Chasing UFOs (2012– ) User Reviews

One Jem in a Pile of....

[nufosmatic · 5/10 · 7 February 2015]

This is a very disappointing series. Given the presence of James Fox (Out of the Blue), I was hoping for better. There is much silly dashing about through the night with low-tech, low-light cameras in sadly under-analyzed locations in spite of a team that apparently has some very nice technology available and, in general, really should know better.

That having been said, the very first episode, "Texas Is For Sightings", regarding the fairly recent Stephenville, Texas, UFO flap, would be the reason I kept watching. The team was successful in calling a community meeting and eliciting eyewitness testimony from many residents of Stephenville and the surroundings AS A GROUP, with special focus on some quality "trained observers". This is some of the most compelling television I have ever seen on any subject involving a local mystery of any sort, let alone UFOs.

In this episode is also the most compelling UFO lights-in-the-sky video (albeit short in time) I have ever seen taken by people who where out videoing the sky with the specific purpose of finding UFOs.

http://www.nufosmatic.com/

Good for laughs

[bitbucketchip · 5/10 · 22 October 2021]

These shows are all the same formula:

1) A sad sack scientist who paid attention in school and earned an advanced degree in some unrelated field surrounded by a group of infinitely credulous actors who are frightened of their own shadows and attribute the most banal things to aliens or ghosts or whatever.

2) Investigations that only take place at night because the aliens or ghosts or whatever apparently have day jobs.

3) An exotic location that has been visited by a jillion paranormal investigators in previous series.

4) They interview several sorry individuals suffering from paranoid delusions who should be encouraged to seek the services of a mental health professional.

5) The actors act scared of every noise and attribute every flicker of light in sky or glimpse of something moving in the woods as definitive proof of ghosts. The other films crews working in the same area use that same evidence as proof of Bigfoot and aliens and time travelers and ancient aliens plus whatever else they can make into an episode.

6) Though the area has been the subject of intense scrutiny by other investigators for decades, this investigation lasts a couple of days because that's all the budget they have.

7) They find nothing, which they take as proof positive of the aliens or ghosts or whatever they were looking after.

8) The scientist, ridiculed and ignored the entire episode, is coerced into a voice over the closing credits to the effect that it is still a mystery.

9) Filming stops and everyone high fives one another and toasts the gullible dupes that comprise their audience.

Five stars for having the stereotypical infinitely credulous cast member, the one convinced a Big Mac is proof of ancient alien Bigfoot ghost time travelers, as a male instead of the more typical female actor. Five more stars for the laughs. Minus five stars for going to Roswell. Roswell?! Five stars.

another one bites the dust

[marko0706 · 5/10 · 7 November 2012]

This show is not that bad as other people made it, sure its boring cause non of this shows would ever find concrete evidence of what they are looking for, mainly because their main goal is to entertain people for as long as they can and because lack of proper knowledge, stupid yes especially when they cut the momentum where you think something great is gonna happen but no, its just ''stupid rope stuck on my shoe'' and yes protagonists are no where near likable, like every other show of this type, but essence of the show is there and for all UFO enthusiasts and supernatural gurus this is fun and interesting.

Lets see 5 out of 10, that should be enough :)

Ludicrous

[lvlv52 · 2/10 · 10 July 2012]

The top of the heap, as UFO investigation on TV goes, was "Sightings" (on Fox then SciFi) which, in its weekly newsmagazine format, did its level best to be journalistic, and to report on new cases (or at least those we might not have heard of). And Then...despite being a solid hit on both networks, it was GONE. Almost as though it was making Someone nervous. So what's come along since then to fill the void? The History Channel had the excellent "UFO Files," which did not avoid controversy...it pointed fingers and named names, and managed to be shocking at times. And Then...it was GONE. Then History's "UFO Hunters" in which our intrepid 'investigators' never managed to look into anything more recent than the '70s; History's ongoing "Ancient Aliens" which, while intriguing, leaves you wanting to throttle those silly-haired geeks over such blockheaded assertions as that there was NO indigenous science in ancient Egypt, ONLY alien science. Sheesh. And now there's THIS, which could be mistaken for an unsold 3 Stooges pilot. THIS intrepid troupe shows up at sites where someone saw something 10 or 20 years ago...they come back at night with their expensive night-vision gear, huffing and puffing, assuming that if someone saw something once upon a time, then they'll see it too (one of them is James Fox, a once-respected ufologist with a couple of solid docs on his resume, who obviously always wanted to be an action hero). What those entries from "UFO Hunters" forward have in common is that they're all new-age Cold Case Files, seeking out the over-reported and the unsolvable, and they are ALL wastes of time. There are Some who'd have you believe that this is because there haven't been any new sightings in years'n'years. BUSHWAH!! There's a terrific website which will convince you otherwise. In the meantime, I'd rather have NO UFO programming on the air than this fol-de-rol. Someone...PLEASE...Bring Back "Sightings"!!!!

National Geographic has hit a new low

[dbusack · 1/10 · 19 July 2012]

National Geographic – deep six this show and try to redeem yourselves before you ruin your once respected name!

UFO Hunters was bad verging on psychotic.

Ancient Aliens took preconceived ideas to entirely new levels so far out of reality that their final episode should have been to visit the wizard and get a brain.

The new evolution, Chasing UFO's, is not even worth watching. This show could take a true believer and turn them into a hard core skeptic. There is just no basis in reality/science/research anywhere in this show. I truly cannot come up with any redeeming features for this show. It is as if they gave some failed actors a poorly written script and told them to wing it. I have tried to give it a chance, but three episodes are enough to make my call on this one. This show is pathetic.

If this is the direction educational channels (as I once considered National Geographic) are going, we are in for serious problems.

another new lame series.

[joelreitzloff · 1/10 · 5 July 2012]

this reminds me of ufo hunters. the "ufo chasers" go out and of course they hear sounds and see the stupidest excuses for UFOs. they see a white stationary light and "oh my gosh what's that?!"... scary music. commercials. show comes back on. oh, it's nothing. but you probably already knew that since it wasn't headline news before the show was even broadcasted huh? they act like they are solving the mystery for themselves and catching it on camera! yayyy!! i'm a believer in UFOs. i just think the past 10 years or so just keeps producing shows that make the whole thing look as dumb as the ghost hunter shows and all that other garbage.

This is the absolute worst show ever.

[mcewan-bonnie · 1/10 · 5 October 2012]

Every episode shows the team of paranoid chasers bungling in the dark, shrieking with fear when they hear an animal or slip in the mud, carrying expensive equipment and filming close-ups of their green faces with the night vision camera, and they never gather any credible evidence. All the fright seems to come from their close calls climbing fences and hills and almost falling down. They curse (beeped out) and say things like, "There's definitely more than meets the eye here!" But no credible evidence. It would be more interesting if they were arrested for trespassing occasionally or if they were chased by a bear. There is a lot of whispering into the microphone and running in the dark with the camera bopping up and down on their face, then they rendezvous to share their horror stories and to share their suspicions. But unfortunately, no credible evidence. The best part is the interviews with the witnesses--they are the only believable and interesting part of the show.

Ghost Hunters and UFO Sightings Get Married

[HpyCmpr155 · 1/10 · 14 July 2012]

This show is sooo bad is violates even my low standards of reality television and I am a big fan of anything to do with UFOs or ghosts. It is patently ridiculous. Yet another trio of people claiming to be "experts" (at what we don't exactly know) running around in silly hats equipped with every possible night vision camera and every POV angle you can think of. (Yeah, like the guards at that military base AREN'T going to suspect anything.........While they hide under trees and scurry away from military helicopters with searchlights tracking them from the air. And for some ridiculous reason, while they are out to SOLVE THE ROSWELL CRASH MYSTERY single handedly, they feel the need to take to the desert in the DARK with their metal detectors to look for scraps of metal and become positively giddy when they WHOO HOO !!!!! Find something.(I guess they HAD to use all those night vision cameras.....)

The formula takes about one episode to figure out. "Let's split up.."

It is beyond stupid.

I actually had to turn it off last night.

I felt my brain turning to mush,

Terrible Show

[titan776 · 1/10 · 5 October 2012]

Wow. Most pathetic UFO show I have ever seen.

I have a big interest in UFOs, but even I can't stand to watch this reality-type UFO show. What they do is get three people together, one who believes in UFOs, one who doesn't, and then one person who is in the middle. It shows them periodically interviewing them, hence the reality TV show style. But just like many reality shows, it comes across as very fake and unauthentic.

They try to add suspense by pretending that they see something, but it is so terribly fake. I'm totally convinced these are actors, and they aren't even trying to "chase UFOs".

They should also present more evidence.

Possible Spoilers

[eric_conor · 8/10 · 18 July 2012]

I love this show!! Hard hitting, expert, investigative team finally get down to the real truth! Okay, maybe that is a terrible exaggeration. Let me restate that. A group of people who, clearly have never taken a critical thinking course in all their lives, make ridiculous assertions for the entertainment of everyone who has. Some of my favorite asinine scenes: Ryder supposedly runs around a heavily secured air force base. Now it is obvious she is being chased by a camera man. They peek around a corner and see a guard. A helicopter goes into the air. She must be on to something….this must lend evidence to a UFO conspiracy! Couple weird things though. How did you get so close to an air force base you assume has the most top secret information in the world? Why does this air force base have no security other than a guy who shines a flash light and a helicopter? There wasn't even barbwire on the fence!!! If that is where they keep the top secret alien bodies, then damn, how'd they keep it secret for so long.

Fox and some guy find a tunnel also behind a non – barbwire fence and believe it leads to an underground base because….well….because it "kinda feels creepy." Later they learn the tunnel is for a hydraulic damn, which is probably why it wasn't guarded with 50 mile boarders and fighter jets like Area 51. Nonetheless, Fox still feels convinced they are probably related to UFOs somehow because…..well he doesn't have a reason. Just because.

The token skeptic perfectly reconstructs bull – sh*t artists Stan Romanek's peeking alien footage so exactly it even appears he may have found the exact mask Romanek used in his B.S. video, but Fox and Ryder still think the original film was probably true because it kinda looked like that one blinked. Ryder insists it's impossible to make a puppet blink having apparently never seen a Muppet movie.

Sooooo entertaining. Better than even Bigfoot Hunters ridiculousness.

Chasing rubbish

[Foxbat555 · 1/10 · 16 July 2012]

Lame. It is just a daytime TV type show for dummies, no real science, no proper investigations, no expert analysis and utterly awful cast. Ryder is the core of this programs failing, she is highly irritating grrrr she must go if the show has any chance, but I am positive it will fail. For the show is a fake as the hubcap ufo photographs that have muddied the real truth all these years.

This is a real insult to the professionals that painstakingly research the real evidence on the subject matter, the sheer lack of credible investigations and the Hollywood style faked drama will be a massive disappointment to watchers hoping to find a good solid foundation in this subject. Producers need to rethink this concept and stop making unprofessional cartoon dramas on a subject that has very real and credible evidence to its existence.

It just makes you sad

[grynai · 1/10 · 7 December 2012]

I love the National Geographic magazine. In the world where quality matters less and less, it's still surprisingly professional and inspiring.

However, seeing shows like this on their TV channel makes me think that one day - sooner rather than later - it too will join the cheap entertainment(?) media. How such an idiotic production ended up on National Geographic channel is beyond me. It seems to go against all the values that I thought the National Geographic society had. But I rarely watch TV and mostly read the magazine, so maybe this show isn't an exception. Maybe it's a direction in which the channel is headed. In that case, I have nothing more to say.

More quality programming needed. This one is an example

[nchuni · 1/10 · 10 July 2013]

Chasing UFO's? More like chasing a purpose. More quality entertainment and informative programming are needed from Channels like National Geographic.

The series at first look - the title - before watching an episode - would seem to be a very interesting perspective on UFO's. It would seem at first look that a National Geographic series would be based on a journalistic style as have appeared in the magazines.

But even watching just one episode - no substance or authentic purpose appears. Either it is wrong to expect some purpose or not - chasing UFO's insults the viewer.

As most people would expect - channels like History, Military, TLC and A&E in the past have tried to report and inform. Now we see this trend offered for the public entertainment. But shows like these are not entertaining but silly.

Weird camera angles, whispering at night, pretending to be chasing anything real and false evidence appearing real - such as a marsupial passed off as a potential alien.

They proposed the idea of an alien - but at the very end that idea was debunked. Of course it wasn't. It lead the viewer of a possibility - maybe keep watching after the break - but since no other real evidence was available an obvious earthly mammal was proposed to the viewer. Didn't think anyone thought it could be an alien.

Maybe expectations don't match reality. Days of informative and enlightening episodes such as A&E Biography, TLC True Crimes or History Channel's Vietnam on HD maybe dying but don't insult the viewer. Either way the series is not entertaining or informative. One star out of many only because it serves no purpose or does it serve as an engaging series.

Cable T.V is expensive enough - we don't want to be slapped in the process. However other shows on National Geographic channels are good this one isn't.

So, dear networks provide us with only quality entertainment and informative episodes we pay for!

More shows that change the way we see ourselves and the world are needed. Hope that come soon.

I think this was aimed at 9 year olds!

[PinkPuffin · 1/10 · 22 February 2021]

I read the reviews before watching this, and so I knew that the majority of people thought this series was rubbish, but I usually give things the benefit of the doubt, so I have watched 3-4 of the episodes now, hoping that it would get better. It hasn't!! I have just finished watching the Brazil one, and that's it for me...no more. It's one of the worst UFO series that I've ever watched! The majority of the program comprises of 3 grown adults walking through forests, or maize fields in the middle of the night, getting so spooked at any little noise, that they then run away! It's ridiculous! The witness testimonies are interesting, but even they are extremely short, with no detail, and no follow up. How on earth they get funded for this, is beyond me!

This show is terrible, and Nat Geo should feel terrible for airing it...

[HagenSteele · 1/10 · 30 January 2014]

Terrible, terrible, TERRIBLE show! The hosts are portrayed as idiots, if not childish, and they garner absolutely NO respect OR credibility throughout their "investigation". They fail to ask pertinent questions when talking with witnesses, and their is no consistency to be found in their investigative process. The overwhelming majority of "evidence" collection and assessment does very little, if anything, to prove OR disprove any given sighting.

This show is less like "In search of..." and more like "Honey boo boo", which is NOT what I want to watch. Chances are, YOU won't want to watch it either.

Nat Geo should feel bad for putting this dreck on the air, as it is little more than tabloid television.

Waste of time

[buncheseyes · 1/10 · 14 December 2017]

Almost all of the so called research as prior video, pictures, statements and stories. So far they have not proved or debunked any sighting they researched. Some of the episodes are almost comical, as they always investigate a sight at night which is really dumb if you want to search the ground for evidence. Also, if you wish to catch a better picture or video of a UFO, you should have the camera equipment to do so. Most of their own material they show, is of the same quality as the normal everyday cell phone. My opinion, a waste of time in which every investigation is cut off by Lions ,Tigers and Bears Oh My !!!!!! lmbooo

Superficial and disappointing

[markotesanovic · 2/10 · 21 April 2024]

Although the actors claim to "investigate", there is hardly any investigation going on.

They stick around the location for few days, have a chat with several individuals whose credibility is often questionable, and "search" (rather superficially) the location of alleged UFO sighting.

There is no methodology, background check or serious analysis of items or information obtained. Although they have what appears to be quite expensive equipment, their search resembles a child's game rather than a serious investigation. They are fascinated by irrelevant findings and literally find nothing worth mentioning.

It is sad that they have found a room for broadcasting this show on what should be a reputable National Geographic channel.

I actually Like this show

[hetalksquietly · 10/10 · 7 December 2012]

Some of you on this site usually quickly go and talk a bunch of crap about certain shows. This is a new show, It's there to entertain people. And some people on here tend to misquote what is said on these shows as if you weren't even paying much attention at all. Now I like this show, of course it's not going to show anything that's real because no one has proof of anything that's real and that is considered aliens to us besides weird metals. And some say that if these are "real UFO sightings" then why were they not in the news..Even if there was a real UFO sighting I doubt it would be in any news format out there besides a sci fi one because a lot of people these days are too into hearing about what celebrity is wearing what and all that stuff.

It's a TV show - Every TV show on the planet is faked besides some nature shows. This is "Reality TV". Most "reality TV" shows are scripted in some way or the other. Me and a bunch of other people like this show because we find it entertaining. I watch many shows, from Elementary, Merlin all the way to Duck Dynasty - If you don't find something entertaining then don't watch it - Don't talk crap about it. People do work hard on things to entertain people that appreciate them.

Well balanced and entertaining.

[briancahill-13091 · 9/10 · 18 November 2019]

I find this to be a very watchable, informative and fair handed investigation into the world of Ufology. Three likeable presenters with a good mix of attitudes ranging from James Fox, who is more of a believer, to Erin Ryder, who is on the fence, and the more skeptical scientist Ben McGee.