Series synopsis
The UnBelievable with Dan Aykroyd is an American documentary television series that premiered on History on December 1, 2023. It stars Dan Aykroyd and Adam Richman.
Each episode opens up a cabinet of curiosities to reveal the strangest-but-true stories in human history, brought to life through dynamic recreation, compelling graphics, and arresting archival. From Boston’s Great Molasses Flood to a man who survived being struck by lightning not once, not twice, but SEVEN times, these seemingly tall tales all actually happened, and our cast of experts dives into the historical record to tell you how and why.
Premise
Each episode opens up a cabinet of curiosities to reveal the strangest-but-true stories in human history, brought to life through dynamic recreation, compelling graphics, and arresting archival. From Boston’s Great Molasses Flood to a man who survived being struck by lightning not once, not twice, but SEVEN times, these seemingly tall tales all actually happened, and our cast of experts dives into the historical record to tell you how and why.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Dan Aykroyd as Self - Host
- Adam Richman as Self - TV Host/Historian
Guest cast
- Yohuru Williams as Self - Professor, University of St. Thomas
- Sami Jarroush as Self - TV Host, Historian
- Hakeem Muata Oluseyi as Self - Astrophysicist/Author
- Rob Parker as Self - Sport Radio Host
- Mitch Horowitz as Self - Historian
- Edward T. O'Donnell as Self - Historian
- Chris Raynor as Self - Orthopedic Surgeon
- Don Wildman as Self - TV Host/Historian
- Nick Pope as Self - UK Ministry of Defence, Ret.
- Paul Matt Sutter as Self - Physicist/Author
- Austin Rogers as Self - Jeopardy! Champion
- Martin K.A. Morgan as Self - Historian/Author
Episodes
This series spans 3 seasons with 50 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 10 | December 1, 2023 | February 9, 2024 |
| Season 2 | 20 | November 15, 2024 | May 30, 2025 |
| Season 3 | 20 | November 7, 2025 | May 15, 2026 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Strange Places Shipwrecks, plane crashes, disappearances, and UFO sightings, oh my! This episode explores the Lake Michigan Triangle and many other wild and weird places, including a creepy doll-filled island with a dark past, deadly gas-filled explosive lakes, caves that harbor deadly viruses, and the most haunted place in the U.S. |
December 1, 2023 |
| 2 |
Bizarre Deaths In Boston, a 25-foot tidal wave of…Molasses? A dancing plague that kills 100 people? A surgery with a 300% mortality rate? We search the globe for the strangest and most bizarre deaths on record. If the 1814 London Beer Flood doesn’t kill you, maybe a mysterious case of spontaneous human combustion will. |
December 8, 2023 |
| 3 |
Astonishing Bodies From a headless chicken that lives over one year, to an out-of-this-world "celestial body" where it rains molten glass...We explore the most astonishing bodies through these truly unbelievable stories. Here are the true tales of not only the tallest human ever measured, but also the shortest person on record. What about the man who survived an iron bar through his head, or a Medusa-like body of water that turns its victims to stone? Brace yourself for the extraordinary. |
December 15, 2023 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
It Came From Above Have you ever wondered about the most bizarre things that have fallen from the sky? From meteorites to seafood, and even bathtubs, these are some truly unbelievable stories of what comes from above. Don’t believe it? Just look up! |
November 15, 2024 |
| 2 |
Sweet Revenge I'm sure you've heard of an eye for an eye, but have you heard about some of the sweetest stories of revenge? Like the one about a man in Colorado that uses a "killdozer" to settle a zoning dispute or another about an Emperor who pickles his wife's lover? This episode explores unbelievable vengeance seekers who take things maybe a little, well… too far. |
November 22, 2024 |
| 3 |
Fantastic Beings Have you heard about the warrior bear who helped the allies win WWII? Or how about the real-life hobbit humans in ancient Indonesia? What if I told you gerbils were recruited to fight crime in Canadian jails? This episode explores the unbelievable stories of the planet's most fantastic beings. |
November 29, 2024 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Strange Sightings They say seeing is believing but these sightings will make you question everything. From stone-throwing jungle apes to swarms of sinister clowns stalking the suburbs, to skies raining down murderous birds, these are the strange encounters that leave the experts scratching their heads. |
November 7, 2025 |
| 2 |
Freak Accidents Accidents happen all the time, but every so often, a few defy logic and leave the world stunned. |
November 14, 2025 |
| 3 |
Shocking Missions History is full of legendary missions--but some are so bizarre, they sound like fiction. |
November 21, 2025 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | History |
|---|---|
| First aired | December 1, 2023 |
| Last aired | May 15, 2026 |
| Runtime | 41 minutes |
| Status | continue |
| Schedule | Friday at 21:00:00 |