Whats Worth Watching: Mythbusters Goes Deep

Mythbusters, “Jaws Special” (Friday, June 26, 9/8c, Science)

There’s a generation of people to whom “it’s only a movie” means one thing: They saw Jaws in the theatre when they were probably way too young. And it’s OK, many of us have been able to live relatively normal lives, despite the crippling fears instilled in us by the film that a Great White was lurking in every pool, deep tub or shallow puddle. And don’t even get us started on the ocean. That was the wettest death trap of all, as proven by Quint, Hooper and Sheriff Brody’s fateful hunting trip on the Orca back in ’75 (and every cable rerun since). But now, there may be some hope for anyone who’s still afraid to go back into the water. With some scientific know-how and a whole lotta bravery, Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage are setting out to separate the fact from the fiction of Steven Spielberg’s fishy tale. Are sharks really attracted to splashing? Do kids on rafts really look like food? And will one of these sea demons really swim away if you gouge ‘em in their dead doll eyes? God, we hope that last one is really true. Otherwise, it’s gonna be another long summer of sitting on the beach instead of enjoying the waves.