When I saw the promo on this show I just couldn't resist the temptation to watch the thing. This evening the History Channel played out the five episodes of the first season of the show in a lead up to Tuesday evening's season two opener.
Did you hear about Oak Island when you were younger? I did. I remember learning about it during my high school years when the sometimes goofy reality/conspiracy show, "In Search Of..." featured it.
(https://www.cardcow.com/images/set444/card00267_fr.jpg)
It's a pretty odd mystery IF you believe what has been said/claimed about it. Lots of people have and they have variously lost every penny they had and/or died trying to get to the bottom of it (yeah, pun intended). Seems that there is this small island off of the coast of Nova Scotia that has a backfilled mine shaft that might have something at the bottom of it. Or not. It was originally discovered in the late 1700s...
(http://circa71.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/oak_island_cross_section.gif?w=450&h=945)
Again, if you believe the history this thing can only be explained by human construction. Some kind of sadistic psycho put it together so that it would kill anyone who tried to excavate it. And it has, mostly. In the mid 1960s it killed four men by hydrogen sulfide gas poisoning.
So this reality show features a pair of brothers from Michigan who have a butt load of money, a desire to be on television and don't particularly care if they look kind of dumb trying to find the alleged treasure. They go about trying to figure this thing out in just about the most convoluted and expensive way imaginable. But that's the thing about reality tv shows...they must have drama. Results are strictly optional.
So I convinced myself that I just had to see this show because it might be interesting and maybe the boys would succeed where everyone else has failed. Well, the show is full of filler about supposed ghosts, curses, visions, possessions, etc. all designed to intrigue the weak-minded. I find that irritating to say the least. Halfway through I wanted to get one of the mining crews from the "Gold Rush" show and turn them loose on the island. They'd have that place stripped bare in the first fifteen minutes of an episode.