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History Orders Real-Life X-Files Scripted Drama Blue Book

It’s time to hear about the hunt for extraterrestrial life from the Men in Black’s side.

History on Thursday gave a straight-to-series order to Blue Book, a scripted drama about a real-life, secret U.S. government operation in the 1950s and ’60s that investigated UFO-related phenomena.

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The 10-episode first season centers on Dr. J. Allen Hynek, a college professor recruited by the Air Force “to spearhead this clandestine operation that researched thousands of cases, many of which were never solved,” per the network’s official release. Each episode will use information from the project’s files — along with a heavy dose of UFO lore, of course. (Think The X-Files, but from Cigarette Smoking Man’s POV.)

“Rarely have I been associated with a project that is a perfect fusion of historical fact and extraordinary entertainment,” said Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump), who will executive-produce the show, in a statement that also thanked production partners A+E Studios.

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David O’Leary created the series, and he will serve as writer; Jack Rapke (Cast Away) and Jackie Levine (The Walk) will executive-produce alongside Zemeckis.

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