Nat'l Geo's "Chasing UFOs" tv series. My opinion.

I’ve just finished watching the new series on the National Geographic channel called “Chasing UFOs”. I have one word for it: FAIL. Make that two words: EPIC FAIL.

I was really looking forward to the debut and had my DVR setup to record the show weeks ago. I was hoping for a serious non-biased look at the phenomena, but was subjected to an hour of pure fluff. All buildup and no payoff.

The series is about three supposed UFO investigators that travel around the country looking into reported sightings. The first episode had the trio in the Stephenville – Dublin, Texas area to talk to purported UFO witnesses. Very little actual video footage was shown and none of it was forensically evaluated. Much of the show was about the investigators wandering around the forest attempting to get UFO footage using a night-vision camera. Why do they need night-vision? Would normal camera floodlights scare off extraterrestrials? In one scene, the trio (and a local who came with them) spends at least five minutes of airtime talking about the dangers of encountering wild boars in the area. Apparently these boars are so dangerous that the local came armed with a rifle. They hear a noise and are convinced they will be accosted by the animal. Lots of excited whispers and cussing are heard and filmed. Wait … is this a show about chasing ufos or hunting wild game? At the end of the scene, Ryder (the female of the group) spots some lights in the sky. “I don’t believe it! It’s a f*****g UFO!” she exclaims while capturing the object with a hand-held camcorder. They show a brief glimpse of the lights she filmed using the camcorder (still in night-vision … I can’t tell if the camcorder was equipped with night-vision or the show editors just wanted it to appear that way.) In any event, if the lights were so interesting, why didn’t the cameramen shooting the footage of the investigators try to get a better shot with his seemingly much higher quality camera?.

I could go on, but there were so many other problems with this show I don’t have the energy or inclination to write them here. Did anyone else watch the show and have a different opinion?

reply to post by Shadoefax


Yea, it was horrible.

I watched it last night.
I was hoping on a serious fact backed show on new findings.

Instead I got a big laugh!
I mean,really,the "ghost hunters" with they're attached little cameras and lights?
And the wild boar scaring them and maybe seeing aliens in the woods.

I was in tears at times.

It was a parody,right?

It's set up just like Finding Bigfoot and they do the same things. The only thing the show as going for it is Erin Ryder...yummy!

Yea I agree it's a flop.
It's a rehash of paranormal and Bigfoot shows.

A UFO Hunters wannabe.

Then,today,they put this the truth behind marathon....

channel.nationalgeographic.com...

The show has some good material, but in general, they are trying to use the reality show formula to gain viewers, and use the same old tricks, like dramatic cues and cutting to a commercial right before something happens.

They were literally focusing on dangerous wildlife like wild boars while they were out in the field. This has absolutely zero to do with finding the truth and 100% about creating irrelevant drama.

Originally posted by chrismicha77
The only thing the show as going for it is Erin Ryder...

Isn't this the same Ryder that appears on Destination Truth?

J

dreadful,,,,,,,,,,,,such wimps have no business roaming around in the dark,,and the name of the show,,really,your gonna chase a ufo...ok LOL

First episode was absolutely horrible but the second episode where they went to fresno and discovered this weird tunnel with a steel door way out in the woods was kinda interesting. Next's week episode looks horrible.

I agree it was bad I really expected more from Nat Geo.

Who are these jokers running around with cameras connected to their heads? All I kept thinking is this was lame the first time I saw this camera trick and it's still lame.

You guys have to remember who this show is geared towards.

The Average American has a IQ of a Turnip, this show will suit him just fine.

Not too many things to think about, and plenty of commercials to run to the Fridge to feed his fat face.

I have a major girl crush on Ryder and would watch her in pretty much anything but I agree...it was awful.
Maybe now I will just watch it with the volume off so I can gaze adoringly at Ryder...sigh.

reply to post by Shadoefax


I found it to be entertaining. They were scaring the crap out of themselves in both episodes. It was quite funny actually. I won't miss an episode. They did have some cool footage that they captured of a strange light in the woods and they also showed an odd video of what looked like a small disc.

I have a concern. Will this show end up doing harm to the UFO community? If they really take themselves as serious as they seemed to, I can easily foresee more and more (justified IMHO) ridicule. I agree wholeheartedly with the above post that says there was unnecessary, unrealistic, and probably contrived drama which I fear could undo years of progress with the public's attitude.

Originally posted by LadyJae

Originally posted by chrismicha77
The only thing the show as going for it is Erin Ryder...

Isn't this the same Ryder that appears on Destination Truth?

J

Yes it is.

Originally posted by chrismicha77
It's set up just like Finding Bigfoot and they do the same things.

There were some moments when I thought I WAS watching Finding Bigfoot.

The only thing the show as going for it is Erin Ryder...yummy!

Really? She annoyed me the most from the 3 of them.

Originally posted by Shadoefax

Much of the show was about the investigators wandering around the forest attempting to get UFO footage using a night-vision camera.

I am not surprised. Just by looking at the previews I knew this show would be rubbish. Don't expect something intelligent on the subject of UFOs or the paranormal from the major networks, it's all about selling advertising time

I watched both episodes of the series premiere and was extremely disappointed at their approach to investigating UFO reports. They really came off as amateurs and I'm surprised James Fox would allow himself to be portrayed in such a manner but then again his contributions to the UFO phenomena is mainly making documentaries that he attempts to make money from so he probably doesn't mind the silliness of Chasing UFOs as long as he's getting paid.

Erin Ryder, formally of Destination Truth, is nice to look at but annoying as hell. Viewers didn't like her on DT cause she was always whining or screaming in fear at the smallest things and I saw a little of that in Chasing UFOs but you can tell she's trying hard to be taken more seriously as an investigator this time around.

I didn't see or hear any mention of any video analysis before investing time & money to travel to speak with a witness. Seemed like they just excepted UFO videos at face value.

The "UFO" Ryder filmed was a freakin' streetlight! You could see the streetlight pole in an earlier shot and I thought I even heard someone mention it shortly before she filmed it yet they decided to carry on like it was a UFO, totally insulting the intelligence of the viewers of the show. And if they really thought they had filmed a real UFO why pack up and leave without investigating further? Total BS.

The part where the show became "Chasing Wild Boars" was ridiculous. What the hell makes them think that looking in the dirt and small patch of woods has anything to do with filming or "chasing" UFOs?

All you have to do is look at the camera angles/shots to see how fake this show is. It's really obvious when Ryder is supposedly sneaking around that airport. The airport staff knew damn well Nat Geo was there filming! They even had their own helicopter shots of the cast heading up the mountain earlier in that episode. The whole airport drama was all staged, the helicopter taking off and scanning the area with the spotlight, the cast acting scared and hiding under the tree, the military security dudes shining their flashlights right on the Nat Geo cameraman yet not approaching them lol totally set up.

Like Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files, this show is an insult to the viewer's intelligence and shouldn't be taken as serious UFO investigating but rather adolescent entertainment.

Really, the idea that you're just gonna walk around at night with night vision cameras, and just so happen to find UFOs buzzing around, is just ludicrous.

My uncle and I could not help but draw comparisons to 'Finding Bigfoot'. We were hoping they'd start doing Squatch howls into the night, in hopes that it would atract UFOs. We also thought it's be funny if they happened to inadvertentley film a squatch for their show.

Also, I hated it when that Ryder chick made a comment about how she doesn't believe in UFOs. How can you not believe in UFOs? A freakin butterfly could be a UFO if you can't tell what it is. What the hell does she think the battle of Los Angeles was? A kite?