The UnXplained is a television series on History that claims to "explore subjects that have mystified mankind for centuries".[1] The show is hosted and executive produced by William Shatner. It premiered on July 19, 2019, and has aired for seven seasons.
| The UnXplained | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Non fiction Television documentary |
| Presented by | William Shatner |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 83 |
| Production | |
| Producers | William Shatner Kevin Burns Susan Levanthal Kim Egan Rob O'Brien |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company | Prometheus Entertainment |
| Original release | |
| Network | History Channel |
| Release | July 19, 2019 – present |
| Related | |
| Weird or What? | |
Background
editOn March 27, 2019, History greenlit The UnXplained hosted and executive produced by William Shatner and ordered an initial six episodes. The show is produced by Prometheus Entertainment. Kevin Burns and Susan Leventhal also executive produced the first season.[2] History later increased the episode order to an eight episode first season. It premiered July 19, 2019.[1] After the first season History ordered another 20 episodes.[3] The show interviews scientists, historians, engineers, witnesses, and researchers about various "mysterious" topics.[4][5]
Season one appeared on Netflix in June 2022.[6] Netflix was rumored to be considering ordering season five of The UnXplained,[7] but History Channel picked up the show for a fifth season.[8] The History Channel renewed the program for a 6th season on October 6, 2023. On October 4th, 2024, The History Channel started broadcasting a 7th season of the program.
Episodes
editSources for the episode lists below can be found here.[9]
Series overview
edit| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 16 | July 19, 2019 | April 25, 2020 | |
| 2 | 18 | July 11, 2020 | April 16, 2021 | |
| 3 | 7 | November 5, 2021 | December 17, 2021 | |
| 4 | 22 | April 1, 2022 | December 16, 2022 | |
| 5 | 10 | March 31, 2023 | June 16, 2023 | |
| 6 | 10 | October 6, 2023 | December 22, 2023 | |
| 7 | 6 | October 4, 2024 | November 8, 2024 | |
Season 1 (2019–20)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Evil Places" | July 19, 2019 | |
|
Aokigahara forest, Dyatlov Pass incident, Lake Shawnee Amusement Park, Willow's Weep haunted house (Cayuga, Indiana), La Ciudad Blanca Notable Cast: David Ono, George Noory, Travis S. Taylor, Loyd Auerbach, Douglas Preston, Steve Elkins | ||||
| 2 | 2 | "Mysterious Structures" | July 26, 2019 | |
| 3 | 3 | "Strange Creatures" | August 2, 2019 | |
| 4 | 4 | "Unnatural Nature" | August 9, 2019 | |
| 5 | 5 | "Bizarre Rituals" | August 16, 2019 | |
|
San Pedro Manrique Firewalking, Voodoo, UFC 229, roman gladiators, bullfighting, exorcisms, 2018 Western Wall drought prayers, prayer, Torajan funeral rites | ||||
| 6 | 6 | "Life Beyond Death" | August 23, 2019 | |
| 7 | 7 | "Mysteries of the Mind" | August 30, 2019 | |
| 8 | 8 | "Incredible Survivors" | September 6, 2019 | |
| 9 | 9 | "The Oak Island Curse" | February 29, 2020 | |
| 10 | 10 | "Dark Prophecies" | March 7, 2020 | |
| 11 | 11 | "Lost Civilizations" | March 14, 2020 | |
| 12 | 12 | "Deadly Cults" | March 21, 2020 | |
|
NXIVM, importance of the cult's charismatic leader, Jim Jones of Jonestown, James Arthur Ray, Marshall Applewhite of Heaven's Gate, Butoh and the death of Sharon Stern, Altamira child emasculations | ||||
| 13 | 13 | "Extreme Weather Mysteries" | March 28, 2020 | |
| 14 | 14 | "Mysterious Stones" | April 11, 2020 | |
|
Black Stone of Mecca, Mitchell-Hedges crystal skull, Koh-i-Noor, Stone of Scone, the sword in the stone of Galgano Guidotti, statue of Tlāloc | ||||
| 15 | 15 | "Vampires and Werewolves" | April 18, 2020 | |
| 16 | 16 | "Amazing Animal Abilities" | April 25, 2020 | |
|
Sergeant Reckless, equine-assisted therapy, canine cancer detection, Greyfriars Bobby, cetacean intelligence, birds detecting storms with infrasound, cat intelligence, machine olfaction | ||||
Season 2 (2020–21)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 1 | "The Greatest Escapes" | July 11, 2020 |
| 18 | 2 | "Superhuman Senses" | July 18, 2020 |
| 19 | 3 | "Mysterious Curses" | July 25, 2020 |
| 20 | 4 | "The Truth About UFOs" | August 1, 2020 |
| 21 | 5 | "The Underground World" | August 8, 2020 |
| 22 | 6 | "Leading Double Lives" | August 15, 2020 |
| 23 | 7 | "Mysteries of the Bible" | January 1, 2021 |
| 24 | 8 | "Mysterious Mummies" | January 8, 2021 |
| 25 | 9 | "Secrets of America's Monuments" | January 15, 2021 |
| 26 | 10 | "The Search for Atlantis" | January 22, 2021 |
| 27 | 11 | "Extraordinary Engineering" | January 29, 2021 |
| 28 | 12 | "The Power of Gold" | February 19, 2021 |
| 29 | 13 | "The Truth About Bigfoot" | February 26, 2021 |
| 30 | 14 | "Bizarre Vanishings" | March 5, 2021 |
| 31 | 15 | "Serial Killers" | March 12, 2021 |
| 32 | 16 | "The Mystery of Plagues" | April 2, 2021 |
| 33 | 17 | "Mysteries of the Moon" | April 9, 2021 |
| 34 | 18 | "Outrageous Robberies" | April 16, 2021 |
Season 3 (2021–22)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 1 | "The Hunt for Hidden Treasures" | November 5, 2021 |
| 36 | 2 | "Satanic Encounters" | November 12, 2021 |
| 37 | 3 | "The Search for the Ark of the Covenant" | November 19, 2021 |
| 38 | 4 | "Apocalypse When?" | November 26, 2021 |
| 39 | 5 | "Secrets of the Immortals" | December 3, 2021 |
| 40 | 6 | "Sacred Bones" | December 10, 2021 |
| 41 | 7 | "Mysteries of Mars" | December 17, 2021 |
Season 4 (2022–23)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | 1 | "Mysterious Ancient Ruins" | April 1, 2022 |
| 43 | 2 | "The Mystery of Genius" | April 1, 2022 |
| 44 | 3 | "What Lies Below?" | April 8, 2022 |
| 45 | 4 | "Secrets of Abandoned Places" | April 15, 2022 |
| 46 | 5 | "Acts of God" | April 22, 2022 |
| 47 | 6 | "Serial Killer Creatures" | May 6, 2022 |
| 48 | 7 | "Mysterious Tombs" | May 13, 2022 |
| 49 | 8 | "Uncanny Curses" | May 20, 2022 |
| 50 | 9 | "Superhuman Feats" | May 27, 2022 |
| 51 | 10 | "Mysteries of the Missing Link" | June 3, 2022 |
| 52 | 11 | "Surviving the Impossible" | June 10, 2022 |
| 53 | 12 | "The Search for King Arthur" | June 24, 2022 |
| 54 | 13 | "Wonders of the Ancient World" | October 7, 2022 |
| 55 | 14 | "The Hunt for Jack the Ripper" | October 14, 2022 |
| 56 | 15 | "The Search for Extraterrestrial Life" | October 21, 2022 |
| 57 | 16 | "Real Life Monsters" | October 28, 2022 |
| 58 | 17 | "America's Lost Treasures" | November 4, 2022 |
| 59 | 18 | "The Bermuda Triangle and the Beyond" | November 18, 2022 |
| 60 | 19 | "Secrets of the Founding Fathers" | November 25, 2022 |
| 61 | 20 | "The Weird Wild West" | December 2, 2022 |
| 62 | 21 | "Devastating Disasters" | December 9, 2022 |
| 63 | 22 | "Mysterious Monoliths" | December 16, 2022 |
Season 5 (2023)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 64 | 1 | "Lost Cities" | March 31, 2023 |
| 65 | 2 | "Tales of the Dearly Departed" | April 7, 2023 |
| 66 | 3 | "Curses Unleashed" | April 14, 2023 |
| 67 | 4 | "Earth's Unsolved Mysteries" | April 21, 2023 |
| 68 | 5 | "The Power of Prophecy" | May 5, 2023 |
| 69 | 6 | "Mysterious Monsters" | May 12, 2023 |
| 70 | 7 | "Sacred Rituals" | May 19, 2023 |
| 71 | 8 | "UFO Hotspots" | June 2, 2023 |
| 72 | 9 | "Extraordinary Structures" | June 9, 2023 |
| 73 | 10 | "Holy Relics" | June 16, 2023 |
Season 6 (2023)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title [10] | Original air date [10] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 74 | 1 | "The World Beneath Our Feet" | October 6, 2023 |
| 75 | 2 | "The Time Travelers" | October 13, 2023 |
| 76 | 3 | "Secrets of Ancient Structures" | October 20, 2023 |
| 77 | 4 | "Mysteries of the Vikings" | November 3, 2023 |
| 78 | 5 | "Strange Stories of the Presidents" | November 10, 2023 |
| 79 | 6 | "Bizarre Afflictions" | November 17, 2023 |
| 80 | 7 | "Strange Technology" | December 1, 2023 |
| 81 | 8 | "Unbreakable Codes" | December 8, 2023 |
| 82 | 9 | "Strange Stories of WW II" | December 15, 2023 |
| 83 | 10 | "Monsters Among Us" | December 22, 2023 |
Critical reception
editMedia reviews
editCommon Sense Media reviewer Melissa Camacho gave the show 3 out of 5 stars, saying, "The documentary series offers lots of intriguing narratives about peculiar practices, extraordinary moments, and fantastical events in history that may or may not be explained away by science". According to Camacho, explanations by spiritualists and paranormal believers are often presented in a way that is "much more captivating than the academic studies and objective evidence being offered", and that "skeptics will find much of what The UnXplained has to offer hard to take seriously".[11]
Rory Mellon of Tom's Guide wrote that the show had reached the top 10 streamed shows on Netflix. According to Mellon, "The UnXplained covers an awful lot of ground, some of it not particularly solid either". Mellon warned, "the show doesn’t really offer up a lot of concrete answers, but if you can just enjoy the sense of mystery, then you’ll likely be hooked by this strangely watchable series."[12]
Writing in Irish Film Critic, Thomas Tunstall gave the series 3.5 out of 5 stars, and reported that the show's "subject matter runs all over the board", as if designed for an audience with attention deficit disorder. Though Shatner enthusiastically poses many questions, he provides far fewer satisfactory answers than he should – perhaps by design in order to retain the sense of mystery." Despite feeling disjointed, Tunstall called Shatner's presentation of content "captivating" thanks to his "irrefutable acting chops and narrative gravitas".[13]
Stuff critic Sarah McMullan called the show "evil fun", writing that it only features opinions from experts and others "who believe in evil". McMullan reviewed the show's segments, saying they emphasized evil as a factor, ignored science, and became increasingly "sillier", quipping, "Honestly, you couldn't write this stuff".[14]
Academic reviews
editProfessor Sarah Parcak criticized the show's presentation of archaeology. She labeled it as "horribly racist"; and wrote "as it turns out, 'A great archaeological mystery' is a code phrase for 'We are too lazy to read or even Google and honestly, racism is far easier than admitting non white people were/are brilliant innovators.'"[15]
Jason Colavito criticized the show, calling it "recycled material from Prometheus Entertainment’s other nonsense fake science shows" where the host "goes hunting for lost continents and sunken civilizations". According to Colavito, "Not a word is spoken about the many hoaxes and frauds that undergird the show’s claims".[16]
Popular culture
editThe Lake Shawnee Amusement Park reported an increase in attendance after being featured on the show.[6]
References
edit- ^ a b "History to Premiere New Anthology Series "The Unxplained" Hosted and Executive Produced by William Shatner Friday, July 19 at 10PM ET/PT". The Futon Critic. June 14, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
- ^ "History Greenlights New Nonfiction Series "The UnXplained" Hosted and Executive Produced by William Shatner and Orders Second Season of Hit Unscripted Series "In Search Of" Hosted and Executive Produced by Zachary Quinto". The Futon Critic. March 27, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
- ^ Thangevelo, Debashine (January 17, 2020). "William Shatner boldly goes where few have gone in 'The UnXplained'". IOL. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
- ^ Freeze, Kellie (July 18, 2019). "William Shatner Looks for Answers to Inexplicable Mysteries on 'The UnXplained'". TV Insider. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
- ^ "William Shatner talks about latest series The UnXplained". Wayback Machine: ATV Today. December 13, 2019. Archived from the original on January 31, 2020. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
- ^ a b Brown, Kassidy (July 16, 2022). "Lake Shawnee attendance spikes in wake of Netflix show". Bluefield Daily Telegraph. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
- ^ Vijan, Natasha (July 8, 2022). "'Stranger Things' Fans Already Have a Show Lined Up in the Netflix Top 10 to Stream Next". Netflix Junkie. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
- ^ "The UnXplained Season 5". history.com. History Channel. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
- ^ "Episode List - The UnXplained Full Episodes, Video & More | HISTORY". play.history.com. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
- ^ a b "Shows A-Z – The UnXplained on History". The Futon Critic. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
- ^ Camacho, Melissa. "Parents' Guide to The UnXplained with William Shatner". commonsensemedia.org. Common Sense Media. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
- ^ Mellon, Rory (June 27, 2022). "This strange show just crashed the Netflix Top 10 list". tomsguide.com. Tom's Guide. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
- ^ Tunstall, Thomas (March 19, 2020). "DVD Review: William Shatner Serves Up A Cornucopia Of Mysteries In "The UnXplained: Season 1"". Irish Film Critic. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
- ^ McMullan, Sarah. "The UnXplained with William Shatner: The mad show that's the most evil fun on TVNZ". stuff.co.nz. Stuff. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
- ^ Gore, Leada (April 5, 2022). "Controversial UAB professor gets in a Twitter spat with William Shatner". Al.com. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
- ^ Colavito, Jason. "Review of The UnXplained S04E03: "What Lies Below"". jasoncolavito.com/. Jason Colavito. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
Shatner presides over recycled material from Prometheus Entertainment's other nonsense fake science shows goes hunting for lost continents and sunken civilizations. Not a word is spoken about the many hoaxes and frauds that undergird the show's claims, and if you think anyone involved will so much as whisper that the modern versions of Atlantis, Lemuria, and Mu were born in racism and celebrated a white master race that civilized the world, you don't know how propaganda works.