Stuck With Hackett

As a clever way to illustrate the fundamentals of science and engineering, Stuck With Hackett is a real success. Watching host Chris Hackett assemble an air conditioning system in the Mojave Desert out of what amounts to trash is an amazing process. At each stage, Hackett takes time to explain what he is doing and why; clear animated illustrations provide further information.

As a half-hour spent watching one man ramble at the camera while he melts lead bullets and drinks stale soda pop, Stuck With Hackett is less successful. Hackett himself seems a bit too convinced of the ineffable coolness of everything he does, in spite of the fact that any reasonable person will find themselves confused by the way in which he seems perfectly at home wandering around a deserted location for no apparent reason. Also, why the black jeans, long-sleeve shirt, and combat boots in the desert? Would you need to build your own air conditioner if you were wearing shorts? If you can get past Hackett himself, his abilities are pretty cool to watch; when he manages the impossible, it's amazing, and when he doesn't, something usually blows up. Either way, that's entertainment.