How to Make UFO Hunters better

[Ron Collins]

In a previous thread on the UFO Hunters show someone asked how to make the show better. I thought about responding in that thread, but I think this one deserves its own.

As the first offering, a top ten list. Straight from the home office in...just idding. Here it is.

10 -- The show should be about presenting credible evidence. Do some background research. (whats his name in the "the UFO people musta dragged me outa there and left my cousin to die, was crap and should never have been given airtime)

9 -- Stop making claims at the begining of each episode that you are going to solve something or blow the "case" wide open. That is BS. There is never going to be an "AHA" moment for the entire planet on this show.

8 -- Have a companion website for the show with more information on each "case" and advertise it on the show.

7 -- Have a blog where the investigators can tell you more of their opinions of different aspects of the "case" and advertise it on the show.

6 -- Have a forum where folks can discuss each "case" and advertise it on the show.

Side note: I hate the "case" crap in the manner they have chosen to present it. It is a half assed attempt at official sounding show titles. I feel like they all need to be huddled arround that archane speakerphone in Bosley's office.

5 -- You have roughly 46 to 50 minutes to present information to me. Stop rehashing the previous segment after every break. If I am watching this chances are I have TiVo. If I miss some ubber important experiment by the special effects guy (yawn) then I'll rewind. If I can follow CSI without a reash every 10 minutes then I can probably make the leap here.

4 -- Have a narritor setup the case. Stop the "hanging around Bills office in an abandoned telescope while Birnes butchers his way through the bullet points of a particular case" crap. Lets here some details already.

3 -- Get a physicist or aeronautical engineer or something. I like the DR. but Boy Wonder Science Intern is worthless.

2 -- Get rid of the Special Effects Guy. Bring him in if it benefits the story and case. Otherwise, quit it. Usually, he is just a big waste of time.

1 -- Get rid of Bill Birnes. He is single handedly dismantling any ground the UFO field has gained in the past several years with his PERFORMANCE (and thats what it is folks) on this show.

Lets start there.
*edit to fix typo

 

[TClaeys]

Well, since someone started a thread on this aspect of the program I'll re-post what I've previously posted on the UFO Hunters thread. Many of my points are similar to yours Ron. Anyway

Now, how to make it better and basically palatable on any reasonable level.
1. Get rid of Birnes. He is too biased that it makes the show ridiculous. And therefore makes any reasonable effort to "investigate" a complete mockery of serious ufology.

2. Explain to the viewers that ET is not the only conclusion. Hoaxes, mis-identifications, multiverse explanations, crypto, earthlights, military or commercial, experimental aircraft, experimental psychological testing among others can all fit into this subject. Stop pushing the ETH as the only viable conclusion. (Again Birnes)

3. Stop the unrelated science experiments. Experiments are fine, but it seems UFO Hunters is trying to look scientific by the mere association of experiments on the show.

4. Try to recreate purported hoaxes. String up some ballons and candles. If possible turn on the Rendlesham lighthouse at night and look from the vantage points. (Why couldn't they do this?) Look at f-15's at night(Stephenville). Perhaps this might help reveal a better understanding.

5. Use the time on the show in a useful manner. How many times do they break from commercial only to return and show a few minutes of what they JUST SHOWED. This is just stupid in my opinion.

6. Interview more often, tough questions, high credibility people. The more the public sees that people besides cranks and weirdos(Hawking's remarks) see these things, the more awareness we may see from the general public. Perhaps witnesses from sightings including Phoenix, Hudson valley, etc.

7. Contrast the US consensus of it's views on UFO's (they don't exist) with Britain, France, and other countries where people actually study the data and publish reports. Also show that we actaully do look at these UFO reports and we do have some indications that there may be some truth to it. Can't remember the documents, but I think of Greenwalds site. Janap. 1976 Iran CIA involvement, etc.

I know some of this is just "scrap the show and start over". and perhaps that would be beneficial, but just offering some thoughts on the problems and how to overcome them. Biases play a large part of the show and that seems to be the biggest hurdle because it limits both the approach and the conclusions.

 

[Aaron LeClair]

The show needs more titty. Or was that Ghost Hunters with the hot gal in it? They need more titty too.

 

[icculus]

Scrap the premise of the show entirely. Instead put David Biedny, George Noory, Jeremy Vieni and Lynne Kitei in a smallish camper and set them off on the road in search of odd happenings. You know...like Drones, Orbs, Gnomes & Angels. This has all the ingredients for great television—the sexual tension between Jeremy and Lynne for starters ...

 

[Ron Collins]

Seriously, if you were in charge of creating a "show" that was actual supposed to entertain the audience through providing them in depth information on the vast UFO topics available, how would you structure it?

 

[Tommy Allison]

I'd scrap the whole thing, and be done with it.

I have a much more interesting proposition for a show.

Investigate all these people who have claimed they've had paranormal experiences. Pull a big fat hoax on them, and then watch how they react.

Kind of like how some folks claim to have had MIB's show up at their door. Well, You dress a guy up as an MIB, send them to one of these purported witnesses doors, and watch their reaction. Then, after they've had their "Experience" interview them. Then at the end of the show, send the same guy there with a UPS truck to deliver a video, and when the experiencer sees they've been had, film their reaction again. Hahahahahha.

Seriously, I can come up with a ton of ways to make this show more interesting. Bill and his wife can call me up anytime to ask me for input. Good lord, you should see what I pull on people April Fool's Day.