The problem is: that need for rigourous methods at all times is what drives people away from science. It sucks the fun out of it.
Nothing has to be rigourous at all times. And certainly not on a TV show meant to entertain.
And people are not stupid, they understand that their methods have flaws. In fact, that's one of the reasons the show is as effective as it is: people discuss both the methods and the results, which is an example of peer review.
But even for entertainment there is a breaking point. I stopped watching after their "Episode 56: Killer Whirlpools, Snowplow Flips Car". They tested the snow plow "myth" on a flat[1], dry[2,3] airport runway then claimed it "busted". Since I know its possible and lost a friend who got sucked over by a semi in winter driving. I lost all believability.
1) actual roads have a bigger curve to allow run off
2) dry asphalt has a different coefficient of friction than snow/ice cover roads
Nothing has to be rigourous at all times. And certainly not on a TV show meant to entertain.
And people are not stupid, they understand that their methods have flaws. In fact, that's one of the reasons the show is as effective as it is: people discuss both the methods and the results, which is an example of peer review.