoverys three highest-rated regular series in primetime for persons 18-49, persons 2+, and households.*

"MythBusters" is produced for Discovery Channel by Beyond Productions. Dan Tapster is executive producer for Beyond Productions; Tracy Rudolph is supervising producer for Discovery Channel.