Mythbusters might be famous for its wacky, one of a kind experiments, but on a structural level, the show has been following the same format for about a decade. Not anymore. “Build Team” members Kari Byron, Tory Belleci and Grant Imahara were just given their walking papers, leaving originals Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage as two-man team again.
The announcement was made at the end of last night’s Mythbusters episode, but it was clearly known to everyone involved with the show for a long time prior. In fact, as soon as word officially got out, Kari took to her Twitter to open up and say goodbye in a lengthy correspondence…
I guess you guys are finding out the news right about now. After a decade of the MythBusters, we are no longer with the show. Thank you to all the fans who have supported us. The show is taking a new direction. It was an amazing run. I learned so much about myself and the world. I love you all @MythBusters. I am sad for an ending but there will be exciting new adventures for us."
There are two different reasons why Mythbusters may have decided to go in a different direction. First, this may be an issue completely related to money. Fielding a second team and paying three more on-air personalities is not cheap. Since the show is not at the peak of its popularity, Discovery Channel may have asked producers to trim the fat a little bit and reduce the overall budget in order to avoid cancellation. That would be a disappointing development, but it’s one faced by a fair amount of shows that are able to make it more than ten seasons.
The second reason could be related to stagnancy. We all expect to see a certain kind of program when we turn on Mythbusters. Moving forward, we need to see those same basic elements, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t be repackaged and presented in more exciting ways. Even something as simple as alterations during transitions can freshen things up.
When Mythbusters returns for new episodes, we’ll have to see how much of the overall program is changed. It would be a shame if producers thought moving on from Kari, Tory and Grant would represent enough difference. Instead, their departures need to be accompanied by cosmetic improvements, as well.
Regardless, thanks for all the memories, guys. The show has been great for a lot of years, and Kari, Tory and Grant were all big parts of that. They'll be missed.
