History Channel needs an intervention...Ancient Aliens...SERIOUSLY!

[Gotham Central]

Ok, really, what is with the History Channel's insistence on continuing this absurd show? I was shocked when I noticed that this show is actually in its 4th season....WHY!

How can a show thats managed to determine that EVERYTHING that ever happened in human history is the result of aliens, keep getting made? I was willing to play along with the original documentary but the fact that its still going is kind of worrying. If this show were airing on SyFy I would not bat an eye. However, since it airs on History, the fact that this show might be popular enough to warrant making ever sillier episodes is quite alarming. Are there people out there watching and believing this crap?

 

[sojourner]

Re: History Channel needs an intervention...Ancient Aliens...SERIOUSLY

It gets worse.

 

[Silvercrest]

Re: History Channel needs an intervention...Ancient Aliens...SERIOUSLY

Well, you know: There are those who believe that life here began out there, far across the universe ....

 

[sojourner]

Re: History Channel needs an intervention...Ancient Aliens...SERIOUSLY

Damn you Patrick MacNee.

 

[The Engineer]

Re: History Channel needs an intervention...Ancient Aliens...SERIOUSLY

I watch it regularly. It's hilarious.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Re: History Channel needs an intervention...Ancient Aliens...SERIOUSLY

Same here. I've loved that Chariots of the Gods stuff since Chariots of the Gods came out. And that guy with the hair cracks me up.

Unfortunately, I suspect more people take it seriously than don't.

And, of course, it's completely inappropriate for History Channel. There should be a dedicated channel for all this paranormal stuff so that it can be kept away from History and Sciffy and so forth.

 

[Gov Kodos]

Re: History Channel needs an intervention...Ancient Aliens...SERIOUSLY

Fox?

 

[Skywalker]

Re: History Channel needs an intervention...Ancient Aliens...SERIOUSLY

Because people like watching it. And I don't think the majority of viewers take it seriously, they just find it interesting and/or amusing.

 

[Gov Kodos]

Re: History Channel needs an intervention...Ancient Aliens...SERIOUSLY

I hope you are right about the viewers discernment.

 

[Skywalker]

Re: History Channel needs an intervention...Ancient Aliens...SERIOUSLY

Well, I'm not a cynic who's dead on the inside, so my viewpoint may be a bit skewed.

 

[Gov Kodos]

Re: History Channel needs an intervention...Ancient Aliens...SERIOUSLY

Cynicism? I saw the field of candidates in the last US election that the GOP fielded to speak for about half the US. All too many school districts think Intelligent Design is a viable idea to put up against Darwinian Evolution in the classroom. Ancient Aliens on TV, small potatoes one would hope, but I wouldn't be sure. HC needs ratings and advertisers, they really are not educators, but I would like to wish for better from them for my part.

 

[Thorsg1]

Re: History Channel needs an intervention...Ancient Aliens...SERIOUSLY

They should rename the History Channel when all they seem to show is dross like this. National Geographic and the Discovery channels are also guilty of this kind of thing.

 

[Forbin]

Re: History Channel needs an intervention...Ancient Aliens...SERIOUSLY

Honestly, while i completely agree that it's stupid and the history Channel should be ashamed for showing crap like this... well, I do like having it on while I'm working. I don't have to pay attention to it, and it's acceptable background noise.

 

[The Wormhole]

Re: History Channel needs an intervention...Ancient Aliens...SERIOUSLY

I've only watched a couple of episodes of it. It can start of kind of interesting with a look at various ancient cultures with odd things going on, like one I saw where they were talking about some Mayan/Aztec/whatever city which was organized in a pattern which remebled a computer circuit. Then out of nowhere (admittedly, I was interrupted and pulled away from the show, so I obviously missed something) they have CGI graphics detailing alien ships landing at this city, and how the layout of the city was meant specifically for landing and take-off for alien ships. Althugh I did find it interesting to learn in another episode that the Nazis really did have their own official organization for investigating the paranormal.

As for why History airs it, well, at least it does have some sort of historical content. Moreso than shows like Pawn Stars, American Restoration, or Swamp People. And I say this as someone who likes Pawn Stars.

 

[DarthTom]

Re: History Channel needs an intervention...Ancient Aliens...SERIOUSLY

I've only watched a couple of episodes of it. It can start of kind of interesting with a look at various ancient cultures with odd things going on, like one I saw where they were talking about some Mayan/Aztec/whatever city which was organized in a pattern which remebled a computer circuit. Then out of nowhere (admittedly, I was interrupted and pulled away from the show, so I obviously missed something) they have CGI graphics detailing alien ships landing at this city, and how the layout of the city was meant specifically for landing and take-off for alien ships. Althugh I did find it interesting to learn in another episode that the Nazis really did have their own official organization for investigating the paranormal.

As for why History airs it, well, at least it does have some sort of historical content. Moreso than shows like Pawn Stars, American Restoration, or Swamp People. And I say this as someone who likes Pawn Stars.

I think they ask some interesting questions about how some ancient civilizations moved large rocks weighingi some cases several tons up mountain faces and/or about how ancient people's were able to handcraft certain monuments with right angles down to the 1/1000 of an inch - a feat that we accomplish today with only machine tools.

but where the show goes off the deep end is the talk about how ancient people created electricity or how the anient aliens may of killed off the dionsaurs is where I check out and it loses it's entertainment value and becomes stupid.

As for it being on the HS channel. Meh . There is only so many times people will watch a rinse repeat of WWII, WWI, the rise and fall of the Roman Empire etc. It's entertainment.

 

[Christopher]

Re: History Channel needs an intervention...Ancient Aliens...SERIOUSLY

People always blame the networks for their content, but ultimately it's the viewers who are responsible. Commercial networks need ratings to sell ad time and stay in business. So the shows that the audience wants to watch get renewed, and the shows the audience doesn't watch get cancelled. You can start out with the best of intentions to be a smart, educational cable network, but if your ratings tank and the advertisers won't buy time, you have no choice but to switch to more profitable programming if you want to stay in business. And that's why educational channels end up degenerating into pseudoscience and reality dreck -- because, sadly, that's what the public wants.

This is why public television is so important. The only way educational television can really work is if it isn't dependent on advertiser dollars to stay in business. This is why we need more government funding for PBS, not less like Mitt Romney wanted. And maybe more government involvement in other ways too. When I was growing up, there were FCC regulations saying that networks had to feature a certain amount of educational content, and so there were more shows out there that were actually informative.

 

[Shawnster]

Re: History Channel needs an intervention...Ancient Aliens...SERIOUSLY

People always blame the networks for their content, but ultimately it's the viewers who are responsible. Commercial networks need ratings to sell ad time and stay in business. So the shows that the audience wants to watch get renewed, and the shows the audience doesn't watch get cancelled. You can start out with the best of intentions to be a smart, educational cable network, but if your ratings tank and the advertisers won't buy time, you have no choice but to switch to more profitable programming if you want to stay in business. And that's why educational channels end up degenerating into pseudoscience and reality dreck -- because, sadly, that's what the public wants.

That's the same thing with every niche channel. They all eventually break out of their niche and become more generalized in order to attract viewers. That's why we have all kinds of MTVs and VH1s.

 

[sojourner]

Re: History Channel needs an intervention...Ancient Aliens...SERIOUSLY

The Weather Channel did fine for years until NBC bought them and decided the profit margin was too low. Now it shows movies and reality shows like everyone else.

 

[BillJ]

Re: History Channel needs an intervention...Ancient Aliens...SERIOUSLY

Ancient Aliens is entertaining bullshit.

 

[degra]

Re: History Channel needs an intervention...Ancient Aliens...SERIOUSLY

it isn't just the history channel that had strayed from their original creation. Cable has become littered with a bunch of channels filled with nothing but crap. I got rid of cable and have no regrets. Tv broadcast and cable imo has never been worse.