It’s no wonder that Oak Island has received so much attention. There are many published books telling the story of the island and discussing the wild theories which have been brought up to explain what happened there historically. Books about the island include a heady mix of treasure literature, the island’s history, and related world history. The first book appeared in 1863, and since then at least fifty, or more, have been added to the list.
In 2014, when the History Channel aired the first episodes of The Curse of Oak Island, the documentary sparked interest in the island again, as Rick and Marty Lagina, majority owners of the island, began to allow people to tell their tale. The brothers purchased their property in 2006. What regular viewers have seen during the episodes is various attempts to find artifacts of importance at several key island locations. Viewers have also heard the many theories that swirl around the island’s supposed treasure, who may have brought it there, where it might be buried, what motives might have prompted a treasure to be hidden on the island, and opinions about what to do next.
There have been notable people interested in the Oak Island Mystery over the years:
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt followed the Oak Island Mystery from 1909 until he died in 1945.
- Errol Flynn invested in a treasure dig on the island.
- John Wayne invested in the drilling equipment used on the island, and offered his own equipment to help solve the island mystery.
- Vincent Astor was part of a passive investment to dig for treasure on the island.
- Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, Jr. invested in, monitored the explorations of, and advised Roosevelt concerning the treasure hunting work on the island.
Their prominence only adds fuel to the fascination many have felt for the stories and the treasure hunting over the years. But for the many that follow the show, seeking treasure along with the Lagina brothers, there are just as many who have become disenchanted with it. Here are a few comments from those who find the show’s glittery promise of gold a bit tarnished:
“Great Mystery, Pathetic Show”
IMDb Viewer Review 2014
Though it is obvious that the Lagina brothers are sincere in their attempts to uncover information that will lead them to successful recovery of treasure, what viewers see is random explorations with various technologies, but very little to show for the Lagina’s efforts. Shards of old wood, coconut fiber pieces, and pieces of strangely carved rocks are all part of the circling stories. Part of the reason for the poor viewer reviews is that an hour show may only reveal one small piece of information which could have been revealed in five to ten minutes of time.
“When it’s all said and done a lot more gets said than done.”
IMDb Viewer Review
This viewer summed up what many viewers are thinking at the end of each episode. The show progresses slowly because the constant theories, or rather “hunches” as this reviewer mentioned, are constantly rotating in an endless spiral. Each time some action is planned, it takes forever for the process to take place, and once it does, nothing conclusive is found. Viewers are watching in the hopes that something will happen. Viewers want the Laginas to be successful, but they don’t want to watch them doing random digs, random searches, random discussions for hours on end. Even the most thrilled mystery lovers have expressed that their high hopes for discovering something new about Oak Island have been dashed. The actions taken never reveal enough to make them worth the time spent on them.
“Never have so many done so little with so much time!”
IMDb Viewer Review
This writer noted that the episodes are filled with endless discussions. The truth that the amount of new content per week is about 10 to 15 minutes per episode, with graphics and flashbacks filling the rest is a persistent viewpoint echoed by many.
Season 4 Already Funded
How much longer can this show go on? That’s hard to know. As of now, the show has been funded for the current 2016-2017 season, which is being aired on cable.
The show, despite the opinions of negative reviewers, has been funded by Nova Scotia Business Inc. The company approved $1,271,546 for film funding to produce Season 4. It’s a highly popular reality television show that boasts Kevin Burns as Executive Producer. Here are some of the reasons why the show was funded for another season:
Season 1 (2014)
Episode 1: 2.53 million viewers (First Episode in the Season)
Episode 5: 2.97 million viewers (Last Episode in the Season)
Season 2 (2014-2015)
Episode 6: 2.60 million viewers (First Episode in the Season)
Episode 15: 3.06 million viewers (Last Episode in the Season)
Season 3 (2015-2016)
Episode 22: 3.40 million viewers (Seventh Episode in the Season)
Episode 28: 3.41 million viewers (13th and Last Episode in the Season)
- The Curse of Oak Island was the highest rated show on cable television on December 7, 2016, according to TV-Recaps-Reviews.
- The official Facebook page for The Curse of Oak Island has 229,874 people following it, and 232,932 people like it, as of December 12, 2016.
- TV Guide Rating for the Curse of Oak Island is 4 out of 5 stars based on 348 ratings to date.
- ShowBuzzDaily Cable Highlights for Tuesday December 6, 2016 show Curse of Oak Island leading Tuesday cable again.
The Lagina Brothers Net Worth
Celebrity Net Worth lists Marty Lagina’s net worth as $100 million. He is a successful engineer, whose company pioneered methods for extracting natural from shale. It was called Terra Energy, and he sold it for $58 million. He then launched Heritage Sustainable, which builds wind turbines. The company has a project for Missaukee, Michigan, building 60 wind turbines there. Marty’s company will become one of the largest producers of wind-energy in the state and the mid-west region.
Celebrity Net Worth lists Rick Lagina’s net worth as $2 million. He is a retired postal worker for the United States. His obsession with Oak Island began when he was 11 years old, and continues today.
Bottom line is that the Marty and Rick probably don’t need money. It would seem they have plenty. But, History Channel can help them to make more money to fund their treasure hunt. One astute viewer commented on the blog spot A Different Perspective, that History Channel will make money from ad revenue and the rerun market just by showing the show. Hopeful viewers will watch it because part of the entertainment they get is “the hope” that Marty and Rick will find something valuable.
The show may be able to hold viewer interest for the current season, but if Internet posts have any value, there are many viewers who are losing interest as the show drags on without discovering treasure. It would be much better for Marty and Rick to end the show before its popularity ends. Their devoted viewers will wish them well, plenty of new tourists will come to visit Oak Island and bring their money to spend in the region, and the two can happily dig for treasure knowing that they have contributed to the area’s economy and to furthering the world’s knowledge about the Curse of Oak Island.
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