The UnXplained

➤Rated TV-14
➤Netflix

BIGFOOT. NOAH’S ARK. In Search Of was once a popular TV show in which investigators hunted for the shadowy ape-man and combed Mt. Ararat for shards of gopher wood. Ripley’s Believe It or Not! tackled more eclectic matters, such as polygraphing plants and religious mud-throwing. These documentary-style programs explored the mysteries of human culture and the natural world.

Apparently, some of these mysteries remain in need of fresh investigative work. Netflix is now airing Season 4 of the recent History Channel series The UnXplained. Host and executive producer William Shatner guides viewers through explorations of ancient ruins, interviews with people who have superhuman abilities, and cosmic probes for extraterrestrial life.

Though “fresh” might not apply here, considering Season 4 repackages prior seasons’ Bigfoot and UFO episodes, one refreshing note is the favorable regard in Episode 5 for the Biblical accounts of the flood, Sodom’s destruction, the 10 plagues, and other “acts of God.” Some interviewees waffle on God’s direct involvement, but they affirm that archaeological and geological discoveries give strong reasons to believe the events happened.

Other tidbits include satellite images of a pyramid-like structure below the Antarctic ice, raising questions of past human habitation on the penguiny continent. Another episode features a man who climbed Mt. Everest wearing nothing but shorts and shoes. (With even less attire, depictions of nude Neanderthals and of pre-leather-dress Eve in the “Mysteries of the Missing Link” episode contribute to the show’s TV-14 rating.)

Perhaps the greatest mystery is Shatner’s enduring entertainment career. He’s 92 years old—believe it … or not!