Expedition Unknown

Expedition Unknown
Genre	Documentary Reality Adventure Travel
Starring	Josh Gates
Narrated by	Josh Gates
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	35
Production
Executive producer(s)	Brad Kuhlman Casey Brumels Josh Gates
Editor(s)	Nicholas Caramonta, Robert Claridge, Marc Femenella, Dustin Peterson, Scott Simmons, Ben Simoff
Running time	45 minutes
Production company(s)	Ping Pong Productions
Distributor	Travel Channel
Release
Original network	Travel Channel
Original release	January 8, 2015 – present
External links
Website

Expedition Unknown is an American reality television series that premiered on January 8, 2015, on the Travel Channel. Produced by Ping Pong Productions, the program follows archaeologist, explorer, and television presenter Josh Gates on adventures to investigate the world's most enduring legends and mysteries. The series currently airs Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. ^{[1] [2]} Expedition Unknown was renewed for season 2 By Travel Channel, which premiered October 7, 2015.^[3]

On March 24, 2016, the Travel Channel renewed the series for a third season, scheduled to air later this year.^[4]

Premise

Expedition Unknown chronicles the adventures of Josh Gates as he investigates iconic mysteries across the globe. Gates begins by interviewing key eyewitnesses and uncovering recent developments in the story, then springboards into a fully immersive exploration. This authentic, roughshod adventure leads Gates closer to the truth behind these unanswered global enigmas. Josh Gates is an adventurer and avid explorer with a unique brand of humor and passion for off-the-map excursions. ^[5]

Opening Introduction: (narrated by Josh Gates):

“

My name is Josh Gates. With a degree in archaeology and a passion for exploration, I have a tendency to end up in some very strange situations. My travels have taken me to the ends of the Earth as I investigate the greatest legends in history. This is...Expedition Unknown.

”

Series overview

Season	Episodes	Originally aired
	First aired	Last aired
	1	12	January 8, 2015	April 2, 2015
	2	23	October 7, 2015	TBD

Episodes

Season 1 (2015)

No.	Title	Original air date	U.S. viewers (millions)
1	"Amelia Earhart"	January 8, 2015	N/A
In the series two-hour special premiere, adventurer Josh Gates hunts down new evidence on the disappearance of Amelia Earhart. Gates first sets off to Papua New Guinea where he treks through the uncharted jungle of tribal lands, then his journey brings him to Fiji where he tries to uncover the famous pilot's human remains.
2	"Temple of Doom"	January 15, 2015	0.78[6]
In his search for a lost city, Josh's destination brings him to the remote jungles of Cambodia to investigate the ancient Khmer Empire to find a Linga stone, a 1,000-year-old mystical relic that, legend has it, was used by the God King to incinerate his enemies.
3	"World's 8th Wonder"	January 22, 2015	0.85[7]
Josh's hunt for the Amber chamber takes him to Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia for research. Then to Germany, where he retraces the steps of Nazi soldiers who looted the treasure during World War II as he explores abandoned bunkers and a hazardous silver mine in hopes of finding the world's most valuable object ever to be stolen.
4	"The Legend of Jesse James"	January 29, 2015	N/A
Josh searches across the American Midwest for legendary outlaw Jesse James' "gold loot", which he and his gang stole from Mexican guards South of the Border. He separates fact from fiction by understanding James' nature by walking a mile in his boots, following his trail from his farm in Kearney, Missouri to Robbers Cave, where he finds himself rappelling off a cliff to find this hidden treasure, then to Cement, Oklahoma to join up with a team using high-tech equipment.
5	"City of Gold"	February 5, 2015	0.86[8]
Josh Gates travels through Peru in search for the legendary Incan lost city of Paititi. His journey takes him from the historic Cusco, to the heights of Machu Picchu, and finally into the Amazon's dark and mysterious jungles.
6	"Viking Sunstone"	February 12, 2015	0.92[9]
Josh tries to unlock the secrets to the fabled Sunstone of the Vikings while traveling through the British island of Alderney and Norway, where he explores a crypt underneath Nidaros Cathedral to find the final resting place of Viking king St. Olaf. Later, he descends into a 37-mile long calcite mine to make his own sunstone, testing its power while at sea with locals who live like Vikings.
7	"Captain Morgan's Lost Gold"	February 19, 2015	1.01[10]
Josh joins archaeologists in Panama as they search for the Satisfaction, the sunken flagship of legendary pirate Captain Henry Morgan. But first he must understand the man behind the rum who attacked Panama City looking for treasure. He also searches one of many shipwrecks near Fort San Lorenzo at the reef, where Morgan's ship ran aground.
8	"Code to Gold"	February 26, 2015	0.93[11]
Josh scours the Virginia backcountry in search of the legendary Thomas Beale treasure. He meets up with local treasure hunters and explores a 4 mile search radius in Bedford County using a printed copy of the Declaration of Independence, believed to have hidden symbols that James B. Ward, the author of the Beale Papers encoded. He then meets up with a crypto-anaylst to get further evidence on the hoax theory.
9	"Mayan Apocalypse"	March 5, 2015	0.83[12]
Josh investigates the fall of the remarkable Mayan Empire. He explores the many cenotes—underground caverns believed to be gateways to the underworld—below the jungles and many ruins of Mexico, including the largest Mayan city, Chichén Itzá. While SCUBA diving in the dark waters of the Holtun Cenote, he unearths human skulls and ancient sacrificial altars, which gets him closer to why their empire collapsed.
10	"Secrets of the Nazca"	March 19, 2015	0.97[13]
Josh flies to Peru to investigate the giant geoglyphs known as the Nazca Lines that were drawn into the desert by the ancient Nazca tribe. By studying newly found lines recently discovered on a mountain made by the Paracas people and joining a Nazca psychedelic ritual, Josh uncovers the true meaning behind the mysterious tracings.
11	"Samurai Sword of Power"	March 26, 2015	0.86[14]
Josh heads to Japan to search for the missing Honjo Masamune sword. After learning about the legend of this mystical katana, his search takes him to the back alleys of Tokyo and the city's red-light district, an ancestral burial ground, Imperial tunnels in Nagano, and an ancient mountaintop Shinto shrine in Togakushi.
12	"Curse of the Golden Bell"	April 2, 2015	0.72[15]
Josh travels to Myanmar to join in the search for the ancient cursed Golden Bell of King Dhammazedi, believed to be sunk at the bottom directly in the center of the Bago River, the Yangon River and the Pazundaung Creek when Portuguese warlord Filipe de Brito e Nicote's ship was wrecked in 1599 after stealing the massive bell.

Season 2 (2015-16)

No.	Title	Original air date	U.S. viewers (millions)
1	"The Quest for King Arthur"	October 7, 2015	0.60[16]
Josh investigates one of the greatest stories of all time, The Legend of King Arthur. Was King Arthur real and if so, who was he? He searches for answers in Arthur's birthplace at Tintagel Castle in Cornwall, England and then in the ruins of Cadbury Castle in Somerset, a 5th-century hill fort that is believed to have once served as the capitol of Camelot.
2	"Genghis Khan's Tomb"	October 14, 2015	0.63[17]
Josh researches the legends about Genghis Khan to get ready for his journey to search for the great conqueror's long-lost tomb. It is believed to be somewhere in Mongolia at what's known as the "forbidden zone" located on top of the "Holy Mountain" or Burkhan Khaldun, which is guarded by a local tribe and completely closed off to foreigners.
3	"Blackbeard's Hidden Gold"	October 21, 2015	0.55[18]
Josh sails the high seas in search of the most sought-after pirate treasure in history, Blackbeard's buried booty of gold. He explores underwater sea caves in Cayman Brac, gets up close to his wrecked flagship Queen Anne's Revenge, and drives down the Outer Banks on North Carolina's coast to dig up artifacts on Ocracoke Island, the site of his last stand.
4	"Hunting Vampires"	October 28, 2015	0.52[19]
Josh digs up the truth behind vampire legends. His travels start at Curtea Veche in Romania, where he learns about Vlad the Impaler, the inspiration behind Dracula. Then off to Marotinu de Sus, a Romanian village, where six men desecrated a fresh grave believing it to be a "strigoi". He ends in Perperikon, Bulgaria to examine a vampire grave.
5	"The Real Robin Hood"	November 4, 2015	0.52[20]
6	"Raw & Unfiltered"	November 11, 2015	0.42[21]
Josh answers viewers' questions about his travels, discovers new evidence about his investigations during his many adventures, and reveals what really happens behind the scenes in making the show.
7	"Finding Fenn's Fortune"	November 18, 2015	0.46[22]
Josh searches for the treasure of art dealer Forrest Fenn, who after being diagnosed with terminal cancer hid his fortune, worth $2 million, deep in the Rocky Mountains north of his hometown of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Before his dies, he wanted to mastermind the greatest treasure hunt of all time and packed a chest full of gold, jewelry and gems. However, he survived and publishes a memoir containing a cryptic poem with nine clues that leads to the prize.
8	"Most Dangerous Moments"	November 25, 2015	0.38[23]
In this special episode, Josh counts down his "top ten most dangerous moments" on his expeditions from the show's first season, with never-before-seen footage and expanded scenes from his many adventures.
9	"Secrets of Christopher Columbus"	December 2, 2015	0.73[24]
To uncover the true story of Christopher Columbus, Josh retraces the famous explorer's voyages, visits his hometown on the island of Madeira, where he worked as a chart maker, and discovers the fate of his missing flagship, the Santa Maria, which hasn't been seen since she ran aground off the coast of Haiti in 1492.
10	"Columbus Unearthed"	December 9, 2015	0.66[25]
The search for Christopher Columbus continues with finding his missing remains. Josh follows his five-century voyage across two continents to search for his final resting place believed to be at Columbus Lighthouse in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic or at Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See in Seville, Spain, both countries laying claim to his bones.
11	"Japan's Atlantis"	December 16, 2015	0.63[26]
Josh goes to the ruins of Yonaguni Island, the westernmost Japanese island on the East China Sea, to determine whether the undersea structures are geologic or man-made. The Yonaguni Monument discoverer, Kihachiro Aratake, dives with Josh, showing him the undersea area with cut steps leading up to a level platform. Josh takes a rock sample for geologic analysis. In Osaka, archaeologist Michio Maezano shows Josh an ancient rock tomb. It proves that ancient people could have carved the Yonaguni structures, then an earthquake could have sunk them. Geologist Masahide Furukawa examines Josh's rock sample. It's composed of layered sandstone and shale. Furukawa conducts stress tests on the rock. It breaks along bedding planes, forming a flat surface every time. Josh concludes the Yonaguni monument is a natural product of tectonics and wave action.
12	"True Cross of Christ"	December 23, 2015	0.88[27]
13	"Legendary Stories: The Real Lewis & Clark"	December 30, 2015	0.56[28]
In this special legends episode, Josh, along with several historians, tell the true and unfiltered story of exploring pioneers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark who single-handedly mapped the uncharted American frontier, but not without scandal on their expedition. Later, he takes a look at the dangerous details of building the Transcontinental Railroad Also, he exposes secrets of Wyatt Earp, either the greatest lawman or con man in the Wild West.
14	"The Sultan's Heart"	January 6, 2016	0.63[29]
15	"Africa's Gold Hoard"	January 13, 2016	0.70[30]
16	"Weird, Wild and Off the Rails"	January 20, 2016	0.54[31]
Josh takes viewers behind the scenes in what it's really like out on the road making the show. A lot more happens on each expedition than he could cram into any 1-hour episode and some great moments wind up on the cutting-room floor. He's splicing it all together in this "best of" complication. From never-before-seen clips of Josh's travels to the wildest action, weirdest and funniest moments. Plus a sneak peek of his upcoming African expedition to the Kalahari Desert in search of a legendary lost city.
17	"Kalahari Desert's Lost City"	January 27, 2016	0.68[32]
18	"Yamashita's Gold"	February 10, 2016	0.74[33]
19	"Columbus: Legend or Liar?"	February 17, 2016	0.59[34]
Josh investigates the myths behind Christopher Columbus. To some he is an epic hero, to others a bloodthirsty conqueror. He learns the truth about the famous explorer's early years, his nationality and his real discoveries.
20	"What to Know Before You Go"	February 24, 2016	0.45[35]
Josh shares his travel tips; everything from advice on the best way to get there to the importance of choosing the right clothes, to how to shop local for the best bargains, and when to slow down for a snack. He shows viewers what to do and what to avoid when traveling the world. Also, cautionary travel tales, expanded scenes and never before seen televised footage from his adventures.
21	"Search for Shangri-La"	March 2, 2016	0.64[36]
22	"Shangri-La Found"	March 9, 2016	0.83[37]
23	"Most Extreme Moments"	March 16, 2016	0.52[38]
Josh counts down his ten most extreme adventures. He recalls the most outrageous, unexpected and thrilling moments from his expeditions with never-before televised bonus footage, expanded scenes, and one-on-one interviews with his crew who reveal what it's really like to film the series.
24	"Global Game Show"	March 23, 2016	0.59[39]
Josh takes a break from his adventures and uses his down time to be a game show host when he plays a trivia game with some fellow travelers and gives them a change to win some incredible prizes, inspired by expanded footage and out takes. For those playing at home, there's a bonus prize; a fresh look at his "most dazzling" expeditions.
25	"Extra Finds - Captain Morgan's Lost Gold"[40]	March 30, 2016	N/A
In Expedition Unknown: Extra Finds, viewers go behind the scenes and underwater with Josh Gates. He shares extra information in a graphic on screen, along with fans Twitter feeds, of his past adventure from last season to find Captain Morgan's lost gold and sunken flagship when he dives into Lajas Reef off the coast of Panama.
26	"Extra Finds - Temple of Doom"[40]	April 6, 2016	N/A
Go behind the scenes with Josh from his season one search for the Linga stones in lost city of the ancient Khmer Empire in the mountains of Cambodia that was discovered by a mysterious ruler named Jayavarman II.
27	"Extra Finds - Secrets of the Nazca"[40]	April 13, 2016	TBD
Josh shares fun facts on his season one adventure when he travels to Peru to investigate the giant geoglyphs drawn into the earth by the ancient Nazca tribes called Nazca Lines.

References

1. http://www.travelchannel.com/shows/expedition-unknown
2. "Travel Channel Launches Series 'Expedition Unknown' | Multichannel". multichannel.com. Retrieved 2015-02-05.
3. "Expedition Unknown season 2 release date". when-will.net. September 5, 2015. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
4. "Travel Channel Renews 'Expedition Unknown". Multinchannel. March 24, 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
5. http://www.travelchannel.com/shows/expedition-unknown/articles/about-the-show
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38. Metcalf, Mitch (March 17, 2016). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.16.2016". Showbuzzdaily. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
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40. "Expedition Unknown Listings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved October 8, 2015.

External links

• Official website
• Expedition Unknown at the Internet Movie Database
• Expedition Unknown at TV.com
• Expedition Unknown at TV Guide