My Favorite Martian, Mork & Mindy, ALF
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1. Darker Take On The Main Character: This alien is assigned with destroying the human race.
2. Darker Premise: The alien in question has crash-landed near the tiny Colorado town of Patience, where he has secretly murdered and assumed the form of a reclusive doctor. He soon gets dragged into the town s business, however, when its local physician is found murdered. (Not the doctor whom the alien murdered, you follow? Entirely different doctor.)
3. Format: SYFY s
Resident Alien, based on a Dark Horse Comics series by writer Peter Hogan and artist Steve Parkhouse, is not a classic sitcom, but an hourlong comedy/drama. (This first season is made up of ten episodes, the first seven of which were made available to press.)
That there is nothing novel about the basic premise of “Resident Alien,” a showcase for actor Alan Tudyk premiering Thursday on Syfy, is not a problem. Indeed, in its very familiarity the template extraterrestrial(s) stranded on and/or infiltrating Earth hides its/their identity becomes almost a blank slate, allowing as many variations as “Two people with different temperaments live together,” the mulch from which a thousand comedies have bloomed. “Mork & Mindy,” “The Coneheads,” “The Brother From Another Planet,” “Roswell,” the “Roswell” reboot, “The Neighbors,” “Invader Zim” and for that matter Superman are among the many examples to spring from that well.
At its best, SyFy’s “Resident Alien” reminded me of the folksy charm of “Northern Exposure,” one of my favorite dramedies of all time. The writing isn’t quite of that caliber it too often goes for easy character beats instead of nuanced storytelling but this is a consistently likable show at a time when people could use something comfortable and easy. And there’s enough talent and potential in it that it could still develop into something even richer and deeper. It works from a premise that allows a bit of everything from sci-fi to murder mystery to fish-out-of-water comedy, and seems primed to be a needed hit for SyFy, a throwback to other basic cable dramedies that served as comfort food for millions.
“Resident Alien”
Cast: Alan Tudyk (“Firefly,” “A Knight’s Tale”), Sara Tomko (“Sneaky Pete”), Alice Wetterlund (“Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates”), Corey Reynolds (“The Closer”), Levi Fiehler (“The Fosters”), Linda Hamilton (“The Terminator”)
Airs: The series premieres Wednesday on Syfy.
The premise: Harry Vanderspeigle (Alan Tudyk) is an alien scientist who has crash landed on Earth and disguises himself as a human doctor. He has a secret mission to kill all humans, but when Harry begins to assimilate into his new world he starts to wrestle with the moral dilemma of his clandestine operation.
RESIDENT ALIEN Pilot Episode 101 Pictured: (l-r) Corey Reynolds, Sara Tomko and Alan Tudyk - (Photo by: James Dittinger/SYFY)
“Resident Alien”
Cast: Alan Tudyk (“Firefly,” “A Knight’s Tale”), Sara Tomko (“Sneaky Pete”), Alice Wetterlund (“Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates”), Corey Reynolds (“The Closer”), Levi Fiehler (“The Fosters”), Linda Hamilton (“The Terminator”)
Airs: The series premieres Wednesday on Syfy.
The premise: Harry Vanderspeigle (Alan Tudyk) is an alien scientist who has crash landed on Earth and disguises himself as a human doctor. He has a secret mission to kill all humans, but when Harry begins to assimilate into his new world he starts to wrestle with the moral dilemma of his clandestine operation.
RESIDENT ALIEN Pilot Episode 101 Pictured: (l-r) Corey Reynolds, Sara Tomko and Alan Tudyk - (Photo by: James Dittinger/SYFY)