A Beginner’s Guide to 'Josh Gates’ Destination Truth'

Not familiar with the Josh Gates cult classic coming to Travel Channel? You’re about to be.

If you haven’t already heard the news, we’re about to make your day: Expedition Unknown host Josh Gates is bringing his original series Josh Gates’ Destination Truth back to TV with double premieres on Travel Channel starting this Friday.

As we inch closer to the cult favorite’s return to the small screen, let’s review some of the key points to know about the adventure series if you’re not already on the DT bandwagon. Hint: If you’re a Josh Gates, Expedition Unknown loyalist, you’re going to love this one, too.

Crazy Creatures

Monsters are the name of the game on Destination Truth. Josh and his team travel the world looking for evidence of the existence of purported creatures and monsters lurking through jungles, forests and deep waters. In the episodes premiering this Friday, Josh travels to Indonesia in search of the ape-like orang pendak, to Iceland on a deep dive into the legend of a 30-foot-long water worm and to West Africa looking for a reptilian river monster and a flying beast.

Josh Has Plenty of Partners in Crime

While the production crew is often seen on Expedition Unknown, the crew on Destination Truth is much more involved in the investigations. Case manager Casey, researcher Ryder and medic Gabe are just a few of the cast of characters we see aiding Josh in the many tricky situations he often finds himself in while searching for evidence in the field.

The Animations Are Kind of Awesome

It’s no easy feat trying to bring eyewitness accounts to life, but the visuals of the creatures the team is investigating truly bring the stories full circle. Are you not a bit terrified for Josh after seeing this visual of the ninki nanka river monster?

Be Prepared for Some Close Calls

Much like what we see in Expedition Unknown, the investigations in Destination Truth bring Josh to some pretty treacherous and often unexplored locations. There’s forging of wild rivers, steep climbs, rocky roads and, of course, deep dives in murky waters. Thankfully, Josh always manages to land on his feet … kind of.

There’s Always Car Trouble

It’s a running joke. In a Reddit AMA from 2015, Josh said he was really, truly scared “every time Ryder rented me a car.” From flat tires to busted fuel lines, it's always something with these rentals on the road in Destination Truth.

Work Hard, Play Harder

If there’s one thing Josh knows how to do better than search for evidence, it’s how to let off some steam after clocking out. In Josh Gates’ Destination Truth, we’ll see the team enjoying exotic dinners together (exotic = goat testicles), mingling with locals at markets and pubs and jumping in on some off-road shenanigans once in a while (like when the aforementioned vehicles are busted).

Josh Gates’ Destination Truth premieres Friday, May 19 at 9|8c on Travel Channel.

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