Expedition Unknown - General Discussion

[rmontro]

Finally watched last night's episode.  Boudica is an interesting character.  I would have loved to have seen them find her gravesite somehow, but these things are usually a tease on this show.

I've been in Mammoth Cave, just the guided tour part.  Didn't see any shadow beings or hear ancient Native Americans chanting.

I really didn't intend to start watching Expedition X, but I've been sucked into it since they're sandwiching it between Expedition Unknown and After the Hunt.  Three hours of this stuff is really a little too much for me.

[pezgirl7]

I really hate that they make you sit though Expedition X in order to get a little more info about the Expedition Unknown episode. I normally just fast forward through the X part. The guy is a bit boring and the woman is way too quick to believe in anything. The last episode I watched was the Mothman episode. I'm glad they finally said that the Chicago sightings were probably just big birds. I live in the midwest, and some of the cranes are gigantic. I remember when one flew right over my car, it felt like I was in Jurassic Park and a pterodactyl had flown over head. lol

[rmontro]

13 hours ago, pezgirl7 said:

I live in the midwest, and some of the cranes are gigantic. I remember when one flew right over my car, it felt like I was in Jurassic Park and a pterodactyl had flown over head. lol

I'm also in the midwest, and I had the exact same experience.  It really did look like some prehistoric creature flying over the car.

[friendperidot]

I watched a rerun of one of the King Arthur shows today. Josh was rappelling down into a cave. There was a camera shot of him like the camera operator was right next to him. And I've seen this before and wondered about how they do some of their camera shots. Sometimes, Josh is crawling through a hole and the camera is in front of him. The camera and sound people for this show have to be brave souls.

[rmontro]

17 hours ago, friendperidot said:

 I've seen this before and wondered about how they do some of their camera shots. Sometimes, Josh is crawling through a hole and the camera is in front of him. The camera and sound people for this show have to be brave souls.

When he was repelling down the cliff a couple of weeks ago (the early ancestors show), posting markers for the drone, he turned to the camera and said something along the lines of "A person in their right mind wouldn't be doing this".  I got the impression he was really talking to the cameraman who was filming alongside him.

Speaking of drones, at some point the technology is going to get to the point where they can probably film guys like Josh without sending cameramen into harm's way.

[AAEBoiler]

Expedition X question here on the Mammoth Cave episode. Why were there shadows on the walls when Jessica went "all-dark" using the night vision cameras?

[rmontro]

34 minutes ago, AAEBoiler said:

Expedition X question here on the Mammoth Cave episode. Why were there shadows on the walls when Jessica went "all-dark" using the night vision cameras?

I'm assuming they were shadows from the infrared light.

[SVNBob]

Something has been bothering me about the last episode of Expedition X; the photograph in the schoolhouse.

Not only did they show us Jessica picking it up and them all looking at it, they showed us a full-screen image of the picture itself.    But after Jessica put it back down (where she found it and in a respectful manner, as I was expecting her to do), they didn't mention anything more about it, not even in After the Hunt.

They don't normally do things like that full-screen shot unless there's going to be some sort of follow-up or pay-off, right?  So what happened here?

[Gothish520]

Anyone still watching Expedition X? I like Josh for the most part and hate to criticize, but oof, that show is bad. The hosts are decently attractive (don't pretend that doesn't matter 😁), but they do not display enough charm or personality to keep the show interesting. There's very little chemistry between them and their delivery is either flat or obviously fake-excited. And the cases are pretty much nonsense.

[Frost]

5 minutes ago, Gothish520 said:

Anyone still watching Expedition X? 

No.  I drop as soon as the main show is done.  I agree with all of your criticisms and have no interest in watching.

[pezgirl7]

7 minutes ago, Gothish520 said:

Anyone still watching Expedition X? I like Josh for the most part and hate to criticize, but oof, that show is bad. The hosts are decently attractive (don't pretend that doesn't matter 😁), but they do not display enough charm or personality to keep the show interesting. There's very little chemistry between them and their delivery is either flat or obviously fake-excited. And the cases are pretty much nonsense.

I normally FFwd through most of it, but I did watch last week's episode because I found the flooded town really interesting, and I thought it was really creepy that the grave sites looked untouched. I would have thought that a rushing flood of water would have disturbed them more, but maybe the flood was more gradual. I did FFwd through the underwater EVP session, since I don't believe in EVPs and the whole premise was just ridiculous to me.

[Gothish520]

So I think Josh Gates Tonight might be my favorite of all of his shows, lol. Very amusing.

Edited April 9, 2020 by Gothish520

[TrininisaScorp]

9 hours ago, Gothish520 said:

So I think Josh Gates Tonight might he my favorite of all of his shows, lol. Very amusing.

So agree!  His adorable sense of humor is on display here nicely. I appreciate that he is making the most of a tough situation.  The mask and drink of the episode crack me up. 

[rmontro]

10 hours ago, TrininisaScorp said:

The mask and drink of the episode crack me up. 

Did anyone here watch Fresh off the Boat?  They had an ongoing gag whenever something cool happened, they would play this audio snippet of a guy with a deep voice singing "Yeah!".  The mask bit reminded me of that.  Josh said mammoth genetics started to deteriorate because of inbreeding, and the camera cut to the mask saying "Oh no!" in that same deep voice.  

If nothing else, the Stay at Home shows are short, so you don't lose interest.

[Gothish520]

I'm glad they expanded Josh Gates Tonight to an hour, I'm enjoying it a lot. He is so relaxed and such a funny and charming presence. It must be weird for him to not be out galavanting all over the globe. 

The Screaming Viking drink segment with John Ratzenberger was cute. I've always been a Cliff Clavin fan. 😁

Edited April 30, 2020 by Gothish520

[SVNBob]

10 hours ago, Gothish520 said:

I'm glad they expanded Josh Gates Tonight to an hour, I'm enjoying it a lot.

I'm incredibly impressed that he and Discovery managed to turn a 5-minute show into something that actually could last an hour, without much change.

Granted, a majority of it is cross-promotion of other shows on Discovery and other affiliated networks.  But it still works, since Josh seems genuinely curious about the subjects that he and his "guests" are talking about, and they're managing to keep most of them at least partially on theme with the preceding ExU episode.

[rmontro]

On 4/30/2020 at 2:20 PM, Gothish520 said:

I'm glad they expanded Josh Gates Tonight to an hour, I'm enjoying it a lot. He is so relaxed and such a funny and charming presence. It must be weird for him to not be out galavanting all over the globe. 

I thought an hour was a bit long for it actually, although Josh is certainly an engaging host.  I didn't know axe throwing was so dangerous.  I mean, yeah they're sharp, but I didn't know how prone they were at bouncing back at you.

I also enjoyed the Screaming Viking part.  I look forward to seeing what cocktail he's going to make every week, even though I don't even drink.  It's nice that he seems to enjoy it so much though.

[Gothish520]

I am loving Josh Gates Tonight (or should I say Expedition at Home? 😁) more with every episode. Enjoyed all his guests and his foray out into the world to pick up some German food for the fam. I have to say, I'm not hating the lack of traffic on the roads either. Had to make a rare trip out the other day to a store about 15 miles away and the drive was a breeze. And it's very interesting how nature is starting to recover due to the reduction of air pollution.

[rmontro]

17 hours ago, Gothish520 said:

it's very interesting how nature is starting to recover due to the reduction of air pollution.

I liked the bit where they were talking about a wild rhino in the city and Josh said "It's Jumanji out there!".  

I did find the trip to the German market oddly compelling.  I've always said my favorite parts of Josh's show were when he just soaked up the local flavor of wherever he was, sampling the local pubs, restaurants, and markets.

I do not believe in Chip Coffey's act in any way whatsoever.  But I have to admit I felt a little chilled when Josh asked him when the Covid stuff would end, and he told him "Not soon".

[Gothish520]

11 minutes ago, rmontro said:

I liked the bit where they were talking about a wild rhino in the city and Josh said "It's Jumanji out there!".  

I did find the trip to the German market oddly compelling.  I've always said my favorite parts of Josh's show were when he just soaked up the local flavor of wherever he was, sampling the local pubs, restaurants, and markets.

I do not believe in Chip Coffey's act in any way whatsoever.  But I have to admit I felt a little chilled when Josh asked him when the Covid stuff would end, and he told him "Not soon".

I've said the same to my husband about  how Josh visiting the pubs and shops and interacting with the locals is my favorite part of the show.

I'm a skeptic as well about mediums, but I did find Chip Coffey funny and entertaining and applaud his dedication to self-isolation (61 days at taping). And yes, his response to that question was quite sobering. I think he's right. 😳

[rmontro]

3 hours ago, Gothish520 said:

I've said the same to my husband about  how Josh visiting the pubs and shops and interacting with the locals is my favorite part of the show.

He's really got a great way of interacting with strangers.  He seems to genuinely like people and gives them respect.  I like the way he tends to call guys "sir", but it's not done in a stuffy way at all, but in sort of a friendly jovial way.  Kind of like "Is this a genuine genie lamp, sir?".  He's fun to watch.

When he said he majored in drama and archaeology, I thought well that sounds perfect, considering what he ended up doing.

[AAEBoiler]

I'm loving this version of the show too. I think Josh has quite a knack as an interviewer!

[Gothish520]

John Rhys-Davies, wow! And Karen Allen, nice. Apparently Josh has some pull, lol. Fun interviews. 

I feel kind of bad, poor Gabe was ignored this episode.

Hey, it's a lockdown, things are bound to get weird...😜

[Frost]

Karen Allen looks fantastic!  She falls into the 'whatever happened to...' category for me.  Why didn't her career take off?

[Lovecat]

On 5/8/2020 at 12:29 AM, rmontro said:

When he said he majored in drama and archaeology, I thought well that sounds perfect, considering what he ended up doing.

During the intro to the regular EXU show, my husband and I always yell out "AND DRAMA!" as quickly as we can during the split second after Josh says, "With a degree in archaeology...[ANDDRAMA!!]..."

We went to see his live show last fall [remember when we could go outside...and see shows??] and it was a hoot and a half.  That guy can really tell a story!

[Frost]

I'm sure Josh misses the traveling, but hosting a talk show does seem like a really good fit for him!  He can fan boy without being fawning, which can be a tight rope to walk.  I wish he had talked to Michael Emerson about Person of Interest, the one role where he wasn't a bad guy.

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

Loved the Bruce Campbell interview too!

[jennblevins]

On 5/21/2020 at 9:07 AM, Lovecat said:

During the intro to the regular EXU show, my husband and I always yell out "AND DRAMA!" as quickly as we can during the split second after Josh says, "With a degree in archaeology...[ANDDRAMA!!]..."

Whenever he says “My name is Josh Gates ...” in the intro, in our house we add “... I used to be a spy,” from Burn Notice.  (Speaking of Bruce Campbell.). There are a couple of other shows this works with, too, but honestly — Josh is the best potential former spy, anyway. 

[Arkay]

So, I've never heard of this show before. During the Pandemic, searching for something to watch (since new shows aren't coming), I found this the other day. 

I've only skimmed this forum, but apparently what I watched were old reruns...Robin Hood and King Arthur. I'm not at all interested in some of the crazy things Josh seems to explore, but I am interested in legendary people and discovering something about their actual origins. 

It was fun to see him exploring ancient parts of the U.K., but I was pretty disappointed. In both of these shows, he met with locals and experts  who are consumed with these legends. In both shows, they used sonar equipment to see if there was any ground disturbance , searching to find the graves of Arthur and Robin Hood. But all the experts could say is "there's something there." Obviously that could be absolutely anything at all. No proof of the burials of either one. What is supposed to be the point of this show? Is it to actually find something worthwhile, or is it just the journey? I mean, 7  hours up and down an ancient cave to see a giant cavern, where for no reason, it's speculated that Arthur and his knights might have gathered? There's a lot of that. Will someone tell me if its always like this?

I have one more taped, about King John. 

 

[SVNBob]

It is like that a lot.  Josh and the local archaeologist and/or treasure hunter will come across a possible endpoint for the investigation.  But because of local property laws and regulations regarding excavations and the like, that's as far as they can  go.  They can speculate based on what they've found, but that is it.

Occasionally, they'll find actual period artifacts near the end of an episode, like ship wreckage in pirate stories, or plane wreckage in the Bermuda Triangle, but they're not able to conclusively say at the time whether those things are precisely what they were looking for.  Related to your interest in actual historical figures, look for the episode about Boadicea; that's all I'll say about that episode.

However, there's sometimes follow-up episodes.  In those, the local had gotten government permissions after the show left the first time, or they found other evidence related to the story, and now Josh and crew are back to see what was actually found and continue with the search.  There's a couple episodes about the Mayan Snake Kings. and also about the lost Spanish fleet of 1715.  But the episodes most like what I described are the ones about the heart of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.  The follow-up on that story is huge.

In the end, the show is more about showing off and celebrating the processes of archaeology and treasure hunting, and not necessarily the results.  But on occasion, they do get to show off those results.

[Arkay]

Thank you, @SVNBob. That's a very comprehensive answer.

I am interested in Boudica. Boris Johnson had written a book about the history of England, which began with her story, and I loved that. I'll have to research when these reruns are broadcast and find that episode. 

If I find a few where the subject interests me, I'll watch those. It wasn't what I expected, as I mentioned, but at least now I'll go into it with a better understanding of its purpose. 

[Frost]

The Fenn treasure chest has been found!    There haven't been a lot of details released, but Forrest Fenn has confirmed it.  The man who found it sent him a photograph of the chest.  I hope Josh does a follow up.

[pezgirl7]

17 minutes ago, Frost said:

The Fenn treasure chest has been found!    There haven't been a lot of details released, but Forrest Fenn has confirmed it.  The man who found it sent him a photograph of the chest.  I hope Josh does a follow up.

Call me skeptical. Why not say where it was found? Why not share the photo of the treasure that the man sent him? Maybe because the man and the treasure don't exist? He said they'll be photos and info released in the coming days, so I'll wait and see.

[Tammee]

Fenn's gold is found!!  They wont say who or where but they kept showing a young girl in a sewer like pipe and she was digging in the water.  Wow!!!

4 hours ago, pezgirl7 said:

Call me skeptical. Why not say where it was found? Why not share the photo of the treasure that the man sent him? Maybe because the man and the treasure don't exist? He said they'll be photos and info released in the coming days, so I'll wait and see.

They did show a pic of the chest and all the pieces of gold.  I think they said 20 pieces 

[Tammee]

4 hours ago, pezgirl7 said:

Call me skeptical. Why not say where it was found? Why not share the photo of the treasure that the man sent him? Maybe because the man and the treasure don't exist? He said they'll be photos and info released in the coming days, so I'll wait and see.

I think there's been 3 people who have gone looking and never came back. Idk, i guess consider it like the lotto.  Im not sure i would want my name out there.  Maybe after, not right away.  Id like to hear the story though of how they found it.

[SVNBob]

2 hours ago, Tammee said:

I think there's been 3 people who have gone looking and never came back.

1 missing and presumed dead, 4 confirmed dead, and 1 who was found with one of the dead, but did recover in the hospital.  All per Wikipedia.

Also, 4 people were charged with legal infractions related to the treasure hunt; 3 in Yellowstone.  And one guy was arrested after breaking into Fenn's house and stealing a chest he thought was the treasure.  He was caught in the act and held at gunpoint by Fenn and one of his daughters until police arrived.

Another guy tried suing Fenn in 2019 for "making fraudulent statements and deceiving searchers".  Apparently, he thought he solved the poem and got to the end...but found nothing.  So instead of thinking he had the wrong solution, he filed a suit against Fenn for $1.5 million, half of the then-estimated value of the treasure.  The suit was eventually dismissed.

All that leads me to believe that Fenn would welcome Josh and crew doing a follow-up, so the story can be closed once and for all.

Edited June 8, 2020 by SVNBob

[SVNBob]

A (probably hare-brained) theory about the Fenn treasure that I saw on Reddit.

Could Josh himself be the one that found Fenn's treasure and that's why Fenn isn't saying much of anything yet?  All he has said is that the finder is some guy from "back East".  Josh is from Boston, and ExUHQ is New York.

[Frost]

1 hour ago, SVNBob said:

Could Josh himself be the one that found Fenn's treasure and that's why Fenn isn't saying much of anything yet? 

That would be one heck of an episode!  Except I don't think Josh is out and about, is he?  He's filming his Josh Gates Tonight shows from home without a crew.

[rmontro]

1 hour ago, Frost said:

That would be one heck of an episode!  Except I don't think Josh is out and about, is he?  He's filming his Josh Gates Tonight shows from home without a crew.

That's what he wants you to think.

[Tammee]

3 hours ago, SVNBob said:

A (probably hare-brained) theory about the Fenn treasure that I saw on Reddit.

Could Josh himself be the one that found Fenn's treasure and that's why Fenn isn't saying much of anything yet?  All he has said is that the finder is some guy from "back East".  Josh is from Boston, and ExUHQ is New York.

Hah! That would be awesome!  theres probably something in his contract about finding treasure.  Im sure he'll at least acknowledge it, if not do a full ep about it.  He did that ep on that guy that found one of the boxes of the Secret.

3 hours ago, SVNBob said:

A (probably hare-brained) theory about the Fenn treasure that I saw on Reddit.

Could Josh himself be the one that found Fenn's treasure and that's why Fenn isn't saying much of anything yet?  All he has said is that the finder is some guy from "back East".  Josh is from Boston, and ExUHQ is New York.

Hah! That would be awesome!  theres probably something in his contract about finding treasure.  Im sure he'll at least acknowledge it, if not do a full ep about it.  He did that ep on that guy that found one of the boxes of the Secret.

Edited June 8, 2020 by Tammee
Dupe. Sorry, computer burp

[Tammee]

16 minutes ago, rmontro said:

That's what he wants you to think.

Heh.  Nobody is where they say they are lol

[Tammee]

On 5/21/2020 at 10:07 AM, Lovecat said:

During the intro to the regular EXU show, my husband and I always yell out "AND DRAMA!" as quickly as we can during the split second after Josh says, "With a degree in archaeology...[ANDDRAMA!!]..."

We went to see his live show last fall [remember when we could go outside...and see shows??] and it was a hoot and a half.  That guy can really tell a story!

He had a live show?  Was it just stories of his adventures?  I say 'just' lol. As if LOL.  Yes Im twelve.  Josh is so friendly and personable.  He would be a great host or something along those lines. Ive watched his shows ever since DT.  All in all, hes been doing this for a long time.  I can see him teaching the joy of discovery  and archaeology to his new young sons.  Im sure theyll follow Dad's footsteps!  I always enjoy his game show eps, although i do think theyve made it a tad easy.  Or easier i should say.  Bet i wouldnt mind it if i was lucky enough to be on hah.

[Lovecat]

15 minutes ago, Tammee said:

He had a live show?  Was it just stories of his adventures?  I say 'just' lol. As if LOL.  Yes Im twelve.  Josh is so friendly and personable.  He would be a great host or something along those lines. Ive watched his shows ever since DT.  All in all, hes been doing this for a long time.  I can see him teaching the joy of discovery  and archaeology to his new young sons.  Im sure theyll follow Dad's footsteps!  I always enjoy his game show eps, although i do think theyve made it a tad easy.  Or easier i should say.  Bet i wouldnt mind it if i was lucky enough to be on hah.

Yes, he told the story of how he got into his first teevee hosting gig, and other stories of his adventures, then took Q&A from the audience for a good long time.  Overall, a very fun evening!  I'd recommend it to any fans, if he's ever able to go on the road again.

[SVNBob]

2 hours ago, Frost said:

Except I don't think Josh is out and about, is he? 

Hence the "probably hare-brained" qualifier.

But it would be one hell of an episode if it was him.

[rmontro]

51 minutes ago, SVNBob said:

Hence the "probably hare-brained" qualifier.

But it would be one hell of an episode if it was him.

It would be even more of an episode if it was Gabe.

[pezgirl7]

16 hours ago, Tammee said:

They did show a pic of the chest and all the pieces of gold.  I think they said 20 pieces 

Are you referring to this photo? Because that photo is old. I'd like to see the photo of it after it was found. They wouldn't have to reveal the man's identity. Hopefully they reveal where it was found though. I'm sure the people that were searching for it are pulling out their hair wondering if they were close!

Edited June 8, 2020 by pezgirl7

[Tammee]

On 6/8/2020 at 2:03 PM, pezgirl7 said:

Are you referring to this photo? Because that photo is old. I'd like to see the photo of it after it was found. They wouldn't have to reveal the man's identity. Hopefully they reveal where it was found though. I'm sure the people that were searching for it are pulling out their hair wondering if they were close!

For some reason i cant load your pic, but it was a box, kind of like those old time cigar boxes.  But a big one, and all decorated in gilded gold.  They just showed it on a table.  The jewels were all splayed about, something like 80 coins, countless necklaces, etc.  I still havent seen any reaction from Josh.  Has he made any comment? 

Just now, Tammee said:

For some reason i cant load your pic, but it was a box, kind of like those old time cigar boxes.  But a big one, and all decorated in gilded gold.  They just showed it on a table.  The jewels were all splayed about, something like 80 coins, countless necklaces, etc.  I still havent seen any reaction from Josh.  Has he made any comment? 

Part Two lol. Ok got the pic to open and yes i think thats the same one i saw.

[Tammee]

On 6/8/2020 at 11:22 AM, Lovecat said:

Yes, he told the story of how he got into his first teevee hosting gig, and other stories of his adventures, then took Q&A from the audience for a good long time.  Overall, a very fun evening!  I'd recommend it to any fans, if he's ever able to go on the road again.

Oh thats awesome.  I wouldnt expect anything less.  He's so personable and charming, no matter what night you go on, youre almost guaranteed a great show. 

[Arkay]

As someone who was forced to search for unfamiliar TV fare, due to the pandemic shutting down new production of the shows I typically watch, I had come across this show. They're all reruns, but new to me. I was having trouble getting into it because the few shows I've seen have been very underwhelming. For example, searching for King Alaric's treasure and the ecstatic reaction to finding, instead, just a pin-sized piece of metal. 

Today, though, I watched part one of the Dead Sea Scrolls. That was fascinating. I haven't yet seen part two, and I doubt it will end with a discovery of new Dead Sea Scrolls (it would have been all over the media), but what they found so far has been amazing. Just seeing the labyrinthine caves beneath the ancient Israeli town of Beit Lehi, wow. All that hand carving from 2000 years ago, the Menorah and the dovecotes, that was so interesting. Then Josh and the Israeli archaeologist finding actual pottery that had been undiscovered until now felt like something that was genuinely an exciting discovery. 

[Tammee]

20 hours ago, Arkay said:

As someone who was forced to search for unfamiliar TV fare, due to the pandemic shutting down new production of the shows I typically watch, I had come across this show. They're all reruns, but new to me. I was having trouble getting into it because the few shows I've seen have been very underwhelming. For example, searching for King Alaric's treasure and the ecstatic reaction to finding, instead, just a pin-sized piece of metal. 

Today, though, I watched part one of the Dead Sea Scrolls. That was fascinating. I haven't yet seen part two, and I doubt it will end with a discovery of new Dead Sea Scrolls (it would have been all over the media), but what they found so far has been amazing. Just seeing the labyrinthine caves beneath the ancient Israeli town of Beit Lehi, wow. All that hand carving from 2000 years ago, the Menorah and the dovecotes, that was so interesting. Then Josh and the Israeli archaeologist finding actual pottery that had been undiscovered until now felt like something that was genuinely an exciting discovery. 

Ditto!  Loved the Scrolls eps.  I usually dont care for the nazi eps but do have so many favs i could recommend... love the space eps, yeti eps, historical biblical eps, the afterlife, hes been everywhere i think.  I also like Expedition X