"Mysteries Of The Abandoned" is currently viewable on the Discovery channel. There are 12 seasons total. The final season was renamed "Mysteries Of The Abandoned: Hidden America". See my previous reviews here
Each episode visits three (or more) abandoned structures. The number of episodes per season varies from 7 to 22 (so it's sometimes hard to keep track of). For instance season 8 is listed on the Discovery website as having 9 episodes, on Wikipedia as having 11 episodes and it's lists 10 episodes when streaming.
Season 4: I've included some of favorite segments below:
- Episode 1: World's Strangest Ghost Towns- Centralia is an abandoned town in Pennsylvania. It was built on a coal seam. In 1962 they were burning trash at the landfill. It connected to the coal deposits and it's been burning ever since. In 1992 the entire area was condemned by the government under eminent domain. The government has said the remaining residents can remain there until they die (there are 5 currently). No one was killed but there were several close calls. Sinkholes remain of concern (since you dont know how stable the ground is beneath you). Toxic gases (which can lead to black lung) is also present. The fire burns at depths of up 10 feet and over an eight mile area. It is expected to keep burning for at least the next 250 years (but no one knows for sure).
- Episode 2: Secret of Supervillian Island- The Port Author Penal Colony in Tasmania held some 10,000 prisoners that were shipped there from the UK btwn 1833 and 1877. At it's largest, it housed some 1200 people. .
- Episode 3: Escobar's Castle- Escobar's Castle is an abandoned set of buildings on 20 acres of a lake peninsula in Colombia. It took 7 years to complete. This is one of several homes owned by Pablo Escobar. His Medellin Drug Cartel wrecked havoc on the world during the 80s. At that time, it supplied 80% of the cocaine shipped to the US. In 1983 Los Pepes bombed the complex. 200-300 people in the surrounding area lost their jobs after the site was abandoned.
- Episode 4: Labyrinth of the Dead- The Paris catacombs were originally a vast network of mines that existed under the city. It now contains some 6 million bodies. In the 18th century the above ground cemeteries were overflowing. They took all the bones in carts overnight and threw them down well entrances into the catacombs. The project took two years to complete. I'm glad I didnt have that job.
- Episode 5: Treasure of Outlaw Valley- Wunsdorf was the headquarters of the Russian Army in East Germany. The site was gigantic with some 600 buildings across 2.5 miles. It housed 75,000 men, women, children and was a self contained city.. The site was strictly off limits to East German citizens. In 1994 when the Soviet Union collapsed and East Germany fell, everyone left in a hurry (as Moscow as the soldiers ot different areas). There was also fear that the East German citizens might try to seek revenge against the soldiers. Now the site is a decaying mass of buildings as nature takes over.
- Episode 6: Alaska's Fort Apocalypse-The Red Star Graveyard in Hungary was the largest locomotive repair facility in the country. The railway was the pulse of the country. The Soviets set very high production limits on its satellite countries (like Hungary). Stalin died in 1953. The Hungarians tried to revolt in 1956. The Soviets crushed the rebellion and held onto control of Hungary for some 30 more years.
- Episode 7: Alien Hell Portal- Mining has occurred in this area of Cornwall UK all the way back to the Roman period (and before). The BotIallack Mines were originally submarine mines-- they are mines dug under the sea.. They used steam engines to pump water out of the mines but it was very dangerous work. They extracted tons of tin and copper but eventually the demand dried up. The cost to run the sophisticated engines cost more than they made. The mines were closed in 1883. The site is now a World Heritage Site and is open to visitors.
- Episode 8: Pompeii's Gate to Hell- The Stasi (short for Staatssicherheit) was the East German secret police which operated btwn 1950 and 1990. They were known for being one of the most repressive police organizations in the world. They kept tabs on every part of the East German citizens lives. The Stasi employed 91,000 people and an additional 174,000 people were co-conspirators. This made up approximately 2% of the countries total population. In 1989 Germany was reunified the group was dissolved. Citizens stormed the Stasi HQ in order to keep all the surveillance records from being destroyed. Interesting note: Vladimir Putin (then a KGB spy) also spent time working in the Stasi. The Stasi is now a museum and memorial to it's victims.
- Episode 9: Haunting On Plague Island- The first Carnon viaduct in Cornwall UK was created in the mid 19th century. It meant to support a railway to connect the areas mining activities to the capital. Brunell was one of the UK's greatest engineers. His idea was to create the top with wooden tresses (instead of stone). He was ridiculed by the press of the day but his design actually worked and lasted some 80 years.
Grade: No grade assigned since this is not a scripted series
Photo Credits: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6823138/episodes/?season=4
GMonsterTV
TV: Heavy On Sci Fi, Horror & Adventure; Light On Reality
June 25, 2025
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