History Main / ExperimentShow

!!Examples

See also: ScienceShow (though History is also a popular target for these shows).

* The UrExample is certainly ''Ask Mr. Wizard,'' hosted by Don Herbert, which was first aired [[OlderThanTheyThink all the way back in 1951]], and was later {{retool}}ed as ''Mr. Wizard's World'' on Creastor/{{Nickelodeon}} from 1983-1990. Herbert used simple experiments to demonstrate the science behind everyday tools and objects, and is an acknowledged influence on the Series/{{Mythbusters}} as well as on the likely TropeCodifier Series/BillNyeTheScienceGuy.

* The first copycat show was ''Series/BrainiacScienceAbuse'', a British show hosted by [[Series/TopGear Richard Hammond]]. It tries to seriously investigate myths and popular expressions, but due to a lack of scientific rigor and focus on {{Fanservice}}, explosions and RuleOfCool, it's much closer to ''Series/{{Jackass}}'' than ''Series/MythBusters'' in execution.

* There is, or perhaps was, a "scienc-y questions answered with demonstrations" show on Japanese TV. One of the most "actual useful physics" clips is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p57pNgnbmb4&feature=related here]] and you can find others uploaded by the same YouTuber under analagous names. Despite the language issue it's pretty easy to tell what's going on.

* ''SmashLab'' was a short-lived show on Discovery Channel airing after ''Mythbusters''. The idea was to push the envelope with (read: [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin smash]]) vehicles and designs to figure out how to create safer designs, with a build-off between two teams and test runs for each design.
* On TheHistoryChannel, there's a show called ''TheReinventors'' -- which is about two guys who "reinvent" old designs for ancient devices, superweapons, etc. You know, like Da Vinci's helicopter. It was also prone to showcasing the DocuSoap style arguments between the two builders.

* Like ''Time Warp'' above, LoadingReadyRun's show ''Daily Drop'' makes extensive use of the high-speed camera. Instead of anything particularly science-related, though, LRR simply used it to subject various items to a SlowMotionDrop. Crowbars and cinder blocks optional.

* The first copycat show was ''BrainiacScienceAbuse'', a British show hosted by [[TopGear Richard Hammond]]. It tries to seriously investigate myths and popular expressions, but due to a lack of scientific rigor and focus on {{Fanservice}}, explosions and RuleOfCool, it's much closer to ''Series/{{Jackass}}'' than ''Series/MythBusters'' in execution.

* SpikeTV's ''DeadliestWarrior'', a show that sprinkles the Mythbuster-style elements into UltimateShowdownOfUltimateDestiny, pitting different historical warriors against each other. It not only contains a reasonable amount of both scientific and historical content, it also features tons of gratuitous high-speed shots of weapon decapitation or punctures. Because of the cool fights, long discussions about who will win and the arguments with friends about who should have won that will inevitably happen when one starts watching it, though fans may disagree vehemently with some of their match-ups and methodology.

* ''Series/{{Mythbusters}}'', of course. The show started with just Jamie and Adam, special effects artists, doing urban legends and debunking HollywoodStyle tropes (and JustForFun/TropesExaminedByTheMythbusters is its own page). Over the years they've added aphorisms, physics thought experiments, historical recreations and product claim testing to their repertoire, as well as adding the Build Team and making friends in nearly every fire department around UsefulNotes/SanFrancisco.
** Build Team member Kari got her own Science channel show, ''Head Rush'', which is essentially a ReCut of Mythbusters with interviews and experiments kids ''can'' do at home.

* The UrExample is certainly ''Ask Mr. Wizard,'' hosted by Don Herbert, which was first aired [[OlderThanTheyThink all the way back in 1951]], and was later retooled as ''Mr. Wizard's World'' on {{Nickelodeon}} from 1983-1990. Herbert used simple experiments to demonstrate the science behind everyday tools and objects, and is an acknowledged influence on the Series/{{Mythbusters}} as well as on the likely TropeCodifier Series/BillNyeTheScienceGuy.

** Several years later and after he left ''Brianiac'', Hammond would return with ''BlastLab'', a children's show that took the StuffBlowingUp ForScience parts of ''Brainiac'' and ''Mythbusters'' and ''ran'' with it.

* ''TimeWarp'' takes the high-speed camera work that ''Mythbusters'' helped popularize and the idea that people were willing to tune in just for that. Each show picked a selection of things to examine and situations to put them through and broke down how they worked with the slow motion - fun things like fluid dynamics and martial artists. Interestingly ''Time Warp'' cuts out pretty much everything that all the other Follow The Leader shows did, especially problematic. The hosts are professionals and they simply look to find unique things to capture on high-speed. There is some science involved to explain what they are watching but there aren't any builds or co-host drama.

* ''Series/{{Mythbusters}}'', of course. The show started with just Jamie and Adam, special effects artists, doing urban legends and debunking HollywoodStyle tropes (and TropesExaminedByTheMythbusters is its own page). Over the years they've added aphorisms, physics thought experiments, historical recreations and product claim testing to their repertoire, as well as adding the Build Team and making friends in nearly every fire department around UsefulNotes/SanFrancisco.

* ''Series/{{Mythbusters}}'', of course. The show started with just Jamie and Adam, special effects artists, doing urban legends and debunking HollywoodStyle tropes (and TropesExaminedByTheMythbusters is its own page). Over the years they've added aphorisms, physics thought experiments, historical recreations and product claim testing to their repertoire, as well as adding the Build Team and making friends in nearly every fire department around SanFrancisco.

* The first copycat show was ''BrainiacScienceAbuse'', a British show hosted by [[TopGear Richard Hammond]]. It tries to seriously investigate myths and popular expressions, but due to a lack of scientific rigor and focus on {{Fanservice}}, explosions and RuleOfCool, it's much closer to ''Series/{{Jackass}}'' than ''{{Mythbusters}}'' in execution.

* CartoonNetwork's ''Series/DudeWhatWouldHappen'', where a bunch of teenage guys get crazy ideas and wonder what would happen if they tried them - and then test them out.

* G4's ''Effin' Science'': A spin-off of ''Series/AttackOfTheShow''. Take a bunch of experiments ''Series/{{Mythbusters}}'' already did[[hottip:*:even building an air cannon to shoot frozen chickens through glass]], remove the actual myths from the equation, and roll the whole thing up in RuleOfCool.

* The Military Channel has ''Weapon Masters'' which features one host rebuilding an ancient weapon using period-accurate technology while the second host uses modern tools and components. They then compare the effectiveness of each.

* [=TruTV=]'s ''Man Vs. Cartoon'' - which tries [[LooneyTunes Wile E. Coyote]]'s schemes in real life... just to see what would happen if someone one actually tried them, set up as a competition between groups of bickering engineering students.
* ''I Didn't Know That'' is a 2007 British TV Series in which industrial scientists Johnny Phillips and Richard Ambrose conduct light-hearted experiments with everyday objects to learn more about how they are manufactured, tested, and transported.

When ''Series/{{Mythbusters}}'' hit the airwaves in the year 2003 and became extremely popular, it set off a GenreLaunch with a number of FollowTheLeader shows began appearing in its wake, leading to a new breed of {{Edutainment}}.

When ''Series/{{Mythbusters}}'' hit the airwaves in the year 2003 and became extremely popular, a number of FollowTheLeader shows began appearing in its wake, leading to a new breed of {{Edutainment}}.

* ''Series/{{Mythbusters}}'' of course. The show started with just Jamie and Adam, special effects artists, doing urban legends and debunking HollywoodStyle tropes (and TropesExaminedByTheMythbusters is its own page). Over the years they've added aphorisms, physics thought experiments, historical recreations and product claim testing to their repertoire, as well as adding the Build Team and making friends in nearly every fire department around SanFrancisco.

* CartoonNetwork's ''DudeWhatWouldHappen'', where a bunch of teenage guys get crazy ideas and wonder what would happen if they tried them - and then test them out.

* ''{{Mythbusters}}'' of course. The show started with just Jamie and Adam, special effects artists, doing urban legends and debunking HollywoodStyle tropes (and TropesExaminedByTheMythbusters is its own page). Over the years they've added aphorisms, physics thought experiments, historical recreations and product claim testing to their repertoire, as well as adding the Build Team and making friends in nearly every fire department around SanFrancisco.

* ''SmashLab'' was a short-lived show on Discovery Channel airing after Mythbusters. The idea was to push the envelope with (read: [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin smash]]) vehicles and designs to figure out how to create safer designs, with a build-off between two teams and test runs for each design.

* G4's ''Effin' Science'': A spin-off of ''Series/AttackOfTheShow''. Take a bunch of experiments ''{{Mythbusters}}'' already did[[hottip:*:even building an air cannon to shoot frozen chickens through glass]], remove the actual myths from the equation, and roll the whole thing up in RuleOfCool.

When ''{{Mythbusters}}'' hit the airwaves in the year 2003 and became extremely popular, a number of FollowTheLeader shows began appearing in its wake, leading to a new breed of {{Edutainment}}.

When ''{{Mythbusters}}'' hit the airwaves in the year 2003 and became extremely popular, a number of FollowTheLeader shows began appearing in its wake. 10 years later, it's safe to say that this was the GenreLaunch of a new breed of {{Edutainment}}.