Unchained Reaction (2012– )

The six-part series, which pits two teams of varying backgrounds - artists, rocket scientists, animatronic specialists, engineers and even your average Joes - against each other to build an... See full summary »

Stars:

Jamie Hyneman, Adam Savage, Charles Haine

Cast

Series cast summary:
Jamie Hyneman	...	Himself - Host (6 episodes, 2012)
Adam Savage	...	Himself - Host (6 episodes, 2012)
Charles Haine	...	Himself - Design Consultant (5 episodes, 2012)

Storyline

The six-part series, which pits two teams of varying backgrounds - artists, rocket scientists, animatronic specialists, engineers and even your average Joes - against each other to build an elaborate chain reaction contraption on a massive scale. The teams are provided with identical sets of tools and materials and given five days to complete a series of mechanisms based on a specific theme. Per the network, "refined mechanical movements, pyrotechnics and large-scale destruction are encouraged." At the end of the the five days, Savage and Hyneman are joined by a new guest judge to review the installations and pick a winner.

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Plot Keywords:

chain reaction | rube goldberg machine | cause and effect | construction competition

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Genres:

Reality-TV

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Official Sites:

Discovery Channel [United States] Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Discovery Studios, BermanBraun, Discovery Channel

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min 60 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD

User Reviews

Great idea Discovery, but a definite fail on execution.

I should start by saying I am a fan of science shows in general, but this pretty bad. It suffers from "Discovery-isms". Gimmicky, fast cuts, hectic music and a constant tone of urgency. Anyone what watches BBC shows regularly will quickly be aggravated by the tone and mood of this show. Why does discovery think its science shows need to feel like monster-truck commercials? For the content of the show, it is disappointing. The basic premise is very interesting, but has several flaws in execution. The teams are creating competing Rube Goldberg devices each week, with a particular theme in mind. Unfortunately, there is no common end work that each machine is supposed to do. For example, one week it could be to get x amount of water into a glass, or to paint a particular object a certain colour. Both machines should have the same end goal, and this is a big fail.

The second fail of the show is the "themes" themselves. They really add nothing to the construction of the machines. Instead of a "speed" theme, restrictions such as: needed to use x number of balls in your machine, or not being able to use electricity in your machine etc... this would have far more effect on the designs, allowing more creativity in the machines.

Another issue is during the execution of the machines. Discovery needs to capture the action much better. Constant close-ups lead to rapid cuts which makes following the action harder. Perhaps have 2 views on the screen, where one is a wider angle pull-back, and the other more of a close-up. I'm sure it can be done better than it is on the show.

My last beef is with the myth busters hosts themselves. Watching them in their limited screen time on this show feels uncomfortable somehow. It has the air of selling out. They should have stayed completely behind the camera on this one. The guy they have come in to inspect the machines intermittently is also a bad choice. Wondering around like he just got out of bed, I have never seen a TV host that looks so uninterested, lifeless and pompous all at the same time. You'll want to change the channel just to avoid watching\listening to him.

Great idea Discovery, but a definite fail on execution.