# People of Earth (2016)

> A skeptical journalist investigating an alien abductee support group finds the members' outlandish stories harder to dismiss the closer he looks.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/59602

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 20
- Episode runtime: 22 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: comedy, science fiction
- Created by: David Jenkins
- Network: TBS
- Cast: Wyatt Cenac, Oscar Nuñez, Ana Gasteyer, Luka Jones, Alice Wetterlund, Michael Cassidy, Tracee Chimo, Brian Huskey
- TMDB rating: 7.7/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4695530/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: none
- Tone: deadpan, earnest, absurdist, melancholic, wistful

## What critics say

Audience reception is positive, with viewers praising the offbeat blend of comedy and sincere alien-abduction mythology anchored by Wyatt Cenac's performance.

## Synopsis

People of Earth (2016-2017) is a American TBS comedy series created by David Jenkins, a short single-camera satirical sci-fi comedy running two seasons and twenty half-hour episodes. Wyatt Cenac plays Ozzie Graham, a skeptical journalist who attends a support group for alien abductees to debunk their claims for an article. Oscar Nuñez plays Father Doug, a group member whose earnest faith sits alongside Ana Gasteyer as Gina Morrison, a fellow member whose sincerity keeps the group grounded. The engine of the show is Ozzie's growing unease: the more he interviews the members and digs into their oddball stories, the more he suspects those stories contain truth, and the more he wonders whether his own memories hide an abduction. Each episode is built around a new encounter, interview, or strange lead, while a season-long mystery threads the story forward. The show is set in present-day suburban America and mixes deadpan humor with a quietly melancholic sense of loneliness and belonging. Its absurd conspiracy plotting lands with a warm, sincere register, and fans of Fringe, The X-Files and Twin Peaks will find resonance in its blend of paranoia, odd communities and dry comedy. The series was canceled after two seasons, leaving its central mystery open.

## Shows like People of Earth

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- [The Midwich Cuckoos (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/118901)
- [Scavengers Reign (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/127032)
- [Bodkin (2024)](https://ember.film/tv/157616)
- [Ghosted (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/62610)
- [Glitch (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/112919)
- [The OA (2016)](https://ember.film/tv/60550)
- [Threshold (2005)](https://ember.film/tv/1357)
- [Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal (1996)](https://ember.film/tv/9210)

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