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'''''Ancient Aliens''''' is an American [[television series]] that premiered on April 20, 2010 on the [[History (TV channel)|History]] channel.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.history.com/shows/ancient-aliens/episodes/ |title=Ancient Aliens Episode Guide |date=December 25, 2010 |publisher=History.com}}</ref> Produced by [[Prometheus Entertainment]], the program presents theories of [[ancient astronauts]] and proposes that historical texts, archaeology and legends contain evidence of past human-[[extraterrestrial life|extraterrestrial]] contact.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.history.com/shows/ancient-aliens/articles/ancient-alien-theory |title=Ancient Aliens Theory |date=December 25, 2010 |publisher=History.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.history.com/shows/ancient-aliens/articles/evidence-of-ancient-aliens |title=Evidence of Ancient Aliens? |date=December 25, 2010 |publisher=History.com}}</ref> |
'''''Ancient Aliens''''' is an American [[television series]] that premiered on April 20, 2010 on the [[History (TV channel)|History]] channel.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.history.com/shows/ancient-aliens/episodes/ |title=Ancient Aliens Episode Guide |date=December 25, 2010 |publisher=History.com}}</ref> Produced by [[Prometheus Entertainment]], the program presents theories of [[ancient astronauts]] and proposes that historical texts, archaeology and legends contain evidence of past human-[[extraterrestrial life|extraterrestrial]] contact.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.history.com/shows/ancient-aliens/articles/ancient-alien-theory |title=Ancient Aliens Theory |date=December 25, 2010 |publisher=History.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.history.com/shows/ancient-aliens/articles/evidence-of-ancient-aliens |title=Evidence of Ancient Aliens? |date=December 25, 2010 |publisher=History.com}}</ref> The ideas presented on the program have been criticized as [[pseudoscience]] and [[pseudohistory]];<ref>{{cite web |url=http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/hsp/summary/v010/10.5.fritze.html |last=Fritze |first=Ronald H. |title=On the Perils and Pleasures of Confronting Pseudohistory |work=Historically Speaking |volume=10 |number=5 |month=November |year=2009 |pages=2–5 |issn=1941-4188 }}</ref> "basically a rundown of [[Erich von Däniken]]'s ''[[Chariots of the Gods?]]''",<ref>{{cite book |last=Beebe |first=Ruth |title=Are You Being Told What to Believe?: How Important Is What We Believe? |publisher=Trafford Publishing |year=2010 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=VQWj5Z_93qAC&pg=PA58 |page=58 |isbn=1426939833}}</ref> a popular pseudoscience book from 1968 debunked in 1972,<ref>{{cite book |title=Crash Go the Chariots |last=Wilson |first=Clifford A. |year=1972 |location=New York |publisher=Lancer}}<br />{{cite book |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=erbRmdOT1R8C&pg=PA29 |pages=28–29 |title=Alien Agenda: Investigating the Extraterrestrial Presence Among Us |last=Marrs |first=Jim |publisher=HarperCollins |year=2000 |isbn=0060955368}}</ref> 1975<ref>{{cite book |title=The Chariots Still Crash |last=Wilson |first=Clifford A. |year=1975 |location=New York |publisher=Signet}}<br />{{cite book |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=n1qaOUDfCeEC&pg=PA358 |page=358 |title=The Kingdom of the Occult |authors=Walter Martin, Jill Martin Rische, Kurt Van Gorden |publisher=Thomas Nelson |year=2008 |isbn=14185164498}}</ref> and 1976.<ref>{{cite book |last=Story |first=Ronald |title=[[The Space Gods Revealed]] |year=1976 |isbn=0-06-014141-7}}</ref> Däniken himself has appeared on the program, and until his death in 2010, UFO researcher [[C. Scott Littleton]] was often consulted as an expert source.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1556-3502.2011.52231.x/abstract |title=Obituary of C. Scott Littleton |work=Anthropology News |date=February 17, 2011 |volume=52 |number=2 |pages=31–32 |publisher=Wiley Online Library |accessdate=June 18, 2011}}</ref> |
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The series' ''de facto'' pilot was a [[TV special]] of the same name that aired on March 8, 2009. |
The series' ''de facto'' pilot was a [[TV special]] of the same name that aired on March 8, 2009. A second season began airing on Thursday, October 28, 2010 in the 10ET/9CT time slot. |
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A second season began airing on Thursday, October 28, 2010 in the 10ET/9CT time slot. |
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==Episodes== |
==Episodes== |
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Revision as of 19:22, 18 June 2011
| Ancient Aliens | |
|---|---|
| title screenshot | |
| Genre | Paranormal Mystery |
| Narrated by | Robert Clotworthy |
| Country of origin | Template:TVUS |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 + 1 pilot |
| No. of episodes | 16 (as of Dec 30, 2010) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Kevin Burns |
| Camera setup | Multiple |
| Running time | 90 minutes |
| Production company | Prometheus Entertainment |
| Original release | |
| Network | History |
| Release | April 20, 2010 – Present |
Ancient Aliens is an American television series that premiered on April 20, 2010 on the History channel.[1] Produced by Prometheus Entertainment, the program presents theories of ancient astronauts and proposes that historical texts, archaeology and legends contain evidence of past human-extraterrestrial contact.[2][3] The ideas presented on the program have been criticized as pseudoscience and pseudohistory;[4] "basically a rundown of Erich von Däniken's Chariots of the Gods?",[5] a popular pseudoscience book from 1968 debunked in 1972,[6] 1975[7] and 1976.[8] Däniken himself has appeared on the program, and until his death in 2010, UFO researcher C. Scott Littleton was often consulted as an expert source.[9]
The series' de facto pilot was a TV special of the same name that aired on March 8, 2009. A second season began airing on Thursday, October 28, 2010 in the 10ET/9CT time slot.
Episodes
Pilot (2009)
| Episode | Title | Original Airdate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot (1) | "Ancient Aliens: Chariots, Gods & Beyond" | March 8, 2009 | |
|
The pilot presents the views of author Erich von Däniken who theorized that advanced beings from another world visited primitive humans, gave them the knowledge of the solar system, concepts of engineering and mathematics, and became the basis for their religions and cultures as evidenced by ancient monuments such as the Nazca Lines, the Pyramids of Giza and the Moai statues of Easter Island. | |||
Season one (2010)
| Episode | Title | Original airdate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 101 (2) | "The Evidence" | April 20, 2010 | |
|
This episode suggests that aliens made contact with primitive humans, and cites as evidence, Indian Sanskrit texts from around 3000 BC that are suggested to describe flying machines called Vimanas; Egyptian megaliths that are said to show precision cutting work thought to be too advanced for the time; and Jewish Zohar writings that are said to describe a "manna machine" similar to chlorella algae processing of today. | |||
| 102 (3) | "The Visitors" | April 27, 2010 | |
|
The episode proposes that alien visitations have occurred around the globe, and cites as evidence, claims that the Dogon people were given galactic knowledge by a star god; the Hopi and Zuni celebrations of Kachinas (or "gods from the sky") that are symbolized with headdress that are said to resemble modern space helmets; and that the Chinese Huangdi was a Han leader who came to Earth on a yellow dragon which is suggested to have been a metaphor for a spaceship. | |||
| 103 (4) | "The Mission" | May 4, 2010 | |
|
This episode posits that extraterrestrials have a mission plan for Earth and mankind, and cites as evidence, Sumerian tablets that allegedly describe the Anunnaki as a race of creatures that came to Earth to mine gold; the purpose of cattle mutilations; the mile-long "band of holes" near Pisco, Peru; Egyptian hieroglyphs that are said to depict hybrid creatures that are part man/part animal; and crystal skulls and crop circles that are said to contain messages from aliens. | |||
| 104 (5) | "Closer Encounters" | May 18, 2010 | |
|
This episode suggests that alien encounters have been documented in various historical texts, citing as evidence, the 13th century book Otia Imperialia which describes an incident in Bristol, England ascribed to UFOs; the log entries of Christopher Columbus that report lights in the sky; stories of cigar-shaped craft allegedly seen over Europe during the Black Plague; and Medieval art that supposedly depicts disc-shaped objects floating in the heavens. | |||
| 105 (6) | "The Return" | May 25, 2010 | |
|
This episode proposes that aliens have contacted man as recently as the 20th century, citing examples such as the Battle of Los Angeles and the Roswell UFO Incident. It also looks at the modern SETI project and speculates what would happen if aliens answered back; what protocols exist to determine who would speak on behalf of mankind, and how we would communicate. | |||
Season two (2010)
| Episode | Title | Original Airdate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201 (7) | "Mysterious Places" | October 28, 2010 | |
|
This episode examines locations around the Earth that are proposed "hot spots" of UFO activity; such as the Bermuda Triangle; Mexico's "Zone of Silence" an area of land said to naturally disrupt radio signals; the portal-like structure at Peru's Puerta de Hayu Marka; and the curious rock formations of the Markawasi Plateau. | |||
| 202 (8) | "Gods & Aliens" | November 4, 2010 | |
|
This episode looks at legends about powerful gods and fearsome monsters that have similarities between them even though these legends are found in different cultures separated by vast distances, and this episode also suggests that these legends may be eyewitness accounts of alien visitations. Also discussed are tales of gods interacting with humans, imparting wisdom and technology and impregnating women to create demigods who are supposedly the offspring of human/alien unions. | |||
| 203 (9) | "Underwater Worlds" | November 11, 2010 | |
|
This episode suggests that various underwater structures and ruins found around the globe may have been used by extraterrestrials; such as the temple ruins found under Lake Titicaca in Peru; the geometric structures of Yonaguni off the coast of Japan, and ancient Indian texts that allegedly describe other sunken cities yet to be discovered. | |||
| 204 (10) | "Underground Aliens" | November 18, 2010 | |
|
This episode theorizes that various underground places may have been extraterrestrial lairs; such as a lost cave in Ecuador said to hold metal tablets containing alien knowledge; the underground city of Derinkuyu in Turkey; Native American legends of "inner-earth" beings; and rumors of a secret U.S. Military-base supposedly built alongside aliens inside the Archuleta Mesa near Dulce, New Mexico. | |||
| 205 (11) | "Aliens and the Third Reich" | November 25, 2010 | |
|
This episode speculates that Nazi Germany had experimented with advanced alien technology and built flying machines; such as the Haunebu and the Die Glocke (The Bell); and rumors that some of this technology may have made its way to the United States and helped jump start the Apollo program. | |||
| 206 (12) | "Alien Tech" | December 2, 2010 | |
|
This episode proposes that some advanced weapon technologies currently in development, such as laser and sonic weapons, are rediscovered technologies used by advanced beings in the past. Also discussed are theories that aliens provided gravity manipulation devices to help man construct colossal stone structures around the world. | |||
| 207 (13) | "Angels and Aliens" | December 9, 2010 | |
|
This episode looks at various stories of angelic visitations that to some ancient astronaut theorists read more like alien encounters than divine appearances, and suggests they are not supernatural beings, but visitors from distant planets. | |||
| 208 (14) | "Unexplained Structures" | December 16, 2010 | |
|
This episode suggests that various sites around the world; such as Göbekli Tepe in Turkey; the Incan ruins of Sacsayhuamán in Peru; the Carnac stones of France; and Zorats Karer in Armenia, show construction techniques and mathematical concepts that were not believed to have been known at the time, and that this knowledge was gained from alien visitors. | |||
| 209 (15) | "Alien Devastations" | December 23, 2010 | |
|
This episode surmises that aliens may have caused various disasters, as depicted in the Bible and other texts, or even tried to warn man of them; such as Noah of the Great Flood. Also proposed is that some disasters ushered changes in human evolution and that our leaps in technology over the centuries were achieved with alien help. | |||
| 210 (16) | "Alien Contacts" | December 30, 2010 | |
|
This episode proposes that extraterrestrials may have contacted various humans throughout history, such as Moses and Joan of Arc, to help guide and inspire them to achieve great things; or to pass on important messages for humanity; such as a supposed binary message given to a UFO-contactee during the 1980 Rendlesham Forest incident who believes it is the coordinates to a mythical island called Hy-Brazil. | |||
Critical reception
Reviewers have characterized Ancient Aliens variously as "far fetched"[10] and "hugely speculative",[11] and of "...expound[ing] wildly on theories suggesting that astronauts wandered the Earth freely in ancient time."[12]
See also
- Ancient astronauts
- Chariots of the Gods? by Erich von Däniken
- Extraterrestrial hypothesis
- Giorgio A. Tsoukalos
- Zecharia Sitchin
- Pseudoarchaeology
- Pseudohistory
- Murry Hope
- David Icke
- Dogon people
- Alan F. Alford
- Robert K. G. Temple
- The Sirius Mystery
References
- ^ "Ancient Aliens Episode Guide". History.com. December 25, 2010.
- ^ "Ancient Aliens Theory". History.com. December 25, 2010.
- ^ "Evidence of Ancient Aliens?". History.com. December 25, 2010.
- ^ Fritze, Ronald H. (2009). "On the Perils and Pleasures of Confronting Pseudohistory". Historically Speaking. pp. 2–5. ISSN 1941-4188.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ Beebe, Ruth (2010). Are You Being Told What to Believe?: How Important Is What We Believe?. Trafford Publishing. p. 58. ISBN 1426939833.
- ^ Wilson, Clifford A. (1972). Crash Go the Chariots. New York: Lancer.
Marrs, Jim (2000). Alien Agenda: Investigating the Extraterrestrial Presence Among Us. HarperCollins. pp. 28–29. ISBN 0060955368. - ^ Wilson, Clifford A. (1975). The Chariots Still Crash. New York: Signet.
The Kingdom of the Occult. Thomas Nelson. 2008. p. 358. ISBN 14185164498.{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: length (help); Cite uses deprecated parameter|authors=(help) - ^ Story, Ronald (1976). The Space Gods Revealed. ISBN 0-06-014141-7.
- ^ "Obituary of C. Scott Littleton". Anthropology News. Wiley Online Library. February 17, 2011. pp. 31–32. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
- ^
SH (04-30-2011). "Ancient Aliens". The Daily Telegraph (London). p. 38.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^
Clay, Joe (04-30-2011). "Digital Choices". The Times (London). p. 35.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^
Ryan, Andrew (04-25-2011). "Tonight on TV/Critical Picks". The Globe and Mail (Canada). p. R2.
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