Expedition Unknown may follow a familiar format, but for the most part, the adventures showcased on the show are real, even if the myths are not.
The Expedition Unknown investigations may not always be as groundbreaking as the trailers for the episodes would have you believe.
However, Josh Gates and his team really do travel to investigate all of these myths and showcase the local histories and cultures in the process.
Is Expedition Unknown real?
During the course of Expedition Unknown’s 11 seasons (not counting the countless specials and spin-offs) Josh Gates and his team have explored mysteries.
This ranges from the true identity of King Arthur, to evidence of the Holy Grail and a variety of ‘lost city’ locations.
However, if you have ever found yourself finishing an episode of Expedition Unknown and wondering “Was that it?” you are not alone.
Although Expedition Unknown may not always deliver the groundbreaking discoveries that many fans expect and the show’s legitimacy has been widely debated online, it is pretty much as real as it gets for reality television.
Expedition Unknown may exaggerate some of the more dramatic parts of its stories, but for the most part, the treasures showcased on the show and Gates’s adventures and investigations really do happen.
What is still up for debate, though, is whether their discoveries really do happen as spontaneously as they are portrayed.
Why fans think Expedition Unknown is fake
The main reasons why Expedition Unknown’s legitimacy has been so widely debated is because the show always seems to follow the same format.
Most skeptics find it difficult to believe that after most of these mysteries have remained unsolved for years and even decades, the Expedition Unknown team would conveniently discover some new evidence during the course of a single episode.
Evidence to show that the Expedition Unknown travels and investigations are real
Neither Travel Channel (Expedition Unknown’s first home) nor Discovery Channel have ever confirmed that the show is fake.
However, one of the cinematographers of the show, Evan B. Stone, did confirm that the team really does travel to all of the remote locations, including India Turkey, Russia and even the Amazon, to film their investigations.
He also confirmed that Gates performs all of his daring expedition stunts himself (often accompanied by other members of the crew).
Does it even really matter?
Whether everything depicted on Expedition Unknown is really “real” or not may still be up in the air.
But one thing that both fans and skeptics can agree on is that the show is really much more about the rich cultures and histories that are showcased through the investigations.
The “expedition” aspect of the show is what ensures that it is never truly boring, even when no notable discoveries are made.
