Have you watched Ozzy and Jack’s World Detour yet?
Random things happen to us, often when we travel. We’re “those people” who can be in an airport halfway across the country and run into someone we know. So imagine our surprise the day we crossed paths with Ozzy Osbourne, his son, Jack, and the History Channel film crew! It even resulted in 5 seconds of fame in the first episode of Ozzy and Jack’s World Detour that aired this Summer. #OzzyAndJack
About Ozzy and Jack’s World Detour
In the show, Ozzy and Jack road trip around North America (with diversions to Japan and Cuba). They visit famous historic sites and add their own unique flavor to history. The show’s quirkiness mixed with Jack and Ozzy’s off-color British humor draw you in. And, when you are totally not paying attention, you learn quite a bit you probably didn’t know about the past.
Cannibalism at Jamestown?
So in episode 1 of Ozzy and Jack’s World Detour, Like Forefathers, Like Sons, the road trip begins in Jamestown, Virginia. Jamestown is the site of the first (barely) successful British colony in North America. The colonists picked a pretty lousy location with unhealthy water. They had trouble farming the land. They quickly pissed off each other and the local native Indian tribes. Their hopes of quickly finding gold and other precious metals to send back to England were dashed. Somehow, the colonists hung in there, despite several years of rampant disease, winter starvation, internal political issues and fighting with the Indians. They eventually expanded up the James River, forming towns such as Williamsburg.
Recent archaeology digs at the original Jamestown fort have helped researchers understand just how difficult those first years of colonization were. Sometimes terrible choices were made just to survive. And evidence shows that at least one instance of cannibalism took place. This instance of cannibalism is what fascinates Ozzy the most, so he and Jack are determined to get to the bottom of what happened.
Crossing Paths with Ozzy and Jack
Meanwhile, Al and I happened to be in town on the day of filming. We had just finished attending the annual Virginia Association of Museums Conference at Williamsburg and decided to spend a few extra days exploring Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown.
We were wandering around the grounds of Jamestown Fort looking at the archaeology digs, when I noticed someone getting a private tour. Now I am a total museum junkie and LOVE history. My favorite way to explore a place is to be toured through it. I even mentioned to Al, “Wonder how he got a private tour?” No matter, I had been to Jamestown before. It was hot, late in the afternoon and we were feeling a bit bedraggled. So we wandered off to the museum and then did some damage in the gift shop.
Somehow, the guy on the private tour got ahead of us. So as we wandered down the boardwalk (the fort is still surrounded by swamp) back to the main entrance and parking lot, we noticed an entourage coming toward us: 2 guys in front, several cameramen, sound people and other crew. Hey! And the private tour guy was the lead cameraman!
While I was identifying the cameraman, Al immediately recognized Ozzy and Jack. So as we approached, Al tipped his hat and casually said, “Big fan!” Ozzy responded at the same time by saying, “Triangle hat.” (Al was wearing a tricorn hat and round colonial sunglasses we bought at Williamsburg).
And the clip made the show with us starring as random, tired, bedraggled tourists. Go figure we are in the cannibalism episode!
#OzzyAndJack
See the Episodes and Learn More about Jamestown Colony
To see all the hilarious episodes of Ozzy and Jack’s World Detour, visit History.com.
To learn more about the Jamestown colony and the archaeology dig at the original fort, check out these links, books and films:
*Visit Historic Jamestowne, location of the original fort.
*Visit Jamestown Settlement, a recreation of life in the early 17th century Jamestown colony.
