For decades, the Travel Channel served as serious inspiration for viewers with incurable wanderlust. It was the network where Samantha Brown made even the most far-flung destinations approachable, Andrew Zimmern opened our eyes to new foods, and Anthony Bourdain became the iconic voice for travelers that he remains to this day. But like many other classic cable networks, programming has drifted significantly from its original focus. Now, some fans are taking to the internet to slam the Travel Channel—and even suggest changing its name to become more accurate.
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Viewers are upset about the network’s shift to ghost-hunting shows.
It’s not uncommon for travelers to hit the road in search of spiritual enrichment through experiences with different cultures or reconnecting with nature. But according to some, the Travel Channel has shifted its focus too literally into the search for spirits.
In a recent Reddit post, one viewer griped that the network “should be renamed the Paranormal Channel” because of its full dive into ghost-hunting shows.
“Never have I seen a block with so much supernatural content,” they gripe. “[I’ve] almost mistaken the network thinking it was a tourist network for visiting places on vacation…But I was wrong. At least that’s what I would call it if I were in charge.”
A quick glance at the channel’s schedule confirms that it appears to be lacking in the kind of sightseeing content its name suggests it would air. As of April 24, entire day-long blocks are dedicated to haunting-related shows like Believers, Portals to Hell, My Paranormal Nightmare, Kindred Spirits, and The Dead Files. Much of the rest is filled with ghost hunter reality programming, including Ghost Brothers and the Zak Bagans-hosted Ghost Adventures.
The network’s show library on its website also confirms the major content pivot: Besides “Trending,” it organizes its current lineup as “Mysteries,” “Ghost Encounters,” and “Paranormal & Unexplained.”
The only hint of the Travel Channel’s past includes three seasons of Zimmern’s Bizarre Foods and a single season of Bourdain’s No Reservations follow-up travel show, The Layover.
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Other one-time fans of the Travel Channel agree.
It didn’t take long for other viewers to chime in with their shared frustrations. One user said they now referred to the network as “THC,” short for the “Tin Hat Channel.”
“It astounds me that people watch—and believe—that [expletive]. I don’t think I’ve ever watched one of those programs because the names of the programs tell me it’s all [expletive],” they write.
Others noted the stark change and bemoaned the loss of some of the channel’s classic shows. “It used to have the tourist stuff in the early days, [but] I believe around 2018 is when it changed into full-time nonstop paranormal/supernatural garbage,” one user wrote. “I used to love watching Anthony Bourdain and Bizarre Foods on there. But old people I know love to watch it, so I guess there’s an audience.”
Some are disappointed that even the quality of ghost shows has declined.
Unfortunately, the network is still missing the mark with its new target audience. In a separate Reddit post, fans complain that even “the days of good paranormal shows on the Travel Channel are gone.” Specifically, they say that the quality has declined in the wake of its production company WarnerMedia’s merger with Discovery in 2022.
“I doubt it will ever be the same,” the user writes. “Like many companies, they needed to cut costs after the acquisition, and unfortunately, it was mostly the paranormal shows with the smaller viewing audience that they decided had to go.”
The Ghost Adventure fan went so far as to defend the program and its host Bagans, saying that the decision to cancel many shows and streamline the library of content for streaming was out of his control.
“Travel Channel is mostly reruns or ‘new’ Ghost Adventures episodes that are already available on streaming,” they point out. “I know there are a few new shows that are currently airing on Travel, and Paranormal Caught on Camera still airs new episodes, but it wouldn’t be shocking if that show moves to Discovery or is cancelled outright. I feel the days of good Paranormal watching and great Halloween episodes on the Travel Channel [are] over.”
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Other channels are suffering similar fates.
Anyone who still has a cable package has likely noticed that the Travel Channel’s trajectory is not unique. Fans have pointed out that comfort-watch staples like the Food Network have switched to competition-heavy formats, while channels like HGTV have seen a similar drop in quality of their shows. If anything, viewers are becoming used to these pivots.
“Bravo used to play opera and classical music-themed programming. Look what’s on there now,” one commenter pointed out in reply to the original Travel Channel critique post. “Ratings and advertising can create and destroy pretty much any form of media.”
Content shared from bestlifeonline.com.