Parents' Guide to

UFO Hunters (History)

By Will Wade, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Alien proof search tedious, but not bad for kids.

TV History Reality TV 2008
UFO Hunters (History) Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

See all
age 10+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Plague
Plague Parent
February 4, 2010
age 9+

UFO Hunters

Entertaining. Not the best show on TV, but its watchable.

This title has:

Great messages
Dr.Pepper
Dr.Pepper Adult
April 9, 2008
age 10+

I like it

It is a good show if you like aliens and UFO's. There is nothing wrong with it except for occasional swearing that is bleeped out.
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Bill Birnes, Pat Uskert, and Jeff Tomlinson are the UFO HUNTERS, a dedicated team of researchers who investigate some of the best-known sightings of flying saucers. Many of these incidents happened years or even decades ago; the show's goal is to find hard, scientific evidence to back up witnesses' claims. Computer graphics vividly re-create the alien encounters, and then the team examines the site, using metal detectors, ground-penetrating radar, and other high-tech tools (though often the search method is no more complicated than looking through an overgrown forest or scouring a beach for signs of a long-ago visit).

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (2):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Since most of the incidents happened long ago, the team is hunting in areas that have already been examined many times for evidence that, if it ever did exist, is certainly unlikely to be there now. Not surprisingly, their searches generally tend to be in vain -- and there's little excitement to be found in watching these men sift through sand on a beach that may have once been the site of a UFO encounter. The re-creations are more interesting, but the same images are sometimes shown over and over again, making the episodes seem repetitive.

Plus, the team is anything but unbiased. Birnes is the publisher of UFO Magazine, and Uskert claims to have personally seen a mysterious flying object. So even when their studies are inconclusive, they're unwilling to consider that an incident may not have been the real deal. These guys are true believers, certain that the truth is out there whether they're able to prove it or not. People who agree may enjoy their show, but others may find it less than convincing.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about people's fascination with UFOs. Do you think UFOs are real? What would you think of someone who said they'd seen one? Why are so many people convinced that they've seen these mysterious objects, and why do UFOs and aliens appear so often in so many TV shows and movies?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate