The Curse Of Oak Island Season 9: Release Date, Cast, And New Details
The History Channel's treasure hunting hit, "The Curse of Oak Island," is a fascinating show about real-life treasure hunting. According to the University of Calgary, nearly 3 million viewers tune in each week to watch the treasure hunters on the show look for one of the most notorious caches the world over, which is allegedly somewhere on Oak Island in Nova Scotia.
This treasure hunt is the longest-running one in history. Dubbed "the money pit," the hidden treasure has built up a lot of expectations over the years. According to Dr. Ian Spooner, there is also a lot at stake for whoever finds what is buried in Oak Island. "Something went on there that in my personal opinion, is probably bigger than treasure," Spooner said. "What's there is an important part of Nova Scotia's and likely Canada's history."
No one on the show has found the treasure just yet — despite eight seasons of effort — but fans keep coming back for more (per TV Insider). The interesting discoveries keep viewers intrigued, so the show will be returning for a 9th season in due course.
Updated Oct. 13, 2021: This article has been updated with concrete information about the release date of Season 9.
When will the new season be released?
As soon as it was confirmed, Season 9 of "The Curse of Oak Island" became one of the most anticipated reality TV shows of the year. For a while, there was no news regarding the when or what of the new set of episodes, so fans of the show took to watching the island for hidden details
Fans and hopeful treasure hunters maintain a group on Facebook, Oak Island From The Other Side of The Causeway, where they post accounts of what people see on the island. According to one user, someone posted a photo with the caption, "A new excavator arrived today! [Approximately] 20-25 vehicles ... I think it's safe to say they are back at it! No sign of the brothers or any of the U.S. gang yet! Last night's sunset was amazing! Loving being back at my happy place!"
For a while, these tiny glimpses of the ninth expedition in motion were all we had to go on, but now that filming has completed and post-production is well underway, we have a concrete release date for the season premiere the show's ninth run.
According to Premiere Date, "The Curse of Oak Island" will be back on the air on November 2, 2021. Watch it for free on Peacock to get caught up.
Who will join the Season 9 cast?
The cast of the show consists of brothers Rick and Marty Lagina, who are leading the hunt for the treasure (via History). Rick is a retired postal worker from Northern Michigan, while his younger brother, Marty, has always dreamed of solving the Oak Island mystery. They've been searching the island for over a decade.
Other members of the cast include Craig Tester, who was Marty's former college roommate and is an expert in drilling and earth scans. Dan Blankenship was the partner of the Lagina brothers who knew most about the island, but Blankenship tragically died in 2019. His son, David Blankenship, joined the team after his father's passing. Living on the island, he brought a lot of knowledge to the team. Sadly, though, he decided to leave the show, so you won't be seeing him on the next season.
The Lagina brothers also spend a lot of time on the island and have made it a family affair. In an interview with Channel Guide, Rick shared, "We spend the amount time that we can. I'm retired, and Marty still has business adventures ongoing, so he splits his time. We were there overall five months this year. Family and friends come up. Our sisters have come up with their families. Marty's son, Alex, has participated in the process, and so have our nephews, Peter and David. They're all somewhat invested. Not all of them believe, however."
So, it's possible that fans may see some other members of the Lagina family this season.
What happened to David Blankenship?
David Blankenship, the son of Dan Blankenship, seems to no longer be a part of the show. After his father's passing, David played a pivotal role on "The Curse of Oak Island," providing knowledge of the island, having lived there for so long. According to Distractify, Blankenship struggled with injuries, which may have been the reason he left the show.
However, the reasoning behind his exit might be darker than an injury. According to fans on Reddit, Blankenship made a comment on Facebook that has since been deleted. It read, "I have quit the show when they left 50 years out of my dad and went Restall to Laginas." The comment continued: "That night I quit and they will not say anything about me."
On top of that, there was a rumor that he had died. According to The Cinemaholic, an obituary for someone who shared Blankenship's name made fans think that might have been the case, but it appears he is alive and well and simply just left the show.
Will the team consider giving up the hunt this season?
In the trailer for the new season, which was recently released on YouTube, we see the likely storyline for the upcoming episodes playing out. Rick looks defeated and has tears in his eyes as they consider throwing in the towel. A few times in the trailer, we hear the brothers ready to give up, but something keeps pulling them back.
According to Tech Radar 247, the first episode of the latest season will pick back up where the brothers last left off. In the search for the money pit located on Oak Island, the team discovered traces of silver (and possibly even gold, going off the season's trailer), leading them to believe they might be closer than ever to the treasure.
The trailer for the new season teases that the brothers are nearing their goal after years of disappointment. According to TV Shows Ace, the team will continue to search for the money pit, although their efforts over the past 10 years have come up short. They are determined to find something and are not giving up hope just yet.