Rocket City Rednecks

Rocket City Rednecks, Rocket City Rednecks debuts tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern on the National Geographic channel. This seems fun. Let’s build it and see what happens!”

The National Geographic Channel’s new show Rocket City Rednecks is built on this premise, just like Mythbusters before it. And Rocket City Rednecks seems like a high-concept irrelevance initially, simply “Rednecks doing Mythbusters on another channel!” And to be honest, an abrasive intro song playing up the redneck-ness of the main characters does nothing to help that. But get past some of the show’s frustrating but understandable framing devices, and this is actually one of the more ridiculously fun shows around.
Rednecks has three big advantages that keep it watchable at such a level. The first, and probably most important, is the host, Travis Taylor. He, and the other “Rednecks” who form his team, aren’t just random guys fiddling with motors, but they’re literally rocket scientists, working or having worked for NASA in Huntsville, Alabama. Travis’s father, “Daddy,” states at one point that he worked on the Apollo 11 mission. But pedigree is one thing, being confident on camera is another, and Travis has that ability and then some. He’s a charming host, whether he’s teasing his buddies, describing his feelings, speaking in idioms, or breaking down the science. His four friends and family who work with him prove capable foils, but Travis carries the show.