View source for Ancient Aliens

{{Short description|American extraterrestrial visitation television series}}
{{About|a television program|hypotheses about extraterrestrial visitations during ancient times|Ancient astronauts|the song by Lemon Demon|Ancient Aliens (song)}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = Ancient Aliens logo.svg
| genre                = {{Ubl
  |[[Pseudoscience]]
  |[[Pseudohistory]]
  |[[Ufology]]
  |[[Conspiracy theory]]
}}
| narrated             = [[Robert Clotworthy]]
| country              = United States
| language             = English
| num_seasons          = 21 <!--Latest season to have aired-->
| num_episodes         = 268 <!--This count includes the pilot-->
| list_episodes        = List of Ancient Aliens episodes
| executive_producer   = {{Ubl
  |[[Kevin Burns]] (2009–2021)
  |David Silver (2010–present)
  |Susan Leventhal (2010–present)
  |[[Giorgio A. Tsoukalos]] (2016–present)
}}
| camera               = [[multiple-camera setup|Multiple]]
| runtime              = {{Ubl
  |90 minutes (season 1)
  |60 minutes (season 2–present)
}}
| company              = [[Prometheus Entertainment]]
| network              = [[History Channel]]
| first_aired          = {{Start date|2009|3|8}}
| last_aired           = present
}}
'''''Ancient Aliens''''' is an American television series produced by [[Prometheus Entertainment]] that explores the [[pseudoscientific]] hypothesis of [[ancient astronauts]] in a non-critical, documentary format. Episodes also explore related pseudoscientific and [[pseudohistoric]] topics, such as: [[Atlantis]] and other lost ancient civilizations, [[Potential cultural impact of extraterrestrial contact|extraterrestrial contact]] and [[ufology]], and popular [[conspiracy theories]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2010-12-25 |title=Ancient Aliens Theory |url=https://www.history.com/shows/ancient-aliens/articles/ancient-alien-theory |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229041912/http://www.history.com/shows/ancient-aliens/articles/ancient-alien-theory |archive-date=December 29, 2016 |access-date=September 22, 2019 |website=[[History (American TV network)|History]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-12-25 |title=Evidence of Ancient Aliens? |url=https://www.history.com/shows/ancient-aliens/articles/evidence-of-ancient-aliens |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927001731/http://www.history.com/shows/ancient-aliens/articles/evidence-of-ancient-aliens |archive-date=September 27, 2013 |access-date=September 22, 2019 |website=[[History (American TV network)|History]]}}</ref> The series, which has aired on [[History (American TV network)|History]] since 2010, has been a target for criticism of History's [[channel drift]], as well as criticism for promoting unorthodox or unproven hypotheses as fact.<ref name="Forbes">{{Cite web |last=Lockwood |first=Brad |date=2011-10-17 |title=High Ratings Aside, Where's the History on History? |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradlockwood/2011/10/17/high-ratings-aside-wheres-the-history-on-history/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019222158/https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradlockwood/2011/10/17/high-ratings-aside-wheres-the-history-on-history/ |archive-date=October 19, 2017 |access-date=2012-03-21 |website=Forbes}}</ref> According to ''[[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian]]'', episodes of the series overwhelm the viewer with "fictions and distortions" by using a [[Gish gallop]].<ref name="Black">{{Cite web |last=Black |first=Riley |date=2012-05-11 |title=The Idiocy, Fabrications and Lies of Ancient Aliens |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-idiocy-fabrications-and-lies-of-ancient-aliens-86294030/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210517220721/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-idiocy-fabrications-and-lies-of-ancient-aliens-86294030/ |archive-date=May 17, 2021 |access-date=2021-05-24 |website=[[Smithsonian Institution|Smithsonian]]}}</ref>

Originally broadcast as two-hour documentary special in 2009, ''Ancient Aliens: The Series'' aired for three seasons as a flagship series on History from 2010 to 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-12-25 |title=Ancient Aliens Episode Guide |url=https://www.history.com/shows/ancient-aliens/episodes |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160618184908/http://www.history.com/shows/ancient-aliens/episodes |archive-date=June 18, 2016 |access-date=September 22, 2019 |website=[[History (American TV network)|History]]}}</ref> The series moved to [[H2 (A&E Networks)|H2]] from 2012 to 2014, with frequent re-airings of episodes on History and other A&E services. In 2015, the series returned to History after H2 was relaunched as [[Vice on TV]]. A nineteenth season began in 2023.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Ancient Aliens Season 15 |url=https://www.history.com/shows/ancient-aliens/season-15 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200113214354/https://www.history.com/shows/ancient-aliens/season-15 |archive-date=January 13, 2020 |access-date=2020-01-13 |website=[[History (American TV network)|History]]}}</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2021-03-12 |title=Watch Ancient Aliens Season 16 Online – HISTORY |url=https://www.history.com/shows/ancient-aliens/season-16 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210207031417/https://www.history.com/shows/ancient-aliens/season-16 |archive-date=February 7, 2021 |access-date=2021-04-09 |website=[[History (American TV network)|History]]}}</ref>  All episodes are narrated by [[Robert Clotworthy]].

The series is inspired by the works of [[Erich von Däniken]], [[Zecharia Sitchin]], [[Graham Hancock]], [[Robert Bauval]], [[Brinsley Trench, 8th Earl of Clancarty|Brinsley Trench]], [[Charles Hapgood]], and [[Edgar Cayce]]. Producer [[Giorgio A. Tsoukalos|Giorgio Tsoukalos]], writer [[David Hatcher Childress|David Childress]] and journalist [[Nick Pope (journalist)|Nick Pope]] are featured guests.

The series has been criticized by [[historian]]s, [[Cosmology|cosmologists]], [[Archaeology|archaeologist]]s and other scientists for presenting and promoting [[pseudoscience]], [[pseudohistory]] and [[pseudoarchaeology]] as fact. Episodes are frequently characterized as "far-fetched",<ref>{{Cite news |author=SH |date=2011-04-30 |title=Ancient Aliens |page=38 |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph (London)}}</ref> "hugely speculative",<ref>{{Cite news |last=Clay |first=Joe |date=2011-04-30 |title=Digital Choices |page=35 |newspaper=The Times (London)}}</ref> and "expound[ing] wildly on theories suggesting that astronauts wandered the Earth freely in ancient times."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ryan |first=Andrew |date=2011-04-25 |title=Tonight on TV/Critical Picks |page=R2 |newspaper=The Globe and Mail (Canada)}}</ref> Many of the claims made by guests are not commonly accepted as fact by the scientific community.<ref name="Fritze">{{Cite journal |last=Fritze |first=Ronald H. |date=November 2009 |title=On the Perils and Pleasures of Confronting Pseudohistory |url=http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/hsp/summary/v010/10.5.fritze.html |url-status=live |journal=Historically Speaking |volume=10 |pages=2–5 |issn=1941-4188 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702214523/http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/hsp/summary/v010/10.5.fritze.html |archive-date=July 2, 2015 |access-date=June 18, 2011 |number=5}}</ref>  [[Brian Dunning (author)|Brian Dunning]] debunked the series as "a slap in the face to the ingenuity of the human race".<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Debunking Ancient Aliens, Part 3 |url=https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4721 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118141846/https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4721 |archive-date=January 18, 2021 |access-date=2021-05-16 |website=Skeptoid}}</ref>

== Production ==
Executive producer of the series was [[Kevin Burns]] from 2009 until 2021. [[Giorgio A. Tsoukalos|Giorgio Tsoukalos]] serves as consulting producer, and is a featured guest, appearing in every episode.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-12-04 |title=December 4, 2010, Giorgio Tsoukalos, "Ancient Aliens" & "Twilight of the Gods" |url=https://barbadamslive.com/?p=1731 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191022143850/https://barbadamslive.com/?p=1731 |archive-date=October 22, 2019 |access-date=2019-09-22 |website=Barb Adams Live}}</ref> [[Unidentified flying object|UFO]] researcher [[C. Scott Littleton]] served as a producing consultant during the series development until his death in 2010.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=2011-02-17 |title=Obituary of C. Scott Littleton |journal=Anthropology News |volume=52 |pages=31–32 |doi=10.1111/j.1556-3502.2011.52231.x |number=2}}</ref>

''Ancient Aliens'' originally aired a two-hour documentary [[Television special|special]] for the [[History (American TV network)|History Channel]] on March 8, 2009. The special was re-run several times, and is now packaged with the series as its pilot episode. ''Ancient Aliens: The Series'' aired on History from 2010 to 2011, then moved to [[H2 (American TV channel)|H2]] where it was promoted as one of the network's flagship series until 2014. Frequent re-airings of episodes continued on the History channel, with highlights and repackaged episodes airing on [[A&E (TV network)|A&E]] and [[Lifetime (TV network)|Lifetime]]. A selection of thirteen episodes which focused on the [[2012 phenomenon]] was made available for syndication in the United States and Canada during the 2011–12 television season.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}} In some foreign markets, the series still carries the ''Ancient Aliens: The Series'' title card.{{Where|date=January 2025}}

In 2015, the series returned to History after H2 was relaunched as [[Vice on TV]]. In response to complaints from disgruntled fans, Vice on TV created [[Traveling the Stars: Action Bronson and Friends Watch Ancient Aliens|''Action Bronson Watches Ancient Aliens'']].<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Capossela |first=Francesca |date=2016-08-03 |title=How Action Bronson Ended Up Getting High and Watching 'Ancient Aliens' |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/traveling-stars-action-bronson-friends-ancient-aliens-interview/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519041526/https://www.vice.com/en/article/nz4gkm/traveling-stars-action-bronson-friends-ancient-aliens-interview |archive-date=May 19, 2021 |access-date=2021-05-19 |website=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]] |language=en}}</ref> History renewed ''Ancient Aliens'' for a fifteenth season which premiered on January 24, 2020.<ref name=":1" /> Due to [[COVID-19 pandemic]] disrupting production, the season ended after all completed episodes were broadcast. Production was soon restarted, and a sixteenth season began on November 13, 2020.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> A twentieth season began broadcast in 2024.

=== Premise and cosmology ===
{{Expand section|date=December 2022}}
The series is based on and inspired by the [[Pseudoscience|pseudoscientific]] [[ancient astronauts]] hypothesis popularized in ''[[Chariots of the Gods?]],'' by [[Erich von Däniken]], and ''The 12th Planet'', by [[Zecharia Sitchin]]. According to von Däniken, Sitchin, and others, [[extraterrestrial being]]s visited Earth in the distant past and introduced civilization, architecture, and [[high technology]] to pre-historic humans. Many, if not all, of ancient man's achievements in language, mathematics, science, technology and architecture, such as the [[Egyptian pyramids]], [[Pumapunku]], [[Teotihuacan]], and [[Stonehenge]], are attributed to the influence of extraterrestrials.

Remnants of extraterrestrial visitations are claimed to be found in religious texts, ancient myths and legendary histories, in addition to fragments found in the sacred texts and practices of [[Hinduism]], [[Ancient Egyptian religion]], [[Gnostic Christianity]], and more recent religious movements such as [[Mormonism]]. The hypothesis also holds that ancient visitations left etymological remnants in many of the world's languages, such as the root words for "[[Dagon]]", "[[dragon]]", "[[dog]]", and "[[Tuatha Dé Danann|Danann]]", or the frequent occurrence of the prefix ''anu-'' to mean "friend" or "visitor." Additionally, [[Homo sapiens|anatomically modern humans]] are alleged to be the result of [[genetic modification]] and/or modern humans are somehow biologically descended from ancient astronauts, which is the focus of many of von Däniken's and Sitchin's works.

There is little use of precise dates in many episodes. Guests use terms such as "the remote past", "prehistoric times", "ancient times", or they refer to "our ancient ancestors" in the abstract, when discussing hypothetical or alleged historical events. A frequent demarcation of pre-history from the modern era utilized by guests is "before or after 'The Ice Age{{' "}}, or approximately [[Younger Dryas|12,000 years ago]]. Many guests featured on the series, including [[Graham Hancock]], and [[Robert M. Schoch|Robert Schoch]], have claimed a sophisticated, or highly advanced, human civilization which pre-dates our own was destroyed at the end of the Ice Age.

Many of the guests who appear in the series support and have expanded on such claims in their own work. The same guests have also promoted the work of other guests which has created a shared [[cosmogony]] for the creation of mankind and a shared, homo-centric, [[cosmology]] with significance placed on [[Sirius]], [[Orion (constellation)|Orion]], [[Pleiades]], the [[Moon]], and [[Mars]].

=== Presentation style ===
The series presents all claims made by guests in an uncritical, fast-paced format. The narration frequently frames claims made by guests or their responses as rhetorical questions which are answered with "ancient alien theorists say yes," or a variation thereof. After a particular claim is introduced, and explored in some detail, the narration cuts away with, "Perhaps more evidence can be found..." Another location, archeological find, or alleged event, with a hypothetical connection to the previous claim is introduced. ''Chariots of the Gods?'' used a similar framing device. ''[[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian]]'' described this presentation style as a [[Gish gallop]].<ref name="Black" />

When comments or claims are made by guests there is no indication made (either by the narration or on-screen) whether they are speculating on the rhetorical question made by the interviewer or narration, or if they are repeating claims made by other researchers, or if they are speaking of their own work or expertise. Geologist [[Robert M. Schoch|Robert Schoch]] said portions of his own interviews for the series are sometimes inserted into the finished episodes in a manner which is out of context, or wholly disconnected from the questions asked of him on and off camera.<ref name=":9">{{Cite podcast |url=https://open.spotify.com/episode/1e2Yt7eQevFEmIMiD561SC |title=#1124 – Robert Schoch |website=[[The Joe Rogan Experience]] |host=[[Joe Rogan]] |date=2018-05-31 |access-date=2021-05-19 |archive-date=May 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519002424/https://open.spotify.com/episode/1e2Yt7eQevFEmIMiD561SC |url-status=live}}</ref>

Writer [[David Hatcher Childress|David Childress]], who appears in every episode, frequently concludes his comments with the exclamation, "—probably extraterrestrials!" Both Childress and Giorgio Tsoukalos repeatedly assert pre-historic peoples lacked the vocabulary to describe "technological" or "high-tech" devices (such as rockets or missiles, advanced weapons, aircraft, powered land vehicles, and medical instruments) that they allegedly witnessed, and thus referred to extraterrestrial visitors using such technology as gods.

Terms such as "ancient astronauts", "ancient aliens", "alien visitors", "extra-terrestrial beings", "ancient gods", and "otherworldly beings", are used interchangeably by guests and the narration. Guests frequently conflate the meaning of "[[Scientific theory|theory]]" and "[[hypothesis]]", or they frequently obscure or ignore the difference between [[mythology]] and [[legendary history]], and verifiable [[archaeology]], [[anthropology]], or documented history.

=== Frequent guests ===
In the first season, credentialed scientists and professionals, such as [[Sara Seager]] and [[Michael Denning]], respond to claims made by other guests, but their rebuttals were not rigorous. In subsequent episodes, scientists and professionals offer explanations of scientific phenomena or historical events without endorsing claims made by other guests, or they offer personal commentary. Psychologist [[Jonathan Young (psychologist)|Jonathan Young]] appears in 123 episodes, providing explanations of myths and legends, and legendary history. Boston University associate professor [[Robert M. Schoch|Robert Schoch]] presents his [[Sphinx water erosion hypothesis]], as well as his hypothesis concerning the age and purpose of [[Göbekli Tepe]], in several episodes. [[Erich von Däniken]] is the featured guest in the pilot episode, in addition to being the focus of two biographical episodes: "The Von Däniken Legacy", in Season 5, and "The Alien Phenomena", in Season 13.

Radio talk show host [[George Noory]] appears in more than 80 episodes, including the pilot episode. Reverend [[Barry Downing]], known for describing angels in the Bible as ancient astronauts, appears in the pilot episode, and his comments are repeated in later episodes. Writers [[Robert Bauval]] and [[Graham Hancock]] appear in many episodes. They both express skepticism of ancient astronauts, instead discussing their own theories of ancient civilizations. Hancock repeats the statement from his work that "There is a forgotten episode in human history." [[Nick Pope (journalist)|Nick Pope]] and [[Travis S. Taylor]] are also frequent guests.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Mills Entertainment and A+E Networks Partner To Bring The HISTORY Channel's Ancient Aliens To Live US Audiences |url=https://www.news10.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/600633298/mills-entertainment-and-ae-networks-partner-to-bring-the-history-channels-ancient-aliens-to-live-us-audiences/}}</ref>

Segments and highlights from all first-season episodes, including the pilot, were edited into later episodes as late as Season 12, so that guests who appeared in Season 1 ostensibly appear in later seasons, although footage of their original interviews was re-used.

=== Evidence ===
{{Expand section|date=May 2021}}
In many episodes, little empirical evidence is offered to support the presented claims. Episodes or episode segments focus on [[out-of-place artifact]]s, such as: the [[London Hammer]], [[Antikythera mechanism]], or the Aiud object; or segments focus on alleged inconsistencies in the accepted [[historical record]]. Guests discuss evidence which supports their claims in general or abstract terms. Some guests have alleged professionals and government officials have suppressed evidence of ancient mysteries, such as the in episode "The Prototypes" during which guests alleged that the [[Smithsonian Institution]] suppressed findings of "giant humanoids" found alongside American Indian remains in the [[Kanawha County, West Virginia|Kanawha Valley]].

From Season 12 onward, some episodes have included segments in which evidence that potentially supports the ancient astronauts hypothesis is subjected to on-camera tests conducted by credentialed scientists and medical professionals. In the episode "The Science Wars", an [[elongated skull]] was subject to an MRI examination, and DNA was extracted and tested. In the episode "The Star Gods of Sirius" blue, porous, nitrogen-rich stones, allegedly retrieved from the site of an alien visitation were examined by geologists. However, none of the results—from the skull, the stones, or other objects examined in later episodes—proved conclusive.

=== Other claims ===
Other claims linked to the ancient astronauts hypothesis featured on the series include: [[UFO conspiracy theories|UFOs]], [[alien abduction]]s, the [[Roswell incident]] and [[Rendlesham Forest incident]], [[panspermia]], and [[Human spaceflight|human space exploration]]. Guests have presented other psuedohistorical and pseudoscientific hypotheses related to, or dependent upon an understanding of: [[Atlantis]] and other lost civilizations as described in works by [[Brinsley Trench, 8th Earl of Clancarty|Brinsley Trench]] and [[Edgar Cayce]]; or [[ley line]]s as originally described by [[Alfred Watkins]], or more recent interpretations; [[Cataclysmic pole shift hypothesis|cataclysmic pole shifts]] as promoted by [[Charles Hapgood]]; various forms of Christian and Hindu [[creationism]], or [[pseudohistory]] and legendary history promoted followers of various [[new religious movement]]s; mythical and gnostic elements of the [[Kabbalah]], [[Zohar]], and [[Book of Enoch]].

Other concepts explored include: [[faith healing]], [[remote viewing]], and various [[psychic]] phenomena. Guests frequently discuss various forms of [[catastrophism]], and refer to other featured guests or historical figures as catastrophists. In several episodes, guests have claimed prominent historical figures were either influenced by or were possibly "extra-terrestrial" or "otherworldly beings." Guests have also discussed unrelated [[Pseudoscience|pseudoscientific]] claims, such as: [[dinosaur]]s coexisting with [[human]]s until a recent [[extinction]] event, [[crystal healing]] and [[crystal skull]]s, as well as [[Freemasonry]], [[Rosicrucianism]], and the [[New World Order (conspiracy theory)|New World Order]].

[[Linda Moulton Howe]] appears in several episodes which explore alien abduction, animal mutilation, and conspiracies involving alleged military installations on Antarctica. The 2013 [[Citizen Hearing on Disclosure]] features prominently in numerous episodes, such as Season 14's "The Nuclear Agenda".

Prior to December 2012, several episodes explored aspects of the [[2012 phenomenon|2012 Mayan doomsday prophecy]]. The episodes "The Maya Conspiracy" and "The Doomsday Prophecies", which aired in February 2012, explored the [[Maya calendar]] and its relation to the construction of [[Palenque]], the god [[Kukulkan]], in addition to links between the [[Maya civilization]] and the ancient astronaut hypothesis. However, many featured artifacts, structures, and remains were actually [[Aztec]], [[Zapotec civilization|Zapotec]], or [[Olmec]], and not Maya. Episodes focusing on [[Mesoamerica]] broadcast after 2012 make no mention of the 2012 phenomenon. In the episode "The God Particle", guests linked the [[Mesoamerican Long Count calendar|Mayan long count]] to the discovery of the [[Higgs boson]].<ref>{{Cite episode |title=The God Particle |series=Ancient Aliens |network=[[History (American TV network)|History]] |season=8 |number=7 |date=2014-08-08 |minutes=25:30}}</ref>

== Episodes ==
{{Main|List of Ancient Aliens episodes}}
{{:List of Ancient Aliens episodes}}

== Reception ==
The program had 1.676 million viewers in late October 2010,<ref>{{Cite web |title=TV Ratings for October 29, 2010 |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/10/29/thursday-cable-ratings-%e2%80%98project-runway%e2%80%99-finale-up-jersey-shore-reunion-sunny-the-league-first-48-much-more/70170 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101121133702/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/10/29/thursday-cable-ratings-%E2%80%98project-runway%E2%80%99-finale-up-jersey-shore-reunion-sunny-the-league-first-48-much-more/70170 |archive-date=2010-11-21 |website=TV By the Numbers}}</ref> {{Nowrap|2.034 million viewers}} in mid-December (for the "Unexplained Structures" episode),<ref>{{Cite web |title=TV Ratings for December 17, 2010 |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/12/17/thursday-cable-ratings-49erschargers-tops-burn-notice-goes-out-on-high-note-real-housewives-always-sunny-more/75938 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101219141214/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/12/17/thursday-cable-ratings-49erschargers-tops-burn-notice-goes-out-on-high-note-real-housewives-always-sunny-more/75938 |archive-date=2010-12-19 |website=TV By the Numbers}}</ref> and in late-January 2011 the series had {{nowrap|1.309 million viewers.}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=TV Ratings for January 27, 2011 |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/01/27/wednesday-cable-ratings-storage-wars-dog-the-bounty-hunter-top-cable-hot-in-cleveland-sheds-a-chunk-of-viewers/80516 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110130020154/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/01/27/wednesday-cable-ratings-storage-wars-dog-the-bounty-hunter-top-cable-hot-in-cleveland-sheds-a-chunk-of-viewers/80516 |archive-date=2011-01-30 |website=TV By the Numbers}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=TV Ratings for January 28th, 2011 |url=http://insidetvratings.com/2011/01/28/nielsen-tv-rating/wednesday-cable-tv-ratings-hot-in-cleveland-retired-at-35-dog-the-bounty-hunter-celebrity-rehab |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110920234525/http://insidetvratings.com/2011/01/28/nielsen-tv-rating/wednesday-cable-tv-ratings-hot-in-cleveland-retired-at-35-dog-the-bounty-hunter-celebrity-rehab/ |archive-date=2011-09-20 |access-date=2011-08-08 |website=Inside TV Ratings}}</ref>

=== Critical response ===
The series has been criticized by [[historian]]s, [[Cosmology|cosmologists]], [[Archaeology|archaeologist]]s and other scientists for presenting and promoting [[pseudoscience]], [[pseudohistory]] and [[pseudoarchaeology]] as fact. Episodes are frequently characterized as "far-fetched",<ref>{{Cite news |author=SH |date=2011-04-30 |title=Ancient Aliens |page=38 |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph (London)}}</ref> "hugely speculative",<ref>{{Cite news |last=Clay |first=Joe |date=2011-04-30 |title=Digital Choices |page=35 |newspaper=The Times (London)}}</ref> and "expound[ing] wildly on theories suggesting that astronauts wandered the Earth freely in ancient times."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ryan |first=Andrew |date=2011-04-25 |title=Tonight on TV/Critical Picks |page=R2 |newspaper=The Globe and Mail (Canada)}}</ref> Many of the claims made by guests are not commonly accepted as fact by the scientific community.<ref name="Fritze">{{Cite journal |last=Fritze |first=Ronald H. |date=November 2009 |title=On the Perils and Pleasures of Confronting Pseudohistory |url=http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/hsp/summary/v010/10.5.fritze.html |url-status=live |journal=Historically Speaking |volume=10 |pages=2–5 |issn=1941-4188 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702214523/http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/hsp/summary/v010/10.5.fritze.html |archive-date=July 2, 2015 |access-date=June 18, 2011 |number=5}}</ref> In 2009, history professor [[Ronald H. Fritze]] observed that pseudoscience has a periodic popularity in the U.S.:<ref name="Fritze" /><ref name="Rorotoko">{{Cite web |last=Fritze |first=Ronald |date=2009-07-08 |title=Ronald H. Fritze, On his book Invented Knowledge: False History, Fake Science and Pseudo-Religions, Cover Interview |url=http://rorotoko.com/interview/20090708_fritze_ronald_invented_knowledge_false_history_fake_science_pseudo/?page=4 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228085921/http://rorotoko.com/interview/20090708_fritze_ronald_invented_knowledge_false_history_fake_science_pseudo/?page=4 |archive-date=December 28, 2019 |access-date=2012-07-17 |website=Rorotoko.com}}</ref>
{{Blockquote|text=In a pop culture with a short memory and a voracious appetite, aliens and pyramids and lost civilizations are recycled like fashions.}}

Brad Lockwood of ''Forbes'' characterized ''Ancient Aliens'' as an example of History's [[channel drift]] toward "programs devoted to monsters, aliens, and conspiracies". He added that, "''Ancient Aliens'' defies all ability to suspend disbelief for the sake of entertainment."<ref name="Forbes" /> Alex Knapp, also of ''Forbes'', cited [[archaeologist]] Keith Fitzpatrick-Matthews' rebuke of History for treating "nonsense as though it were fact."<ref name="Forbes2">{{Cite web |last1=Knapp |first1=Alex |date=2011-09-19 |title=An Archaeologist Watches the History Channel and Questions the Part About the Aliens |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2011/09/19/an-archaeologist-watches-the-history-channel-and-questions-the-part-about-the-aliens |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170826104534/https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2011/09/19/an-archaeologist-watches-the-history-channel-and-questions-the-part-about-the-aliens/ |archive-date=August 26, 2017 |access-date=2013-02-07 |website=Forbes}}</ref>

In 2011, ''[[South Park]]'' parodied the series in the episode "[[A History Channel Thanksgiving]]". Ramsey Isler of [[IGN]] commented, "The aim is placed squarely on ''Ancient Aliens'' specifically".<ref name="IGN">{{Cite web |last=Isler |first=Ramsey |date=November 10, 2011 |title=South Park: "A History Channel Thanksgiving" Review |url=https://uk.ign.com/articles/2011/11/10/south-park-a-history-channel-thanksgiving-review |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203204135/https://uk.ign.com/articles/2011/11/10/south-park-a-history-channel-thanksgiving-review |archive-date=December 3, 2019 |access-date=2019-12-03 |website=[[IGN]]}}</ref> South Park's animation style created "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".

Science writer Riley Black was critical of the series—particularly an episode that suggested "aliens exterminated dinosaurs to make way for our species"—which she characterized as "some of the most noxious sludge in television's bottomless chum bucket." Black accused the series of employing a [[Gish gallop]] technique to overwhelm the viewer with many "fictions and distortions."<ref name="Black" />

Others have called attention to a paucity of opposing viewpoints, such as [[Kenneth Feder]], Professor of Archaeology at [[Central Connecticut State University]] and author of ''Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries: Science and Pseudoscience in Archaeology''. He was approached by producers with requests to appear in several episodes: "My response was, I'd be happy to be on your show, but you should know that I think that the ancient astronaut hypothesis is execrable bullshit."<ref>Feder, K. (1990). ''Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries: Science and Pseudoscience in Archaeology''. New York, McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages. {{ISBN|978-0078116971}}.</ref> He added, "I haven't heard back from them, rather remarkably. So, I guess maybe they're not interested in the other point of view."<ref>Ancient Alien Astronauts: Interview with Ken Feder. [http://www.skeptic.com/podcasts/monstertalk/11/07/27/transcript/ Skeptic.com archive] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190831113940/https://www.skeptic.com/podcasts/monstertalk/11/07/27/transcript/|date=August 31, 2019}}. Retrieved August 12, 2014.</ref> In 2016, [[Vice on TV]] producer Jordan Kinley said of ''Ancient Aliens'' claims:<ref name=":5" />
{{Blockquote|You feel kind of lost when someone questions the historical narrative you've been taught. I don't believe much of what's talked about ... but I think it's a good time for people to realize that some of our history is manufactured. Some of it is manufactured to be accurate, and some of it is manufactured to excuse horrible things that have happened.}}

In the 2019 issue of [[Public Archaeology (journal)|''Public Archaeology'']], Franco D. Rossi of [[Johns Hopkins University]] published a retrospective of his experience at the 2018 Boston Alien Con. He characterized ''Ancient Aliens'' and its fans as a "science fiction fandom" which also trafficked in "misinformation" and "conspiracies."<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Rossi |first=Franco D. |date=2019-07-03 |title=Reckoning with the Popular Uptake of Alien Archaeology |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/14655187.2021.1920795 |journal=Public Archaeology |volume=18 |issue=3 |pages=162–183 |doi=10.1080/14655187.2021.1920795 |issn=1465-5187 |s2cid=237124510|url-access=subscription }}</ref> He warned professionals in various history fields will have to reckon with [[ancient astronaut hypothesis]] and its adherents. In March 2020, podcaster [[Brian Dunning (author)|Brian Dunning]] challenged and debunked many of the claims featured on ''Ancient Aliens''. At the conclusion of the third episode, Dunning quoted Kenneth Feder's book ''Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries: Science and Pseudoscience in Archaeology'':<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |title=Debunking Ancient Aliens, Part 1 |url=https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4719 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817202906/https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4719 |archive-date=August 17, 2021 |access-date=2021-05-16 |website=Skeptoid}}</ref>

{{Blockquote|text=I realize that for some of you I'm being mean, snarky, and inflexible on this topic. And you'd be right. But in the face of a program and, at its core, a philosophy that is based on assumptions that degrade and diminish the inherent human capacity to invent, create, build, cooperate, and rise to the occasion to solve great technological challenges, both in the present and in the past [...]}}

Dunning emphasized Feder's conclusion: "I maintain that meanness and inflexibility are entirely appropriate responses."<ref name=":8" />

=== Critical response by guests ===
Many guests featured in episodes of the series have publicly expressed skepticism of the series' premise or of the ancient astronaut hypothesis. In the pilot episode, Sister [[Ilia Delio]] of the [[Washington Theological Union]] repeated comments made previously{{Where|date=February 2022}} about the predilection for literalism common among supporters of the ancient astronaut hypothesis:<ref>{{Cite episode |title=Chariots, Gods & Beyond |series=Ancient Aliens |network=[[History (American TV network)|History]] |date=2009-03-08 |time=28:12}}</ref>
{{Blockquote|Can we liken Ezekiel's chariot to a UFO? The ancients used myth and metaphor and images to describe their experience of God. I think what we don't want to fall to is a type of 'fundamental literalism'. The stories of the Old Testament emerge out of the people of that time, out of their own context, to make sense of their experience of God. We can gain insight by reading the Old Testament and reading about [[Merkabah mysticism#Ezekiel's vision of the chariot|Ezekiel's chariot]], but it's not to draw a strict analogy between his chariot and a UFO.}}

At a 2014 hearing of the [[United States House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology|House Committee on Science]], [[Seth Shostak]] said, "The public is fascinated with the idea that we may be being visited now, or maybe in the past," but there is not any evidence which has convinced him "that we were visited in [historical] times."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-05-21 |title=Extraterrestrial Life |url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?319504-1/hearing-astrobiology-extraterrestrial-life |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526135627/https://www.c-span.org/video/?319504-1%2Fhearing-astrobiology-extraterrestrial-life |archive-date=May 26, 2021 |access-date=2021-05-18 |website=[[C-SPAN]] |language=en-us}}</ref> Shostak has appeared in twelve episodes. In a 2018 episode of ''[[The Joe Rogan Experience]]'', [[Robert M. Schoch|Robert Schoch]] said promoters of the ancient astronaut hypothesis "want everything to be 'ancient aliens'", which in his view was "sort of a cop-out". He added those same promoters are often motivated to sell books, DVDs, and conference tickets instead of presenting facts.<ref name=":9" /> Belief in the ancient alien hypothesis and other ancient mysteries "fills a void" for some people, according to Schoch, but he "tries to fill that void with something real."<ref name=":9" />

[[William Shatner]], who appeared in the Season 16 episode "William Shatner Meets ''Ancient Aliens''{{Hsp}}", told ''Inverse'': "I had some spirited discussions with these experts who believe aliens were here, and like most people, I was dubious about the whole thing." He added, "They intrigued me enough to think something's going on."<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Kleinman |first=Jake |title=William Shatner reveals why he blocked me on Twitter in 2018 |url=https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/william-shatner-interview-ancient-aliens-star-trek |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210517030712/https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/william-shatner-interview-ancient-aliens-star-trek |archive-date=May 17, 2021 |access-date=2021-05-17 |website=Inverse |language=en}}</ref>

== Related media ==
Many guests featured on ''Ancient Aliens'' appear in other History channel series and specials, such as ''[[The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch]]'', ''[[America's Book of Secrets]]'', and ''[[The Curse of Oak Island]]''. Segments from those series have appeared in ''Ancient Aliens''.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}} William Shatner, who appears in two episodes of ''Ancient Aliens'', presents ''[[The UnXplained]]'' which explores many of the topics featured in episodes ''Ancient Aliens''. Shatner narrated the English-language version of ''[[:de:Erich von Däniken: Botschaft der Götter|Mystery of the Gods]]'' (1976) which was based on von Däniken's books published after ''Chariots of the Gods?''.

=== ''Ancient Aliens'' meme ===
{{Main|Giorgio A. Tsoukalos#Ancient Aliens meme}}
[[File:Ancient Aliens - Giorgio A. Tsoukalos.jpg|thumb|right|The original meme's screenshot depicting [[Giorgio A. Tsoukalos]]]]
Tsoukalos's appearances in ''Ancient Aliens'' inspired a [[meme]] highlighting his unusual hairstyle overlaid with the caption: "I'm not saying it was aliens ... but ..."<ref name=":62">{{Cite web |title=Ancient Aliens |url=https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/ancient-aliens |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519053724/https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/ancient-aliens |archive-date=May 19, 2021 |access-date=2021-05-19 |website=[[Know Your Meme]]|date=May 15, 2011 }}</ref> Variations of the meme were uploaded by users as early as November 2010.<ref name=":62" /><ref name=":72">{{Cite web |title=ancient aliens |url=https://www.dictionary.com/e/memes/ancient-aliens/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210522014352/https://www.dictionary.com/e/memes/ancient-aliens/ |archive-date=May 22, 2021 |access-date=2021-05-21 |website=Dictionary.com |date=March 2018 |language=en-US}}</ref> According to [[Dictionary.com]], the meme mimicked "the tone of conviction used by Tsoukalos to present unfounded far-fetched pseudo-logic as fact."<ref name=":72" />

=== Alien Con ===
{{Expand section|date=March 2024}}
From 2016 to 2018, [[A&E Networks]] co-produced several installments of Alien Con, a fan convention inspired by the series.<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Close Encounter with Alien Con, Plus Q&A with the TV Star of History's 'Ancient Aliens' |url=https://www.sfstation.com/2016/11/01/a-close-encounter-with-alien-con-plus-qa-with-the-tv-star-of-historys-ancient-aliens/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210517030711/https://www.sfstation.com/2016/11/01/a-close-encounter-with-alien-con-plus-qa-with-the-tv-star-of-historys-ancient-aliens/ |archive-date=May 17, 2021 |access-date=2021-05-17 |website=SF Station {{!}} San Francisco's City Guide |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-05-06 |title=History Channel Plans 'Ancient Aliens' Con |url=https://www.licenseglobal.com/entertainment/history-channel-plans-ancient-aliens-con |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210517030721/https://www.licenseglobal.com/entertainment/history-channel-plans-ancient-aliens-con |archive-date=May 17, 2021 |access-date=2021-05-17 |website=licenseglobal.com |language=en}}</ref> Footage from the 2016 and 2017 conventions appeared in several episodes which aired during Seasons 11 and 12. Highlights from the November 2018 convention in Baltimore were included in several episodes that aired in 2019, most prominently the episode "Project Hybrid".<ref>{{Cite episode |title=Project Hybrid |series=Ancient Aliens |network=[[History (American TV network)|History]] |date=2019-08-09 |season=14 |number=10 |time=24:53}}</ref>

=== ''Action Bronson Watches Ancient Aliens'' ===
{{Main|Traveling the Stars: Action Bronson and Friends Watch Ancient Aliens}}
In April 2016, [[Vice on TV]] released ''Action Bronson Watches Ancient Aliens'', which was followed by a ten-episode series, later retitled ''Traveling the Stars''. Each episode features rapper [[Action Bronson]] and celebrity guests watching episodes of ''Ancient Aliens'' while intoxicated by [[cannabis]]. The series is presented in a [[comedy]]-[[documentary]] format which parodies ''Ancient Aliens''{{'s}} presentation style.

Bronson praised ''Ancient Aliens'', saying it is "the best thing that was ever created by man."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Green |first=Patrick |date=2016-07-21 |title=Action Bronson's New Show Is High-larious |url=http://www.craveonline.com/music/1012299-action-bronson-ancient-aliens |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924231333/http://www.craveonline.com/music/1012299-action-bronson-ancient-aliens |archive-date=2016-09-24 |access-date=2016-09-03 |website=CraveOnline}}</ref> According to producers Jordan Kinley and Hannah Gregg, ''Traveling the Stars'' was developed as a response to complaints by disgruntled viewers of H2 which Vice on TV's programming replaced.<ref name=":5" /> ''Traveling the Stars'' was renewed for a second season in 2019.

=== Illustrated companion and game ===
A companion to the series, ''{{Vanchor|Ancient Aliens: The Official Companion Book}}'' ({{ISBN|978-0-06-245541-3}}) was published in November 2016. Included was an overview of the ancient astronaut hypothesis, and introductions to a number of topics explored by the television series up to Season 11. The audiobook adaptation, which is no longer available, featured the voices of [[Giorgio A. Tsoukalos]], [[Angela Cartwright]], [[Bill Mumy]], [[Robert Clotworthy]], and producer [[Kevin Burns]].

''{{Visible anchor|Ancient Aliens: The Game}}'' is a [[city-building game]] developed by Fifth Column Games. The user plays as an alien-human hybrid who must oversee the construction of the [[Great Pyramid of Giza]]. The game was released in 2016 as a [[free-to-play]] mobile and [[Facebook Gaming|Facebook game]]. A [[PC port]] was released by [[Legacy Games]] in September 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fan Favorite 'Ancient Aliens: The Game' Now Available on PC |url=https://legacygames.com/news/ancient-aliens-the-game-now-on-pc/ |access-date=21 March 2024 |website=Legacy Games|date=September 15, 2022 }}</ref>

=== Film adaptation ===
In April 2021, Counterbalance Entertainment announced they had closed a deal with [[Legendary Entertainment]] to produce a film adaptation of ''Ancient Aliens''. Josh Heald, creator of ''[[Cobra Kai]]'', will direct a script written by Luke Ryan who will also executive produce.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Galuppo |first=Mia |date=2021-04-07 |title='Cobra Kai' Creators Tackling 'Ancient Aliens' Movie for Legendary |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/cobra-kai-creators-tackling-ancient-aliens-movie-for-legendary |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210408003811/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/cobra-kai-creators-tackling-ancient-aliens-movie-for-legendary |archive-date=April 8, 2021 |access-date=April 8, 2021 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref> In July 2022, Legendary announced [[Craig Titley]] would write the feature script with Josh Heald to direct in partnership with [[Counterbalance Entertainment]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kit |first=Borys |date=2022-07-07 |title='Agents of SHIELD' Writer Tackling 'Ancient Aliens' for Legendary, 'Cobra Kai' Creators (Exclusive) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/agents-of-shield-writer-ancient-aliens-history-channel-1235176708/ |access-date=2022-08-05 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[List of topics characterized as pseudoscience]]
* [[Ancient Astronauts]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website|https://www.history.com/shows/ancient-aliens}}
* {{IMDb title|1643266}}
* {{Skeptoid|id=4719|number=719|title=Debunking Ancient Aliens, Part 1|date=2020-03-17}}
* ''[https://www.ancientaliensdebunked.com/ Ancient Aliens Debunked]'' by [[Michael S. Heiser]] and Chris White

{{History shows}}

[[Category:2010 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:American docufiction films]]
[[Category:American English-language television shows]]
[[Category:History (American TV channel) original programming]]
[[Category:Paranormal television]]
[[Category:Television series about ancient astronauts]]
[[Category:UFO-related television]]