I saw a history channel show about the mysterious sea peoples. What is the real story behind them? Did they really cause the fall of the Egyptian empire or is that some ancient aliens level information?
I don't know the extent of the show but the sea people aren't as crackpot as aliens to the extent that they actually did exist (I can't definitively say whether aliens exist or not but I can confidently say they have nothing to do with Egypt or any other ancient civilization.) The Egyptians called them that. They didn't cause the fall of the Egyptians although it was quite a task defeating them. There are claims that they were one of the factors in the fall of the Hittite Empire. But there are about as many crackpot theories linking them to any group imaginable. So, right off the bat, I'd use a great big grain of salt with whatever they claimed.
Hopefully, someone can shed more recent light on this. As it's an area where archeology is making a lot of progress. But, for now, there is a section in the FAQ that goes over some previous answers.
Extra Credits is doing I think a good job covering this topic Here is a link to the starting episode: https://youtu.be/KkMP328eU5Q
also, this guy is even better https://youtu.be/Q0LMqulGb4I
Here is an amazing lecture regarding 1177 BC and the "sea peoples" and their connection to the collapse of civilizations around the Mediterranean at that time.