While this two hour show's ostensible purpose is to provide evidence of ancient aliens, it only succeeds due to the strength of the show's central protagonists, Erich von Daniken and Giorgio Tsoukalos. Von Daniken has been an ancient astronaut/alien researcher for 45 years and is author of 26 books on the subject. Tsoukalos is the director of Von Daniken's Center for Ancient Astronaut Research. Other ancient astronaut experts are quoted in the show including David Childress, Michael Cremo, Jason Martell, Dr. Luis Navia and Barry Downing.
Prometheus Entertainment produced the show for The History Channel. Prometheus' selection for producer and writer, however, detract from the show's writing, narration and choice of antagonists. Their total lack of knowledge with the subject matter seriously detracts from the show, especially in the second hour.
In spite of Von Daniken's background, both the producer and writer work to discredit him throughout the show. The producer, Kevin Burns (Playboy's "Girls Next Door", "Lust in America") has no production or writing background to qualify him for this show. The same can be said for the writer, Rob Hampton ("Gong Show" & "Let's Make A Deal" anniversary shows, Monsterama video compilations ("Witches Dungeon" et. al.)).
The producers include such scientific gems as this: a randomly polled, twenty-something woman is asked her opinion about ancient aliens (off camera), and offers: "I can't imagine, I don't know, I'm not sure..." Another randomly polled man is asked the same and responds, "I mean who knows - many things are lost in antiquity, we just have shreds..." This in light of the TONS of evidence Von Daniken has produced in his 26 books, not to mention the TONS of things NOT lost in antiquity that are CARVED IN STONE and WRITTEN IN ANCIENT PRESERVED TEXTS. Oh, who knows? Obviously, the producer and writer show they know next to nothing themselves, and learned nothing nor cared to learn anything while making the show, other than how to make a fast buck.
The narration is just as bad scattered throughout the show. Comments are included from a choice skeptic - Mohawk-haired Todd Disotell, PhD, then NYU "Molecular Primatologist", today a self-described evolutionary, tropical "ant hunter" and biologist at Rice University in Houston. His antagonistic contributions to the show are pathetic, revealing his total ignorance of the subject matter with the inclusion of this gem: "My colleagues & I... we have never discussed ancient astronaut theory in any credible way whatsoever." Duh! The producer and writer had their collective head in the sand! From another scientist ignorant in the subject: "People want to believe that they (aliens) are out there...)" Oh, yeah, and this from his recollection of his watching the X-Files twenty years ago. His myth supports is the invalid 'theory' (non-scientific itself) that all sightings are really mis-perceptions of natural phenomena or conventional aircraft, and that these mis-perceptions are the result of the witness's ignorance, emotional state, or psychological health, or caused by unusual environmental conditions adversely affecting an individual's perception. All that is the old UFO debunker's line initiated and perpetuated by the US Air Force and their Project Blue Book report, already confessed to be false by its now retired military chief and author! So the "debunkers" here offer nothing but bunk themselves, which lowers the IQ rating of this show considerably. But then this History Channel show is offered as entertainment. What a waste of film, production and money! I for one will be less likely to watch shows on their channel anymore.
There is so much recorded, scientific evidence available today (ancient and current), and so many qualified, outstanding, recorded eyewitness accounts to confirm the producer's idea that there could be JUST-ONE-REAL-SCIENTIFICALLY-Proved-UFO-SIGHTING, but the producer & writer's lack of knowledge has resulted in a show that insults the viewers intelligence instead. Unquestionably, Von Daniken's proof stands on its own merit, along with many other new, archaeological finds world-wide in the past 2 decades. Those attempting to debunk the subject today are, in fact, the ignoramuses. How did ancient civilizations produce maps of our solar system -- Sun & planetary orbits? Subterranean Antarctica not covered in ice? The land bridge to South America, etc? Then go search for and view the many NASA-Alien / NASA-UFO videos on YouTube.com and see the plain evidence for yourself what is no longer hidden.
NASA's astronauts have published interviews of their mission sightings of UFOs around Earth, on the way to the Moon, and ON the Moon. Space Shuttle & International Space Station astronauts have video documentation of literally hundreds of UFOs, and see them every day. (See for yourself at www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlLN_Jcg1pc). We don't need to wait for "government disclosure" or stand for namby-pamby TV shows that pussy-foot around the subject.
Today, governments and military (primarily the U.S., not foreign) hiding this information are the ignorant ones, not the citizens who have seen it with their own eyes. If the reader of this review is uninformed, please see the Disclosure Project document gallery and National Press Conference Briefing (www.disclosureproject.org), the Report on UFOs authored by the former chief of Project Blue Book (www.nicap.org/rufo/contents.htm), and Project Camelot (www.projectcamelot.org).
A final note: "If we are to have the rich cultural, social and economic future that seems to disclose itself just ahead of where we are not, government must admit the reality of the visitors and encourage study of them. If it continues to stonewall the situation, the loss to mankind, already tragic, will certainly deteriorate even further. -- Whitley Strieber Mark Lauritsen, Dallas, Texas
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