Ancient Aliens

This article is about a television program. For extraterrestrial visitations during ancient times, see ancient astronauts.

Ancient Aliens
File:Ancient aliens.png
Genre	Paranormal Mystery
Narrated by	Robert Clotworthy
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	4
No. of episodes	42
Production
Executive producer	Kevin Burns
Camera setup	Multiple
Running time	42 minutes, (90 minutes 1st season only)
Production company	Prometheus Entertainment
Original release
Network	History
Release	April 20, 2010 (2010-04-20) – present

Ancient Aliens is an American television series that premiered on April 20, 2010 on the History channel. Produced by Prometheus Entertainment, the program presents hypotheses of ancient astronauts and proposes that historical texts, archaeology and legends contain evidence of past human-extraterrestrial contact. The show has been criticized for presenting disputed pseudoscience.

The series' de facto pilot was a TV special of the same name that aired on March 8, 2009. The second season began on October 28, 2010, and the third season began airing July 28, 2011. Season four premiered on February 17, 2012 but on H2 instead of the History channel. On July 11, 2012 Giorgio A. Tsoukalos announced on Coast to Coast A.M. that the series has been renewed for a 5th season.

Production

The executive producer of Ancient Aliens is Kevin Burns, who also directed and wrote the pilot episode. Giorgio A. Tsoukalos serves as consulting producer and appeared on screen in the pilot. Erich von Däniken appeared in the pilot episode, and UFO researcher C. Scott Littleton served as an expert consultant for the show until his death in 2010.

Radio talk show host George Noory spoke in five episodes, including the pilot. Reverend Barry Downing, known for describing angels in the Bible as ancient astronauts, offered his viewpoints in the pilot episode. Psychologist Jonathan Young, who brings a mythological perspective, appears on screen in every episode but the first pilot. Alternative History author David Hatcher Childress, speaks frequently in most episodes.

Reception

The program had 1.676 million viewers in late October 2010, 2.034M in mid-December (for the "Unexplained Structures" episode) and in late January 2011 it had 1.309M viewers.

Some reviewers have characterized the show as "far-fetched", "hugely speculative", and "...expound[ing] wildly on theories suggesting that astronauts wandered the Earth freely in ancient time." Many of the ideas presented in the show are not accepted by the scientific community, and have been criticized as pseudoscience and pseudohistory. History professor Ronald H. Fritze observed that pseudoscience as offered by von Däniken and the Ancient Aliens program has a periodic popularity in America: "In a pop culture with a short memory and a voracious appetite, aliens and pyramids and lost civilizations are recycled like fashions." Forbes.com contributor Brad Lockwood criticized Ancient Aliens as an example of the History Channel's addition of "programs devoted to monsters, aliens and conspiracies", commenting that, "Ancient Aliens defies all ability to suspend disbelief for the sake of entertainment." Smithsonian.com science writer Brian Switek was extremely critical of the series, particularly an episode that suggested "aliens exterminated dinosaurs to make way for our species". He characterized the show as "some of the most noxious sludge in television’s bottomless chum bucket."

In pop culture

South Park parodied the show in an episode entitled "A History Channel Thanksgiving." Reviewer Ramsey Isler commented "The aim is placed squarely on Ancient Aliens specifically," and described the animation as "a perfect satire of all the ridiculousness of this series, including the black and white art with aliens photoshopped in, and interviews with people of dubious authority."

In a June 2011 Rolling Stone interview, singer Katy Perry commented that she'd become "obsessed" with the show, saying, "When it talks about the sky people, how everyone comes from the sky and how the Pyramids were used for star observations, it's too much for me. It all seems to connect the dots. It's blowing my mind."

In a March 2012 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, actress Megan Fox remarked that she "loved" Ancient Aliens. Ellen agreed the show and its theories were "thought-provoking."

Episodes

Series overview

Season	Episodes	Originally aired
		Season premiere	Season finale
Pilot	1	March 8, 2009 (2009-03-08)
1	5	April 20, 2010 (2010-04-20)	May 25, 2010 (2010-05-25)
2	10	October 28, 2010 (2010-10-28)	December 30, 2010 (2010-12-30)
3	16	July 28, 2011 (2011-07-28)	November 23, 2011 (2011-11-23)
4	10	February 17, 2012 (2012-02-17)	May 4, 2012 (2012-05-04)

Pilot (2009)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Original air date
1	Pilot	"Ancient Aliens: Chariots, Gods & Beyond"	March 8, 2009 (2009-03-08)
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 he claims are evidenced by ancient monuments such as the Nazca Lines, the Pyramids of Giza and the Moai statues of Easter Island.

Season one (2010)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Original air date
2	101	"The Evidence"	April 20, 2010 (2010-04-20)
This episode suggests that aliens made contact with primitive humans, and cites as evidence, Indian Sanskrit texts 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.
3	102	"The Visitors"	April 27, 2010 (2010-04-27)
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.
4	103	"The Mission"	May 4, 2010 (2010-05-04)
This episode proposes 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.
5	104	"Closer Encounters"	May 18, 2010 (2010-05-18)
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.
6	105	"The Return"	May 25, 2010 (2010-05-25)
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)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Original air date
7	201	"Mysterious Places"	October 28, 2010 (2010-10-28)
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 Marcahuasi Plateau.
8	202	"Gods and Aliens"	November 4, 2010 (2010-11-04)
This episode looks at legends about powerful gods and fearsome monsters that are said to 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.
9	203	"Underwater Worlds"	November 11, 2010 (2010-11-11)
This episode suggests that various underwater structures and ruins said to have been 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.
10	204	"Underground Aliens"	November 18, 2010 (2010-11-18)
This episode hypothesizes 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.
11	205	"Aliens and the Third Reich"	November 25, 2010 (2010-11-25)
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.
12	206	"Alien Tech"	December 2, 2010 (2010-12-02)
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.
13	207	"Angels and Aliens"	December 9, 2010 (2010-12-09)
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.
14	208	"Unexplained Structures"	December 16, 2010 (2010-12-16)
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.
15	209	"Alien Devastations"	December 23, 2010 (2010-12-23)
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.
16	210	"Alien Contacts"	December 30, 2010 (2010-12-30)
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.

Season three (2011)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Original air date
17	301	"Aliens and the Old West"	July 28, 2011 (2011-07-28)
Opening with clips from the 2011 film Cowboys & Aliens, this episode looks at American Old West legends that may have involved ET contact, such as the Aurora, Texas UFO incident where a local cemetery claims to hold a body from an 1897 UFO crash; Native American legends surrounding the Serpent mound in Adams County, Ohio; reports of a Thunderbird that periodically emerged from California's Elizabeth Lake, and a story of ranchers shooting at "metallic birds" near Tombstone, Arizona.
18	302	"Aliens and Monsters"	August 4, 2011 (2011-08-04)
This episode examines modern-day genetic engineering, cloning and hybridization technology, and suggests that such technology could have been used by ancient aliens in the past to manipulate mankind and the environment. Also theorized are that the legends of creatures, such as the Chimera and Hydra, and humanoids, such as the Minotaur and Medusa, may have been encounters with beings created through alien animal/human hybrid experimentation.
19	303	"Aliens and Sacred Places"	August 11, 2011 (2011-08-11)
This episode suggests that some of mankind's most sacred places were points of contact by alien beings. Examples given are Jerusalem's Temple Mount and Dome of the Rock; the Kaaba stone at the Islam shrine at Mecca; the temples of the Ajanta Caves in India; the churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia that are carved out of rock; and the ancient city of Baalbek in Lebanon which was allegedly built with a "landing pad" of monolithic rock.
20	304	"Aliens and Temples of Gold"	August 18, 2011 (2011-08-18)
This episode contends that aliens came to Earth to mine gold. Examined are the legends of cities of gold such as El Dorado and Paititi; Lake Puray in Peru where UFO sightings may be linked to gold beneath the lake; the gold-creating device called the Philosopher's Stone; the Hall of Records beneath the Great Sphinx of Giza, (suggested to be a repository of ancient knowledge); a Medieval church in the French village of Rennes-le-Château that may hold the secrets of alchemy; and Scotland's Rosslyn Chapel where a helix-shaped pillar, (suggested to represent DNA), may be the hiding place of the Holy Grail.
21	305	"Aliens and Mysterious Rituals"	August 25, 2011 (2011-08-25)
This episode proposes that various ancient sites and the rituals performed there were not to praise mythical gods, but to reenact contact and communication with alien beings. Examples given are the Mayan temple of El Castillo, Chichen Itza; the Celtic Beltane Festival; the ceremonies of the Kayapo people of Brazil that involve a dancer dressed in an outfit that resembles a spacesuit; Medieval coronation ceremonies and the symbolic meanings of thrones, crowns and scepters as communication devices to the heavens; Native American and Shamanistic chants and prayers; and the ritual meanings of the Catholic Mass.
22	306	"Aliens and Ancient Engineers"	September 1, 2011 (2011-09-01)
This episode surmises that several ancient sites were built with help from aliens. Examples given are the ruins of Ollantaytambo in Peru, (an Inca city believed built atop a far older and more advanced-built fortress); the pyramids of Teotihuacan in Mexico, (which use heat and radiation shielding Mica in their engineering); the temples of Vijayanagara in India, (suggested to have been designed to tap into cosmic energy); the temples of Karnak in Egypt, (which show symmetrical and precision sculpting believed unobtainable by primitive hand tools); and the ancient ruins on Malta, (whose designs seems to have incorporated an acoustic energy technology).
23	307	"Aliens, Plagues and Epidemics"	September 8, 2011 (2011-09-08)
This episode suggests that some plagues and diseases were brought on by pathogens of extraterrestrial origin. Examples given are sudden pandemics such as the Spanish Influenza, the Plague of Athens, the Justinian Plague and the Black Plague, which were accompanied by reports of unusual celestial phenomena, and the appearance of strange creatures and objects in the sky; ancient carvings of figures dressed in what are suggested to be hazmat suits; unexplained illnesses that have appeared after meteor impacts, NASA experiments with bacteria and extremophiles that can survive in the extreme conditions of space; and the recent appearance of unusual medical conditions such as Morgellons Disease.
24	308	"Aliens and Lost Worlds"	September 15, 2011 (2011-09-15)
This episode postulates that various past civilizations were ruled by otherworldly beings. Examined are carvings in the Mayan city of Copán that are suggested to depict kings dressed in spacesuits; the Greek and Persian temples of Nemrud Dagi in Turkey, constructed by King Antiochus who some believe had advanced knowledge of astronomy and access to "magical" technology; the Nazca people of Peru who elongated their skulls to possibly mimic beings they encountered; the Moai statues of Easter Island that may have been erected with anti-gravity technology, and the Garden of Eden which may have been an alien laboratory for the creation of mankind.
25	309	"Aliens and Deadly Weapons"	September 22, 2011 (2011-09-22)
This episode suggests that the development of various weapons throughout history may have been guided by aliens. Examined are ancient legends that speak of fire and the secrets of metalworking as gifts from the gods; stories of divine weapons such as Excalibur as possibly powered by an alien source; the mystery of Greek fire as a gift from angels for the Byzantines; the development of the complicated chemistry of gun powder by the ancient Chinese; the writings of the Hindu Mahabharata describing weapons reminiscent of guided rockets, beam weapons and nuclear devices used by the gods; and the Cambodian tales of Preah Pisnulok who wielded a blazing sword reminiscent of the science-fictional lightsaber.
26	310	"Aliens and Evil Places"	September 28, 2011 (2011-09-28)
This episode examines various places on Earth that are associated with evil and death, and suggests that they may have otherworldly connections, such as being dumping grounds for dangerous alien waste material or containing portals to other realms. Featured are Japan's Aokigahara "Suicide Forest" near Mt. Fuji, where countless people have gone to die; Russia's remote Mt. Otorten "Mountain of Death" where in 1959, nine hikers were found burned and mutilated by an undetermined cause; Australia's Black Mountain (Kalkajaka) where people have mysteriously disappeared in the area, and the "Valley of the Dead" at Yakutia, Russia, where unexplained deaths and illnesses are attributed to a possible underground alien base.
27	311	"Aliens and The Founding Fathers"	October 5, 2011 (2011-10-05)
This episode suggests that some of the philosophies, and alleged secret symbolism surrounding the founding of the United States, have connections to extraterrestrials. Examined are Benjamin Franklin's writings on the "plurality of worlds;" stories that George Washington had an alien visitation at Valley Forge; Thomas Jefferson's report of a UFO sighting; the Freemason interest in ancient cultures and astronomy, and the possible influence it all had in the architecture and layout of Washington, D.C..
28	312	"Aliens and Deadly Cults"	October 12, 2011 (2011-10-12)
This episode examines various cults around the world that have committed horrific acts and suggests that some may have been influenced by aliens with a sinister agenda. Examined are groups who claimed to receive messages from ETs such as the suicidal Heaven's Gate and the Order of the Solar Temple; the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God whose leader murdered 750 followers; the human sacrifice murders of Adolfo Constanzo who claimed worship of the "trickster god" Eshu; the mass-murderous Thuggee cult of India; the Christian Circumcellions suicide-sect; Aztec human sacrifice rituals, and the theory that humans were hard-wired through genetic manipulation to worship alien beings as gods.
29	313	"Aliens and the Secret Code"	October 19, 2011 (2011-10-19)
This episode theorizes that various megalithic structures around the Earth are built upon a "world grid" of electromagnetic energy and that this power may have been tapped for travel and communication. It also suggests that there are hidden messages within these sites that show they have connections to one another. Featured are Teotihuacan and Easter Island, (sites separated by 2000 miles of ocean, but having similar architecture); the Pyramids at Giza, Thornborough Henges, and ancient Hopi cities (all three configured to resemble Orion); the straight line alignments of sites such as Trelleborg, Delphi and Giza; and stone carvings at Gavrinis (from 3500 BC) accurately calculating the circumference of the Earth and Pi.
30	314	"Aliens and the Undead"	October 26, 2011 (2011-10-26)
This episode discusses the possibility of life after death, the beliefs associated with it in various cultures and raises the question of whether certain rituals can be attributed to ancient aliens.
31	315	"Aliens, Gods and Heroes"	November 16, 2011 (2011-11-16)
This episode looks into various legends about gods and heroes and surmises that the existence of such beings was not only possible, but that they were also beings of extraterrestrial origin.
32	316	"Aliens and the Creation of Man"	November 23, 2011 (2011-11-23)
This episode asks why humans are so different from other lifeforms on Earth, and proposes that advances in human evolution were the work of interstellar beings.

Season four (2012)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Original air date
33	401	"The Mayan Conspiracy"	February 17, 2012 (2012-02-17)
This episode suggests that the ancient Maya were given their knowledge of mathematics and astronomy by extraterrestrials. It alleges advanced city engineering despite the use of metal tools and the wheel; knowledge of celestial events (such as pole shifts) thousands of years before the culture began; and a complex writing system only understood by the rulers and clerics among them. Featured artifacts include the sarcophagus lid of Palenque's King Pakal who is said to be piloting a rocket ship; the La Venta Olmec heads suggested to represent African people in flight helmets, and the feathered serpent god Kukulkan possibly depicted elsewhere in the world as the Nāga and Chinese dragon.
34	402	"The Doomsday Prophecies"	February 17, 2012 (2012-02-17)
This episode looks at the Maya civilization and their advanced knowledge of mathematics and time-keeping. It presents theories as to why the Maya backdated the 5125-year long-count calendar to 3114 BC (over 3,000 years before their civilization began), and what could happen after it ends December 21, 2012. Discussed are two artifacts, Tortuguero monument six, and a Comalcalco mud brick that may suggest the return of a star god Bolon Yokte; the Popol Vuh creation myths; the Chilam Balam manuscripts; and the monuments of Tikal (which is suggested to have been built to mimic the Pleiades cluster) and Chichen Itza dedicated to the return of the Maya god Kukulkan.
35	403	"The Greys"	February 24, 2012 (2012-02-24)
This episode focuses upon the so-called Greys, alleged alien beings characterized as having pale skin, big round heads with large black eyes, and connected within the last century to supposed alien abductions and UFO-related cases such as the Roswell incident. It also proposes that the Greys may have contacted human cultures in the distant past, such as the Hopi Indians and the Sumerians, and these events have been preserved in various ancient writings, sculptures and cave paintings.
36	404	"Aliens and Mega-Disasters"	March 2, 2012 (2012-03-02)
This episode looks at various accounts of ancient civilizations that were destroyed by natural disasters such as volcanoes, earthquakes and floods and proposes that otherworldly beings may have had a hand in these catastrophic events.
37	405	"The NASA Connection"	March 9, 2012 (2012-03-09)
This episode delves into various reports by former NASA scientists and astronauts, as well as classified government files that purportedly suggest the space agency had alien contact in both the recent and ancient past.
38	406	"The Mystery of Puma Punku"	March 16, 2012 (2012-03-16)
This episode investigates Bolivia's 14,000 year-old Puma Punku ruins where an ancient civilization constructed sophisticated and intricately carved blocks that inter-lock together, and suggests the site was not built and inhabited by humans, but by advanced extraterrestrials.
39	407	"Aliens and Bigfoot"	March 23, 2012 (2012-03-23)
This episode examines the legends of Bigfoot, a creature described as half-man/half-ape that allegedly stalks remote woodlands around the world, and suggests the creature may have connections to an alien species that may have visited Earth. Also suggested are that the legends of supernatural giants such as the Bible's Goliath, the hybrid Nephilim, the Sumerian Enkidu, are tales of human interaction with such creatures.
40	408	"The Da Vinci Conspiracy"	April 6, 2012 (2012-04-06)
This episode examines some of the paintings, sketches and journals of legendary artist and engineer Leonardo Da Vinci, and alleges that some of his work may have been inspired by alien technology he may have encountered.
41	409	"The Time Travelers"	April 27, 2012 (2012-04-27)
This episode suggests that some alleged alien encounters may be of beings from Earth's future traveling in time machines and that these beings visited Earth's distant past. Examined are the rumors of the Nazi "Die Glocke" time travel machine; the advanced cosmic knowledge of the Anasazi and their similarities to the ancient Sumerians; stories of time travel in the Bible and other ancient texts; and actual space/time experiments that could one day open the door for possible time travel technology.
42	410	"Aliens and Dinosaurs"	May 4, 2012 (2012-05-04)
This episode suggests that man and dinosaurs may have coexisted in ancient times and past cultures had knowledge of prehistoric animals long before the study of paleontology. Examined is a carving found in Ankor Wat that is suggested to be a depiction of a stegosaurus; the thousands of Ica Stones of Peru that depict alleged human/dinosaur interaction; and fossils from Dinosaur Valley State Park suggested to contain both dinosaur and human footprints. Also suggested is the idea that dinosaurs may have been wiped out, not by an asteroid impact, but by alien extermination so that humans could become the dominant species on Earth.

See also

• Chariots of the Gods?
• Pseudoarchaeology

References

General references

"Ancient ALiens Season 5 Update" http://illuminatiwatcher.com/?p=2609 

• "Ancient Aliens Episodes". TV Guide. Retrieved February 20, 2012.
• "Shows A-Z – ancient aliens on h2". the Futon Critic. Retrieved February 20, 2012.
• "Ancient Aliens – Episode Guide". MSN TV. Retrieved February 20, 2012.

External links

• Official website
• Ancient Aliens at IMDb