White Rabbit Project

First off this isn't Mythbusters. The format is very different, but this isn't a bad thing.

Each episode centers around a theme, where the team compares and ranks 6 loosely related ideas (e.g. speed, heists, scams, etc.) Usually, for each idea there is storytelling interspersed with builds of contraptions used in the story. It's surprisingly entertaining, however, and the team is far more entertaining than they ever were on Mythbusters, where Adam and Jamie usually worked on the main myth of the episode and the stories of the myths weren't at the forefront.

Sometimes the stories are a little rushed in order to fit all 6 ideas in, and I wish they would spend more time on the builds, however, but that doesn't ruin it for me. In Mythbusters, I didn't particularly enjoy the sections the team did, but here they're so much more interesting to listen to. This show is nice and really surprised me, as I expected it to be very different than it is. Definitely worth a watch!

Mythbusters found out that you could not take the Build Team out of the show. Can you run a show using only the Build Team? And doing things similar to Mythbusters, without outright plagiarizing it? That's not an easy task.

And, for season one, it didn't go too well. If there is to be a second season, it will need some adjustments here and there.

The premise? Take a topic (Weirdest weapons of WW II, g-force and it's influence on humans, great escapes, just to give you examples) and pick six items related to it. Six weird weapons for example. Then, find three criteria to judge them by. Each of the three cast members takes two of them and demonstrates them. This can involve building something, like an electric car, it can be documentary footage, play scenes (some good, some bad) or a mix.

But - less nerd porn. Slightly more Byron cleavage, though (and a looong sequence of her in underwear). While Mythbusters tried, in a scientific way, to prove or disprove a myth, explaining the science behind it and showing different methods of testing them (with varying success), the White Rabbit Project lacks experimentation. More often than not, you will see experts in their fields and hobbyists demonstrating something. Quite interesting, but as six different aspects of the episode topic need their time, instead of just two or three myths, it lacks depth there.

Something is not quite right with the show. Yet. I'd love to see it succeed, though.

White Rabbit Project is the next project out of the "B team" of the now-finished show Mythbusters. Grant, Tori and Kari team up again to explore a variety of different themes and scenarios, with the same amount of stunts and gadgets.

Essentially, each episode explores a certain topic. For example, episode 2 explores six different prison breaks, before ranking them on an arbitrary scale from worst to best. In order to do this, the show uses a mixture of replicating the thing in question, docu-drama style explorations of the history/origin of the thing in question, comedy skits with the team and/or actors, and interviews with experts in the field.

The most pressing issue is that in many ways the show feels downscaled compared to mythbusters. There are less 'experiments' in this show compared to mythbusters, the show uses a lot more stock footage and low budget docu-drama segments than mythbusters ever did, which kinda sucks to be honest. In many ways, the show talks more than shows.

While that is a letdown, it doesn't make the show 'bad' in any way. Tori, Grant and Kari are all still highly entertaining to watch. Their on-screen chemistry holds up, cheesy jokes and all, and when they do do stunts, those stunts are pretty impressive. Stuff like re-making a makeshift hot-air balloon, for example, or training a pigeon to drive a drone by tapping on a touchscreen. There's some good stuff in here.

Also, a MAJOR plus due to the Netflix format is that the editing is far better and less annoying. If you remember Mythbusters, there was a lot of repetition in that show due to the ad breaks. If you were watching the show on DVD, the narrator would often say the same thing twice in a row because an ad break was supposed to be there in between. There's no issue here, and the show flows perfectly with no breaks or issues in pacing.

If you have a Netflix account, this is certainly worth the watch, especially if you or your kid liked Mythbusters back in the day.

To start off, there's great potential in this series, I hope it keeps going and growing , and that the show runners listen in on what people want to see improved. Of course, it's also great to see the gang back together in this new "Mythbusters 2.0", although it's less myths, and more comparison of the best stories that fit the theme of the episode.

The story telling and comparison concept is also one of the major problems that I have with the show. Instead of the way it is now where the majority of the program is story telling and skits, and the minority is science and experimentation, I would like to see this be the other way around. It's the talents and creativity of the trio that I'm most interested in seeing be put to good use like when Grant built his octocopter, even if it means cutting it down to 1 story per person, and/or shortening episode length.

Maybe it's because of the concept of the show, but every episode seems to drag on for too long. If the show were to remain the same, I think it would greatly benefit from a 30-35 minute run time per episode, instead of the current 45 minute one. Remember, it's about quality, not quantity.

Again, I do hope that Netflix reads what I and others have said, and implements these suggestions in one way or another, because they could take the show from being just alright, to being great.

A benefit of the doubt, 7/10.

One of the most beloved and wickedly entertaining pieces of pop- culture in recent memory, "Mythbusters" was a small phenomena. Mixing real science with laugh-out-loud humor and an excellent cast of real-life characters, the series thrilled audiences for well over ten years and even after cancellation, it remains a fan-favorite for many a television viewer. So it should come as no surprise that a sort-of spiritual successor or follow-up would happen. And we get that in "White Rabbit Project", an entertaining but sometimes uneven new Netflix series starring the "Mythbusters" build-team of Kari Byron, Tory Belleci and Grant Imahara. While it has a small slew of issues holding it back from sheer perfection, I do think that the show is off to a promising start, has a lot of room to grow, and should it be renewed for a second season, it has the potential to get better and better.

Each episode follows our hosts as they explore and discuss a topic, whether it be comic-book superpowers, long-fabled future-tech or even just real-life scam artists. We explore different aspects and examples of each topic and how they could be recreated in the real world or be accomplished. Along the way, we are treated to friendly banter, the occasional skit and plenty of likable chemistry with our three leads.

I'll definitely admit that perhaps the biggest part of the appeal here is the fact that we've finally rejoined the build-team after their absence in the final episodes of "Mythbusters", and the leftover love for that series that fans have. And it's part of what makes the series all the more palatable even when it falters at time. Byron, Bellaci and Imahara are endlessly likable and entertaining and have an absolutely wonderful sense of companionship on screen. The topics discussed are very fascinating and it's a lot of fun seeing them doing oddball things like turning roaches into technical cyborgs or discussing the topic of heists.

But that being said, I can't help but feel that the series is way too unfocused and uneven at times. To the point that some episodes just don't work. The show has a very frenetic pace and it never really stops to let you appreciate the science of what's happening. Therefore it can be hard to really get a handle or invest yourself. I also think there's a bit too much "qwirkiness" and "style" going on for the show's own good. Yes, it's fun seeing an occasional skit or seeing Grant dress up in a supervillain's outfit. But we don't need a five-minute scene to introduce an episode or a prolonged scripted scene of acting to introduce a segment. It's just got too much filler. I'd rather see more deliberate and streamlined episodes with a greater focus on and more breathing room for the actual experimentation.

But that being said... it's still a very decent show. Even if abbreviated, the science is fascinating. The topics are often very fun and quite varied. Our hosts are just a blast and a half and are consistently enjoyable to watch. And there's a lot of untapped potential beneath the surface that keeps you invested and hoping for more. So hopefully it'll do well enough to get more episodes ordered. I know I'd love to see more, and I think newer installments will get progressively better. It might not quite live up to the sheer perfection that was "Mythbusters"... but it's a worthy unofficial follow-up.

"White Rabbit Project" is a solid 7 out of 10 for me.