More Like Ancient FAILiens

More Like Ancient FAILiens

Did aliens build the pyramids? What's with all the abductions? And why do they like gold so much?In More Like Ancient FAILiens, journalist Brandon R. Reynolds and podcaster Toby Ball bravely plunge into one of the great works of televised hokum: Ancient Aliens, the History Channel show that, after more than 20 seasons and 200 episodes, is still convinced Aliens Did It. But Brandon and Toby will take on Ancient Aliens’ biggest claims, one episode at a time, from the Big Bang to Atlantis, from the Old West to Area 51, disclosing the truth behind the nonsense and discovering the most amazing thing of all: the world is a pretty fascinating place, even if Ancient Astronauts aren't responsible for it. More Like Ancient FAILiens—let us abduct you and disclose what's really going on Out There.

Episodes

January 9, 2026 56 mins

Part two of Brandon and Toby’s discussion with journalist Keith Kloor about the documentary film, The Age of Disclosure. In this episode, we discuss Lu Elizondo and The Observables (not a band, alas), the time Keith made Lu sad, and bubbles that warp both space and time. Plus, the culinary delights of roadkill.

You can read Keith’s reporting about issues we talk about here:
https://www.poynter.org/reporting-editing/2021/ufo...

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What is "The Age of Disclosure" and why is legacy media so obsessed with it? Toby and Brandon venture into a space that's slightly less ancient, but no less alien, than "Ancient Aliens" as they dig into the new documentary by Dan Farah, "The Age of Disclosure." With the help of freelance journalist Keith Kloor, we ask why so many government figures are so gaga for UFOs, why everyone from The New York Times to CNN is so uncriti...
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December 19, 2025 53 mins
Have you ever gone metal detecting and found a twisted piece of wire? Well, Giorgio Tsoukalos has and it was at a skip site near Roswell, NM! I know, right? Toby and Brandon are joined by podcaster Michel Gagne to get a handle on the Ancient Aliens episode “The Relics of Roswell” (S15:E2). This one has it all: a budding love story, some industrial grade aluminum and explosive cratering! Plus a dramatic Zoom call…

For ...
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December 12, 2025 52 mins
Not satisfied with small floods or even big floods? How about a great flood? Polymathic Canadian Pedro Mendes returns to the show to help Toby and Brandon bail water on the Ancient Aliens episode “The Great Flood” (S9:E8). Yes, we’ve got Gilgamesh. Yes, fallen angels once again seduce “our girls.” Yes, there are microbeads. No, it’s still not clear how it all fits together. But we don’t want God or aliens or whoever to wash us...
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What is it like to be an academic, talking about your legitimate research only to have it woven into a story of extraterrestrial interference in human history? This bonus episode features two conversations that Brandon and Toby had with experts featured on Ancient Aliens who aren’t ancient astronaut theorists! First, they talk with Jonathan Young, the curator of the Joseph Campbell Archives. In the second interview they chat w...
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November 28, 2025 61 mins
Let's finally just ask the big question: Just exactly how does Bigfoot fit into this whole doggone UFO thing? That's what we're answering once and for all in our exploration of the Ancient Aliens episode "Aliens and Bigfoot" (S4:E7). Luckily Toby and Brandon get help from journalist and documentarian David Farrier, creator of such wild and fascinating dives into culture as the doc Tickled and the Netflix series Dark Tourist. N...
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November 21, 2025 58 mins
Ever notice that the Sphinx’s head is kind of small compared to its body? Unsurprisingly, the Ancient Astronaut Theorists are on top of it and so much more. Journalist Maggie Rahr joins Brandon and Toby to delve into The Mysteries of the Sphinx. That’s Season 9, Episode 2. Be amazed by the Blinking Eye of the Lord, intrigued by the theory that ancient sarcophaguses (sarcophagi?) might be teleportation devices to other dimensio...
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November 14, 2025 48 mins
Giorgios Tsoukalos and Nick Pope go on a sort of disappointing field trip to Britain’s Area 51 and Brandon and Toby are right there with them in spirit. It’s Season 12, Episode 3, The Mystery of Rudloe Manor. We’ve got a stately British manor house sitting on an underground complex that might or might not have UFO stuff, a teenager who seems to have basically run a town in Wales, and Giorgios displaying an excellent respect fo...
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November 7, 2025 52 mins
Supposedly there was a period in pre-history where the planet was like Lord of the Rings. Can this be true? Toby and Brandon are joined by Jack Brewer to look into this. It turns out the answer is that, no, it is not true. But it’s not the destination, it’s the journey. We meet the giant Denisovans, the little Hobbits (not the going-on-a-quest type), and a guy traipsing around Europe with a replica of a skull that someone else...
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October 31, 2025 59 mins

You ever run into a smart kid and think, hmm, probably a human/alien hybrid? If so, the Ancient Astronaut Theorists have some “facts” you can use at cocktail parties. Brandon and Toby are joined by Sarah Carradine to discuss The Star Children (Season 7, Episode 3). We meet a child who joined Mensa at age 2, which must have been awesome for him, along with the Dalai Lama, Pythagoras’ adoptive brother/slave, and the nefarious b...

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We are back at Skinwalker Ranch, where there is apparently an interdimensional portal somewhere, or something like that. Regardless, Toby and Brandon are joined by Erica Lukes for part two of their examination of The Mystery of Skinwalker Ranch (Season 15, Episode 10). We have a perp line-up of wolves, Skinwalkers who can alter their own DNA and an incident at Dead Man’s Curve! Also, dudes hanging out in fields holding guns.

F...

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More like the Secrets of Glibtalker Ranch, amiright? We have giant wolves, poltergeists acting like 10-year-olds and quantum jiu jitsu. Fortunately, we are joined by Erika Lukes, an expert on Skinwalker Ranch who keeps Brandon and Toby sane as the Ancient Aliens and Skinwalker Ranch universes collide. And this is just Part 1 of our conversation about The Secrets of Skinwalker Ranch (Season 15, Episode 10)! 

For more about Eric...

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October 10, 2025 48 mins

Brandon went to Antarctica, but didn't see any giant pyramids, under-ice Nazi cities, or even have his boat attacked by a squadron of laser-firing alien craft. That's not the Antarctica that the Ancient Astronaut Theorists hold dear to their hearts. Anyway, you get the picture. We're talking about the Pyramids of Antarctica on this week's More Like Ancient Failiens.

More Like Ancient Fail-iens is published early and ad-free ov...

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October 3, 2025 55 mins

Ah yes, the Book of Enoch. Where would Ancient Aliens be without it? It is a question for which there is no answer. Fortunately, Toby and Brandon are joined by podcast and radio documentarian Pedro Mendes, who studied early Christianity and has a lot of answers, most of which are “that is not correct.” We’ve got ancient Ethiopian bibles, an alien hybrid Noah, and giants mating with Neanderthals. Seriously, what else could you...

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September 26, 2025 50 mins

Ayahuasca and aliens, two great tastes that go great together? Maybe. While they don’t take ayahuasca or see any aliens, Brandon, Toby, and musician Aimee Mann try to work through an episode that is light on UFOs, but heavy on tenuous thematic connections. Other topics include whether angels’ wings depicted in art would actually work anatomically, poltergeists poppin’ bottles, and multiple universes.
For more about Aimee M...

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September 19, 2025 58 mins

Ever wonder what the academics on Ancient Aliens would say if they were given more than 20 seconds a clip? Well, wonder no more! Toby and Brandon are joined by Ancient Aliens subject matter expert Sabina Magliocco, from the University of British Columbia! They talk about the episode Magic of the Gods (Season 6, Episode 4) and what it’s like to be an expert on Ancient Aliens. Plus, the guy who did all the backflips in the Blue...

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September 12, 2025 53 mins

Are mummies, vampires and zombies extraterrestrials? Even the ancient astronaut theorists aren’t willing to go there, but it was time for a Halloween-themed show, so this is what they were left with. Fortunately, comedian and actor Rekha Shankar is here to help Toby and Brandon make sense of this mess. We have human sacrifices, King Tut, head binding, and Voodoo. Also, is Ancient Aliens the Imagine Dragons of the UFO World?

Fo...

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September 5, 2025 40 mins

Is Earth the site of a war between different species of aliens? Hard to know, but both a retired Canadian military official and the sixth man to walk on the moon have a strong feeling that it’s happening. Toby and Brandon take a look at The Alien Wars, which are apparently less noticeable than the ones we are used to. Also, why would anyone lead an expedition into the Valley of Death?

More Like Ancient Fail-iens is published e...

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August 29, 2025 36 mins

Did you know there’s a computer intelligence named Spectra that orbits the Earth and communicates telepathically with Uri Geller? Well, we’re pretty sure there isn’t, and even less sure that it qualifies as a deadly cult, but we aren’t credentialed Ancient Astronaut Theorists, so take it with a grain of salt… Janet Varney is back with Brandon and Toby for part 2 of Deadly Cults. Plus, Thuggees, mummies in the Andes and the Go...

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August 22, 2025 38 mins

Was Snoopy a trickster god? And if so…who besides Brandon is part of the cult? We discuss this pressing question and so much more when Janet Varney returns to More Like Ancient Fail-iens to discuss the episode “Aliens and Deadly Cults.” We talk about whether highly evolved beings have sexual traits, Caligula as an early PhotoShopper and whether dog leashes are alien tech. Also, the Son of Sam, the Brotherhood of the Snake and...

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