"$10 Million Bigfoot Bounty" Set to Premiere in January

Spike TV is offering largest cash prize in TV history for the proof of Bigfoot

This is a guest post by Tony Green
Tony works for a pop culture magazine where he writes gossip about celebrities... shamelessly.


It's been on the radar of Bigfoot enthusiasts since last October and now it's set to become "reality"...literally.
Spike TV announced "10 Million Bigfoot Bounty" will premiere on January 10, at 10 p.m. Eastern time. The show will be hosted by former Superman Dean Cain, who the network calls an "avid outdoorsman and hunter." The $10 million reward will go to anyone who can offer irrefutable proof of Sasquatch's existence.

What To Expect

The show will follow nine teams of Bigfoot hunters into the wilderness of the Northwest, the area where most Sasquatch sightings are reported. Patrick Kevin Day of the L.A. Times put it a bit more bluntly, describing the teams as "angry sexist rednecks" who are the worst group possible to try and hunt a camera-shy creature. He stopped short of saying the teams will ride their Harleys while sporting their motorcycle helmets in the woods, but conceded the show will at least be "watchable."
The teams will feature some familiar names as they pertain to Bigfoot culture. Justin Smedja, who claims to have shot two Bigfoots near Gold Lake, Calif., in October 2010. Michael Merchant, of Snow Walker Prime fame, is also featured in the show. There is little hope the $10 million prize will be claimed, but the show has guaranteed a $100,000 research grant to the team who presents the most compelling evidence.

The Challenges

Each episode will present the teams two challenges: a field test and a hunt for the actual creature in Bigfoot "hot zones." Dr. Todd Disotell of New York University will be on the scene with state-of-the-art mobile technology to analyze and test all DNA evidence presented by the teams. Natalia Reagan, an anthropologist who specializes in primate studies, will also be on hand to judge the findings. The show, however, is almost guaranteed to center more around the personalities and adventures surrounding the teams than the actual evidence they gather.

International Audience

Bigfoot enthusiasts in Europe and elsewhere around the world will not be deprived of the potential breaking news regarding Sasquatch's existence. Endemol, a Netherland-based media distribution company, has been granted the rights to air all eight episodes on its networks in 23 countries. The company is no stranger to reality television, being the creator of both "Big Brother" and "Deal Or No Deal." It also doesn't hurt that "10 Million Bigfoot Bounty" is produced by Charlie Corwin's Original Media, which is owned by Endemol.
Spike TV encourages fans of the show to follow them on Twitter (@SPIKETV) for all the latest updates and to use the hashtag #BigfootBounty to join the conversation.
The general consensus in the blogosphere is that Bigfoot will not be found at the conclusion of the series. But you can definitely expect an up close and personal look into the minds and lives of those who want nothing more than to prove to everyone that they're not crazy.