Jacques Cousteau's National Geographic specials were popular forty-plus years ago when I was still in college. One of the guys in the dorm, Russ D, was an avid diver and a major fan. (He later worked for Westinghouse in an engineering position that required diving -- Br'er Rabbit in the briar patch.)
We were looking forward to Cousteau's search for Inca gold, and eagerly gathered around the color TV of a dorm member whose father owned an appliance store.
It turned out that the lake supposedly loaded with jewelry and other artifacts was sorely lacking in gold. But it //was// full o'frogs. For the rest of the hour, we were treated to a show about giant frogs. "Frogs, frogs, frogs, frogs. Glorious frogs, marvelous frogs." (You can learn more by Googling "In the Land of Giant Frogs".)
Russ nearly had a fit. "I don't want to see a show about frogs!"
I can't help but think of that episode when watching "Treasure Quest: Snake Island". Given the way Discovery (and other cable networks) have created despicably dishonest "documentaries", one wonders whether someone had the brilliant idea of a series in which people visit an island infested with (supposedly) poisonous snakes, looking for treasure that never existed.
In fairness, the thing looks legitimate. Mehgan Heaney-Grier is a real free diver (best-remembered for her shows with Manny Puig and Mark Rackley), but I suspect she's present mostly as eye candy in what would otherwise be an all-male program. The other participants don't seem to be acting.
The first three episodes have been nothing if not attention-grabbing. The explorers have quickly located significant clues to the treasure's location. Whether they'll eventually find it...
Assuming this is a legitimate story, I predict they will. Cork, et al, wouldn't let the series be aired otherwise, as it would allow their unfinished work to be exploited by someone else.
My nine-star rating is strictly for entertainment value. Discovery has so badly poisoned the reality-TV well that one has to be suspicious of //everything// it shows.
