ALAMEDA, CALIF. (AFD) Discovery Networks, Inc. today announced "an unfortunate tragedy in our Discovery Channel family." MythBusters star Adam Savage was pronounced dead on arrival at Saint Mary's Mercy Hospital in San Francisco after an unfortunate incident during the shooting of the popular science-based television show.
Said co-star Jamie Hyneman: "We were trying to top our biggest explosion from the Cement Truck show," referring to an episode that first aired in 2005. "The myth was "can you stand in the blast radius of an atomic weapon and be blown clear to safety? Even though the myth was from a film that hadn't premiered yet, we wanted to be ahead of the release and help the studio with some advance promotion in exchange for considerations down the road."
The film, the upcoming Capital Wasteland, based on the popular video game Fallout 3, has a character "doing field work" in the area around a city called Megaton when a nuclear bomb is detonated, destroying the city. The character survives the blast and a special effect shows her being propelled several hundred feet but surviving to become what the film and its source material call a "ghoul", similar to zombies from other films.
Unfortunately, even retired FBI agent Frank Doyle was unprepared for the effects of the experiment. Said Doyle, "I've worked with ANFO, C4, and every other explosive you can imagine during my career in the FBI and on MythBusters. I thought Adam would be safe at his observation point. Unfortunately I was wrong. I take full responsibility."
Eyewitnesses as far away as Sacramento reported seeing the mushroom cloud as an estimated 1-megaton blast (the eponymous "Megaton" from the city) went off on the bomb range. Thankfully, no damage was reported in any northern California cities, though Oakland and Fremont residents reported many broken windows and with a weather system moving through the area there may be threat of fallout east of the blast site.
When asked about the fallout, Department of Homeland Security observers said "C'mon. It's Sacramento. Some of those people would look better as Ghouls. And we gave the Governor [Arnold Schwarzenegger] plenty of Rad-X and Rad-Away first." Local Sacramento radio personality Max "Three Dog" Gibson reportedly said "We've all got Geiger counters. I've told everyone that tick-tick-tickity means 'run your ass out of there', so I don't anticipate too much trouble. I'll keep everyone informed on the radio to stay safe."
Discovery representatives did not comment on the continued status of the MythBusters program's status, but it is widely speculated that co-star Salvatore "Tory" Belleci will be promoted to Savage's role, as the two men shared a similar penchant for accidentally hurting themselves on camera.
For more news, stay tuned to the AFD News Network.
EDIT: Hey, here's something for discussion! SCAVENGER HUNT! Spot all the references and in-jokes in the piece and win a prize! (Prize to be determined.)
Said co-star Jamie Hyneman: "We were trying to top our biggest explosion from the Cement Truck show," referring to an episode that first aired in 2005. "The myth was "can you stand in the blast radius of an atomic weapon and be blown clear to safety? Even though the myth was from a film that hadn't premiered yet, we wanted to be ahead of the release and help the studio with some advance promotion in exchange for considerations down the road."
The film, the upcoming Capital Wasteland, based on the popular video game Fallout 3, has a character "doing field work" in the area around a city called Megaton when a nuclear bomb is detonated, destroying the city. The character survives the blast and a special effect shows her being propelled several hundred feet but surviving to become what the film and its source material call a "ghoul", similar to zombies from other films.
Unfortunately, even retired FBI agent Frank Doyle was unprepared for the effects of the experiment. Said Doyle, "I've worked with ANFO, C4, and every other explosive you can imagine during my career in the FBI and on MythBusters. I thought Adam would be safe at his observation point. Unfortunately I was wrong. I take full responsibility."
Eyewitnesses as far away as Sacramento reported seeing the mushroom cloud as an estimated 1-megaton blast (the eponymous "Megaton" from the city) went off on the bomb range. Thankfully, no damage was reported in any northern California cities, though Oakland and Fremont residents reported many broken windows and with a weather system moving through the area there may be threat of fallout east of the blast site.
When asked about the fallout, Department of Homeland Security observers said "C'mon. It's Sacramento. Some of those people would look better as Ghouls. And we gave the Governor [Arnold Schwarzenegger] plenty of Rad-X and Rad-Away first." Local Sacramento radio personality Max "Three Dog" Gibson reportedly said "We've all got Geiger counters. I've told everyone that tick-tick-tickity means 'run your ass out of there', so I don't anticipate too much trouble. I'll keep everyone informed on the radio to stay safe."
Discovery representatives did not comment on the continued status of the MythBusters program's status, but it is widely speculated that co-star Salvatore "Tory" Belleci will be promoted to Savage's role, as the two men shared a similar penchant for accidentally hurting themselves on camera.
For more news, stay tuned to the AFD News Network.
EDIT: Hey, here's something for discussion! SCAVENGER HUNT! Spot all the references and in-jokes in the piece and win a prize! (Prize to be determined.)
