If Alan Tudyk’s dry-witted deadpan alien physician in Resident Alien makes you laugh, cringe, and root for him simultaneously, chances are you’re hankering for more series that combine sci-fi strangeness with offbeat humor. That combination of extraterrestrial strangeness, small-town soap, and big-hearted comedy is unusual, but not one-of-a-kind. Fortunately, TV has a plethora of shows—some old-school, some off the radar—capturing the same “alien plus absurd humanity” vibe. Here’s a 10-count of 10 shows that Resident Alien viewers will want to line up next.
10. Upload
What if death is not the end, but a digital upgrade? Upload envisions a world in which humans can transfer their consciousness into a virtual afterlife. Developed by Greg Daniels (The Office, Parks and Rec), the series satirizes technology culture to dating apps, all while slipping in smart emotional moments. Like Resident Alien, it employs sci-fi as a framing device to mock what makes us. Human.
9. Eureka
This cult classic drops you into a town filled with geniuses—and their disastrous experiments. From conversational houses to broken gadgets, Eureka lives off making everyday life a comedic catastrophe. Underneath it all, however, it’s about regular people dealing with outlandish circumstances, something Resident Alien viewers will appreciate right away.
8. Solar Opposites
Aliens attempting to “fit in” never fail to age, and Solar Opposites is here to make it work. Hailing from the creators of Rick and Morty, this animated show follows a family of aliens in witness protection in suburban America as they become entangled in ridiculous human nonsense. With biting social commentary and weird side stories (hi, The Wall), it’s the type of irreverent comedy that goes hand in hand with Harry’s adventures gone wrong.
7. People of Earth
This underappreciated comedy asks: what would happen if alien abductees formed a support group? Equally ridiculous and sentimental, People of Earth plays the idiosyncrasies of its human characters just as much as it builds out its aliens. The result is laugh-out-loud, adorable, and surprisingly poignant—exactly where anyone who adores the heart behind Resident Alien’s eccentricity wants to be.
6. The Orville
Seth MacFarlane’s The Orville proudly displays its Star Trek DNA, but it almost immediately settles into its own tone through embracing both humor and emotional storytelling. One minute it’s riffing on cringeworthy workplace politics, the next it’s addressing moral struggles on a universal level. That mix of humor and substance will come as no surprise to fans of Resident Alien.
5. 3rd Rock From the Sun
Before Harry attempted to be human, there was the Solomon clan. 3rd Rock from the Sun tracks four aliens who assume the form of a typical suburban family to research Earth’s bizarre traditions. The humor is farcical and more slapstick than Resident Alien, but the delight in seeing foreigners bumble their way through human idiosyncrasies is ageless.
4. Futurama
When deliveryman Fry awakens a thousand years in the future, he is surrounded by robots, mutants, and space nonsense. Futurama is full of smart sci-fi satire, ridiculous adventures, and—interestingly—gut-wrenching emotional punches. Like Resident Alien, it’s smart enough to have its cake and eat it too when it comes to clever comedy and deeper questions regarding identity and belonging.
3. American Dad
Seth MacFarlane is on the list again with American Dad. Its alien resident, Roger, is outrageous, sarcastic, and reinventing himself each week in even more outrageous disguises. Although the show is not a heavy sci-fi one, Roger’s anarchic presence provides the same catharsis as Harry’s fish-out-of-water behavior in Resident Alien.
2. Sneaky Pete
Okay, so it’s not sci-fi—but hear me out. Sneaky Pete centers on a con man pretending to be someone else, always one step away from exposure. That constant tension of keeping up a fake identity mirrors Harry’s secret life in Resident Alien. Add in sharp writing and dark humor, and you’ve got a surprisingly fitting companion show.
1. Mork & Mindy
Where it all started. Mork & Mindy brought the world Robin Williams as Mork, an alien who comes to Earth to observe and find himself hilariously caught up in the mundane lives of human beings. It’s goofier and more old-school sitcom than Resident Alien, but the DNA is the same: an outsider observer, completely bombing, yet making us laugh in the process.
If you’re here for the sci-fi shenanigans, the offbeat characters, or the unexpectedly rich explorations of human nature, these shows contain the same magic that sets Resident Alien apart. A few are established classics, a few are more recent experiments—but all of them will be entertaining to watch while you wait for the next trip to Patience, Colorado.