The Biggest Scandals To Ever Hit The History Channel

Publish date: 2024-05-02

In 2015, the History Channel aired the miniseries "Texas Rising." With a cast including Bill Paxton (pictured), Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Thomas Jane, it was a high-profile, narrative dramatic series about the creation of the Texas Rangers law enforcement operation, a bit different than the usual History Channel fare of historical documentaries. It also wasn't as rigorous or accurate as the regular programs on the channel — according to historians, "Texas Rising" was rife with errors and inaccuracies.

Set in 1836 amid the prairies and plains of Texas, "Texas Rising" was filmed in desert areas of Mexico. One character, a Black housekeeper about whom almost no historical details are known, was imagined to be the third part of a love triangle between Texan freedom fighter Sam Houston (Paxton) and Mexican general Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, played by Olivier Martinez. Ray Liotta's character, a revenge-minded survivor of the Battle of the Alamo named Lorca, isn't real at all. The program even gets a major date wrong. A chyron dates the moment when General Santa Anna rides a horse through the destroyed Alamo as March 7, 1836 — in reality, the Alamo uprising ended the day prior.

In response to historians and journalists pointing out the flaws in "Texas Rising," the History Channel released a statement. "As historical fiction, it is designed to ignite interest, to inspire people to learn more about the past, to entertain, and to encourage them to form their own opinions," a network spokesperson said.

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