The Netflix Dark Mystery Series Led By A Star Trek Icon

The UnXplained first aired on History back in 2019 and has released six William Shatner-hosted seasons since then. Shatner also executive-produced the show with Kevin Burns and Susan Leventhal. Each episode of the anthological series interviews scientists, historians, researchers, and witnesses about a variety of mysterious topics, typically grouped under one category for each episode.

Throughout the six seasons of The UnXplained, William Shatner walks viewers through topics like UFOs, cryptids, extreme weather events, the moon, World War II, vikings, and much more. If you’re someone who enjoys going down the rabbit hole of these so-called mysteries, then this show might be something that you’ll enjoy.

There are plenty of episodes to watch, and History seems keen on making more, with the most recent season airing at the end of 2023 (though that season isn’t currently available to stream on Netflix. 

Of course, those familiar with the History Channel’s goofier offerings might have an idea of what to expect from William Shatner’s The UnXplained. Although the folklore, events, and structures that the show delves into many non-fictional concepts, structures, and events, the factual accuracy often veers closer to fellow History Channel show Ancient Aliens.

In other words, many of the episodes that delve into things like ancient structures or lost cities pose the construction of these monuments and cities as “mysteries” rather than acknowledging that ancient civilizations were more than capable of innovation and achieving these impressive feats without “mysterious” intervention.

Criticism of The UnXplained will frequently touch on this fact, with critics and audiences crediting the show as being relatively entertaining, though the evidence presented by William Shatner and the experts on the show is often far from convincing or based on academia.

The show often doesn’t offer clear answers on the subjects it broaches but does manage to keep audiences engaged by being watchable and hooking people with some of the interesting subjects it brings up. However, if you’re unimpressed with some of History Channel’s other factually questionable docuseries, then this show is likely not going to change your mind too much.

So, The UnXplained is far from the best docuseries out there, but it is pretty popular on Netflix, and those who miss seeing William Shatner on TV will probably get a kick out of his narration. Shatner doesn’t do many TV or film projects these days, but fans of his work will get to look forward to his next project coming out very soon. Shatner did some voice work for the upcoming Netflix animated Masters of the Universe: Revolution TV series, which also stars Mark Hamill, Melissa Benoist, and Chris Wood and comes out on January 25.