TV Critics: Show us Bigfoot or GTFO!

Ranae Holland, Matt Money Maker, Cliff Barackman, and James "Bobo" Fay

"First Animal Planet airs a mermaids special, now this — isn’t Animal Planet damaging its brand with this stuff?" --TV Critic at the Television Critics Association’s semi-annual press tour.

The above quote sums up the general sentiment of the TV Critics during the Television Critics Association’s semi-annual press tour according to Entertainment Weekly writer James Hibberd. In our summation, while the TV critics complain about the the quality of programming (and the reality of Bigfoot), Animal Planet is just fine with the ratings they are getting, and Matt Moneymaker will be quick to accuse the naysayers of ignorance.

Below is the full article from Entertainment Weekly

Bigfoot experts clash with TV critics: 'You're ignorant'

by James Hibberd

TV critics took on Animal Planet’s Finding Bigfoot during a contentious panel at the Television Critics Association’s semi-annual press tour in Beverly Hills on Thursday.

For those who haven’t seen the show, it’s a bit like Syfy’s Ghost Hunters, only an expert team looks for Sasquatch instead of spooks. There are interviews, data crunching, mysterious footprints and a group hunting in the woods … but no actual bigfoot.

The press tour reporters have spent nearly two weeks in a hotel interviewing actors and executives promoting TV shows. So when Animal Planet rolls out this panel the critics are, understandably, thinking: Show us bigfoot or GTFO.

A critic points out: If these guys actually find bigfoot, such huge news is not going to really stay quiet until a regular episode of Finding Bigfoot airs. One asks: Has Animal Planet run out of real animals to do shows about? Yet another wonders: First Animal Planet airs a mermaids special, now this — isn’t Animal Planet damaging its brand with this stuff?

Animal Planet’s president, Marjorie Kaplan, is good humored about the situation. “Animal Planet has many shows about animals that may be more familiar to you,” she says. “Finding Bigfoot is an exploration of the secret corners of the planet … There are places on this planet that we know about and places we don’t …  New species are being found all the time.”

She also points out the network’s Mermaids: The Body Found special* got “extraordinarily” high ratings.

The Finding Bigfoot team, however, is far less amused by the critics’ skepticism. Seems there’s a lot of anecdotal evidence pointing to the existence of bigfoot and this crew are true believers. (There is more than one bigfoot, they say, and they mostly come out at night … mostly…)

“I’ve had one 15 feet away growling at me,” declares bigfoot researcher Matt Moneymaker. “So that’s why I think it’s [unfortunate] when people say they’re not real. They exist … I don’t think people realize how many witnesses there are out there … For those who don’t think these things exist, [famed primatologist] Jane Goodall thinks they exist** — and she may know a little more about it than you do.”

“You can’t equate bigfoot with mermaids,” bristles bigfoot researcher James “Bobo” Fay. “You’re ignorant of the subject matter.”

So is there solid real evidence of bigfoot?

Absolutely, they say. There’s all kinds of evidence! Except, you know, an actual or former bigfoot.

“There’s every kind of evidence that they exist,” Moneymaker says. “Except bones. Except a carcass.”

* Mermaid body not actually found

** True

Animal Planet: "Finding Bigfoot" Season Three will be BIGGER!

(left to right: Cliff Barackman, Renae Holland, James "Bobo" Fay, Matt Moneymaker)

(Beverly Hills, Ca.) This November, FINDING BIGFOOT, one of Animal Planet’s top-performing series ever, delivering more than 1.3M P2+ viewers in its second season, returns with 11 all-new episodes and two specials that take the team of investigators farther across the globe and further into sasquatch history than they’ve ever travelled.  For the first time, the intrepid cast of investigators -- Bigfoot Field Research Organization (BFRO) president Matt Moneymaker, researchers James “Bobo” Fay and Cliff Barackman, and skeptical scientist Ranae Holland – will expand their search in North America and beyond to investigate the sasquatch phenomenon known as “yowies” in Australia and the “orang-pendek” of Indonesia.  Also for the first time, Animal Planet will produce two “aftershow” specials, where the cast will answer burning questions from fans, dive deeper into the evidence and theories, and give behind-the-scene stories and insight.

Legends of bigfoot-type primates persist in cultures all over the globe.  So the bigfoot team will attempt to capture proof of these elusive Australian and Indonesian creatures by immersing itself in local yowie and orang-pendek culture and lore and using that information in the investigations. With the knowledge of the locals and its own experiences researching sasquatches, the team is hot on the trail to locate these distant cousins of the North American bigfoot in the remote terrain and jungles of these far-off lands.

Sasquatch sightings have been reported in every state of the union except Hawaii.  So this season, the team continues to leave no stone unturned and no piece of credible evidence unexplored as it travels to new locations to investigate compelling new finds in multiple states:  Arizona, California, Colorado, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Oklahoma, Texas and Washington.

In addition to their global jaunts, the team members participate in two all-new aftershow specials.  Moderated by Animal Planet executive producer Keith Hoffman, the specials bring the team together in an informal setting to discuss the investigations in greater detail and provide insights and tips not shared in the show.  Who doesn’t want to know how the team films at night without scaring away potential bigfoots or what the cast thinks will happen when bigfoot is found?

With no filters and unparalleled access to the cast, fans of the show and bigfoot enthusiasts everywhere will have unprecedented insight into their investigations that have become a part of the pop cultural zeitgeist.

FINDING BIGFOOT is produced for Animal Planet by Ping Pong Productions. Keith Hoffman is the executive producer for Animal Planet. Brad Kuhlman and Casey Brumels are the executive producers and Chad Hammel is the co-executive producer for Ping Pong Productions.

About Animal Planet
Animal Planet Media (APM), a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications, is the world's only entertainment brand that immerses viewers in the full range of life in the animal kingdom with rich, deep content via multiple platforms and offers animal lovers and pet owners access to a centralized online, television and mobile community for immersive, engaging, high-quality entertainment, information and enrichment.  APM consists of the Animal Planet television network, available in more than 96 million homes in the US; online assets www.animalplanet.com, the ultimate online destination for all things animal; the 24/7 broadband channel, Animal Planet Beyond; Petfinder.com, the #1 pet-related Web property globally that facilitates pet adoption; and other media platforms including a robust Video-on-Demand (VOD) service; mobile content; and merchandising extensions.

No Takers on $80,000 Bigfoot, Price Goes Up to $85,000

Clifford LaBrecque's neighbor next to his $85,000 Replica

"Any business man could build a museum for it and make his money back. If I don't sell it, that's exactly what I'll do" --Clifford LaBrecque

** UPDATE and CORRECTION: According to Mr. LaBrecque, the image above initially identified as LaBrecque, is, in fact, his neighbor.


LaBrecque also claims to have not shot at Bigfoot and the replica was designed before his encounters. This is a contradiction to the Examiner article written by John Newman we referenced. You can read the full article here.

Fans, when we first briefed you on this Bigfoot ebay item we were certain Clifford LaBrecque was trying to cash in on a 30 year investment, and we doubted if Clifford knew how auctions worked. When we saw the item has recently been re-listed for $5000 more, upping the price to $85,000, we knew we had to call Mr. LaBrecque to get the details.

"You can't make a replica like that today for less than $85,000." LaBrecque said over the phone. Based on what we know about costumes he may be correct. The Hairy and Henderson costume cost several million in 1985, adjusted for inflation it is about $3.9M in today's dollars. Granted, Hairy Henderson had remote control animatronics, but even a Hollywood costume without fancy electronic moving parts would run a quarter to a million dollars today, if it were made by a special effects studio.

As we continued to speak to Clifford Labrecque we realized there really wasn't a price too big for this statue, he had put an enormous amount of effort into it. "I did so much research back then, just so I could get it right. When I pass [and they prove Bigfoot] they will see I was accurate to within two inches"

It began to make sense, this replica was the sum of his research, research he no longer does.

"I got out of the Bigfoot world, because none of the academics would listen to me, sure they are interested now. Now, if Joe Academic goes out in the woods and sees Bigfoot, it becomes gospel." he continued to express his feelings about the TV show Finding Bigfoot, "That show is doing so much damage to the research, when we are out in the woods we don't think every single sound we hear is a Bigfoot"

To be fair in regards to Finding Bigfoot, we know the sensitivity to sound has a lot to do with editing and less to do with the hosts of the show being able to discern strange sounds.

We truly hope Clifford LeBrecque's Bigfoot replica finds a home, whether it is through a buyer on ebay or a museum he builds himself. At least now we know its not about the money, it's about the value the replica has to him. A value that is priceless. 

You can read about Clifford LeBrecque's previous Bigfoot encounters that inspired the statue on our previous post, "Man Shoots Bigfoot, Makes Bigfoot Mad, and Then Builds a $9000 Statue."