Expedition Unknown

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.

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.

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.

The production isn't quite as good as Cities of the Underworld but I still thoroughly enjoy this show. I've seen all the Cities of the Underworld episodes a few times so Expedition Unknown has replaced it on my DVR list as my Sunday morning coffee drinking show. Josh Gates being an actual Archaeologist makes it better for me as well. He really does have the best job in the world. He hasn't completely replaced my man crush on Don Wildman (I still watch Mysteries at the Museum) but it's close. Great show, and if the producers read this I am available to be an assistant (though my wife may not let me travel the historical world and leave her at home...she already nixed me volunteering for VetPaw, an organization for combat vets that fight poachers in Africa). Slight tangent there but yeah definitely a show worth a watch.

If Mike Rowe is the people's everyman host, Josh Gates is the host you most want to be. Who wouldn't want to travel the world investigating odd and unusual stories and historical mysteries? And not only that, Josh never seems to have a bad day. Perhaps it's just the magic of television but he genuinely seems to have fun with everything no matter what situation he seems to find himself in. He seems to genuinely enjoy his job and it comes through in every episode.

The show thinly veils itself as being about history and archaeology, but it really is about Gates and his adventures and misadventures around the world. Occasionally you will learn something and they will find something archaeologically interesting, but that's really not what the show is about. Being on the Travel channel, it's as much about the travel and experience as it is the science. Perhaps more so.

The show is well worth the watch.