Travel Channel is looking to beef up (in one case literally) their primetime lineup. Six new series got the greenlight today for production, ranging from the hunt for America’s best burgers to the search for hidden treasures and valuable gems.
The six new series include two food-themed choices, All Forked Up and Burger Land, two fortune-hunting shows, DigFellas and Fortune Diggers, one focused on the gem trade Gem Hunt, and finally Monumental Mysteries which looks at America’s monuments from a different angle. All of the shows come with interesting and entertaining hosts who are experts in their field.
All Forked Up, whose attempt at a clever title might be a bit much, is hosted by a “culinary odd couple” in Las Vegas. Al Mancini is a punk rock fan with a Mohawk and a taste for the city’s best burgers and libations like bacon martinis. John Curtas is a button-down type with a taste for the best in wine and high-end fare. The show sends them out to explore each other’s culinary world.
Burger Land is much what the name suggests – a show that travels America hunting down the best of the classic American food and burger joints renowned for their offerings. Along the way host George Motz, author of Hamburger Nation provides the backstory of the burger.
DigFellas is hosted by Bill Ladd and Howard Hewitt, a duo of relic hunters who go in search of exciting discoveries in the nation’s most historic places. They’ll help determine what’s a find and what’s just trash, and bring in experts at the end of every show to validate their finds.
Fortune Diggers is along a similar line, but unlike DigFellas, it’s something of a competition and is about the profit. Three relic hunters will go head to head to see who can unearth the most valuable and rare artifacts in locations ranging from landmarks to old forts. They’ll then bring their findings to the experts to find out the value.
Gem Hunt takes an in-depth look at the gem trade from the finding of precious gems to their cutting and eventual sale for incredible amounts of money. Three experts follow each step of the path: gem deal Ron LeBlanc, geologist Bernie Gaboury, and jewelry expert Diane Robinson.
Monumental Mysteries, the last of the new shows, takes viewers on a journey to explore the mysteries hidden at some of the nation’s most famous monuments. Host Don Wildman (of Cities of the Underworld) will follow the tales of unusual places from New York to Hawaii to uncover the secrets.
All of the new series will premiere on Travel Channel sometime in 2013.
