What’s old is new again. For every TV show that offers a promising, new high-concept series that doesn’t exactly meet studio expectations and is quickly canceled, a handful of remakes will replace it in the overall broadcast programming spectrum that represents its original source material in name only. Rinse and repeat until a successful show emerges. That’s the lifeblood of a television executive, from an outsider’s perspective.
The same concept lives — and works! — within the paranormal world. Gracing the small screen on the Discovery Channel, Lost Monster Files re-examines past unexplained cases previously explored by the founder of cryptozoology.
Naturalist, Zoologist and Scientist Ivan Sanderson attempted to separate fact from fiction around the middle of the 20th century, investigating hundreds of mysterious encounters with humans by unknown creatures around the world. For more than 50 years, he created an archive on his subjects, even appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1963 to discuss the topic. Somehow, his extensive archive of unclassified creatures disappeared after his death in the ’70s… but it has now been rediscovered.
A new team of paranormal investigators has taken up Sanderson’s quest for answers by re-examining previous cases with the hope of uncovering new information. Pairing this lost research with modern technology, these experts realize the truth is out there, they’ve just gotta find it.
Divided into separate groups, this crew plans to divide and conquer. Charlie Mewshaw specializes in field science and technology. Brittany Barbieri is the group’s cryptozoologist. Justin Igualada is the wildlife specialist, and Troy Lillie focuses as a predator behaviorist. Former CIA and FBI Agent Tracy Walder leads the evidence and eyewitness examinations.
With multiple teams conducting ongoing investigations into one topic per episode, it shouldn’t be surprising that actual, all-new discoveries are found. Following the methods and classifications of Sanderson, himself, I’m shocked that I haven’t seen more publicity from these revelations.
Through five episodes, topics involve the killer Carolina Chupacabra, the Abominable Snowman in British Columbia, the Thunderbird that terrorizes Chestnut Ridge, PA, the mysterious Minnesota Wildman and the strange circumstances of the Kodiak Sea Monster.
“We are right up to the edge of Sanderson’s research…”
Will they find unknown bipedal primates, legendary creatures of folk tales or suspicious sea creatures? Tune in to find out.
Led by written and audio recordings, past and present eyewitness testimony, along with previously classified documents (from the Soviet Union) and new developments, their plans to go into the field to find these creatures and list them into Sanderson’s Venn diagram is sometimes hit or miss, but their unearthed evidence is monumental.
Hair samples, DNA and Saliva tests generally prove inconclusive, but they do point to previously unclassified species. Unknown audio and video findings are frustrating, of course, but they’re steps along the right track to using Sanderson’s scientific method. But revelations like the U.S. Army occupying Kodiak Island to store weapons during WWII and upon leaving the location, dumping a large amount of mustard and nerve gas into the ocean is unreal. And not long afterward, reports of the Sea Monster were first made. Could these bioweapons be responsible for creating a real-life mutant species?
Truly, this show feels like a slightly different version of Travel Channel’s The Holzer Files, which I also enjoyed. Both programs restudied previous paranormal cases and uncovered new evidence using modern technology. The main difference is Hans Holzer was a ghost hunter, while Sanderson examined cryptids. Both are worthwhile shows to watch, if you can find them (streaming services are your best bet, here).
I can’t wait to see what else is uncovered by Lost Monster Files!