SyFy has a new show called Resident Alien debuting on Jan 27 and it stands as the last true piece of science fiction on the network.
Resident Alien, a new series by SyFy, will debut on Jan. 27 and may feature the last true attempt by the network to appeal to science fiction fans. SyFy has seen their programming change drastically from the mid-2000’s era that saw them bless science fiction fans everywhere with shows like the Battlestar Galactica reboot, Eureka, Warehouse 13, Stargate SG-1, and other great pieces of science fiction. Sure they dabbled elsewhere, mostly in the supernatural, with shows like the American version of Being Human, Ghost Hunters, and Haven but they were mostly still a science fiction network. They would regularly replay Star Trek and Doctor Who episodes while focusing on catering to their core audience.
Then some dweeb decided to ruin it for everyone.
Gone were science fiction series and inserted were comic adaptation after comic adaptation after comic adaptation. Some have hit, sure but most haven’t. Beyond that, SyFy is now attempting to re-imagine itself as a CW meets Cartoon Swim branded network for the Millenial/Zoomer crowd.
That’s why a series like Resident Alien matters so much because it features one of the last true science fiction properties left on the network that isn’t steeped in fantasy or horror. While it’s based on a comic, sure, so was Dark Matter and that was excellent science fiction.
Dark Matter didn’t get a fourth season and after Killjoys was canceled, there wasn’t much left that stood as true science fiction.
Now there’s a chance. Possibly SyFy’s last chance to remind its audience that they care about science fiction still. The premise of the Resident Alien is rather interesting. An alien crash lands on Earth and kills a doctor played by Alan Tudyk to take his form. Now the alien, as Tudyk, has to put his ship back together while managing to avoid detection. It’s like ET if ET murdered Elliot and walked around in an Elliot-meat-suit.
The visual effects and practical effects for the series seem amazing and Tudyk was a great get for the show. That said, SyFy has moved so far away from what drove it to success a decade ago, that this may be the last hurrah of genuine, true blue, science fiction on the network.
Apparently, that stuff just isn’t “cool” enough anymore. Here’s hoping that Resident Alien is as good as it should be and gets the audience it deserves.