Expedition Unknown

Have done a blitz on this series and I love it , the travel show showing that there is more than sun and sand , stunning cities and out of the way sceneries. the adventure part mixed in always hinting that you could find the missing treasure etc. josh gates is funny mixing bikes,cars trucks etc into his travel, showing that rent a car is fun and dodgy, he meets some amazing people all thinking they have the answer to the puzzle. mr gates does have a down side , he does push in like a little kid , iam the presenter main man way, well he is American,a bit cocky which makes you hope he breaks a leg , would be nice if he ever found anything but that's the adventure.

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.

Do you remember when you were a kid and you saw Goonies or read about pirate treasure and you instantly started digging a hole in your yard? Well that magic is still alive in this show. Josh Gates is a great host and takes us on voyages to other lands and remote locations steeped in history. Sometimes it is chasing treasure and other times it is chasing a legend but it is always entertaining imho and a 'safe' enough show that I let my 6 year old watch it. After the first episode we watched together, she immediately started dragging me off the couch to go look for treasure at the creek behind the house (there is a vine hanging over that part and bamboo that makes it look more jungle like lol). She now has a metal detector that we go hunting with on the weekends and has even buried an arrowhead she found so that "Josh Gates can come here and find it". Very inspiring and hard to find that kind of magical adventure show. Sure, it can be formulaic and sometimes things are not found or the dig is still in progress but the show often updates when things are discovered. Please keep up the good work, Mr. Gates and thank you for creating another generation of adventurer :)

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.