5 best shows like 'Resident Alien' to watch after you finish the show

Resident Alien
(Image credit: Syfy)

Season 3 of SyFy's "Resident Alien" just launched this Valentine's Day and is still airing. Yet, fans can't get enough of it. The launch of the first two seasons on Netflix was just the ingredient needed to make this science-fiction comedy-drama a major hit. 

Where to stream 'Resident Alien'

"Resident Alien" seasons 1-2 are streaming on Netflix.

Season 3 episodes are available on Peacock.

The series tells the story of an alien that crash lands in a small Colorado town and takes on the identity of a local doctor, Dr. Harry Vanderspeigel (Alan Tudyk). He gets pulled into helping the town, trying to act like a human along the way. However, things get complicated when he realizes someone can see his true identity.

There's plenty to enjoy about the show, so it's no surprise that "Resident Alien" has pulled in such a big audience. If you aren't quite used to waiting for weekly episodes to see what happens next, we're sharing other shows like "Resident Alien" you can binge-watch while you wait.

'Dark Matter'

If the science fiction element of "Resident Alien" is what you liked, then consider watching "Dark Matter." Set in the 27th century, the show is about a group of six people who wake up in a spaceship called Raza. They have no idea who they are or how they got there. They decide to name each other One through Six, and discover the only information they have available is that the cargo hold is filled with weapons. The team also has a destination: a distant mining colony about to become a war zone. 

The series was inspired by a graphic novel created by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie and published by Dark Horse Comics. The show lasted for three seasons and came to an end in 2017, giving its fans quite a shock and a desire for more. That alone should give some indication this is a series worth watching.

Watch on The CW

'The Umbrella Academy'

If you like the humor and sci-fi blend found in "Resident Alien," you'll love "The Umbrella Academy." It's about 43 infants who are born to random, seemingly unconnected women who weren't pregnant even the day before. Billionaire Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore) adopts seven of them, creating The Umbrella Academy with a mission that the children would save the world.

Of course, that plan doesn't quite go according to plan. The family splinters and the world isn't exactly saved. Jump ahead 30 years later, six of the children reunite as adults upon hearing of Hargreeves' death. Their meeting is complicated by an upcoming apocalypse. The series has been nominated for numerous awards, including seven Primetime Emmys, making it a show you don't want to miss.

Watch on Netflix

'People of Earth'

Created by David Jenkins, this series offers another fantastic blend of humor and sci-fi by focusing on people who are in a support group, called StarCrossed, for people abducted by aliens in the town of Beacon, New York. Experienced journalist Ozzie Graham (Wyatt Cenac) is a skeptic who travels to the area to investigate further. However, the more he hears, the more he begins to wonder if he had his own personal encounter with aliens.

The series has plenty of quirky and bizarre characters for you to enjoy. "Saturday Night Live" star Ana Gasteyer plays Gina Morrison, the group's leader. "The Office" alum Oscar Nunez is a priest who allows the group to meet at his church. You are sure to have plenty of laughs in the show. Unfortunately, it was only on for two seasons, although a third was planned before it got canceled.

Rent/buy on Amazon or Apple

'Killjoys'

This is another show that originally aired on the Syfy channel. It focuses on a trio of bounty hunters who work for R.A.C. (Reclamation Apprehension Coalition), and often refer to themselves as Killjoys. The fun-loving and hard-living trio work within the Quad, which is a highly populated four-planet-and-moon system that is controlled by an interplanetary organization. The group fights to remain neutral in the midst of a burgeoning multi-planetary war, their own past begins to haunt them. 

Despite the intense action vibe of the plot, it's truly an enjoyable and even somewhat light-hearted show that complements "Resident Alien" as a follow-up. There's just enough comedy throughout without distracting from the show's story. It had some mixed reviews, but for those who are their ideal audience, you'll enjoy it all the way through.

Rent/buy on Amazon or Apple

'Sanctuary'

Society advancing seems like a good thing ... right? Until you watch a series like "Sanctuary" that opens up your mind to the idea that an evolving definition of "humanity" may not always be a good thing. Amanda Tapping stars as Dr. Helen Magnus, a 157-year-old teratologist whose team runs an organization called Sanctuary that searches for Abnormals. These are the powerful creatures and people that most of society dismisses. However, the group is trying to find these very real beings and help them, as well as try to tame the more dangerous ones.

It's hard to believe this series started as a web series first. SyFy channel picked it up and transformed it into a four-season running show. It even won numerous Primetime Emmy nominations. 

Watch on Freevee or Roku Channel

More from Tom's Guide

Writer

Nicole Pyles is a writer in Portland, Oregon. She loves movies, especially Lifetime movies, obscure TV movies, and disaster flicks. Her writing has been featured in Better Homes and Gardens, Mental Floss, WOW! Women on Writing, Ripley's Believe it or Not, and more. When she isn't watching movies, she's spending time with family, reading, and writing short stories. Say hi on Twitter @BeingTheWriter.

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