Destination Truth

What a polar opposite to Expedition Unknown, which I truly like. EU is based in facts, archaeology, history, evidence. Destination "Truth" is based in....nothing but entertainment factor for ghosty ghoulie fans. Can't hardly stand watching this idiocy, except that once in a while they actually throw in some true culture and history that keeps my attention and makes me think that if I endure the crap, I might learn something worth my time. Big foot, large crocodiles, bats, animal noises, lights, urban and backwoods legends, over stating weather and normal natural obstacles.....all WAY over dramatisized deliberately, for nothing more than suspense to keep really bored people really duped. It's like one show is scientifically based and then....well hell, just in case we don't do well with intelligent, historical science (EU) let's do stupid, drunk hillbilly, sensationalistic bullcrap just in case. That way we get good ratings for EU from one demographic and some good, drug induced thumbs up from....another demographic. Seriously....if you're fascinated by paranormal (and plenty of intelligent, scientific ppl are) there are many other venues which are actually better suited to whet your appetite....that don't presume you're a total idiot. Flipside....Gates is ingeniously two faced in these shows. He is knowledgeable, level headed, factually in-tuned and a good teacher in Expedition Unknown. It is much less theater and more genuine conveying of real info. Yet he is a silly peddler of tricks and drama in Destination "Truth" and betrays that he really sucks at acting. Expedition Unknown raises my eyebrow. Destination Crap makes my eyes roll.

Destination Truth follows the exploits of self-styled adventurer and cryptozoologist Josh Gates. Every episode Gates and his drinking buddies search for two new cryptids (or, when convenient, any other odd stuff in the vicinity).

If you overlook the fact that Gates lacks any real credentials (although he regularly consults with experts), the show is a great watch. It's a light-hearted alternative to series like Ghost Hunters and MonsterQuest.

Although Destination Truth's methods are suspect (as they only spend a few days in most locations), they're by no means worse than other sensationalist documentaries and the casting more than makes up for any shortcomings: Gates is both abrasive and witty as he playfully (and rightfully) ridicules first-hand eye-witness testimony; his outright skepticism is a breath of air; and his sarcasm, well, a bit over the time (he's about as subtle as a hammer... or Michael Moore).

All in all, Destination Truth is a surprisingly good watch for a Scifi channel documentary.

It looks like a couple of folks don't get it. It's a drama and a comedy.

We laugh our butts off every time we watch it. Actually about half the time. The first half of each "investigation" is funny. This includes getting there, which is always a disaster. The investigation kind of slows the laughs down some as it is awful "Blair witchcraft". It's OK though as they have two investigations per show.

I wish they would just change it to more of a travel show so we would have the laughs the entire show. It would be great if they could have some guests on the show like Geraldo Rivera as he has to be the model for Josh Gates character.

I absolutely love this show and am baffled about all the people bashing it. Josh Gates is one hell of a host and keeps things interesting and fun. I have no idea why some people get the impression that he is making fun of the locals in the exotic destinations he investigates. Josh is a goofy guy and finds humor in every situation and I don't think that's such a bad quality and who ever thinks so must lead a boring life. People also seem to complain about them not finding any evidence which I find hilarious. Do you really expect them to find evidence of a werewolf? Obviously there is no such thing as werewolves and if they found "evidence" to support that, I'd stop watching. Destination Truth is about introducing us couch potatoes to other cultures and their superstitions and beliefs and going out there to A. If it is a plausible creature, look for possible evidence of it's existence. and/or B. Look for what people could be mistaking as a unknown creature. Most of the time they find evidence to support the latter. I have also read comments criticizing the on camera "freak outs," I'm sorry but if you are in the middle of the jungle at night; you better be afraid of EVERYTHING. No one on this show claims to be a scientist and actual scientific research can take years if not ones lifetime. So, if you like travel mixed with humor and learning about other cultures' superstitions and "monster" sightings with a healthy does of skepticism then this show is for you. If you take life way too seriously, hate fun, and like to spend time ripping a TELEVISION SHOW apart... look elsewhere.

All right, so they really don't find anything, but maybe that isn't the point. Something that is missing from investigation shows is a little bit of humor and Destination Truth has plenty of that. I find this show absolutely hysterical and would watch episodes for that reason alone. However, DT does introduce many lesser known myths about animals around the world. Maybe, just maybe, this is the true purpose of the show, to reveal stories and legends of other cultures. Maybe in Season 2 they'll find some exciting evidence, maybe they'll continue to come up empty, but I will learn something about a foreign culture and laugh a little in the process. My suggestion is take the show for what it is and enjoy it for what it offers, an entertaining hour of television.