‘MonsterQuest’ Boss on Show’s Return After 15 Years & Bringing Chilling Stories to Life

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the woods, History Channel has brought back MonsterQuest. The show returns for Season 5 after a 15-year hiatus to tackle more harrowing encounters with what people around the world believed to be monsters. Each hour features chilling accounts and extraordinary stories brought to life. Even the most skeptical may start to question if these interactions with Bigfoot, UFOs, and killer creatures are more than just myth, legend or folklore. 

The January 2 premiere centers on law enforcement officers reflecting on cases that extend beyond anything they’ve experienced before. There are the “Beast of LBL (Land Between Lakes)” sightings linked to possible disappearances, a mysterious shadow man in New Jersey, and a half-man, half-goat in Colorado to name a few. 

Here EP and showrunner Jared McGilliard gives us a look at what’s to come. 

What’s it like to bring the show back? 

 Jared McGilliard: I always loved MonsterQuest. The series has always approached these stories in a smart, historical way, and we’ve done our best to stay true to that in the reboot. We couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of bringing this iconic series back. 

Why is now the right time for it’s return? 

There are more reports of people encountering unexplainable creatures than ever before. I think this is primarily due to social media, where people have created communities around their encounters that have made others feel safe to share their own experiences. Secrets many have held close to their heart for years and years are finally coming to light. We are also able to use AI visual tools to bring the creatures these witnesses claim to have encountered to life in a new and exciting way. It’s just the perfect time for the return of MonssterQuest.

Photo: Ty Dalitz/History Channel

Anything tweaked or a different approach taken compared to past seasons? 

Beyond the cinematic recreations and AI visuals, this new season and reboot explores chilling firsthand encounters, while also examining the deeper history, folklore, and factual historical accounts surrounding the creature at the center of each case. The personal experiences and the larger story and history they feed into are central to this season.

Talk about what goes into shooting the reenactments scenes and the production involved.  

Each recreation is like a movie based on someone’s encounter. We hired actors, had big sets, lit up entire forests, it was a lot of fun. The goal was to take an elevated, cinematic approach to transport the audience into the encounter, as if they were there.

What goes into deciding what topics to tackle?

Each episode of MonsterQuest is themed, not by the type of creature, but by who the witness is (such as police officers or former military) or the type of encounter they had. Once we finished casting, we found creative ways to theme each episode based on the connecting fibers from one encounter to the next. Each episode contains five stories that all fall under that single theme.

How is it working on the show? 

Working on the series has been eye opening. The sheer number of encounters, coincidental history based around where and how they happened, and credibility of the witnesses all made for a fascinating experience.

What was your takeaway as you’re talking to those who lived through these harrowing experiences? 

This can happen to anyone, kids, judges, police officers, military on deployment…anyone. 

Any account or two you can remember from the season that really impacted them emotionally or their lives in the time since their interactions? 

I can’t think of any that did not impact them emotionally. Each person has spent nearly a lifetime trying to understand what they experienced and why, searching for answers. Most live with this memory every day of their lives. 

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What are some stories you’re most excited for viewers to see this season?

There are some really big, well-known stories that we’re telling that offer the audience new details, perspectives, or a historical connection they may not have heard before. Equally exciting are the stories people are telling for the first time but are just as terrifying and extraordinary. I think each individual’s story has the capacity to really impact the perspective of the audience.

Anything you want to say to viewers before watching, maybe even to the skeptics? 

These episodes are from the voices of honest, relatable, credible people, who truly experienced something beyond their understanding of the world around them. We really took a lot of care to ensure the series will resonate with believers and skeptics alike. As one witness says, “You just have to keep an open mind that there are things out there that we cannot explain.”

MonsterQuest Season 5 premiere ,January 2, 10/9c, History Channel