Expedition Unknown

It's a helluva lot of fun to watch at that. I've been catching EXPEDITION UNKNOWN since the beginning, and, true, while there haven't been any major discoveries (keep in mind it's tough to unearth a hidden treasure in an hour), it remains a worthy travelogue and documentary on just about everything in the world that's been clouded in mystery or controversy. And that's it. Take it or leave it. Josh Gates, with that degree in archaeology, is the host we would all like to be as he travels a bumpy and occasionally dead-end road with a terrific sense of humor and a burning desire to explore the unknown. There are some truly fascinating episodes, well researched at that, giving the viewer a bird's eye view on some incredible case histories, ranging from lost treasures to Nazi hide-outs. If anything, EXPEDITION UNKNOWN remains a campy entertainment of sorts, with a host of unexpected turns and surprises, throw in some good camera work (whether it be underground or underwater) and Josh in pursuit of it all, and sometimes in disguise. Check out his salute, and in full military dress, to General Patton. Or is that George C. Scott? Carry On.

I first started watching this show at the start of the pandemic and the episode I first watched was season 6 episode 4, Scotlands Lost Gold!! After that I was immediately hooked, I watched every episode ever and I feel like I learned a lot more about History, Mythology, FBI cases, urban myths, etc than I ever learned in high school!! I love how Josh adds jokes and humor to his shows while still teaching viewers!!!

Whenever I see Josh Gates I find out what the great guy is up to. Now Expedition unknown is really solid on the academic approach and source materials which is a huge plus. Josh isn't someone who will dismiss things out of hand because " it is folklore" or whatever. But then I would expect nothing less from someone who went to a reputable university.

About the show itself: there are some weird ones in it but he tries to remain neutral and only giving his educated opinion at the end of the show. Now he does seem to be over enthusiastic at times which can lead to hilarious situations ( like him falling, jumping off stuff(nearly plunging to his death) etc) So it is quite fun to see what he does next.

He also keep things up to date with the scientific methods and practices so it is a true show you have to watch.

I understand some of the lower ratings and their critiques. You get an appetite for answers and actually finding something significant and then....well I guess we'll never really know. Still....the show takes you to places and people that you may otherwise never encounter. It takes the time to provide cultural background and often rich historical information. My 13 yr old daughter loves learning from this show.....and most adults don't know much more than she does about many of the things covered in it. So it certainly isn't a waste of most peoples time. It's much more intellectually minded than most crap on TV today. Ya wanna tune out and watch reruns of Sienfield instead? Josh does well conveying facts while being entertaining. In this show, I think it keeps peoples attention to actually listen to the 'lesson'. Now I cannot say the same for his show 'Destination Truth' which is so very UNlike Expedition Unknown in every way. Don't even try going there. I will always look forward to EU though. To quell above 'the never find anything' complaints....it seems that, in this season at least, they do. We just saw a reconstruction of what 'may' be Cleopatra. An overall fascinating show with many learning opportunities. I much more enjoy Gates in this role than as ghosty guy selling tours of the local haunted house.

Gates must be one of the more personable hosts on TV today. The premise is basically the same as his former show Destination Truth on SyFy; insofar as as with Destination Truth the show starts with some spurious rumour and homemade 'newspaper article' relating to some 'lost' artefact or place (as opposed to a mythical creature in DT) followed by Gates heading off around the globe in search of the artefact or place, followed closely by Gate's goofing around while he gets down on the the more serious track of the legends, which he then hunts down in the most annoyingly melodramatic ways possible.

All in all while the content is hokum in the extreme, overly melodramatic in parts, as a travelogue to some pretty interesting places conducted by an intelligent, well travelled, funny and entertaining host.