Chasing Mummies

This show is probably going to to be valuable in several ways but not in the way you think.......first, it has very little to do with science and everything to do with the personalities including and surrounding a fellow named Hawass who has had a strangle hold on Egyptology in Egypt for the last 10 or 12 years.

Hawass is a pretentious, self centered, quite maniacal blow hard with a penchant for hogging the spotlight for discovery in Egyptology in Egypt for himself whenever possible regardless of who actually did the science.....he is also a scientific obstructionist in regard to new ideas and advanced scientific techniques regarding Egyptology.

Unfortunate as well is Hawss' very public, outrageous anti-semitic tirades and racial slurs against black Africans..........he is the worst kind of representative for science in almost every way.

In order to work in Egypt in Egyptology, one must kowtow and do whatever one has to in pleasing Hawass apparently, in order to be allowed to work there........it is a disgrace.....Of course, some may say, look at all he has discovered.........well, if you are the only one allowed the credit then every discovery is yours alone, right?

Basically, while you will glean very little education with this show, you will get to see Hawass in all his vainglory, which i suppose has some value in exposing the grossly pompous and counter-productive Zahi Hawass.......essentially the show is about how everyone involved has to walk on eggshells to avoid upsetting Mr. Hawass.

In the end i guess their is some value in documenting this unbelievable jerk Hawass but after that, I wouldn't bother watching this show.

I really had high hopes that this would be a good show, but I have to completely agree with the other reviewers who felt that this is trash. I watched the first five minutes of the first show, couldn't take it and tuned to another channel. Later, I decided maybe I ought to give it a second chance, hoping it would get better, so I tuned back in. Again, about five minutes was all I could take. A final tune-in during a commercial break on another show clinched my opinion, and the commercials for the next episode have done nothing to change my opinion. That's how painful this show was to watch, and I say that as someone that really wanted to give it a chance.

This show claims to be a "reality" show following Hawass and his "interns". The problem is that it is very obvious that the events in the show are staged and at least some of the dialog written or at least coached for maximum drama. Some creative editing is nothing new in reality shows, which often edit footage to emphasize drama and controversy, but here it's forced, the drama too unbelievable, and the result is just plain painful and unpleasant to watch.

I'm not even through to the first commercial break and I can tell that this show is just another pile of faux-reality CRAP! Zawi Hawass is such a ego-maniacal, self-centered publicity whore that I wouldn't doubt for a second that he'd jump at the chance to make himself the action hero center of an alleged "reality" program -even to the point of faking this whole intern,documentary thing in and around these priceless ruins. Notice how in the first minute or two he makes a convenient "discovery" the instant he sets foot inside the tunnel beneath the pyramid? I SEVERELY question whether any serious archaeologist would just pick up such a fragile object in his bare hands and handle it so casually.

The interns and crew are clearly actors (or at least reading prepared lines) and the setup so far is obviously staged.

I have no intentions of following any further episodes and strongly advise others not to waste their time.

Does anyone believe these people are not actors?? The stupid girl who got "stuck" in the pyramid is soooo annoying as a actor.. and she has a degree in ACTING!!! she can't even deliver her lines believably. But, there should be no line.. this is supposed to be a reality show.. Disgusting... I am also wondering why I can't rate this show yet. How I would like to give this show negative stars. I have seen Dr. Zahi before on other programs and was excited to see that he was a part of this, but I am very disappointed. I am sure some of the show is real and would be interesting by itself, but for some reason the producers seemed to think they needed a gimmick to make it interesting... BIG MISTAKE

I don't enjoy the format of the show such as the director's narrating and the annoying interns but as a graduate history major in ancient cultures, I appreciate the show for revealing the dirty world of archaeology. You have to deal with rude people, bureaucracy, preservation, interpretation, etc. The sad truth is that the general public does not want to see Dr. Hawas, an icon for historians and archaeologists, in an unflattering manner because he is the face of Egyptology----a very popular topic for people around the world. Many people do not like his opinions and his attitudes, but have any of you read his research and books? He has contributed a lot to this field and has helped bring Egyptology back to Egypt when was usurped by the British for decades.

If you ignore the B.S. such as the interns, meltdowns, and emergencies and listen to what Dr. Hawas is explaining such as the shawabtis and the "gang" tombs. This is great material! Also, everyone of the crew members and interns were told of the dangers of this assignment. If you have claustrophobia, do not get into a cramped space! If you are uncomfortable, do not do it. Dr. Hawas informs each one of them about these dangers.

Look past the crap and you'll find gold...just like the archaeologist wading in sand before he finds something. :)