7 TV shows like Resident Alien that blend sci-fi, humor, and heart in the most unexpected ways

Chris Sheridan's Resident Alien is a quirky science fiction comedy drama. The series was inspired by the comic book series of the same name by Steve Parkhouse & Peter Hogan. The series, inspired by the comic book by Steve Parkhouse and Peter Hogan, blends alien antics with a small-town mystery. The show is weird, heartfelt, and full of surprises. Resident Alien Season 4 aired on Syfy and USA Network and marked the end of the series, as it began with Harry stuck on the Grey Moonbase, where the threat only mounted. The final season had fewer episodes and gave a clear end to the story. Sheridan told TV Insider,

“I knew going into it that this was likely going to be our final season”

The last episode aired on August 8, 2025. The show was not renewed after that. Sheridan had planned this outcome and gave the fans a proper farewell. The season gave closure to the characters and brought the aliens' journey on Earth to a heartwarming close.

This article is a list of TV series that are comparable to Resident Alien, in case you missed it. From 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996) to Solar Opposites (2020), this article explores various genres, including animated TV shows. So, sit tight, grab your remote, and start watching these TV shows.

Disclaimer: This article contains the writer's opinion. Reader discretion is advised.

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Here is the list of the 7 TV shows like Resident Alien that blend sci-fi, humor, and heart in the most unexpected ways:

7. Solar Opposites (2020)

Solar Opposites is a TV show about four aliens who escape their dying planet and crash land in suburban America. They can't seem to agree on whether Earth is awful or awesome. Korvo and Yumyulack see pollution and human problems. Terry and Jesse love TV, junk food, and all the fun stuff humans enjoy. Viewers might have seen that the aliens had to protect a living supercomputer called the Pupa. One day, it will consume them and transform Earth into a copy of their lost world. Meanwhile, they figured out everyday life with weird alien technology that consistently backfires.

Many people say Solar Opposites feels like Rick and Morty. They share the same creators. The animation seems similar. Jokes are alike. But Solar Opposites still feels different. It has its own story and style. During the pilot episode, Korvo develops an obsession with a character from a TV show named Funbucket and uses alien technology to bring him to life. Much like Harry in Resident Alien, Korvo tries to relate to something from human culture but really doesn't understand it at all. The alien technology causes problems they did not anticipate.

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6. The Neighbors (2012)

The Neighbours is a TV series about the Weaver family, who move into a gated community in New Jersey. They soon find all their neighbours are aliens from the planet Zabvron. They were stuck on Earth waiting for orders to return home after ten years. They have adopted human form and called themselves after legendary athletes such as Larry Bird and Jackie Joyner Kersee. Instead of eating, they absorb food by reading books. The Weavers become the first humans the aliens have really known. Both found that they have more in common than they expected. One IMDb user commented,

“The Neighbours does a pretty good job, but uses wit and timing instead of zaniness and slapstick comedy to get its laughs.”

In season 1, episode 2, the alien neighbors accompany the Weaver family to a shopping mall to buy school attire. Similar to Harry learning to be a doctor in Resident Alien, the Zabvronians try to understand how humans socialise and shop. They make mistakes and create awkward situations. The episode shows the culture clash between alien and human ways.

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5. Eureka (2006)

Eureka, a television drama about a secret town in Oregon, features scientific geniuses who work for the government. U.S. Marshal Jack Carter accidentally discovers the town while taking his rebellious daughter Zoe back to Los Angeles. When the town sheriff gets hurt, Carter becomes the new sheriff of Eureka. He is a man of average intelligence surrounded by brilliant scientists. Every week, their experiments go wrong in dangerous ways. Carter uses common sense and practical thinking to solve problems that the geniuses cannot fix. He appreciates the town and its unusual residents. They discovered that intelligence is not everything. One IMDb user posted a cliché comment.

“Eureka! We've found a new hit show!”

In season 1 episode 11, viewers saw that Jack was having a bad day and wondered if he should stay in Eureka. Well, his smart house, which is called S.A.R.A.H., takes matters into her own hands to convince him to stay. Similarly, Harry of Resident Alien felt emotional for the first time. Jack doubts that he belongs in a place where everyone else is smarter. The series shows that persistence and heart matter more than pure intelligence or following the rules to the letter.

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4. The Orville (2017)

The Orville is set 400 years in the future on a spaceship in the Planetary Union. Captain Ed Mercer commands the mid-level exploratory vessel known as the Orville. His ex-wife, Kelly, becomes his first officer. The crew consists of humans and aliens exploring the galaxy together, facing cosmic dangers, and discovering strange alien civilisations. The show never stops being funny while still telling serious stories of morality, relationships, and what it means to be human. Each episode can be an adventure, but may also have some heartbreaking moments about friendship and growing up.

In this episode, "Lasting Impressions", helmsman Gordon Malloy finds a time capsule from 2015 with a woman's smartphone. He is then captivated by Laura (the owner of the phone) and develops a hologram simulation of her. He ultimately deeply falls in love with Laura. Gordon, like Harry in Resident Alien, learns to care for humanity despite his purpose to eliminate them. He has genuine love for someone who should mean nothing to him.

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3. Upload (2020)

Upload is a TV show where people can actually upload their minds and keep living in a digital afterlife. Nathan Brown, a computer programmer, dies in a car crash. His controlling girlfriend, Ingrid, doesn’t hesitate to send him to Lakeview, which was a fancy, overpriced virtual heaven. Nathan was not exactly thrilled. Corporate greed is everywhere, and Ingrid’s always hovering, trying to run his afterlife too. But things get interesting once Nathan meets Nora, his customer service “angel” from the real world. Their attraction against each other clicked, and he started falling for her, even though they’re technically in different realities. Together, they started digging into Nathan’s so-called accident, and it turns out there’s way more to it. The show keeps you guessing that there’s romance, there’s mystery, and plenty of dark jokes as they get tangled up in corporate cover-ups tied to Nathan’s unfinished software.

In one standout episode, “The Funeral,” Nathan watches his own funeral from the digital side, while Nora goes in person. The whole thing was a catastrophe, with his friends leaving early and Ingrid giving a speech that seemed to be about someone else entirely. If you’ve seen Resident Alien, you’ll get a similar vibe. Harry from Resident Alien initially does not care about humans, but he gradually learns what it is to love and lose. Nathan goes through the same experience, realising that even in a virtual world, love and connection still matter.

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2. Red Dwarf (1988)

Red Dwarf is a TV series about Dave Lister, the last human left in the universe. He wakes up from stasis to find himself three million years in the future, all alone. A radiation leak wiped out everyone else on his mining ship, except for him. Now, his only company is Holly, the ship’s slightly deranged computer, and Rimmer, his old roommate, who’s been brought back as a hologram. Viewers saw a Cat in the show, which evolved from Lister’s pregnant cat over millions of years. This odd bunch wanders through deep space, bumping into weird lifeforms, getting trapped in time loops, and stumbling into all sorts of bizarre trouble. The show’s a comedy, but it sneaks in real warmth, too. These misfits, as strange and lonely as they are, end up building a kind of family together.

“Red Dwarf is probably one of the most entertaining TV shows ever made.”

In the first episode, “The End,” Lister wakes up to a nightmare, and everyone he ever knew is gone, and he’s really the last human left. He’s got to wrap his head around that loneliness. It’s a bit like Harry in Resident Alien, where he’s not just trying to survive, he’s trying to figure out how to connect with others who aren’t like him at all. Slowly, Lister discovers how to live with his oddball companions.

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1. 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996)

This TV show is about four aliens on a secret research mission to Earth. They show up disguised as a human family in small-town Ohio. The High Commander takes on the role of Dr Dick Solomon, a physics professor. The security expert becomes Sally, his “sister.” Tommy, the information specialist, passes as a teenager. And Harry, another alien, pretends to be the brother. These aliens have no clue about human feelings until they land here.

In the pilot, the aliens arrive and get hit with a flood of brand-new emotions. Dick can’t make sense of his crush on Mary. All of them are baffled by the way humans act and by feelings they’ve never experienced before. Like Harry from Resident Alien, these newcomers have to fake their way through emotions they don’t really get.

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