The legitimacy of the reality TV series UFO Cowboys is being put into question, as fans wonder if the show is real or fake.
The Roku series is the latest in a long string of reality TV projects focusing on unexplained happenings in the real world. However, instead of chasing bigfoot or investigating ghostly presences, UFO Cowboys follows a group of cowboy-hat-wearing UFO experts as they look into supposed encounters with extraterrestrial life.
Season 1 of the hit show debuted in June 2023, with a second season ongoing (as of September 16, 2024).
How Real Is UFO Cowboys?
As UFO Cowboys Season 2 kicks off on Roku, the question of how real or fake the reality series is has re-entered the conversation.
Given the series' subject matter of chasing UFO encounters and potential instances of contact with other-worldly beings, some fans have (perhaps justifiably) pondered the legitimacy of the series.
According to Roku itself, the reality show is considered by the streamer to be an "unscripted series."
This would theoretically mean that the show is 100% based in reality and, despite editing still happening after the fact, its events really happened with no staging or specific lines being said.
While Roku may deem the series unscripted officially, this does not necessarily mean that it is.
The consensus amongst fans is that UFO Cowboys is, in fact, heavily scripted. Many have called the scenarios seen in the series as over the top even if they are based on alleged real stories.
This sort of narrative hoodwinking tactic is not all too unfamiliar to the reality TV genre. Often it is done to heighten the drama of these sorts of series and provide a cohesive engaging story within an episode.
However, this alleged strategy has seemingly backfired for UFO Cowboys in particular.
Reviews on platforms like Common Sense Media, say that the show's premise is outrageous, with its editing, overacting, and (supposed) scripting making the show "obviously not real" despite trying to pass itself off as such.
Some have continued to watch despite the pervasive sentiment that the show is not a true documentary though.
While ratings on the series remain low critically (it sits at a dismal 4.3/10 rating on IMDB), a certain contingent of fans have bought into the ridiculousness, finding enjoyment in the overacting and otherworldly premise.
Others have turned on the show, saying it should not brand itself as a true reality docuseries if it is, in their mind, so undeniably fake.
UFO Cowboys is streaming now on Roku.
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