012 of 100: destination truth with josh gates.
In this latest installment of Angie B's 100 Things, POP CULTURE YOU SHOULD KNOW:
Seems there are a thousand paranormal-themed "reality" shows out there -- and it also seems like I've watched them all, thanks to my Mum's fascination with ghosts and things that go bump in the night. And while most of the fare is annoying, tedious, and highly skeptical (I'm looking at you, Ghost Hunters), Destination Truth is one of the few shows I sincerely and truly love.
So why is that? Well, Josh Gates, mostly, the show's ridiculously charming and hilarious host who's also a photographer and experienced diver/climber -- and a stone cold FOX who could spelunk my cave any goddamned day of the week. It's clear that Gates is pretty skeptical about the claims of monsters terrorizing small villages in rural backwoods -- but he's more than happy to do his due diligence and investigate each report with his amazingly snarky sense of humor at the fore. And it makes for some damn fine entertainment; more paranormal-themed shows should be helmed by skeptics -- it makes me take their findings more seriously, and lightens the tone substantially.
Destination Truth is more a goofy travel program than a paranormal investigation show. Josh and his team go to some incredibly far-flung and incredibly beautiful places: Easter Island, Russia, the Amazon, Antarctica, the Middle East, China... They meet colorful people, experience a variety of cultures and cuisines, and crack wise the entire time. Sometimes they even find something weird and unexplainable...
What I love about DT is that sometimes, SOMETIMES, they do capture things on camera. Strange figures in Chernobyl where there can't possibly be people; unidentifiable animal hair that a DNA database can't classify; human-shaped footprints that are confirmed to be from an actual living creature by experts, but three times bigger than they should be; footage of team members being physically pulled up from the ground -- and yet there's no sign of anyone attacking them. You get the witty commentary and snarky jokes from Josh and the beautiful landscapes and cultures to keep you entertained throughout the episode, and then there are some honest shocks and surprises. Unlike most of its ilk, Destination Truth actually delivers the goods.
The first four seasons are all streaming on Netflix right now, and I highly recommend a hearty marathon so you'll be ready for the s5 premiere July 10th. It's one of the few premiers I've been anxiously awaiting -- this show isn't even a guilty pleasure for me, it's Must See TV.
