At work I like to watch a TV show or movie during lunch and the Sci-Fi Channel’s Destination Truth is totally retard-worthy entertainment. It may not have emmy written all over here are ten cool things about the show / reasons to watch it…
| Real Danger |
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 These wacky kids repel down cliffs, go diving in murky water, and generally are looking to get hurt. While they may never be ripped apart by a monster the show does seem like a slasher movie. Even with a medic on the team
One day someone could get hurt, and here are the five most likely causes:
- Diseases Eating, swimming and stumbling through third world countries chalk full of parasites, flu’s, and viruses that no inoculation can save you from is the most likely cause of death for one of the cast members.
- Murder don’t be surprised to see them kidnapped and or murdered in some third world country.
- Risky Travel this gang is constantly taking small airplanes, leaky boats and all manner of low budget transportation has all the earmarks of an unhappy ending.
- WIld Animals these kids constantly chase after things in the dark in jungles teaming with lions and venomous snakes someday they could wind up being dinner.
- Falling gravity might take one of the cast as they walk a lot in the dark near cliffs, and stumble through the forest.
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| Filmed at Night Whenever Possible |
 Whenever possible Destination Truth spends their precious few hours investigating in the dark. At night this suspiciously moving brush turned out to be a bug. Everything is spookier in the dark and a couple reflections could be a monster staring from the dark. |
| Could Double as Travel / Food Show |
 In their journeys this adventurous group is constantly trying new and often disgusting local delicacies. Although you rarely see them down the food it’s likely this under-budget group is eating in five star restaurants. If the show fails as a sci-fi show it can easily go over to the Travel Channel. |
| Only Four Cameras |
 They might show camera 11, 8 and 7 but at the end of the day there are only four stationary cameras. They do break cameras on this show from dropping, water intrusion, and all the horrors of filming out in the open. So this is probably the 11th camera they have purchased. |
| Token Girl for Eye Candy & Screaming |
 Ryder seems to have very little purpose on the show other than screaming at anything that goes bump in the night and providing some eye candy. She’s constantly refusing to go anywhere that scares her and aside from her good looks and ability to scream on demand she appears to serve no other useful purpose. |
| They Never Will Find Anything |
 This show is the ultimate wild goose chase. They have never found anything (save the Yeti footprint that made the news). At most there will be a blurry image, or an odd sound but you won’t have to worry about getting scared. This show is fun, and it was funny to watch that important bag of monster scat turn out to be river otter poop after being taken in for DNA matching. Granted a six hour investigation is unlikely to yield much more than humor but this show is more likely to win the lottery than find anything of note. |
| Crazy Eye-Witnesses |
 There are crazy people all around the world and Destination Truth has craze-dar and never seems to have problems finding eye-witnesses to whatever phenomenon they are hunting. If you need to find witnesses who have seen a worm monster these guys will find them and put them on screen spinning their tales. |
| Somewhat Intentinal Humor |
 So they never find anything, so what if it’s low budget it’s not the destination it’s the journey. In one episode Josh hams it up giving his rickshaw driver a ride and making fun of his on show and investigation along the way. Sure he couldn’t make it as a stand up comic, but he’s entertaining and keeps the show light hearted and enjoyable wisecracking his way around the globe on his futile quest for monsters. |
| Sci-Fi Tourists not Investigators |
 Typically the cast will fly around the world on a 28 hour round trip flight, spend a full day each way traveling by land to their investigation site normally by car. They then spend a few hours setting up their cameras and walk around for a couple of hours. Then once morning light comes pack up and go home. These aren’t investigators as much as they are sci-fi tourists. |
| Skepticism & Sarcasm Saves it |
 Josh Gates isn’t just the star of the show, he is the show. His disbelieving facial gestures and wisecracks take the tiny shreds of entertainment and push it over the line to being a watchable waste of an hour. Every far fetched witness will get at least one obligatory eyebrow raise, facial gesture or silly comment. He tends to say what you would think and say it out loud, and doesn’t gloss over the fact they didn’t find anything for the twenty-seventh time in a row. If this show took itself seriously it would be unwatchable. |
| Filmed in Abandoned Warehouse |
 Destination truth seems to have a slightly higher than the budget of Ghost Hunters who travels in a plumber’s van but not by much. Their headquarters is located in a run-down warehouse in Downtown Los Angeles. There are only a few wire bookcases, bare walls, a chalkboard, couch and a couple of desks in their upstairs offices. This fly by night operation obviously rents out it’s offices when they aren’t filming and packs everything up in a small storage locker. |
| The Cast… |
 Joshua Gates
Lead Investigator / Wisecracking on-air personality for Destination Truth. |
 Casey Brumels
Camera operator, co-executive producer – Casey basically plays on his laptop while Joshua trudges out into the jungles like any good executive. |
 Erin Ryder
They call her a producer or a researcher – really she’s just eye candy who can scream on cue. |
 Jarrod Tomassi
Medic – miles from hospitals he is their only hope if someone gets injured – other than that he’s pretty useless. |
The Full Cast
Eric Wing, and Drew Adams lead up the people that you don’t see normally taking pictures of Josh saying "I’ll go up here and see if it’s safe" with Eric already up there filming him. |
| The Monsters… |
 Tokeloshe |
 Death Worm |
 Tarasque |
 Wild Man |
 Yeti |
 Popobawa |
 Hauntings |
 Kongomato |
 Moleke Mbembe |
 Giant Anaconda |
 Mapinguary |
 Ri |
 Iguanadon |
 Phayan Naga |
 Ghosts |
 Nahelito |
 Ropen |
 El Lobizon |
 Mamlambo |
 El Pombero |
 Bigfoot |
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As yet none of the monsters have appeared on camera…
Carbon neutral pledge:
Ryder is used for warmth and sexual relief.. depending on where your at.
Actually, besides the yeti cast they did photograph something glowing and flying over New Guinea which has no aircraft flying over it at night and seemed to be biological vs mechanical. That was during the Ropen episode. I do agree that they take tremendous risk during every show and I am surprised that no one has been seriously injured.
I love the show, but agree on Ryder having very little purpose but eye candy (although they could find a prettier woman to do the screaming *rolling eyes*) Someone as nervous and jumpy as her should have an office job, not out in the wilderness. She whines way too much and as much as I love the show, I have had to turn it off many times because she is just flat out too annoying. There are plenty of decent looking women who hit the trails, backpack, explore, etc. I can honestly say I have never screamed on the trail… ever, and I have come across bigger things than freaking bats and leeches.
As stupid as the show may be it doesn’t seem right to use the word retarded to describe it. That word is just hurtful and causes pain to people with special needs.
Everything you have said is so true, and yet I love it, well I love what gates brings to it. Who knows they might find something. They will probably find it because it is eating or attacking them, but it could happen.
It is a very fun show, and I watch every episode (during lunch at work with co-workers). Hopefully they don’t all find something super-dangerous and all die, that would suck – that Joshua character is funny.
the show is fun. sure it’s retarded, but it’s hella funny. ryder serves no purpose. she’s beyond annoying. and she’s not much eye candy.
“As stupid as the show may be it doesn’t seem right to use the word retarded to describe it. That word is just hurtful and causes pain to people with special needs.
mary on 25 Sep 2008 at 8:41 am”
Oh boohoo. It hurts some ones feelings. You know what hurts a lot of peoples feelings to have other people tell them what they can and can not say.
I dont think the show is retarded at all. It is entertainment, that is what it is ment to be and that is what it is.
Apparently it is NOT 2009. Sexism is still alive and well. I love how the critique of this show discusses Erin Ryder’s “looks” and “annoyance” but none of the guys get the same treatment. She is credited as a “producer” for those of you unaware what that job entails it is mostly behind-the-scenes (arranging for the stuff you see in front of the camera). They probably have a small budget and need her to be on camera when they go exploring. It is not a show that takes itself that seriously… I think it is purely entertainment and I find Josh really amusing…. But like it… don’t like it… I don’t care… I have no investment in it… other than being a woman… and highly offended by most of your derogatory comments about Ryder… which are as lame as they are offensive.
Shut up woman. No one cares about your opinions. ESPECIALLY because your female. If I were out backpacking in all these remote areas I would be banging Ryder every night. She may be a 5 or 6 but when she’s Out in the wilderness and in third world countries or somewhere where she is the only woman she is easilly an 8 or 9
Then don’t watch it if you don’t like it dumb ass. you must have allot of time on your hands to sit here and write this.
Christoper, how much time do you think that is being allot for sitting here?
I love the show. It is full of things I would love to do. How do I get into this group? Just kidding. Ryder is an eye full, and Josh has the show down pat. There really are somethings out there they can’t prove, but they can’t disprove either, which is why it’s on TV right?
I want to be part of their crew and get the S&*t scared out of me. How do they never get hurt?
well as much as I enjoy the Ryder bashing in this column, I think e-dubya has a very valid point. There is a bit of bashing however I dont think it is sexist at all. The entertainment machine doesn’t work if there are 5 guys running around 3rd world countries looking at things that go bump in the night. They brought on a female for, yes “eye candy”. Sorry to say but that is about all. Ryder’s fabulous list of “Producing” credits fall into a series of weak ideas generated by the constant hit machine which is MTV. I think the general females audiences can relate to her yet they would probably be more fitting to join the show than she would. Long and short, if your friends offer you a round the world ticket for free you are going to take it. In that business you pretty much work with your friends. Josh is pretty amusing and definitely keeps whatever it is they are doing going. The rest of the cast is just on a working vacation. Not bad. However this show is painfully made. I love how serious the warehouse HQ is. An edit station while everyone else is on expedia making travel arrangements. It seem like most of the information was gathered form listverse and wikipedia. No further research needed the interweb has done it for me! Hazah!
Here’s a nice little addition to this stupidity. I am fascinated with the Jersey Shore on MTV and there is a girl on that show named, yup, Ryder. With the help of the interweb it is plain to see that this is the younger sister of DT Ryder. I suggest you watch cause it is apparent that both these trash pieces are cut from the same cloth and have egos large enough that they both use the same catchy name. Cheers to originality, may you enjoy your seemingly endless slumber
Ye I agre; it’s like they took a tip from the movie Blair Witch Project. They constantly look for every thng in ht dark. It does add to the shock and suspence. However it makes it predictable and after a couple of shows the fun comes when one of the cast gets hurt. it’s the only high rick they face.
It is even worse because people will keep watching; however it will be no more for me.
Show is just too funny. I live in hope that one day a member of the cast will be eaten by a tiger or bear. Ryder is kinda hot but all that screaming, Jesus maybe she’ll get mauled by a wild animal (or a another team member).