How Josh Gates Expanded His TV Empire from Expedition Unknown to Expedition X

Josh Gates did not become one of Discovery Channel's most recognizable adventure personalities overnight.

His television career has been built around a simple idea that continues to attract viewers around the world: there is always another mystery to investigate.

From lost treasure and ancient civilizations to ghosts, cryptids and unexplained phenomena, Gates has gradually expanded his television universe far beyond his original exploration series. One of the biggest steps in that evolution came with the creation of Expedition X, a paranormal focused spinoff of Expedition Unknown.

Today, the two shows represent different sides of the same television brand.

It Started With Expedition Unknown

Expedition Unknown premiered on January 8, 2015, originally on the Travel Channel. The series followed Gates as he traveled around the world investigating legendary mysteries, lost cities, buried treasures, historical puzzles and unexplained events.

The show later moved to Discovery Channel, where it became one of the network's established adventure franchises.

Discovery's current description of Expedition Unknown focuses on Gates' global investigations into unsolved events, lost cities, buried treasures and other historical mysteries. The series continues to be part of Discovery's programming lineup.

The formula was relatively simple but effective.

Gates traveled to fascinating locations, met researchers and local experts, examined historical evidence and experienced the investigation himself.

That combination helped create a recognizable style that audiences began associating with Josh Gates.

Then Came the Paranormal Side

Expedition Unknown covered plenty of unusual subjects, but its primary focus remained exploration, history and mystery.

That left another obvious area for Gates and Discovery to explore.

The paranormal.

On February 12, 2020, Discovery premiered Expedition X as a spinoff of Expedition Unknown.

Instead of concentrating primarily on lost civilizations and historical treasures, Expedition X moved toward ghosts, cryptids, UFO reports and other unexplained phenomena.

The first season featured scientist Phil Torres and paranormal researcher Jessica Chobot investigating strange reports in locations connected to legends such as the Mothman and other unexplained phenomena.

Josh Gates remained the host and executive producer, giving the new program a direct connection to its parent series.

Why Expedition X Was a Smart Expansion

Expedition X did something important for the Gates brand.

It allowed Discovery to reach viewers who might be more interested in paranormal mysteries than archaeology or traditional exploration.

The basic philosophy remained familiar.

Travel to the location.

Talk to witnesses.

Bring in experts.

Use technology.

Investigate the evidence.

But the questions became different.

Instead of asking where a lost treasure might be buried, the team could ask whether a mysterious creature had actually been seen in a forest or whether unexplained activity at a historic location had a natural explanation.

That gave the franchise a completely different identity without abandoning the audience that already knew Josh Gates.

Gates Did Not Simply Duplicate Expedition Unknown

One of the reasons the expansion worked is that Expedition X developed its own identity.

Josh Gates generally serves as the host and central figure, while the field investigations have been led primarily by Phil Torres and the show's paranormal investigators.

Discovery has described the Expedition X team as using eyewitness accounts, experts and high tech investigative equipment to examine strange mysteries and legends.

That distinction is important.

Expedition Unknown is primarily an exploration and history series.

Expedition X is much more focused on paranormal investigation.

The two programs share a recognizable Gates style, but they are not simply the same show with different locations.

The Cast Has Also Evolved

The Expedition X team has changed over the years.

Jessica Chobot was part of the series from its premiere through Season 7. Heather Amaro became part of the team beginning with Season 8 and has continued alongside Phil Torres.

That change allowed the series to evolve while keeping its core investigative approach.

By 2026, Expedition X had reached its eleventh season, demonstrating that the spinoff developed a substantial identity of its own rather than existing merely as a short lived experiment.

Discovery's current Expedition X page lists Season 11 investigations involving subjects such as Vulture City, Blackbeard's ghost, the USS Hornet, the Thunderbird and haunted locations.

The Pandemic Unexpectedly Created Another Chapter

There was another unusual development in Josh Gates' television career in 2020.

When the COVID 19 pandemic disrupted television production and international travel, Expedition Unknown production was affected as well.

Discovery and Gates responded by creating Josh Gates Tonight.

The program initially came from Gates' home and used remote interviews before eventually moving into the Expedition Headquarters studio.

What started as pandemic replacement programming became its own series and eventually ran for five seasons.

It was another example of Gates turning a difficult production situation into an opportunity to create something new.

Discovery Saw Bigger Potential in the Gates Brand

The expansion was not just about creating another television show.

In 2020, Discovery announced a new three year deal with Gates that included his return as host and executive producer of Expedition Unknown, appearances in other Discovery programming and development of new programming across the network's platforms.

At the time, Discovery highlighted the strong performance of Expedition Unknown and the potential of Gates' growing relationship with the network.

That partnership helped establish Gates as more than simply the host of one successful program.

He became a recognizable Discovery personality capable of carrying multiple formats.

Expedition Files Took the Concept Further

The expansion did not stop with Expedition X.

Another Josh Gates series, Expedition Files, arrived later and took a different approach to mysteries.

Rather than following exactly the same field expedition format as Expedition Unknown or Expedition X, the series focuses on unusual historical events, mysteries and unexplained stories narrated by Gates.

Discovery's broader Expedition franchise therefore began covering several different types of mystery programming.

There was the traditional exploration of Expedition Unknown.

There was the paranormal investigation of Expedition X.

And there was the mystery storytelling format of Expedition Files.

That variety allowed the network to build an entire programming ecosystem around a familiar personality.

Why Josh Gates Works So Well Across These Shows

A major reason behind the expansion is Gates himself.

His presentation style sits somewhere between documentary host, explorer and storyteller.

He can discuss historical research without making the program feel like a classroom lecture.

He can investigate paranormal claims without necessarily presenting every unexplained event as proven fact.

And he can travel into difficult environments while keeping the tone entertaining.

That flexibility makes it possible for him to move between very different types of programming without completely changing his on screen personality.

The Gates Formula Is Bigger Than One Show

The most interesting part of Josh Gates' television career may be that the individual programs are connected by a common philosophy.

Curiosity comes first.

A mystery does not necessarily need to be solved for the investigation to be interesting.

Sometimes the journey reveals historical information.

Sometimes researchers discover something unexpected.

Sometimes an apparently supernatural story receives a more ordinary explanation.

And sometimes the evidence simply remains inconclusive.

That uncertainty is part of what makes the Expedition franchise work.

From One Series to a Television Universe

When Expedition Unknown premiered in 2015, Josh Gates was already an experienced television explorer.

More than a decade later, his Discovery career looks considerably larger.

Expedition Unknown established the foundation.

Expedition X opened the door to paranormal investigations.

Josh Gates Tonight demonstrated that his personality could work in a completely different format.

Expedition Files added another way to tell unusual stories.

The result is not simply one successful television show.

It is a recognizable exploration and mystery brand built around Josh Gates.

Final Thoughts

Josh Gates' expansion from Expedition Unknown to Expedition X was not an overnight transformation.

It was a gradual evolution.

The success of Expedition Unknown established Gates as a trusted face for adventure television. Discovery then used that established audience and personality to explore new formats and subjects.

Expedition X was perhaps the most important expansion because it took the familiar Expedition concept into the world of paranormal investigation.

More than six years after its premiere, the spinoff has developed into a long running series of its own.

And that may be the biggest sign of Gates' television success.

He did not simply create another show.

He created a world of shows where history, adventure, mystery and the unexplained can all exist under the same Expedition banner.

For viewers, that means one thing.

There is always another mystery waiting for Josh Gates to investigate.