'Chasing UFOs' Own Show Torn Apart by Hosts: 'Gratuitous Nighttime Baloney'
"Chasing UFOs" own show was given extremely negative reactions- not by critics only, but by the program's stars, James Fox and Ben McGee. The two hosts complained about the lack of scientific content in the show, produced by National Geographic, calling it "gratuitous nighttime baloney."
"Chasing UFOs" own show criticism by Fox and McGee was written on the Facebook page of New York Times best-selling author Leslie Kean. According to the two men, the 8-episode reality show aired last month was sold to them as a real investigation into UFOs with witnesses and empirical evidence; unfortunately, it turned out to be more "poking around at night" for entertainment.
"Two months into it, we were off to a great start; good locations, solid witnesses and some opportunities for Ben to apply his field research as a geologist at some crash sites," Fox began. "Unfortunately, when we actually got out in the field, we began to realize that they were more interested in poking around at night than allocating the time necessary during the day as, apparently … Americans love watching others sneak around at night from the comfort of their couches."
"For the most past, it was gratuitous nighttime baloney … My credibility and reputation, has, deservedly, taken a serious hit," Fox added.
NatGeo attempted to stave off the negative reviews from critics, fans, and the show's stars' themselves. They stated that Fox and McGee would "get more comfortable with their roles" as time went on, said Michael Cascio, a NatGeo executive.
"We're happy to look at it and evolve, if necessary, into something that meets the viewer needs," he told The Huffington Post. "Right now, it's doing fairly well in our ratings, but like all shows, you want to know where it's going and what's next."
NatGeo's primary concern with viewers and ratings rather than scientific content was not lost on McGee.
"As a career scientist, I was excited that NatGeo was at the helm (unaware of their desire for a major shift in programming flavor.) … We both saw the project heading in a different direction as time went on and were powerless to influence it," McGee wrote.
"I am suffering heat in my own circles for the lack [of science] on the show," he added.