This infamous promotional TV special is a pseudo-documentary on the UFO phenomenon that was part of pop culture in the 1990's.
At the time, such serious documentaries on UFO's, close encounters, and alien abductions had become common place and such series as The X-Files were quite popular.
A few years later such related theatrical films as Independence Day and Men In Black further demonstrate the interest in this topic.
The Walt Disney Company decided to market their most controversial new attraction, Extraterrorestrial Alien Encounter, rooted in such a manner.