Ancient Aliens is a television series produced by Prometheus Entertainment. It discusses the idea that ancient astronauts may have influenced human history, but it does not critically examine the evidence. The show also covers topics like lost civilizations, claims about alien contact, and theories about hidden secrets. Since 2010, the series has aired on the History channel. It has faced criticism for promoting unproven ideas and for moving away from the channel’s usual programming. According to Smithsonian, the show often presents false or misleading information using a technique called a "Gish gallop," which overwhelms viewers with many claims without clear evidence.
The series first aired as a two-hour special in 2009. From 2010 to 2012, it was a main show on History. It later moved to H2, a channel that became Vice on TV in 2015. The show returned to History in 2015 and has continued with new seasons, including a 19th season that began in 2023. Every episode is narrated by Robert Clotworthy.
The series is based on the ideas of several authors and experts, including Erich von Däniken, Zecharia Sitchin, Graham Hancock, and others. People involved in the show include producer Giorgio Tsoukalos, writer David Childress, and journalist Nick Pope.
Experts such as historians, scientists, and archaeologists have criticized the series for presenting unproven ideas as facts. They describe the show’s claims as unlikely, overly imaginative, or based on theories that suggest ancient astronauts freely walked the Earth. Many of the show’s guests make claims that are not widely accepted by the scientific community. Brian Dunning, who has analyzed the series, called it "a slap in the face to the ingenuity of the human race."
Production
Kevin Burns was the main producer of the series from 2009 to 2021. Giorgio Tsoukalos worked as an advisor and appeared in every episode as a guest. UFO researcher C. Scott Littleton helped create the series until he passed away in 2010.
The series first aired as a two-hour special on the History Channel on March 8, 2009. This special was shown again and later became the first episode of the series. The series, called Ancient Aliens: The Series, first aired on History from 2010 to 2011. It then moved to H2, where it was one of the main shows until 2014. The History Channel continued to show episodes, and some highlights were also shown on A&E and Lifetime. Thirteen episodes about the 2012 phenomenon were shared with TV stations in the United States and Canada during the 2011–12 season. In some countries outside the United States, the series still uses the title Ancient Aliens: The Series.
In 2015, the series returned to History after H2 became Viceland. Viceland made a special version of the show called Action Bronson Watches Ancient Aliens to address complaints from fans. History renewed the series for a fifteenth season, which began on January 24, 2020. Production was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the season ended after all finished episodes were shown. Production started again, and a sixteenth season began on November 13, 2020. A twentieth season started in 2024.
A spin-off series called Ancient Aliens: Origins aired in 2024.
The series is based on the idea that ancient astronauts influenced human history, a theory first popularized in books like Chariots of the Gods? by Erich von Däniken and The 12th Planet by Zecharia Sitchin. These books suggest that extraterrestrial beings visited Earth long ago and helped early humans develop language, math, science, and technology. Examples of ancient achievements linked to this idea include the Egyptian pyramids, Pumapunku, Teotihuacan, and Stonehenge.
Some guests claim that evidence of ancient alien visits can be found in religious texts, myths, and traditions from cultures like Hinduism, Ancient Egypt, Gnostic Christianity, and Mormonism. They also suggest that words in many languages, such as "Dagon," "dragon," "dog," and "Danann," may have roots in ancient alien encounters. Some guests also claim that modern humans were created through genetic changes or are descendants of ancient astronauts.
Many episodes avoid using exact dates and instead use phrases like "the remote past," "prehistoric times," or "ancient times." Some guests argue that a highly advanced civilization existed before the end of the Ice Age, around 12,000 years ago, and that this civilization was destroyed. Survivors of this civilization, they say, helped restart human society about 8,500 years ago.
Many guests who appear on the series support these ideas and have written books or made videos about them. They also promote each other’s work, creating a shared belief system about human origins and the importance of celestial objects like Sirius, Orion, the Pleiades, the Moon, and Mars.
The series presents guests’ claims quickly without questioning them. Narration often asks rhetorical questions, such as "Did ancient alien theorists say yes?" after introducing a claim. The show then moves to a new topic, such as an archaeological site or event, without fully explaining the previous claim. This style is similar to the book Chariots of the Gods?, and the Smithsonian Museum called this approach a "Gish gallop," where too many ideas are presented too quickly for viewers to think about them carefully.
When guests speak, the show does not explain whether they are answering a question, repeating others’ ideas, or sharing their own work. Some guests, like geologist Robert Schoch, say parts of their interviews were used out of context in the series.
Writer David Childress appears in every episode and often ends his comments with "—probably extraterrestrials!" Both Childress and Giorgio Tsoukalos argue that ancient people did not have words to describe advanced technology like rockets or planes, so they called aliens "gods."
The series uses terms like "ancient astronauts," "alien visitors," "ancient gods," and "otherworldly beings" interchangeably. Guests sometimes mix up the meanings of "theory" and "hypothesis" or confuse myths with real history and science.
In the first season, scientists like Sara Seager and Michael Denning responded to some claims, but their responses were not detailed. Later episodes included scientists who explained scientific or historical topics without supporting the series’ claims. Psychologist Jonathan Young appeared in 123 episodes, explaining myths and legends. Robert Schoch, a professor from Boston University, shared his ideas about the Sphinx and Göbekli Tepe in several episodes. Erich von Däniken was featured in the first episode and in two biographical episodes in later seasons.
Radio host George Noory appeared in over 80 episodes, including the first one. Reverend Barry Downing, who compares angels in the Bible to ancient astronauts, was in the first episode and repeated his comments later. Writers Robert Bauval and Graham Hancock appeared often, though they expressed doubt about ancient astronauts and instead talked about their own theories about ancient civilizations. Hancock often said, "There is a forgotten episode in human history." Nick Pope and Travis S. Taylor also appeared frequently.
Highlights and segments from the first season, including the pilot episode, were used in later episodes as far as Season 15.
Reception
The program had 1,676,000 viewers in late October 2010, 2,034,000 viewers in mid-December (for the "Unexplained Structures" episode), and 1,309,000 viewers in late January 2011.
The series has been criticized by historians, cosmologists, archaeologists, and other scientists for presenting and promoting unscientific ideas, such as false history and false archaeology, as if they were true. Many episodes are described as "far-fetched," "highly speculative," and "based on wild theories that suggest astronauts freely roamed Earth in ancient times." Many claims made by guests on the show are not widely accepted by the scientific community. In 2009, history professor Ronald H. Fritze noted that pseudoscience often gains popularity in the United States:
"In a pop culture with a short memory and a strong interest in new ideas, topics like aliens, pyramids, and lost civilizations are reused like fashion trends."
Brad Lockwood of Forbes described Ancient Aliens as an example of History's channel moving toward "programs focused on monsters, aliens, and conspiracies." He added that the show "makes it hard to believe anything for the sake of entertainment." Alex Knapp of Forbes cited archaeologist Keith Fitzpatrick-Matthews' criticism of History for treating "nonsense as if it were true."
In 2011, South Park made fun of the series in the episode "A History Channel Thanksgiving." Ramsey Isler of IGN noted that the episode "directly targets Ancient Aliens." The show's animation style, including black-and-white art with aliens added digitally and interviews with people of questionable credibility, created "a perfect satire of the series' ridiculousness."
Science writer Riley Black criticized the series, especially an episode that claimed "aliens killed dinosaurs to make room for humans." She called this "some of the most misleading content on television." Black accused the series of using a technique called a "Gish gallop" to overwhelm viewers with many false or exaggerated claims.
Some experts have pointed out that the series rarely includes opposing viewpoints. Kenneth Feder, a professor of archaeology at Central Connecticut State University and author of Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries: Science and Pseudoscience in Archaeology, was asked by producers to appear on multiple episodes. He responded, "I'd be happy to be on your show, but you should know that I think the ancient astronaut idea is nonsense." He added that he had not heard from the producers since.
In 2016, Vice on TV producer Jordan Kinley said of Ancient Aliens: "You feel lost when someone questions the history you've been taught. I don't believe much of what's said, but I think it's important for people to realize that some history is made up."
In the 2019 issue of Public Archaeology, Franco D. Rossi of Johns Hopkins University wrote about his experience at the 2018 Boston Alien Con. He described Ancient Aliens and its fans as a "science fiction fandom" that spreads "misinformation" and "conspiracies." He warned that professionals in history fields will need to address the ancient astronaut idea and those who support it.
In March 2020, podcaster Brian Dunning challenged and disproved many claims on Ancient Aliens. At the end of the third episode, Dunning quoted Kenneth Feder's book:
"I realize I may seem harsh or strict on this topic. You'd be right. But in the face of a program that assumes humans lack the ability to invent, create, and solve problems, I believe being strict is the right choice."
Many guests on the series have publicly questioned its ideas. In the pilot episode, Sister Ilia Delio of the Washington Theological Union said supporters of the ancient astronaut idea often take religious texts too literally:
"Can we compare Ezekiel's chariot to a UFO? The ancient people used myths and symbols to describe their experiences with God. We should not take these stories too literally. They reflect the beliefs of their time, not evidence of aliens."
In 2014, Seth Shostak, who has appeared in 12 episodes, told the House Committee on Science: "People are fascinated by the idea that aliens might have visited Earth, but there is no proof that they did." In a 2018 interview, Robert Schoch said promoters of the ancient astronaut idea "want everything to be 'ancient aliens,' which is a way to avoid real explanations." He added that these promoters often focus on selling books and tickets rather than sharing facts. Schoch said belief in ancient alien ideas "fills a void" for some people, but he tries to fill that void with real knowledge.
William Shatner, who appeared in the Season 16 episode "William Shatner Meets Ancient Aliens," told Inverse: "I had debates with experts who believe aliens were here, and I was skeptical. But they intrigued me enough to think something might be true."
Related media
Many people who appear on the show Ancient Aliens also appear in other History Channel programs, such as The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch, America's Book of Secrets, and The Curse of Oak Island. Parts of these shows have been included in episodes of Ancient Aliens. William Shatner, who appears in two episodes of Ancient Aliens, hosts a show called The UnXplained, which covers similar topics. He also narrated the English version of a 1976 film called Mystery of the Gods, which was based on books written by von Däniken after Chariots of the Gods?.
Giorgio A. Tsoukalos's appearances on Ancient Aliens inspired an online image meme that highlighted his unique hairstyle with the caption: "I'm not saying it was aliens … but …" Users began sharing variations of the meme as early as November 2010. According to Dictionary.com, the meme imitated the confident tone Tsoukalos used to present ideas that were not proven or based on real evidence.
From 2016 to 2018, A&E Networks helped produce several multi-day events called "Alien Con." Some events were organized as symposiums, while others were similar to Worldcon, a type of science fiction convention. Guests from Ancient Aliens hosted panels, signed books, and took photos with fans. Footage from the 2016 and 2017 events was shown in Seasons 11, 12, and 13. Highlights from the 2018 Baltimore Alien Con were included in the Season 14 episode "Project Hybrid."
In April 2016, Viceland released a short film titled Action Bronson Watches Ancient Aliens, which was later expanded into a ten-episode series called Traveling the Stars. Each episode features rapper Action Bronson and celebrity guests watching Ancient Aliens while using cannabis. The series uses a comedic style to imitate the presentation of Ancient Aliens. Bronson praised the show, calling it "the best thing that was ever created by man." Producers Jordan Kinley and Hannah Gregg said Traveling the Stars was created to address complaints from viewers of H2, a channel replaced by Viceland. The series was renewed for a second season in 2019.
A companion book to Ancient Aliens, titled Ancient Aliens: The Official Companion Book (ISBN 978-0-06-245541-3), was published in November 2016. It includes an overview of the ancient astronaut theory and summaries of topics covered in the television series up to Season 11. An audiobook version, which is no longer available, featured voices from Giorgio A. Tsoukalos, Angela Cartwright, Bill Mumy, Robert Clotworthy, and producer Kevin Burns.
Ancient Aliens: The Game is a city-building video game developed by Fifth Column Games. Players control an alien-human hybrid who builds the Great Pyramid of Giza. The game was released for free on mobile and Facebook in 2016. A version for personal computers was released by Legacy Games in September 2022.
In April 2021, Counterbalance Entertainment announced a deal with Legendary Entertainment to create a film based on Ancient Aliens. Josh Heald, the creator of Cobra Kai, will direct a script written by Luke Ryan, who will also serve as an executive producer. In July 2022, Legendary Entertainment announced that Craig Titley would write the film's script, with Josh Heald directing in partnership with Counterbalance Entertainment.