The series "Project UFO" delves into the realm of unexplained aerial phenomena, drawing inspiration from the real-life Project Blue Book. This article explores various facets of the show, from its historical context to its portrayal of UFO investigations. We will also touch upon the opinions of viewers, and the show's legacy.
The Premise of Project UFO
The series "Project UFO" was based on Project Blue Book, and one of the former officers assigned to Blue Book was actually a technical adviser to the show.
The problem with Jack Webb's concept is that he tried to treat it like one of his cop shows, but still create a little action. So you'd have this elaborate special effects sequence setting up the story, followed by some "prosaic explanation" (as famous UFO Debunker Phil Klass used to say) as to what they actually saw. The Air Force even cooperated in this series, hoping it would be good PR, but it was anything but.
A typical episode would open with a discovery of a burnt out portion of field where a UFO appeared to have landed and took off and the two investigators gathering evidence to support or dispute the premise that a UFO had actually landed. Sometimes the evidence pointed to fraud and sometimes there were no answers and sometimes it was left to the audience to come to their own conclusions.
The series follows Major Gatlin and S/Sgt. Fritz as they investigate various UFO sightings and related phenomena. Here are some of the cases they tackle:
- Air Force pilot chases a UFO and dies.
- Prominent citizens of a town report seeing a UFO, but investigators cannot get information from them and turn instead to an eleven-year-old boy.
- In New York state, Major Gatlin and S/Sgt. Fritz Investigate a series of UFO sightings, including a sighting of alien beings and as well as claims to have fragments of alien spacecraft.
- In Wyoming, ranchers claim they were attacked by alien, prompting Major Gatlin and S Sgt. Fitz investigate.
- After 2 airline pilots report a UFO sighting, Maj. Gatlin and S/Sgt. Fritz travel to Medicine Bow, WY to investigate claims of a sighting, but find a young man who corroborates the pilots' sighting.
- In Nevada, Major Gatlin and S Sgt. Fitz investigate an USAF lieutenant's claim of a UFO sighting in the desert.
- A group of teenagers believe they saw a UFO while they were out parking in the wilderness.
- Major Gatlin and S Sgt. Fitz encounter a woman who was visited by two men from Venus who say they can reunite her with long lost husband for $40,000.
- Major Gatlin and S Sgt. Fitz travel to France where they investigate the alleged alien abduction of an American diplomat's son.
- Major Gatlin and S Sgt. Fitz travel to Wisconsin to see a man who says he shot arrows at an alien robot.
- Major Gatlin and S Sgt. Fitz investigate a sighting by an emotionally troubled man.
- Major Gatlin and S/Sgt. Fritz investigate a sighting which was seen in the night sky by numerous people (including themselves).
Behind the Scenes and Production
Jack Webb's DRAGNET, ADAM 12 and EMERGENCY were such big hits that his Mark VII productions always had a few other series on the networks (mostly NBC) with various success. Project UFO was definately Jack Webb's baby and he was the one who did the talk show circuit to promote it.
Besides his narration, the show followed Webb's trademark of stiff, unemotional acting that gave all his shows a semi-documentary look. His earlier shows introduced the day-to-day realities of police work, paramedics and emergency rooms long before Hill Street Blues and E.R. and without the soap opera scripts.
Project U.F.O. was Webb's attempt to bring the then current hit film CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND to television via a straight forward telling of the real people who investigated UFO sightings (known as Project Bluebook, that title was eventually changed to PROJECT UFO because it sounded more interesting).
The two actors who were the investigating Air Force Officers were like Friday and Gannon in Dragnet, only they were investigating an "out of this world" mystery. The one I remember most was a young actor named Caskey Swaim. He had never really acted before and landed a starring role in this show. He did an amazing job as did Edward Winter.
Public Reception and Legacy
Many viewers remember the series fondly, often recalling it by the name "Project Blue Book." Some find the show entertaining and well-made, while others criticize its stiff acting and flimsy scripts.
Here are some opinions of viewers:
- "This was one of my favorite shows as a kid. I never missed it."
- "I religiously watched this show every week, as I was fascinated with UFOs after Close Encounters of the Third Kind was released."
- "It was as stiff as 1Adam12, but checked out ufo reports. I was like 8 watching this and was entertained by the notion of investigating ufo reports."
Some Universal Studios personnel claim this series never existed. One guest star on "Project UFO" assures that it definitely existed.
Project UFO (Polish series)
Project UFO (Polish: Projekt UFO) is a Polish, often offbeat and humorous, science fiction television series produced for and released by Netflix on April 16, 2025.
The series is set in 1980s communist Poland, where competing media personalities are on a quest to find evidence proving the existence of aliens. Interest spikes when stories about a possible "Polish Roswell" begin to circulate, and the growing body of evidence suggests the event might actually be real. But under a communist regime, nothing is that simple-various individuals within the system have their own interests and motivations to get involved.
This mini-series, with four episodes in its first season-and no confirmation of a second season-features a cast of unique and quirky characters. We follow a handful of people from the village where the UFO sightings originated, as well as government officials and media figures, all of whom operate under the influence of state interests. Much of the series revolves around relationships, secrets, and the ongoing effort to uncover the truth behind the incident.
The cast included plenty of small gestures and subtle moments that, while not essential to the plot, showed a real commitment to quality. There were even a few characters that felt straight out of The X-Files.
Some characters are quite quirky, and the acting is good. The story is more about the competition among the media in covering a UFO story. It takes place in Poland during the Cold War, so politics are involved as well.
Key details of the Polish series:
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Poland |
| Original language | Polish |
| Number of seasons | 1 |
The title is a bit misleading but not untrue. The show does revolve around chasing leads for a story about "Polands Roswell" but that's just the surface plot. There is way more going on. The set pieces, the music, and the atmosphere are really good.