This is some wonderful fun for Friday nights! History Channel's series Ancient Aliens is moving over to H2 (formerly History International) for its new 4th season, and that means one thing -- more Giorgio Tsoukalos! If you've caught Giorgio on the series or on any of his other TV, radio or personal appearances, you know that he's one dynamic individual and the head cheerleader for the notion that extraterrestrials visited Earth long ago and left profound influences on the planet's progress. This is the same theory expounded by Chariots of the Gods author Erich von Daniken for so many years, and Tsoukalos is a Daniken colleague.
I don't know whether I buy the theory or not, but I do know that you won't find anyone more entertaining or more enthusiastic in his beliefs, nor will you find anybody with a more spectacular hairdo than Giorgio. He is simply, as he's been dubbed, Tsoukalicious! The other Ancient Astronaut theorists who appear on Ancient Aliens are equally immersed in the subject and suitably persuasive, but Tsoukalos is something special. He brings to his subject the same tremendous energy and passion that the late Steve Irwin brought to his various wildlife TV series, with the end result being immensely watchable television.
Yikes! you may be thinking, enough of this pseudo-science, and I hear you. At least, though, somebody watching Ancient Aliens will be getting a dose of archaeology along with the rest, and if it encourages people to delve into history and come up with their own opinions on the subject, that can't be a bad thing. In a TV world where suburban housewives, gator-wrestlers, bridal consultants, Alaskan gold miners (and cops and truckers in a seemingly endless stream of workers from the 49th state), catfish-grabbers, tattoists, and everyone else can become a star in today's motley world of cable reality shows, I'm all for focusing on folks who have a philosphy (even if it's outside the mainstream) and research their particular interest with zeal and dedication.
Giorgio Tsoukalos serves as consultant and one of the producers on Ancient Aliens, as well as being the publisher of Legendary Times magazine and all-around go-to guy in the field. The other great thing about Tsoukalos is that he and his astounding hair have become the subject of an internet meme which has been making the rounds. It plays on his obsession with ancient aliens at the root of many Earth mysteries and his trademark near-melodramatic delivery, but I swear that you couldn't be bored listening to Tsoukalos expounding on the subject. Instead, you will be hugely entertained and perhaps turn into a believer. In any case, Ancient Aliens is a riveting hour of documentary-ish television, and highly recommended! I think Giorgio Tsoukalos is hilarious (in the best possible sense of the word) and I hope you will, too.
Here are a few of the photo memes of Giorgio, too:
