"UFOs: Examining the Evidence" on the History Channel

tracer · 31st August 2003, 11:18 AM

I just saw UFOs: Examining the Evidence on the History Channel.

Groan.

The whole show dealt with presenting bizarre UFO Believers' cases in as spooky a light as possible. I spent the whole show wondering when they were going to get to the "examining the evidence" part. About 5 minutes of the hour-long show, total, were devoted to non-True-Believers presenting the weakest arguments possible for non-alien explanations of the cases presented (e.g. a veteranarian's whole counterargument consisted of "because humans could have done it, we shouldn't rule out a human origin for these cattle mutilations"). I'll bet you dollars to donut-holes that the really strong skeptical counterarguments were edited out because they would've made the show less sensationalistic.

Right now, the History Channel is showing another such show called, simply, Extraterrestrials. This show so far has had no skeptics on it at all. I guess because now that they've shown 5 whole minutes of tepid skeptical naysaying, they feel like they've shown "the other side" of the issue and now can devote an entire show to woo-woos with impunity.

tracer · 31st August 2003, 11:55 AM

Okay, it looks like they are letting a few skeptics get a word in edgewise on Extraterrestrials now.

Of course, then they've immediately turned around and started interviewing Sitchin.

Iamme · 31st August 2003, 01:36 PM

Hi Tracer. Any verdict as to whether or not extraterrestrials could possibly be real? I am guessing that with similar shows regarding Roswell, or crop circles that are found on TLC, DISC, or the History Channel...that it was just another 'shrug...who knows!', conclusion. Till the next show?

Yahweh · 31st August 2003, 06:07 PM

I like those UFO shows, but I've seen everything they have to show me and some of the material has gone stale.

One of the things I like are those "Experts In Paranormal Phenomena"...

Ratman_tf · 31st August 2003, 06:25 PM

Anyone watch that TV show, I think it was from the 70's, Project Bluebook? Where select UFO cases were dramatized, with special effects and whatnot. I remember it really made an impact on me when I was a kid. (Not to mention occasionally creeping the sh*t out of me.) But as I grew up, and investigated the subject more deeply, I found that it was just the TV show itself that made the cases so compelling, not the actual reports.

Kinda makes me mad about shows like Taken (Which I have yet to see, it should be coming to Sci-Fi again by the end of next month I think?) Where dramatic liscense and special effects are used to pump up an otherwise flat case. :P

tracer · 1st September 2003, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Iamme
Any verdict as to whether or not extraterrestrials could possibly be real? I am guessing that with similar shows regarding Roswell, or crop circles that are found on TLC, DISC, or the History Channel...that it was just another 'shrug...who knows!', conclusion. Till the next show?

But of course. Accompanied by "ooh, spooky!" music, naturally.

tracer · 1st September 2003, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ratman_tf
Anyone watch that TV show, I think it was from the 70's, Project Bluebook?

I watched that show too. It was called Project UFO, and was produced by Jack Webb (the same guy who'd given us Dragnet and Adam-12 in years past).

They reported real UFO cases, but they took a lot of liberties with the facts. F'rinstance, there was one famous case involving a fighter pilot chasing a UFO and then getting "knocked out of the sky". The show depicted the pilot flying an F-102 jet fighter and getting knocked out by a bright light fired from the UFO. In the real case, though, the pilot was flying a propeller-driven P-51 (which doesn't have a pressurized cabin) and tried to intercept what he thought was a UFO flying above 20,000 feet altitude -- most likely, he just passed out from lack of oxygen.

Lord Kenneth · 1st September 2003, 08:06 PM

You know what they say... s**t sells...

Youngblood · 2nd September 2003, 03:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ratman_tf

Kinda makes me mad about shows like Taken (Which I have yet to see, it should be coming to Sci-Fi again by the end of next month I think?) Where dramatic liscense and special effects are used to pump up an otherwise flat case. :P

Taken is actually pretty good IMO, last episode next week for people in Asia.

31st August 2003, 11:18 AM	#1
tracer Graduate Poster Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Silicon Valley, Calif. Posts: 1,356	"UFOs: Examining the Evidence" on the History Channel I just saw UFOs: Examining the Evidence on the History Channel. Groan. The whole show dealt with presenting bizarre UFO Believers' cases in as spooky a light as possible. I spent the whole show wondering when they were going to get to the "examining the evidence" part. About 5 minutes of the hour-long show, total, were devoted to non-True-Believers presenting the weakest arguments possible for non-alien explanations of the cases presented (e.g. a veteranarian's whole counterargument consisted of "because humans could have done it, we shouldn't rule out a human origin for these cattle mutilations"). I'll bet you dollars to donut-holes that the really strong skeptical counterarguments were edited out because they would've made the show less sensationalistic. Right now, the History Channel is showing another such show called, simply, Extraterrestrials. This show so far has had no skeptics on it at all. I guess because now that they've shown 5 whole minutes of tepid skeptical naysaying, they feel like they've shown "the other side" of the issue and now can devote an entire show to woo-woos with impunity.
	__________________ The truth, as always, is more complicated than that.

31st August 2003, 11:55 AM	#2
tracer Graduate Poster Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Silicon Valley, Calif. Posts: 1,356	Okay, it looks like they are letting a few skeptics get a word in edgewise on Extraterrestrials now. Of course, then they've immediately turned around and started interviewing Sitchin.
	__________________ The truth, as always, is more complicated than that.

31st August 2003, 01:36 PM	#3
Iamme Illuminator Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Western Wisconsin Posts: 4,622	Hi Tracer. Any verdict as to whether or not extraterrestrials could possibly be real? I am guessing that with similar shows regarding Roswell, or crop circles that are found on TLC, DISC, or the History Channel...that it was just another 'shrug...who knows!', conclusion. Till the next show?
	__________________ I lost my mind many years ago and it hasn't affected me a bit...a bit..a bit..a bit.

31st August 2003, 06:07 PM	#4
Yahweh Ayay ashay ayay Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 9,029	I like those UFO shows, but I've seen everything they have to show me and some of the material has gone stale. One of the things I like are those "Experts In Paranormal Phenomena"...
Yahweh Ayay ashay ayay Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 9,029

31st August 2003, 06:25 PM	#5
Ratman_tf Graduate Poster Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 1,002	Anyone watch that TV show, I think it was from the 70's, Project Bluebook? Where select UFO cases were dramatized, with special effects and whatnot. I remember it really made an impact on me when I was a kid. (Not to mention occasionally creeping the sh*t out of me.) But as I grew up, and investigated the subject more deeply, I found that it was just the TV show itself that made the cases so compelling, not the actual reports. Kinda makes me mad about shows like Taken (Which I have yet to see, it should be coming to Sci-Fi again by the end of next month I think?) Where dramatic liscense and special effects are used to pump up an otherwise flat case. :P
	__________________ "In the end, I was so decent, I stopped being a Christian altogether!" -Ruby --- "God is an invention of Man. So the nature of God is only a shallow mystery. The deep mystery is the nature of Man." -Nanrei Kobori

1st September 2003, 06:54 PM	#6
tracer Graduate Poster Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Silicon Valley, Calif. Posts: 1,356	Quote: Originally posted by Iamme Any verdict as to whether or not extraterrestrials could possibly be real? I am guessing that with similar shows regarding Roswell, or crop circles that are found on TLC, DISC, or the History Channel...that it was just another 'shrug...who knows!', conclusion. Till the next show? But of course. Accompanied by "ooh, spooky!" music, naturally.
	__________________ The truth, as always, is more complicated than that.

1st September 2003, 07:02 PM	#7
tracer Graduate Poster Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Silicon Valley, Calif. Posts: 1,356	Quote: Originally posted by Ratman_tf Anyone watch that TV show, I think it was from the 70's, Project Bluebook? I watched that show too. It was called Project UFO, and was produced by Jack Webb (the same guy who'd given us Dragnet and Adam-12 in years past). They reported real UFO cases, but they took a lot of liberties with the facts. F'rinstance, there was one famous case involving a fighter pilot chasing a UFO and then getting "knocked out of the sky". The show depicted the pilot flying an F-102 jet fighter and getting knocked out by a bright light fired from the UFO. In the real case, though, the pilot was flying a propeller-driven P-51 (which doesn't have a pressurized cabin) and tried to intercept what he thought was a UFO flying above 20,000 feet altitude -- most likely, he just passed out from lack of oxygen.
	__________________ The truth, as always, is more complicated than that.

1st September 2003, 08:06 PM	#8
Lord Kenneth Banned Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 2,623	You know what they say... s**t sells...
Lord Kenneth Banned Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 2,623

2nd September 2003, 03:54 AM	#9
Youngblood New Blood Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 3	Quote: Originally posted by Ratman_tf Kinda makes me mad about shows like Taken (Which I have yet to see, it should be coming to Sci-Fi again by the end of next month I think?) Where dramatic liscense and special effects are used to pump up an otherwise flat case. :P Taken is actually pretty good IMO, last episode next week for people in Asia.
Youngblood New Blood Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 3