History's 'Nostradamus' ratings not doomed

Bet you thought we were finished with all those predicted apocalypses now that we're firmly into bubble cars-and-jetpacks dates like "2009," huh?

Turns out, there's still another doomsdate, 2012, as investigated by History's "Nostradamus: 2012" on Sunday night. The two-hour special was the most-watched cable program for the evening, averaging 3.9 million viewers.

Ever notice that the date of the apocalypse is always just close enough to worry about, yet just far away enough to have forgotten by the time it arrives?

Comments

[dan]

I'm watching Nat Geo right now. What makes you think crappy entertainment is better than a well-made doc?

[Kelly]

Weren't aphids supposed to eat the world back in '79?

[2012]

I've spent a couple of years now intensely researching 2012 for our film 2012: Science or Superstition and I feel that connecting Nostradamus and 2012 is a total stretch supported only by some very unconvincing interpretations of Nostradamus' quatrains and drawings from his so-called "Lost Book."

History Channel's two-hour special kicking off “Armageddon Week” claims that 16th Century soothsayer Nostradamus warned of apocalypse in 2012, and if that’s not enough, then try the Egyptians, the Freemasons and yes, the ancient civilization that actually did have something to say about 2012, the Maya, in southern Mexico and northern Central America. Throughout we hear ominous music and dramatic narration warning of global apocalypse.

This follows a holiday movie schedule in which it was hard to avoid dramatic teaser ads for Roland Emmerich’s (The Day After Tomorrow, Independence Day) summer 2009 end-times disaster movie, "2012."

We decided to make a documentary film to counterbalance this apocalyptic hype. We just launched it exclusively on Apple’s iTunes store and is already # 1 on the bestselling documentaries chart.

We asked leading researchers, writers and scientists in the field to tell us exactly what this date means to them, why it’s important, and what we should expect. These award-winning authors, historians, scholars, professors, archaeologists, astronomers and journalists – many of whom offer varying and sometimes conflicting perspectives -- include: Dr. Anthony F. Aveni, Robert Bauval (“The Orion Mystery”, “The Egypt Code”), Walter Cruttenden (The Great Year, an award-winning PBS doc narrated by James Earl Jones, “Lost Star of Myth and Time”), Benito Venegas Duran, Graham Hancock (“Supernatural”, “Fingerprints of the Gods”), John Major Jenkins (“Maya Cosmogenesis 2012”, “Galactic Alignment”), Lawrence E. Joseph (“Apocalypse 2012”), Jim Marrs (“Above Top Secret”, “Rule By Secrecy”), Alonso Mendez, Daniel Pinchbeck (“2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl”), Douglas Rushkoff, Dr. Alberto Villoldo (“Shaman, Healer, Sage)” and John Anthony West.

I hope enough people watch it so that we can convince people that Roland Emmerich and the History Channel aren't telling a true story!

[SAGE]

2012? Remember Y2K? Oh! You don't?! You won't remember this either. The world will still be here. Bunch of garbage AND a money maker for some.