Andy Dehnart
Grant Imahara, Kari Byron, and Tory Belleci in 2011, when they were still together on Mythbusters. Grant is not in the new Travel Channel series. (Photo by Carla Van Wagoner / Shutterstock)
Former Mythbusters Kari Byron and Tory Belleci are teaming up for a new Travel Channel show that will explore the science of theme park rides.
Fellow fired Mythbuster build team member Grant Imahara, who recently had a cameo in Sharknado 3 and previously went to work for McDonalds, is not involved.
Their new series is called Thrill Factor, and here’s how the network describes the 10-episode series, which debuts Aug. 12:
“[…] Kari Byron and Tory Belleci take viewers along for the ride as they explore the exciting world of thrill rides, waterslides and heart-pounding experiences around the globe through a scientific lens.
[…] Now, the duo reunites in Travel Channe’s Thrill Factor, taking their passion for adventure, travel and science to the max as they dive into the amazing engineering, physics and biomechanics that explain why these wild rides excite adrenaline junkies around the world. From racing IndyCars in wine country to studying what it takes to plummet down the world’s tallest waterslide in Kansas, each episode travels to amusement spots near and far, offering a different and daring thrill.”
It sounds like a hybrid of Mythbusters and a typical Travel Channel show that serves as an extended infomercial for a theme park, cruise ship, or water ride. And that sounds pretty great to me—I get sucked into those even when the deliver marketing copy instead of real secrets, so I’d love added value.
Here’s what’s in the first two episodes:
“In the premiere episode, Byron and Belleci investigate how drop rides are designed to exploit our natural fear of falling to both torture and thrill us. Heading to Florida’s Busch Gardens, they take a ride on Falcon’s Fury — the tallest freestanding ride in North America — to experience the adrenaline firsthand. Then in the second half-hour premiere, Byron and Belleci travel to Indiana to determine whether there’s any difference in how men and women react to extreme thrill rides. With the launch coaster Thunderbird as their lab, Byron and Belleci use high-tech biosensors to dissect the stress responses of male and female riders.”