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Parents' Guide to

Chasing Mummies

By Will Wade, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

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

TV History Educational 2010
Chasing Mummies Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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age 4+

Based on 5 parent reviews

scott_30_27288
scott_30_27288 Parent of 3-year-old
August 4, 2010
age 2+
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.
wwinch84
wwinch84 Adult
July 29, 2010
age 2+
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.
See all 5 parent reviews

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?

Our review:
Parents say: (5 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

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.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • 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?

TV Details

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