People of Earth (2016–2017) User Reviews

Enjoyable and amusing twist on the abduction genre

[cthulhu11 · 8/10 · 20 December 2017]

I write this having watched the first two seasons in quick succession.

The show is fun. The titles and music are immediately reminiscent of The Good Place. The characters show good diversity without being too on-the-nose:

Ozzy's stuggle to reconcile his experiences with his general level-headedness is very relatable.

Ana Gasteyer's Gina is pretty much the same character that she plays in everything. Which is not bad as such. Hoping that season 3 brings Gina some innovation and a more coherent presentation of personality.

Nancy Lenehan's Margaret is a familiar yet not tedious trope: the sedate early-senior woman with a wild past that is easily exploited for surprising statements and scenarios. Somewhat similar to Mimi Kennedy on Dharma & Greg (and even Mom), but with a kinky twist.

Da'Vone Randolph's Yvonne does well at being tough and genuine without beating us over the head with the fact that she's overweight and black; she *happens* to be those things but as it should be, they don't define who she is, unlike say the approach taken on The C word.

Chealsea is warm and approachable. Her business/dressy casual wardrobe is done very well -- except for the incongruous moccasins. Especially when she's flirting. The Jewish stereotype is milked a bit here, but nearly so badly as it could be.

The aliens are especially notable. The nordic Don is more than a little reminiscant of Orlando Bloom's Legolas. The standout is Jeff as the foul-mouthed scrotum-headed gray, which brings a touch of Campbell/Raimi-esque levity.

Amazing show that just didn't reach enough viewers.

[djphakt · 8/10 · 22 April 2020]

Just finished my second run through. This show would have been much more successful if it'd had reached UK viewers. Absolutely hilarious, totally out of the box comedy. Fresh and original. I'm gutted there won't ever be a season 3.

An original and very funny show

[thrall7 · 8/10 · 1 December 2016]

I will confess to being a life-long sci-fi fan so when I saw the ads for the premier of this show, I was intrigued. It hasn't disappointed and is one of the most original new comedies of the year. Maybe the most original given retread sitcoms like the stuff CBS has rolled out with Kevin James and Matt LeBlanc.

The premise is very different than anything else on television right now. It holds up thanks to a very good cast, mostly little known actors, and very good writing. It also turns upside down the longstanding portrayals of aliens as all-knowing, advanced beings whose ways are mysterious to Earthlings. Instead, the aliens are petty, incompetent in a lot of technical applications, and have fits of temper. That element of the show is one of the funniest to me and is very well done. The Earthlings are a diverse group with a lot of excellent interactions within the support group of "experiencers."

Even people who aren't sci-fi fans should give this a try. If you haven't watched it from the start, you need to go back to the pilot and catch up.

Here's hoping it has a long run.

Who's the idiot that decided to cancel this show ?

[hannah07 · 10/10 · 8 December 2018]

This show was original and so freaking funny. The cast was perfect. The writing was original and hilarious. I looked forward to this show every week. Like I said above who's the idiot that decided to cancel this show. Heh, instead let's remake shows that have already been done. There was a reason they went off the air. Or do another so called Reality show that is so far from reality it stinks. This is why I hardly watch TV anymore. Here finally we get a fresh new idea that everyone can watch and they cancel it. I can't believe someone else didn't pick it up.

Can't believe the series has been cancelled

[cmf-19558 · 10/10 · 16 June 2018]

I love this show!!! Hope TBS changes it's mind about cancelling or some other network picks the show up.

Please renew

[A-Guna14 · 10/10 · 3 September 2018]

This was a good show. I think anybody would have enjoyed it and it should be renewed.

Why on Earth and beyond was this show cancelled?

[ukgreek · 10/10 · 4 March 2021]

This show was hilarious, warm, inventive, surprising, well-written with great actors, loveable characters, and an original storyline. It's one of my favorite shows ever and I was crushed that it was cancelled. It should've been given more of chance to catch on. I'm sure more people would've grown to love it. Sorry, Wyatt. You didn't deserve this cancellation -- it was a gem.

This show is ....Special !

[Dr_Sagan · 31 October 2016]

Reporter Ozzie Graham (played effortlessly by Wyatt Cenac) travels to the rural town of Beacon, New York to write an article on a support group for victims of ...alien abduction. They do look like a bunch of weirdos but maybe there is some validity in their claims ...and then some!

The premise is original and funny as it is delivered. The cast good. The pace and the editing work in favor of entertainment, and there IS some mystery as it progresses and a few twists.

Overall: The aliens tell to the people they abduct that they are ...special (although they don't actually mean it!). People of Earth seems ...special (and I mean it!), with an original premise, good cast and good and relaxed humor. Recommended.

light quirkiness

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 21 November 2018]

Journalist Ozzie Graham (Wyatt Cenac) is haunted by memories of hitting a deer while driving to Beacon in upstate NY. He returns to the small town to do a story on Starcrossed, a support group of alien abductees led by Gina Morrison (Ana Gasteyer) or as they prefer to call themselves. Ozzie dismisses the group but his boss Jonathan Walsh keeps sending him back. The conflicting stories come together as the group realizes that the differing aliens are actually working together.

This is a little bit of fun and loads of quirky. I like Wyatt and the rest of the group. The aliens are a weird bunch of back-biting extra-terrestrial office clerks. I think it's missing the big bad. I don't mind the reveal of the aliens but eventually, they need an evil plan for the rag-tag group to fight. Without it, the show runs out of steam. It's canceled after two season and that may well be the problem.

How did this get canceled? & How did this not get picked up?

[allen-57990 · 10/10 · 28 August 2019]

Let's see....funny as hell, all likable characters (including the aliens), low budget...ok good reason to cancel?? Boggles the mind!

Series cancelled with no ending. Leaves you hanging...I would have thought better from TBS.

[waynelorihawley · 6/10 · 25 March 2021]

Great show with no resolution. Cancelled... leaves you hanging

A beautiful uplifting comedy

[skintone-38600 · 10/10 · 9 December 2016]

I'm so glad I Found this show. It is uplifting,really,really funny, quirky,original,and poignant. The pace is just right,and is never boring, but moves along with wonderfully feel-good humor. I am so pleasantly surprised at this show. I really never expected a show about a support group for alien abductees to interest me.But the funny and heart warming characters have totally abducted me and now I'm hooked . When I try to put in words why I like the show so much it is difficult. But there is a magic about it that just works. The Swedish alien is great. It deftly explores our quirky nature and in the process gives us a different and refreshing perspective on what makes us human.

somewhat amusing but less so without Ozzie

[centuriontatum · 7/10 · 11 September 2017]

The show is mildly amusing. I like the actor Wyatt Cenac. (spoiler)As you may know his character was killed off and may or may not return, according to the executive producers.(I had to do a lot of research to dig up this fact). I think his presence added a lot. I actually like the aliens more than the humans. I like the lonesome, whiny Gray alien. I like the considerate reptilian alien Walsh. I think it would be useful for Ozzie to return as he gave some direction to the show.

Its alright....

[s3276169 · 5/10 · 6 March 2017]

Isn't it awful when you want to like something but the most you can come up with is, "its alright".

People of Earth looks promising but at the end of the day, somehow, I just can't get excited about this one. Perhaps its the fact the aliens all sound like Americans? Why? They are aliens after all.

A less petty grumble is the whole thing is really not that funny. Its rather bland humour that, for me, falls flat. If it had a little more Hitch Hikers Guide injected it might work better but sadly that's just not the case here. What you have instead is your run of the mill, mostly unfunny, US comedy show, with an alien make over.

All in all, looks exciting but, well, its not. Five out of ten from me.

Let's bring it back, please sign!

[glasturla · 10/10 · 11 January 2020]

This series is too good to die! TBS made a huge mistake cancelling it so please people, sign the petition and let's hope TBS, Netflix or someone smart enough picks it up again :) Jenkins has season 3 already written.

The Show We Need and Deserve

[GovernorHorseman · 10/10 · 30 January 2018]

It's a show about alien abductees, pardon me, experiencers. It's a show about aliens. Yet the characters on this show are so eminently human that it almost aches, how easy it is to relate to them. Every single character is someone who is just doing their best to live with their own weirdness. It's a show about connection, and the fluid nature of faith, and learning to embrace the loser that exists in all of us. It's hilarious, and engaging, and ridiculously charming. It's not packed to the gills with rich 20-somethings who have been "chosen" to "save the world" - because good god do we really need another one of those on air? We really don't. People of Earth is about people, and how great they can be, even when they're not at their best.

I can't wait for season two

[randymcbeast · 10/10 · 20 December 2016]

I just finished watching season one and can't wait for the next season, which I was very glad to hear is actually happening.

This show is hilarious. The characters are lovable and quirky, the writing is fresh and on point, and direction and production keep the story flowing smoothly week-to-week.

I really can't list each of the great actors and the wonderful job they did because there are just too many to list. There isn't a single character I dislike. I will say though that Ken Hall, who plays Jeff the Grey, really makes my face hurt from laughing so hard each week. Seriously, just his character alone is worth the watch but then you throw in Wyatt Cenac, Luka Jones, Björn Gustafsson and on and on and on. Well, there I go listing them all out but I just can't help it, it really is a brilliant assembly of a cast.

As for the people behind the scenes, David Jenkins created it and this appears to be his only credit so good on him for creating such a breakout hit, imho anyway. However, there are some heavyweights contributing as well including Conan O'Brien, Norm Hiscock and Greg Daniels.

My only complaint about this show is that the episodes are only 30 minute episodes. Hopefully though, they increase that to one hour for the second season but most importantly I hope they keep the cast together and continue delivering the same quality of uproarious episodes they did this past season. Great stuff!

A very special and funny series!

[pereiradorogerio · 4 November 2016]

Man this was an absolute gem discovery! I love it. It's about a very special support group of alien abductees. Compare this with "The Middle" (which I stopped watching this season because it's NOT funny anymore) and you'll get it. This series is genuinely funny and yet it has some profound meanings hidden behind the humor. The cast is awesome, we get to see Wyatt Cenac at his best but the other actors, such as Ana Gasteyer, are really tailored for their characters and very funny. I wish comedy would go this way rather than the boring and totally not funny other specimens. What can I say more? Well, give it a try! The episodes only last 20 minutes and I'm sure many of you will love it.

I Wish This Was An Hour Long!

[ice ruby red · 10/10 · 15 November 2016]

I LOVE this show!!

When I watched the first episode I thought it had promise, but I wasn't quite sure how I felt about it yet. The second episode began to draw me in. By the third episode I was totally hooked, and very anxious for the next. The 4th is the best yet, as the characters, both alien and human, become more and more interesting and intriguing with every episode.

**Spoiler Alert**

It's also nice that they show some back story clips to flesh out the characters, such as Ana Gasteyer's role as the shrink who mediates the group when she's not lying on a probe table telling the patronizing ET that he's full of ...

My favorite, Wyatt Cenac, as Ozzie, plays the straight man, a reporter who came to town as a skeptic writing an exposé piece on an alien support group, that, much to his dismay, triggered him to start remembering his own alien experiences. I love his character, such an intelligent, stable, likable guy, who is just miserable over the fact that he can't discount the presence of aliens anymore... or get the talking deer to leave him alone!

Wyatt's boss is a handsome young alien that you can't help but hate to love because, hey, he's only doing his job... a job which sometimes results in being "sent out for a donut" (i.e, getting reamed by the big boss, whose slit green eyes I find mesmerizing). Then there's the boss's coworker, a snarky little alien with a big head, who is in a snit because his reptilian partner met with an untimely demise when he was dispatched to earth and materialized, unfortunately, in traffic.

This show is deliciously refreshing, legitimately funny (not canned-laughter-funny, but really funny), and has some surprising depth for an off-the-beaten-path half hour sitcom. I just wish I didn't have to wait another week for the next episode! I hope this cleverly written, superbly acted show is around for a long time; of all the new shows I'm watching this season, this one is at the top of my "don't miss" list!

p.s. I might have given it a 9 instead of a 10 (because few shows ever merit a 10), but I'd like to compensate for the person who gave it a "4" because the show doesn't accurately depict real Reptilians. (Hey buddy, it's a COMEDY, not an interstellar documentary!)

I'm glad

[Headturner1 · 7/10 · 11 February 2022]

I found this( looked for hours for similar shows to a bunch) . I watched almost all 2 seasons last night and was falling asleep and it was almost 3am so I'll finish tonight. I already wish there were more seasons as I have found nothing I can finish more than an episode of lately! This wasn't lol funny to me but yes it's funny. I really like the guy who plays the Nordic alien? It's just one of those fun quirky shows that the acting, filming and everything is pretty good in. I'm going to finish the last 2 ( my only complaint would be episodes are too short) tonight and hope I can find something else remotely entertaining to watch. Edit to add I finished this! I'm mad there isn't more seasons! They could have done so much more with this and now after what happened! I grew to really like the funny little grey guy. Would have loved to see how he got on on "Earth" but alas there isn't any more seasons. Cries. Lol.

Brilliant, funny and one-of-a-kind show!!

[Rey33 · 10/10 · 24 November 2016]

There's never been such an original and playful take on Aliens in the form of a comedy TV show before. For the UFO-geeks it's a masterpiece and for the comedy-lovers it's some crazy fun stuff!

It does not mock of the people who believe in Aliens, quite the opposite, it provides authentic perspective on this mysterious aspect of reality, and it does so in a brilliant and hilarious way.

"The People of Earth" is about a big-time journalist Ozzie Graham who gets to write an article on the subject of Aliens' abductees group, or rather, as they call themselves the "experiencers". Sceptic and bored at first, he gets into some mysterious experiences himself and gradually becomes more and more open to the supernatural phenomena. Will he discover something true and extraordinary about life and perhaps his own self?

Without giving too much away, if you ever wondered how the Aliens do their dirty work to humans, how they socialize with each other, what the elf-like Pleiadian, the big-eyed Gray or shape-shifting Reptilian can be like and perhaps most importantly; what their agenda might be, all presented in the playful and right-amount of crazy way... this show's definitely for you!! And if you just wanna have fun and see something new and mind-opening, you cannot miss it as well!

Highly recommended to watch and not stop so quickly! It just gets better and better with every episode. I had lots of laughter and blisfull moments myself :)))

A Unique Comedy

[mmevanille-53097 · 6/10 · 13 May 2018]

This is a unique conceptual comedy, similar in style to shows like Community but with a science fiction twist.

It is really easy to watch as you follow the story of the main protagonist Ozzie (Cenac) who does a great job of delivering the most level headed and 'normal' character on the show as well as a collective bunch of supporting characters which individual quirks, as they unravel the mystery of Aliens and abductions.

The acting is done fairly well and the characters are reasonably depicted and likeable.

Writing is well thought out, each episode adds to the overall story and to the story of each of the characters.

Where this show fails in my opinion is that although there are a few laugh out loud moments, it is really lacking the number of jokes to make this a long term show. The comedic style is situational and bizarre, however the bizarre becomes expected as the show progresses, and the lack of jokes makes it almost into a drama, rather than a comedy, when the pace gets bogged down especially after the first couple of episodes.

It has/had lots of potential having a very unique setting, decent cast, but unfortunately the writers could have done so much more with the base in which they built.

Overall however it is a nice free flowing feel-good kind of viewing which is different than most shows that get to air. But probably not a show you will want to watch again in a few years, after seeing it the first time.

Best comedy out there

[jerrycrow44 · 10/10 · 6 October 2017]

Excellent! Hands down the funniest show out there now. If I had to say something negative about People of Earth it would be that the episodes (about 20 minutes) and seasons (10 episodes) are too short. I cannot get enough of this show. I've binge watched seasons 1 and 2 a few times already and season 2 just ended. The cast is fantastic. Everyone has done a great job fleshing out their character. The writers, what can I say, I love you, and that's from the heart. Well, now that its out there I have to share the love with everyone associated with this show. Keep up the incredible work and Thank You! Everyone, Watch this show!

Leave Us Aliens Alone!

[westsideschl · 6/10 · 14 October 2018]

OK, the main vehicle/hook is not its CGI - we have a rectangular bricky 2001 spaceship that always seems to be in the same place relative to Earth. Nor is it costumes and props - we have the stereotypical Halloween reptile skin; the small alien with large gray head; the reptile contact lenses; the plain plastic looking interior that fortunately is not over CGI'd w/floating computer screens.

Rather the main vehicle/hooks of this script is poking fun at alien invader believers, and aliens themselves. Problem is the humor gets old quickly, and there's only so many ways we aliens can antagonize you humans.

See my Amaz. 3 star review Season 2 DVD for my photo.

Meh

[scottedunlap · 3/10 · 1 June 2021]

This show had some potential. Probably would have succeeded if the lead had any talent, or charisma, or at least looked like he was awake!