For years, fans of “The Curse of Oak Island” tuned to watch a revolving door of cast members search for the elusive “Money Pit,” but perhaps one of the most memorable was Dave Blankenship, the treasure-hunting comic relief who was always ready to dig deep — and guzzle a glass of Crown Royal. But by the time Season 8 rolled around in 2020, Dave was notably absent, leaving viewers wondering what happened to everyone’s favorite Oak Island resident.
To totally understand the reasons behind Dave’s departure, you have to look at the early beginnings of the dangerous reality TV series. The History Channel show follows Rick and Marty Lagina as they deploy heavy machinery to solve a centuries-old mystery off the coast of Nova Scotia. But long before the Laginas arrived, there was legendary Dan Blankenship, Dave’s father, who spent over 50 years excavating the island. Dave joined in his father’s fortune-seeking crusade in the 1970s, establishing himself as a permanent island resident.
Despite fan theories about health struggles during the pandemic, the real reason for Dave’s departure was much more personal. According to fans on Reddit — who point to a since-deleted Facebook comment (via Imgur) that appears to have been posted by Dave himself — he felt the show’s producers disrespected his late father, Dan, who passed away in 2019. In correspondence with the website Mysteries of Canada, Dave revealed he retired because the production decided to gloss over his father’s historic contributions, kicking Dan’s decades of work off to the side and turning the spotlight on the Lagina brothers instead.
Dave Blankenship’s final appearance was in The Curse of Oak Island: Drilling Down
In a candid 2023 Q&A with The Oak Island Compendium, Dave reiterated that sentiment, explaining that he officially retired after the “Dave Blankenship’s Oak Island” episode of “The Curse of Oak Island: Drilling Down” — which aired in February 2021 — because the team left “50 years” of his dad’s legacy out of the narrative (note: “Drilling Down” is a separate companion series hosted by Matty Blake).
Today, Dave is happily enjoying his retirement. Even though he and his wife, Garnette, still live in their home on Oak Island in close proximity to the production, his days of digging are over. He revealed that he’s had zero contact with the Laginas, telling the Compendium that, not only has he distanced himself from the show, but Rick hasn’t spoken to him in years. “If I don’t stop and talk to him, he will not make an effort to speak to me,” he said of Rick. “I never did watch the show and I don’t know of anybody on the crew that watches it.”
Still, Dave keeps his father’s memory alive through private photos and home movies, content to let others chase the island’s mysteries while he enjoys a well-earned rest. As for ever returning, he told the Compendium: “I left the show and will not go back, it is the Rick and Marty show. It’s about the brothers.”
In addition to watching it on the History Channel, episodes of “The Curse of Oak Island” are also available on some of the best streaming services such as Hulu, Prime Video, and Tubi, as well as other shows about history.
