Humans may have been curious about unexplained objects in the sky for millennia PBS documentary "What Are UFOs?" gets an airing in the U.K. to bring the uninitiated up to speed after interest was ignited by highly publicized sightings of unidentified objects by Navy pilots and leaks of a secret Pentagon UFO program.
Here's how to watch "What are UFOs?" online from anywhere with a VPN — and potentially for free.
"What are UFOs?" premieres in the U.K. on Wednesday, August 27 on BBC Four at 8 p.m. BST. It will be broadcast again on Thursday, August 28 at 1.35 a.m. BST and available to stream on BBC iPlayer. It has previously aired in the U.S, and is still available to watch on PBS in the U.S. and on PBS Passport in Canada and Australia.
• WATCH FREE — BBC Four/ BBC iPlayer (U.K.)
• U.S. — PBS.org
• Canada/ Australia — PBS Passport
• Watch anywhere — try NordVPN 100% risk free
For years – certainly since the clumsy official press release/backtrack after the Roswell Incident in 1947 – there have been major doubts about whether the government has been telling us the truth about UFOs. Or, as they are now more generally known, UAPs (Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon).
Claims that sightings are merely weather balloons, optical illusions or drones are less easily swallowed today, particularly after these recent leaks and revelations from credible whistleblowers. Consequently, many experts believe that non-human technology far in advance of our own is responsible for many of the encounters.
For this one hour doc, Navy pilots who witnessed the so-called "Gimbal" and "Tic Tac" UFO incidents explain what they saw while astrophysicists and engineers use new technologies to investigate the strangest objects in our skies and give their considered verdict.
Read on to find out how to watch "What are UFOs?" online, on TV and from anywhere.
How to watch 'What are UFOs?' for FREE in the U.K.
How to watch 'What are UFOs?' from abroad
Thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network), "What are UFOs?" should be available to Brits no matter where they are. The software allows your devices to appear to be back in your home country regardless of where in the world you find yourself. Our favorite is NordVPN.
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're away from the U.K. and want to view a U.K. service, you'd select U.K. from the list.
3. Sit back and watch the show. Head to BBC iPlayer to watch "What are UFOs" online and on-demand.
How to watch 'What are UFOs?' around the world
Can I watch 'What are UFOs?' in the United States?
You can. "What are UFOs?" premiered on PBS in the U.S. in January and is still available to stream on the PBS App.
Don’t have cable? Stream your local PBS channel through the PBS website and app. It’s free, with no fee required. "What Are UFOs?" is also available on-demand.
However, should you want full, extended access to PBS, consider signing up to PBS Passport. That provides access to PBS Masterpiece programming, a rotating selection of Ken Burns’ documentaries, and much more, with a suggested donation of around $5 a month or $60 a year – depending on your local station.
The film will also be available to stream on the Nova YouTube channel.
However, if you are a Brit in the States for work or on vacation you can catch the show for your usual domestic streaming platform by using a VPN such as NordVPN, choosing U.K. from the list and selecting BBC iPlayer.
Watch 'What are UFOs?' online and on-demand in the U.K.
"What are UFOs?" premieres in the U.K. on Wednesday, August 27 on BBC Four at 8 p.m. BST. It will also be broadcast again on Thursday, August 28 at 1.35 a.m. BST and available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
You don't have to miss it if you a Brit exiled abroad because you can unblock BBC iPlayer with a VPN. We recommend NordVPN.
Can I watch 'What are UFOs?' online or on TV in Canada?
As with the U.S., "What are UFOs?" aired in January in Canada and is still available on PBS via PBS Passport.
For extended access to PBS content, consider getting PBS Passport. That’ll provide access to a range of the network’s channels, like PBS Life and PBS Masterpiece. Membership costs a suggested donation of CA$5 per month, although prices will alter depending on your local station.
However, if you are a Brit in the Great White North for work or on vacation you can catch the show on your own domestic streaming platform by using a VPN such as NordVPN.
Can I watch 'What are UFOs?' online in Australia?
As with Canada, "What are UFOs?" is still available via PBS Passport in Australia.
However, if you are a Brit working or on vacation Down Under and you want to catch the show on the BBC you can do so by using a VPN such as NordVPN.
'What are UFOs?' - Need to Know
'What are UFOs?' - Contributors
- Ryan Graves - former Lt. US Navy and F/A-18F pilot - "Gimbal" eye-witness
- Alex Dietrich - US Naval Officer and F/A-18F pilot - "Tic Tac" eye-witness
- Alejandro Rojas - UFO journalist from Enigma Labs
- Jacob Haqq-Misra - Astrobiologist (Blue Marble Space Institute)
- Michael Wong - Planetary scientist (Carnegie Institute for Science)
- Hakeem Oluysei - Astrophysicist (George Mason University)
- Mick West - UAP/UFO investigator
- Shelley Wright - Prof. of astronomy and astrophysics (University of California, San Diego)
- Matt Mountain - Member of the Association of Universities for Research and Astronomy
- Joshua Semeter - Member of Boston University's College of Engineering
- Sean Kirkpatrick - Former Director of the Pentagon office dedicated to decoding UAPs
Do UFOs and aliens exist?
As FBI Special Agent Dana Scully chose to put it in "X-Files": "The truth is out there."
More from Tom's Guide
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
Do UFOs and aliens exist?
As FBI Special Agent Dana Scully chose to put it in "X-Files": "The truth is out there."
Do UFOs and aliens exist?
As FBI Special Agent Dana Scully chose to put it in "X-Files": "The truth is out there."
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