atsalter I found this a really useful series to watch. Dr. Hawass is as he is, and I do not say he is a man I would choose to have a pint with, because of the shameful exploitation of Egypt and its history and artifacts in the past. It takes a strong personality who is able to get people shaking in their shoes occasionally to control and organise the chaos that would ensue were his position left to a lesser man. His passion is undeniable, his enthusiasm unparallelled.He would probably not be a comfortable man to work for or live with, but he grabs the headlines, which in turn leads to a high profile for his various works and excavations. Men like this make enemies, but they also make some faithful friends, and he has many who work for him devotedly.The scenes which featured going into areas of the pyramids not usually accessible to film crews were fascinating, and the reactions of some of his interns to the scenarios they were facing showed that real archaeology is NOT for sissies!

jennrbrew I don't enjoy the format of the show such as the director's narrating and the annoying interns but as a graduate history major in ancient cultures, I appreciate the show for revealing the dirty world of archaeology. You have to deal with rude people, bureaucracy, preservation, interpretation, etc. The sad truth is that the general public does not want to see Dr. Hawas, an icon for historians and archaeologists, in an unflattering manner because he is the face of Egyptology----a very popular topic for people around the world. Many people do not like his opinions and his attitudes, but have any of you read his research and books? He has contributed a lot to this field and has helped bring Egyptology back to Egypt when was usurped by the British for decades.If you ignore the B.S. such as the interns, meltdowns, and emergencies and listen to what Dr. Hawas is explaining such as the shawabtis and the "gang" tombs. This is great material! Also, everyone of the crew members and interns were told of the dangers of this assignment. If you have claustrophobia, do not get into a cramped space! If you are uncomfortable, do not do it. Dr. Hawas informs each one of them about these dangers.Look past the crap and you'll find gold...just like the archaeologist wading in sand before he finds something. :)

selket8 I too looked forward to this show, but couldn't watch more than 10 minutes. Hawas is an idiotic bully who should never work with live people (actors or not). He will destroy archaeological aspirations for many! Most of us are aware of his "taking credit" where it is not due him. Not just in the "finds", but in reading hieroglyphs: reading from left to right although they are written from right to left. His grandstanding could almost be tolerated if not for the deceptive showing to the public of "facts". I'm not just angry but disappointed that such a low-grade show is on the History Chanel. I'm grateful for all the honest, intelligent and hardworking archaeologists who share their love and dedication to Egyptian History. Hawas is NOT one of them.

FIshOnSand I disagree with the other reviewers. I think this show displays the idiosyncrasies of dealing with the management of massive quantities of archaeological elements in a part of the world that is used to operating with a generally lesser educated workforce, difficult physical environment,and complex politics in play.Dr. Zahi is a media hog, no doubt, but without a strong personality and demanding the people around him deliver 110%, the person in his position could not function. There must be a coherent vision and plan in play as Egypt continues to discover treasures. There are over 30,000 workers in Egypt working on excavations, how else could these be managed? It is also important for Egypt (read: Dr. Zahi)to give a united, comprehensive and competent presentation when discussing their national treasures; you cannot have every nut job with a shovel, opinion or doctors degree conveying their opinions of national treasuries in situations where the content may be out of context, inaccurate or just wrong.I have little doubt the interns or "Fellows" were selected for dramatic effect, and that Dr. Zahi has a pre-planned agenda to push the interns to their breaking points, however, I do not think everyone is reading a script - remember the producers have hundreds of hours of video to edit, and it is easy to target in on one stupid comment made over several days, like "aliens could have built this"; he could have competently discussed intelligent and historic facts all day, but the editors targeted in one one sentence.Regarding the peeing, if that was really pre-planned and scripted don't you think they could have come up with another more dramatic idea? And regarding Dr. Zahi's reaction, remember that HE brought foreigners into the countries sacred treasures, how would this be viewed from the Egyptian public, or flip the situation as if someone from Egypt pee'd on Mount Rushmore, or other national treasure? The problem with this show is with the context the editors present to us, if you can see beyond that and read between the lines, it is a good show.