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History Channel - Has it Lost the Plot?

post #1 of 23
3/13/12 at 9:03am
Thread Starter 
I've watched History Channel for a long time now. I love the war documentaries, crime documentaries (they're not as downbeat as on Crime Channel), and lots of other historical stuff - though I greatly dislike the Time Team stuff.

But I've never thought of History Channel as serious. When I first started watching it about 15 years ago, they used to show "documentaries" by evangelical Christian groups, that seemed to be treating everything in the Bible as historical fact. It was more like a number of sermons by enthusiastic Professors and Doctors (of fundamentalist theology?) coupled with acting out various Old Testament Bible pieces. They kind of reminded me of several Ned Flanders episodes in The Simpsons.

Anyhow, after dropping those silly documentaries we come to now - and they're programming down here in Australia is even sillier than it was in the past.

Now History Channel presents ridiculous shows like "UFO Hunters", "Ancient Aliens" and other similar ones who's names escape me.

As well as a show by someone called Brad Melzer, where his three assistants go off to visit some American Indian tribe's prophecies of the end of the world (as interpreted by some white chap who wrote a book about their prophecies, but when they spoke to the Indians they said they don't have a word for prophecy). As for the end of the world, the three assistants ( a lawyer, a female engineer and someone else) were expressing very strong concern with gaping mouths about earthquakes and tsunamis destroying Los Angeles, which apparently is the World - at which point I switched off.

For so much of that alien and prophecy stuff, one only has to go to the Skeptic's Dictionary, look it up, and see it all debunked.

I think History Channel have lost the plot.

Is their programming similar in your part of the world?
Regards,
Renato
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post #2 of 23
3/13/12 at 9:36am
It's totally ridiculous in the States. There is actually a really funny South Park episode about it.
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post #3 of 23
3/13/12 at 9:37am
I think the same thing has happened with a number of cable channels - TLC is hardly the learning channel anymore, so many of them has succumbed to the "reality tv" garbage. Honestly I watch mostly just PBS, in the US it's the public broadcasting station which is mostly educational, news and arts programming.
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post #4 of 23
3/13/12 at 11:22am
Is anyone else old enough to remember when Bravo was arts programming?
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post #5 of 23
3/13/12 at 11:54am
Incidentally, I am a fan of this channel too and while their documentaries were mostly interesting when I first discovered it, now I do notice that only about the half of their broadcasts still interest me, for the rest, their historical docu-dramas and docu-fiction often feels like treating historical events and personalities on the level of soap-opera and of B-movies, while contemporary reenactments of historical ages by contemporaries often feel like a bad reality show on MTV (on the least inspired days on MTV) clumsily disguised in historical costumes and settings.

(And, believe me, its is not because I do not like history, I love history up to the point of attaining straight A's in this field of study during highschool and university).
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post #6 of 23
3/13/12 at 12:01pm
Still like the channel but I find I watch the Military Channel more these days.
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post #7 of 23
3/13/12 at 5:19pm
It's terrible here as well, there are a few things that are still worth watching, but it's really been downhill. Same thing with Discovery and National Geographic. I cannot stand the re-enactments, Ken Russell, you are right - they are like bad reality shows.
I'll have to look for the Southpark episode that is about the History Channel....
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post #8 of 23
3/13/12 at 5:25pm
I love the history channel and I really enjoy SOME of the ancient aliens shows. Some are really interesting and if you dig deeper than some of the stuff is quite intriguing, however some episodes are just laughable and make no sense. You have to keep an open mind yet be knowledgable to intrepet what is actually fact or just some conspiracy bs.

The south park episode where they make fun of ancient aliens is hilarious and the episode where they make fun of ghost hunters literally made me laugh for days.
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post #9 of 23
3/13/12 at 6:04pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by canuck21 View Post

I love the history channel and I really enjoy SOME of the ancient aliens shows. Some are really interesting and if you dig deeper than some of the stuff is quite intriguing, however some episodes are just laughable and make no sense. You have to keep an open mind yet be knowledgable to intrepet what is actually fact or just some conspiracy bs.

The south park episode where they make fun of ancient aliens is hilarious and the episode where they make fun of ghost hunters literally made me laugh for days.

You touch on something I forgot in my original post. I've spoken to various people who believe the moon landings were faked because they saw the Fox program on it. Had they had any passing interest in photography they would have spotted one, perhaps two howlers in that program. Had they had any passing interest in astronomy or space, they would have spotted even more howlers. And none of them ever think of asking the obvious question - why was the USA's great rival in the moon race, the USSR, apparently complicit in the conspiracy of faking the moon landings. They more than anyone would have been aware of the claims in that program that man cannot survive in space because the cosmic ray particles are deadly - yet they chose not to blow the whistle on the USA.

So now we have all these ancient alien shows, which are a rehash of Von Daniken's "Chariots of the Gods" and all its sequels. People don't that at the time, all his work was utterly debunked - but his books remain in print, and the debunker's books went out of print. And people seem to be only too happy to accept what is on History Channel - which has lots of otherwise authoritative and credible programs - as fact, just like they do with the faked moon landing claims.

It is easy to say that people have to keep an open mind, but the programs never say that. They don't tell people to Google "Ancient Aliens debunked". Given that this show is in it's second season, suggests that a lot of people believe it. Had they read anything debunking the content, they wouldn't still be watching it.
Regards,
Renato
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post #10 of 23
3/13/12 at 6:15pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Chambers View Post

It's totally ridiculous in the States. There is actually a really funny South Park episode about it.

Would you have the Season Number and episode number of that South Park episode?
Regards,
Renato
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post #11 of 23
3/13/12 at 6:21pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jacona View Post

I think the same thing has happened with a number of cable channels - TLC is hardly the learning channel anymore, so many of them has succumbed to the "reality tv" garbage. Honestly I watch mostly just PBS, in the US it's the public broadcasting station which is mostly educational, news and arts programming.

We've got stations like that down here, but they all have a very lefty slant in their commentaries, in my opinion. Some of their programs are based on very lefty premises.

On occasion, I do listen to your NPR radio segments that get broadcast on our government run Newsradio. I think the NPR and radio Deutsche Welle segments are often more balanced than what I hear in the BBC segments.
Regards,
Renato
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post #12 of 23
3/13/12 at 6:22pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken_Russell View Post

Incidentally, I am a fan of this channel too and while their documentaries were mostly interesting when I first discovered it, now I do notice that only about the half of their broadcasts still interest me, for the rest, their historical docu-dramas and docu-fiction often feels like treating historical events and personalities on the level of soap-opera and of B-movies, while contemporary reenactments of historical ages by contemporaries often feel like a bad reality show on MTV (on the least inspired days on MTV) clumsily disguised in historical costumes and settings.

(And, believe me, its is not because I do not like history, I lov history up to the point of attaining straight A's in this field of study during highschool and university).

Some of the reenactments of history I don't mind. The ones on Peter the Great and Catherine the Great I found totally rivetting. Did you see those?
Regards,
Renato
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post #13 of 23
3/13/12 at 6:23pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by hednic View Post

Still like the channel but I find I watch the Military Channel more these days.

I wish we had a Military Channel - but we don't.
Cheers,
Renato
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post #14 of 23
3/13/12 at 6:27pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by IngaMi View Post

It's terrible here as well, there are a few things that are still worth watching, but it's really been downhill. Same thing with Discovery and National Geographic. I cannot stand the re-enactments, Ken Russell, you are right - they are like bad reality shows.
I'll have to look for the Southpark episode that is about the History Channel....

I hate Discovery Channel and National Geographic Channel. Programs that I'm mildly interested in - well, I should just watch the last five minutes after a commercial break, since they keep recounting what had previously happened. There seems to be about 12 minutes of actual content in every 25 minutes broadcast.
Regards,
Renato
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post #15 of 23
3/13/12 at 8:24pm
My favorite shows are also war documentaries and biographies of historical figures, geopolitics and significant events in history. It is hard to watch so many of these documentaries produced by channels that are clearly biased, catering to a left-wing clientele and devoid of factual information.

BBC documentaries have produced some of the finer ones, I feel, where National Geographic and the History Channel have at times gone so far as to re-write history in order to sensationalize material for their audiences (or, more nefariously, appease certain groups who'd rather see history fit their political beliefs). Some of the best documentaries tend to be what general audiences see as "dry". Conversely, the viewer interested solely in accurate, evidence-based claims, sees these as most fascinating and truly enriching, educational experiences.

One of my gripes has to be the cheesy reenactments, and hiring actors/producing a set, costumes, etc.. which must consume the lion's share of any budget. Reenactments/dramatization seem best left for Hollywood, and shouldn't be what "makes" the documentary. Hands down, the most accurate historical education I've been exposed to has come from the good old fashioned lecture, led by an accredited historian presenting something that he or she is truly fascinated by. I'll never forget how fair one of my professors was with her History course "Europe and Christianity". One can only imagine how this material could be mistreated. As a scientist she valued evidence-based history and relied mostly on primary sources that weren't "watered down" or translated to satiate those who are devoid of critical thinking and waiting for the next explosion or special effect. Great thread topic, Renato.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Renato View Post

We've got stations like that down here, but they all have a very lefty slant in their commentaries, in my opinion. Some of their programs are based on very lefty premises.

On occasion, I do listen to your NPR radio segments that get broadcast on our government run Newsradio. I think the NPR and radio Deutsche Welle segments are often more balanced than what I hear in the BBC segments.
Regards,
Renato
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post #16 of 23
3/13/12 at 9:00pm
I vastly prefer BBC to Natl Geographic and Discovery. But I am mainly interested in the science documentaries rather than the history ones.
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post #17 of 23
3/13/12 at 9:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Renato View Post

You touch on something I forgot in my original post. I've spoken to various people who believe the moon landings were faked because they saw the Fox program on it. Had they had any passing interest in photography they would have spotted one, perhaps two howlers in that program. Had they had any passing interest in astronomy or space, they would have spotted even more howlers. And none of them ever think of asking the obvious question - why was the USA's great rival in the moon race, the USSR, apparently complicit in the conspiracy of faking the moon landings. They more than anyone would have been aware of the claims in that program that man cannot survive in space because the cosmic ray particles are deadly - yet they chose not to blow the whistle on the USA.

So now we have all these ancient alien shows, which are a rehash of Von Daniken's "Chariots of the Gods" and all its sequels. People don't that at the time, all his work was utterly debunked - but his books remain in print, and the debunker's books went out of print. And people seem to be only too happy to accept what is on History Channel - which has lots of otherwise authoritative and credible programs - as fact, just like they do with the faked moon landing claims.

It is easy to say that people have to keep an open mind, but the programs never say that. They don't tell people to Google "Ancient Aliens debunked". Given that this show is in it's second season, suggests that a lot of people believe it. Had they read anything debunking the content, they wouldn't still be watching it.
Regards,
Renato

The show touches on many debatle topics that have been argued about for years. Some topics like the Nazi's having "ancient alien technology" are laughable when you hear about the it right off the bat, but when you really dig into it and read research about this, it's something that is really interseting and there are some facts that are true. The ancient aliens episode on the nazi's and there apparent affiliation and obsession with aliens is a job well done by the producers of the show as it covered many aspects of this topic, and provides the average person with information that is unheard of.
Then there are episodes like the new one where they say natural disasters are caused by aliens....what kind of bullshit that is, I don't know and i couldnt watch the whole thing as it made no sense.
Von Daniken's book is...I don't have an "opinion" on it was the first kind of public acknowledgment of this topic and I respect it for that reason. Many episodes are based from the book and it is quite annoying.
BTW i think the show is in its 4th season now lol.
Military channel is great and Nat geo is good but not what it used to be.....
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post #18 of 23
3/13/12 at 9:26pm
another thing you mentioned that is a good point is that there are topics that are debatable, and ancient aliens just twists the topic and throw in what they belive.......its just outright hilarious.
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post #19 of 23
3/13/12 at 10:36pm
What has happened to The History Channel has happened to all television programming (U.S.). I knew my television-watching days were doomed when The Food Network went "reality". Even news programming is full of "Dancing With The Stars" and "Idol" updates! I have about all the cable channels anyone could hope for and still have trouble finding something to watch. And I am far from an intellectual snob, trust me. P.S. - PBS is still decent!
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post #20 of 23
3/14/12 at 6:02am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by canuck21 View Post

Some topics like the Nazi's having "ancient alien technology" are laughable when you hear about the it right off the bat, but when you really dig into it and read research about this, it's something that is really interseting and there are some facts that are true. The ancient aliens episode on the nazi's and there apparent affiliation and obsession with aliens is a job well done by the producers of the show as it covered many aspects of this topic, and provides the average person with information that is unheard of.
.....

I saw most of the Nazi/Alien program. If it were accurate, it means that the entire US and Russian space programs are based on alien technology. Von Braun went and worked for the US space program and put 12 men on the moon, and his earlier creation - the V2 rocket - has remained essentially unchanged. The Russians stuck four of them together, and it is still the basis of what they use.
Cheers,
Renato
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post #21 of 23
3/14/12 at 6:08am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arhlll View Post

What has happened to The History Channel has happened to all television programming (U.S.). I knew my television-watching days were doomed when The Food Network went "reality". Even news programming is full of "Dancing With The Stars" and "Idol" updates! I have about all the cable channels anyone could hope for and still have trouble finding something to watch. And I am far from an intellectual snob, trust me. P.S. - PBS is still decent!

I know what you mean.
Reality television. I did watch the first season of The Apprentice, and that is the only reality show I've ever watched.

I have managed to watch a few minutes of another reality show - where people stay in dark houses and run around like cackling chooks at every sound and every breeze. They must be the lousiest hunters in history - they've yet to show one ghost they've bagged.

The cable channels were so bad at one stage, that Fox news was providing most of my entertainment. But then I got married, and my wife wasn't partial to it.
Cheers,
Renato
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post #22 of 23
3/14/12 at 8:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Renato View Post

I saw most of the Nazi/Alien program. If it were accurate, it means that the entire US and Russian space programs are based on alien technology. Von Braun went and worked for the US space program and put 12 men on the moon, and his earlier creation - the V2 rocket - has remained essentially unchanged. The Russians stuck four of them together, and it is still the basis of what they use.
Cheers,
Renato

I said SOME of it is interesting and has a case to be made, not all
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post #23 of 23
3/14/12 at 8:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Renato View Post

Some of the reenactments of history I don't mind. The ones on Peter the Great and Catherine the Great I found totally rivetting. Did you see those?
Regards,
Renato

I didn't, so far, but thanks for letting me know, maybe it might change my current opinion about this channel
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