Adam Savage is back. After a three-year reprieve, Savage returns to test myths, unfurl duct tape, and get up to the tomfoolery that made fans love the original Mythbusters so much. But this time his cohost won’t be mustachioed. In fact they’ll barely be peach-fuzzed. For Mythbusters Jr. Savage will lead a team of six makers, builders, and inventors, all under the age of 16.

“The moment I heard ‘Mythbusters spin off’ I was ready to say no,” says Savage, “After 13 and a half years, I was happy to hang up my spurs. Jamie and I were super proud of what we built over the years, and I was happy to put it to bed.” But then Savage heard just what angle the show would take. Mythbusters Jr. would allow a new generation of STEM enthusiasts to take the lead and bring science education and exploration to a new audience. After that, his response was a bit different: “I was like holy sh--, I really do want to do that show.”

Discovery

The show’s premiere episode asks a bit more of one of our favorite materials, duct tape, to see if it can serve as an impromptu parachute, or car tire. “The show is of the DNA of Mythbusters but it is also different. It was really important to us to not just copy MythBusters, but to let the enthusiasm of the kids be what drives this narrative,” says Savage. The enthusiasm and expertise of the young cohosts, under the guidance of an older pro, brings the same fun and engaging nature to the show. “There are these six incredible hungry brains all with radically different personalities and approaches to problem-solving.”

His new co-stars include Valerie Castillo, a robotics champion and 3D printer; Jesse Lawless, a builder and welder; Allie Weber, a maker and inventor; Rachel Pizzolato, a programmer and woodworker; Elijah Horland, a programmer (and big fan of wearing his favorite sweatshirt in hot tubs); and Cannan Huey-You, a 13-year-old sophomore at Texas Christian University.

Although it stars six kids, Mythbusters Jr. is not a kid’s show. “We set out to make a good show about science exploration,” Savage says. And while the hosts may not yet be able to buy cigarettes or a lotto ticket, they’re plenty capable of entertaining science fans of any age. In fact, they might be more likely to inspire you to try your own experiments than the original cast. “One of the key differences between MythBusters and MythBusters Jr. is that really the experiments on Jr. are largely of the do try this at home variety,” says Savage.

An experiment with duct tape in episode seven. Discovery

If you do decide to try any of the experiments, especially if you do them as a family, Savage has a piece of advice: “One of the key things that I learned from the science communicators that taught me when I was a kid was the ability to say I don't know. It's so much more powerful when you are honest with what you do and do not know.” That’ll give you the opportunity to learn.

The show premieres tonight at 9 on Science Channel.

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