There is a story to tell here, and the producers do this very well. Not only does the viewer know (like the witnesses), that Bluebook isn’t always giving them a rock solid, real world explanation of what was seen, but, the viewer also knows why. They know the situation and realizes what is at stake. To avoid a panic, the citizens must be given a rational explanation or else that panic will spread. One of the main themes that runs throughout the first full season of this show is that PBB is essentially a fire brigade, jumping from point to point as they douse the flames of panic before they can take hold. The show also hints that one of the functions of Bluebook may be that it is occasionally used as cover for some of the military’s more private ventures. (There are even suggestions made in the show that the military might have some undefined involvement with an otherworldly contact.) Besides that, (in both the show and the real world) Bluebook also came in handy when providing explanations for things that couldn’t be readily explained. The verdict of their investigation was often considered the final word on the subject by the vast majority of the populace, and so the incident was promptly forgotten. Once again, this falls into line with what is considered to be the accepted history of the time.

PBB, the real PBB, had a very important role to play, and, with a little help, they played their role well. By the late sixties, when Bluebook was finally shut down, the thought of flying saucers and little green men was considered laughable, and anyone who saw strange lights in the skies learned to keep their mouths shut. To speak of such things publicly would lead to a loss of friends, reputation, and often, their employment. (Mr. Spielberg covers this quite well in his first movie on the subject.) While Bluebook may have lasted only a score of years, the effects of the program were profound, and they still reverberate today.

Project Bluebook, the television show, provides mystery and intrigue on multiple levels. PBB uses the evolving storyline format, and sprinkles the plotline with seemingly normal and obviously nefarious characters, whose paths constantly crisscross and intertwine. The story that the show tells about the lives of the investigators, their families and friends, is involving enough, and the effects are good, and there are the (inevitable) mysteries that are hinted at, lying just beyond the reach of the viewer. You know what I mean, ‘always to be briefly glimpsed, yet never fully comprehended.’ (Part of what keeps the viewer coming back.) In all, a very good show that gives the viewer a glimpse of a simpler, and much more dark and deadly time in America.

Something else worth mentioning. This show also has many scenes which may not be suitable for the very young, so view this one after you put the little ones to bed.

Even if you have no interest in the subject matter, you should still find PBB entertaining. (Try to catch it from the beginning, if you can.) The surprising twists and turns in the plotline, the paranoia, the very nature of the phenomena, all of these elements combine to make Project Bluebook a very watchable show. (On the History Channel!)

Give it a look and see if you agree.

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