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Chasing Mummies (History)

common sense media says

Colorful expert explores ancient Egypt ... and loses temper.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this educational series about the work of respected Egyptologist Dr. Zahi Hawass is sure to capture the imagination of anyone who's interested in ancient Egypt. Most of the show's content is age-appropriate for tweens and up, though there's some infrequent strong language and some of the underground tomb-exploration sequences can be a bit intense, with real-life Indiana Jones-style action (Hawass even wears a similar hat). It's also worth noting that Hawass is a larger-than-life personality who basks in the adulation of his team but can quickly explode into anger at even small mistakes.

Positive messages: The show sends the message that history is important and that Dr. Zahi Hawass is doing important work by studying the ancient history of Egypt and expanding our understanding of this important period.
Positive role models: Hawass clearly takes his work very seriously. He’s knowledgeable and intense, but he can also be a taskmaster. He has little patience for incompetence and is quick to anger at anyone who does not perform their job perfectly. He often yells at his colleagues, insulting their intelligence and capabilities, and seems ready to fire them for even the slightest mistake.
Violence: Digging through ancient Egyptian tombs can be dangerous, and people are sometimes injured or trapped.
Sex: Not applicable.
Language: Language includes “hell,” and, very rarely, “s--t" (which is bleeped).
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.

More on Chasing Mummies

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • Families can talk about ancient Egypt. Did you learn anything new from this show? Did you know there were still researchers digging up ancient tombs in Egypt?
  • How could you learn more about the topics and places featured on the show if you chose to?
  • What do you think of Hawass? He is often quick to anger -- do you think his outbursts are justified? Would you like to work for someone who treats his colleagues that way? Do you think his experience gives him the right to act like this?

What's the story?

What's the story?
Noted Egyptologist Dr. Zahi Hawass is following in the esteemed tradition of centuries of archaeologists who've combed the deserts of North Africa, searching for the lost tombs of the pharaohs and CHASING MUMMIES. Some of these burial chambers are deep below the shifting sands, while others turn up underneath modern villages that have been built atop historical sites that date back thousands of years. Such juxtapositions -- and the way Hawass and the often-surprised villagers interact -- explain as much about modern Egypt as they do about the country’s ancient history.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

This entertaining educational series focuses on two things: ancient Egypt and the outsized, bombastic personality that is Dr. Hawass. He clearly loves his work, but he has no patience for fools, incompetence, or people who have the misfortune to be around when there’s any kind of accident. He frequently loses his temper, and his wrath is a force of nature to behold. He can quickly shift gears from kindly professor discussing the important attributes of some priceless antiquity to outraged boss berating an unfortunate colleague. It’s not always fun to watch, and while Hawass certainly has made many contributions to the field, it’s not clear that his work entitles him to behave like this.

It may come as a surprise to some people that there are still people finding and excavating new tombs in Egypt, and the sequences filmed underground are fascinating. There's still much to be learned from these sites, which sometimes look like a scene out of Indiana Jones; Hawass even has the appropriate hat.

TV themes & details

TV Details
TV Rating: NR
Network: History
Cast: Zahi Hawass
Genre: Educational
Where to watch: History

This review was written by Will Wade
 
 

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What parents & educators say

4

Most useful reviews by all members

BlueGoth
parent of 7 year old
 
This Show is Awful
The "peril" in the first 30 minutes is obviously staged. The intern Zoe is an actress; her website lists "actress" as her occupation. It also depicts Dr. Hawass as an egotistical jerk. I couldn't stand more than 30 minutes of this show while previewing it for my son, and only kept it on that long hoping it would get better. While it claims to show "archaeology as it really happens" it looks more like "Archaeology, really boring so we thought we'd spice it up."

StressedOutMomto4
parent of and 3 , 5 , 9 , 15 year old
 
Bad acting
The show (what I have seen so far) looks completely staged. The "intern archaelogists" look more like actors and actresses playing a part, very badly playing the part. I'm sorry, but if you had the opportunity to be Dr. Hawass' intern, I don't think you would act so foolishly like being late, going into a tomb without permission, etc. It seriously looked like it was actors and actresses rather than real archaeologists in training.

scott_30_27288
parent of 4 year old
 
Terrible ACTING, Obviously 99.9% fake, a blind man could tell that. Nobody snaps as fast as Hawass and then milliseconds later gets over it. This is one show the History Channel should can, along with Pawn Stars which is also obviously fake.

Roechevaux
parent of 18 year old
 
No one should watch this.
A real disappointment. Teaches children that there are huge jerks out there that are anxious to rip them apart when they are just trying to learn.

 
This program is primarily about the OVER THE TOP ego-maniacal Zahi Hawass, and his seemingly schizophrenic penchant for wielding his authority to brow beat college kids trying to learn about ancient relics. Hawass is so unbearable, that he renders the show almost unwatchable. The best hope is that the season finale will include Hawass suffering a cave-in at an excavation, or shows one of his assistants lashing him to a bedouin's wayward camel with a choke collar and setting it loose across the desert at a full gallop. Trust me, after watching an episode or 2, you will agree...Horrible Horrible Horrible.

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About our rating system
ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age