▁from ▁ 8 ▁November ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁to ▁ 1 8 ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁ ▁Over view ▁The ▁show ▁primarily ▁follows ▁the ▁lives ▁of ▁three ▁or phan ed ▁children ▁called ▁Mel , ▁Josh , ▁and ▁Lucy ▁B ark er , ▁and ▁their ▁new ▁fost er ▁parents ▁Brian ▁and ▁Soph ie ▁Johnson . ▁The ▁children ▁soon ▁discover ▁that ▁the ▁Joh ns ons ▁are ▁in ▁fact ▁al iens ▁from ▁the ▁planet ▁Val ux , ▁who ▁crash - land ed ▁on ▁Earth ▁when ▁Brian ▁tam per ed ▁with ▁the ▁controls ▁of ▁their ▁spaces hip . ▁As ▁shown ▁by ▁the ▁opening ▁cred its , ▁the ▁house ▁they ▁live ▁in ▁is ▁actually ▁a ▁morph ed ▁form ▁of ▁their ▁spaces hip . ▁They ▁also ▁have ▁the ▁ability ▁to ▁morph ▁into ▁other ▁people . ▁Brian ▁and ▁Soph ie ▁start ▁out ▁with ▁a ▁very ▁limited ▁and ▁mud d led ▁knowledge ▁of ▁life ▁on ▁Earth , ▁and ▁the ▁children ▁must ▁do ▁their ▁best ▁to ▁help ▁them ▁acc limat ise . ▁No ▁one ▁outside ▁the ▁family ▁must ▁ever ▁learn ▁that ▁they ▁are ▁al iens , ▁or ▁they ▁will ▁be ▁taken ▁away ▁for ▁scientific ▁testing , ▁and ▁the ▁B ark ers ▁will ▁lose ▁another ▁set ▁of ▁parents . ▁The ▁hum our ▁in ▁the ▁programme ▁is ▁considered ▁sur real ▁and ▁sometimes ▁g ently ▁sub vers ive . ▁Wh ilst ▁being ▁a ▁children ' s ▁show , ▁it ▁occasionally ▁makes ▁reference ▁to ▁rather ▁m ature ▁matters , ▁high - brow ▁culture , ▁and ▁complex ▁scientific ▁thinking ; ▁and ▁because ▁of