Mark Rober, the former NASA engineer who turned YouTube into a playground for science and engineering with over 73 million subscribers, is expanding his empire. He's not just sticking to ad revenue and viral videos anymore. Netflix has officially announced that Rober will host and executive produce a new competition series called Schooled!, a move that feels like a natural evolution for a creator who has mastered the art of making learning look like the coolest game in town.
The show will feature teams of student "tinkerers" competing in creative and explosive science challenges, all set within a fully gamified school environment. While specific details about the challenges are still under wraps, the description promises winners will receive a "life-changing" prize. It's a format that seems tailor-made for Rober's brand of high-energy, accessible science entertainment.
Rober won't be going it alone. He's teaming up with Jimmy Kimmel's production company, Kimmelot, which also produces Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and Jimmy Kimmel Live!. This isn't their first collaboration; Kimmelot is also a producer on Mark Rober's Revengineers for Discovery. The showrunner will be Daniel Calin, with Rober and Scott Lewers executive producing for CrunchLabs, Rober's own company.
In a statement, Rober expressed his excitement about the project. "I couldn't be more stoked to team up with Netflix and Jimmy Kimmel to bring Schooled! to life. Our series is about giving kids a stage big enough for their ideas. This will be the ultimate playground for science, creativity, and competition to come together," he said. "I'm so pumped to see what these students come up with. My expectations are high. I'm ready to be blown away."
For Netflix, this represents a strategic investment in family-friendly, co-viewing content that has proven successful. John Derderian, Netflix's vice president of animation series and kids & family TV, highlighted Rober's unique appeal. "Mark Rober is a master of the 'wow' moment, and we've seen firsthand how much our members love his unique brand of science-fueled spectacle. We're taking that energy to the next level with Schooled!" he said. "It isn't just a competition; it's a celebration of creativity and engineering. It's exactly the kind of co-viewing experience that brings families together."
This isn't Rober's first foray onto the streaming giant. He already has his CrunchLabs series on Netflix, co-starred in the Elmo & Mark Rober's Merry Giftmas special, and was featured on Netflix's Skyscraper Live. Schooled! feels like a logical next step, leveraging his YouTube success to create a structured, high-stakes competition format.
What makes this project particularly compelling is its potential emotional core. Rober's YouTube success is built on a sense of wonder and accessibility—he makes complex engineering feel like a fun puzzle anyone can solve. Translating that to a competition show with young participants could create moments of genuine triumph and inspiration. Imagine a kid, fueled by curiosity and a bit of Rober's mentorship, pulling off a challenge that leaves everyone, including the host, genuinely amazed. That's the kind of payoff that transcends mere entertainment; it reinforces the idea that science isn't just for textbooks, but for dreamers and builders.
Casting for Schooled! is currently open through the CrunchLabs Academy website. The filming location and premiere date have not yet been announced, but given the teams involved, expectations are rightly high. If Rober's track record is any indication, Schooled! might just become the show that makes science class the most exciting part of the day for families everywhere.
