I have been enamored of the story of Oak Island since I was a kid. If I were Rick Lagina and I had a rich brother I might have gone and tried to convince him to go treasure hunting too. The story is there. It’s interesting. So where does this show fall short? Prometheus Entertainment and it’s owner (and also creator of this show) Ken Burns. Great concept. Poor execution.

Let’s face it. 5 seasons all of this could have been condensed into one or maybe two seasons. It has the typical Grade B television series conventions. The constant repeating and rehashing of content, again and again, to lengthen the show. The obviously dramatic attempts at editing and music to make mundane moments seem much more important than they actually are. The use of weak tie-ins to connect the materials they find with each other and to “possible” historic events, some of which may be a stretch,

But as long as there is a glimmer of possibility Prometheus will take that plunge simply to make you keep watching…..

What they are doing is cool, no doubt. There is something there, no doubt. There are many mysteries there to be solved and I do applaud Rick and Marty Lagina for going for it. That is the story behind the show and it deserves to be told. Maybe in a single hour special or multiple ones. But six seasons? No.

This show is made in post. The editors who piece together this pablum and spit it out into some semblance of show to make it into some form of entertainment deserves the credit and raises.

However, as a viewer, this is the equivalent of watching two guys drive to their local convenience store every day, but a shitload of lottery tickets, bring it back to their kitchen table where their friends are sitting, watch them scratch them off, get really, really excited when they win a dollar and really disappointed when they win nothing…. and then repeat the entire thing the next.day.

Now if they could only squeeze content from their other show, Ancient Aliens in there somehow, maybe it would be more interesting. Ancient Aliens on Oak Island!

One last comment. Where, exactly, did the legend that 7 people have to die to find the Oak Island treasure? Never read that anywhere.

Update… about a year later… still nothing happening.