The Best SyFy Show Has Just Been Given New Life
The SyFy channel's best original comedy-drama is getting a new season before the current one is even finished.
This article is more than 2 years old
Resident Alien, SyFy’s best original show, has been renewed for a third season before the second one has even finished. The science fiction comedy-drama stars Alan Tudyk as an alien stranded on Earth and exploring the complexity of humanity (but you know, with jokes) as he hides in a small Colorado town. Resident Alien’s combination of dark humor and genuine emotion seems to have struck a nerve with viewers and executive brass alike, as it is currently one of SyFy’s most popular shows. It is also currently one of the top five most-watched cable dramas, while also recently nabbing Hollywood Critics Association nomination for Best Comedy Series. Sometimes, that whole comedy-drama thing works out pretty well for shows.
Alan Tudyk stars in Resident Alien as an anthropomorphic, octopus-like alien sent to Earth to destroy humanity. After his ship is struck by lightning, he crashlands in Colorado and loses his doomsday device (as one does). After killing a pathologist who was vacationing in the area, he assumes his human identity and finds himself enlisted into examining the body of the deceased local doctor. However, after discovering that a local child (Judah Prehn) can see his true form and realizing that the deceased local doctor was poisoned, Alan Tudyk’s would-be alien invader finds himself experiencing human emotions for the first time and having to solve a murder. Resident Alien strikes an odd balance of Invader Zim and Twin Peaks, but with Alan Tudyk on your side, you can get a lot done.
Resident Evil also stars a talented supporting cast, including comedian/podcaster Alice Wetterlund as a former Olympian skier turned small town bartender and mountaineering expert. Sara Tomko co-stars as Alan Tudyk’s unwitting medical assistant Asta Twelvetrees and Corey Reynolds as Mike Thompson, the former Washington D.C. police officer turned Sheriff. The cast is rounded out by Levi Fiehler as the young, naive town mayor Ben Hawthorne and Elizabeth Bowen as the underappreciated yet sharp sheriff’s deputy.
The show was created by Chris Sheridan, a television veteran mostly known for his work on the long-running animated sitcom Family Guy. Resident Alien was adapted from a Dark Horse comic series of the same name by Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse; reportedly, the title “Resident Alien” was inspired by the sight of an identification card that used the phrase. The comic series was inspired by shows like Twin Peaks and My Favorite Martian, as well as the cult David Bowie film The Man Who Fell to Earth.
In addition to Resident Alien, SyFy is currently airing several other original programs, including the critically acclaimed horror series Chucky (based on the Child’s Play franchise of films) and the supernatural high school comedy Astrid and Lilly Save the World, starring Jana Morrison and Samantha Aucoin as the titular characters. However, Resident Alien has quickly become something of a flagship series for the cable network and hopefully will keep getting those early season renewals in the future.
