Perhaps surprisingly described by IMdb as a "British" series, "NUF" has a touch of British class about it (between the lines), mostly looking more like the BBC's veteran documentary series "Horizon" than like, say, "Ancient Aliens". Yet the divide is not actually as clear-cut as you might think, for this decidedly eggheaded series (of which each episode features a series of stories - those "files" - commented on by talking-head experts that are primarily high-flier scientists (including but not solely from NASA), but also include, for example, UFO writer Dr Bill Birnes and ex-Ministry of Defence guy Nick Pope - who are indeed both veterans of "Ancient Aliens".
So the episodes here are an eclectic mix of conventional science and a bit of more way-out stuff, and not all of those "Files" really seem to come from NASA; and some of the mysteries are in fact explained (after tantalising us for a minute or two a la "What on Earth?" (whose episodes also feature some of the same talking heads, not least the mostly-debunking Marc D'Antonio. who also works for the Mutual UFO Network - if mostly having his feet very firmly on the ground, as it were)).
If you had the energy you could write a thesis on the meaning of all of this. I don't, but I am definitely still intrigued. We know that NASA regularly treads a fine line between "playing up" its missions and "talking them down" again - a case in point might be their mixed presentation of the "yes there is life on Mars" or "no there isn't"!!!
"We wonder, but can't be completely sure unless we try again" is the classic line all in science use to secure further funding, and that's a fact... It's also genuinely in the nature of the process of scientfic hypothesis-testing...
Presumably, they feel that there is no such thing as bad publicity and it's OK to have an air of mystery, yet many of those who appear in the show (including some of the bona fide scientists) treat it as something normal to suggest that NASA does indeed cover certain things up - and not purely the stuff it does in cooperation with the military...
By and large, if you watch this show solidly you will pick up a lot of stuff about the cosmos widely and the solar system, so definitely you'll build up your scientific knowledge in a kind of eclectic way. I personally knew plenty before, but I know more thanks to the series...
In the process, you'll be left wondering again and again about conspiracies, even as many (though by no means all) of these ARE defused or more or less explained away during the show.
But after 10 or more episodes you'll probably be wondering how best for your brain to try and process and synthesise all of the separate items (there are maybe 7 or so per episode and it can begin to get confusing).
Most likely the best you'll manage is some kind of growing gut feeling that much/most of what has happened in space exploration is contrary to expectations (and what - for good or ill - does that tell us about science, BTW?); that there is indeed that weird mix of the boring and the scary out there (just like war in fact); and that quite a bit is indeed "unexplained".
If that makes you want to study science or learn more, that's just great. If it also makes you wonder if a great many things are being hidden from us (despite NASA formally being a non-military/non-secret body), well it strikes me that's actually a healthy and realistic point of view - even if we really do not know, but should know, why taxpayers' dollars are rewarded by at least some veil of secrecy.
Now just why is that, exactly?
Hence to the truly "unexplained" feature here - just how does NASA really feel about this show, and how strong is its hand on the show's tiller?
To my mind that is key info...
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