Review: Encounters With The Unexplained-Bigfoot: Real Monster or Urban Myth? (2001)

This was a great program which gave a great overview of the Bigfoot Mystery up to the early-21st Century, hosted by the late, great Jerry Orbach (doing double-duty alongside his Law & Order gig at that time), featuring some prominent researchers such as Ron Morehead, John Bindernagel, Grover Krantz, Jeff Meldrum, Jimmy Chilcutt and others. The Ape Canyon story is recounted, as is the E. Walker account from 1840. There are several beautiful paintings shown of Sasquatch-like creatures. Drs. Krantz and Bindernagel give their impressions of descriptions of the creature, as well as the reticence of the scientific community to study the phenomena. Another eyewitness account from a fellow named Billy Riley is also recounted by Riley himself, who saw a Sasquatch in his home state of Missouri in the early-70's. The creature apparently chased the young man to a farmer's house, but left him alone. Dr. Bindernagel also recounts the Teddy Roosevelt-written Bauman incident from the 1840's. The footprint evidence is also examined by Dr. Meldrum and Chilcutt, and there is the obligatory showing of the Patterson/Gimlin Movie. It is a fair and balanced look at the subject, without all the rampant skepticism that sometimes permeates programs of similar style. I enjoyed this one.