Vale dos Reis: Tesouros do Egito

Ancient Egypt junkie and what I like about this series is a focus on the archeological digs and analysis, the discovery and attempt to better understand this civilization. It blows your mind when you realize how long the Egyptians held onto their culture and way of life.

This series explores some previously well covered topics (Tutankhamun, Rameses II, Hatshepsut) but in a novel way. Without rehashing the same angles, their active research projects are adding new questions to explore on future expeditions.

The Darnells. They're Translation Tourists. They don't appear to have active research projects. They don't have an active dig site. The 1920's gear feels in bad taste and makes me think about the troubled relationship that western archeologists have had with Egypt such as Howard Carter's proposal that he and Carnarvon split the "treasure" 50/50 if he funded one last season.

This is human history but more importantly, Egyptian history. Which is why I love that this series shows how the Egyptian government has imposed strict regulations to protect their workers in these digs, artifacts recovered on site, and the repatriation of stolen goods from the black market. Archeology in Egypt still seems predominantly western funded but there are now more Egyptians featured in more prominent positions discovering their own history and it's so much better to see.

Overall, a well done series.

Some of us come for new and enlightening facts. Some of us leave because of over the top, annoying hosts.

Colleen Darnell can take her laughable cosplay elsewhere. Her shrill, cartoonish delivery belongs in a Scooby Doo episode. It's unfortunate that any scholarly integrity is completely obliterated by her attempt to position herself with Howard Carter as some weird historical contemporary. Imposing her dramatic suppositions and theories actually detract from the more professional narration. I'll be keeping my eye out for the producers. National Geographic used to have a much better reputation; now they have stooped to History Channel clickbait level.

I really enjoyed this series. There is a lot of information about things I hadn't seen or heard of before. The photography is very well done and so is the narration; he just gives the information with no fake drama and no repetition. Most of the archeologists and egyptologists are very informative and obviously know their stuff. I have to agree with all of the other reviewers however on the Darnells; they are absolutely ridiculous. Her voice alone is enough to make your ears bleed, and the way she talks, emphasizing every other word, she talks like she's announcing a sporting event. There is no way she in her vintage dresses and heels with her little straw hat and umbrella, 20's hair bob and enough makeup to sink the Titanic, and him in his linen suits and bow ties, have ever been on any kind of actual archeological dig in their lives. I honestly can't take anything either one of them says seriously.

While there is some very interesting history presented in this series, the big downside was the incessant moving from one excavation location to another every few minutes. It would have been much better if they just stuck with one story for a longer period. I suppose this style was chosen in a weird attempt to hold the interest of those that have a short attention span, but I found it to be extremely annoying.

Most of the historical experts do a pretty good job of hosting their segments. There is one notable exception, that being Colleen Darnell. Her obsession with 1920s period clothing comes across as unprofessional while she parades along as though she's on a fashion show catwalk. Along with her mousy voice, it just makes her segments cringe-worthy.

All said, I feel the production method really downgraded the effort and left me disappointed with what could have been a much better series from National Geographic.

I am watching this "lost treasures of Egypt" on Hulu and I dunno who she ... Colleen Darnell...is but her outfit is ridiculously ugly and the fact they just had to mention that she is a "vintage clothes collector" on a documentary of ancient Egypt...lost treasures... well that's just stupid and disrespectful. Maybe more disrespectful than disturbing our ancestors graves!? I'm not going lie, I love ancient aliens, lost cities, outer space, and things that I'm very curious about, but at the end of the day, I watch these shows that kinda contradict themselves. They say how it was soooo important for Egyptians and ancient ancestors to be buried and their mummy was to preserve their soul and rest in peace so they could live a happy life in the next world... yet we are digging them up and ripping them apart?! I'm just as curious as anyone but at the end of the day, if it were me, I would let them rest I'm peace. They will haunt you and you know this! Regardless it's rude! I hope they dig up your grave in a few hundred years without your family consent!