Since human history began, unexplained occurrences and strange sky sightings have boggled our minds and led us to question what really lies beyond our atmosphere. While the genuine existence of aliens still proves to be a divisive topic, their impact on entertainment leads the curiosity of audiences to continue as fiction gives way to potential fact. This year, an official office – the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) – was put into place by the Department of Defense to delve into the existence of UFOs, now referred to as UAP (unidentified aerial phenomena). This alone proves that extraterrestrial life forms might be more real than we realize.

While documentary films are an excellent and time-honored medium to flesh out the history of UFOs and discuss potential alien sightings, docuseries make use of a longer runtime to detail the ins and outs of these otherworldly phenomena. This makes them more easily consumable as well, allowing a different episode of brief education every time you turn on the TV or fire up your favorite streaming service. Here are the best docuseries about aliens, ranked.

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6 UFO Hunters

     A+E Networks & History Channel

UFO Hunters follows the exploratory adventures of a research team led by ufologist and author William J. Birnes, in search of the answers behind UFO sightings throughout America. The series illuminates lesser-known examples of supposed alien activity, like an alien ship supposedly spotted in English airspace. It also highlights more famous occurrences, like the abduction of Betty and Barney Hill; the mysteries of Stonehenge, the UFO crash in Roswell, and unexplained mass cattle deaths. Combining first-person accounts and scientific commentary, each episode aims to determine the reality behind these stories and whether they’re completely factual.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

5 UFO Witness

     Travel Channel

UFO Witness explores the United States to discover the truth behind alien life and other strange happenings that seem to come from the beyond. The show is headed by producer Ben Hansen, a former federal agent, and investigative journalist Melissa Tittl. Including the stories of primary sources who allegedly encountered extraterrestrials themselves, the series takes on a more realistic feel as it also includes visual proof of such sightings. Tales told include the 1997 light patterns seen above Arizona, circular ships observed across the East Coast, and alleged alien experiments on people in Colorado.

4 UFO

     Showtime Networks

Simply named, UFO cuts right to the chase. The quartet of engaging episodes recently aired on Showtime and captivates viewers with a creative feel, especially since it was headed by Glen Zipper and Bad Robot Productions, founded by J. J. Abrams. Examining the impact of unidentified aerial phenomena on global society, the show also illuminates the part played by higher federal and professional powers to keep these things on the down low. An article from Paste Magazine says that the show “manages to acquit itself well to both the noobs and those who keep up with daily UFO Reddit threads.”

3 Unidentified: Inside America’s UFO Investigation

     History Channel

Unidentified: Inside America’s UFO Investigation is another, more recent deep dive into the unexplained. This series expands on the governmental interference in these occurrences through the viewpoints of past people with eyes on the inside. The investigative team comprises Christopher Mellon, past US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Luis Elizondo, previous director of the DIA’s Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program. After certain scenes from the show were verified to be a real recording of a UAP, the short series expanded to a sophomore season.

2 The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch

The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch follows the investigation of a devoted team at Utah’s Skinwalker Ranch, a mysterious site with a laundry list of alleged extraterrestrial appearances and other odd occurrences. Researchers and scientists quite literally dive deep beneath the surface, digging into the ground to unearth the truth behind these sightings. To drum up excitement and increase viewership, the History Channel shared a live stream of the real ranch over the course of 12 hours, which did capture some strange visual occurrences. Other works of television and film have also zoomed in on the intrigue and paranormal aspect of the place, including the found footage horror film Skinwalker Ranch.

1 Ancient Aliens

As perhaps the most well-known docuseries that centers around alien life, Ancient Aliens is much more than the familiar screenshot that took the Internet by storm a few years ago. With 18 seasons, the show has remained a staple on the History Channel since 2009. The series traces the theory of ancient astronauts, which theorizes that aliens originally visited Earth many centuries before modern times, inspiring human societal development as time passed. Producer Giorgio A. Tsoukalos, the man behind the meme (“I’m not saying it was aliens… but it was aliens”), makes frequent on-screen appearances to delve deeper into these mysteries, including connections to impact on religion and federal involvement. A scripted film based on Ancient Aliens is in development from director and writer Josh Heald.