There are certain actors who, thanks to a career’s worth of indelible performances, we will gladly follow from project to project. Alan Tudyk is one such actor. A geek staple, Tudyk has garnered fans thanks to his performances in Firefly, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, Doom Patrol, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (to name a few).
Now, Tudyk stars in the upcoming Syfy comedy series Resident Alien, where he plays an alien who takes over a small town’s medical practice. The synopsis reads: “The stranded, curious alien known as Dr. Harry (Alan Tudyk) tends to patients in the sleepy town of Patience, Washington. Questions about the town’s previous doctor arise when a strange briefcase is found leading to the crash of the alien vessel sent to destroy the Earth.”
The series is based on the Dark Horse comic book series of the same name created by Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse, which follows alien biologist Hah Re, whose vessel is shot down and crash lands on Earth. Using his empathic powers to distort his physical appearance, Hah Re takes on the name Harry Vanderspeigle and becomes a doctor in a quiet town. Thanks to his love of mysteries, Harry finds himself solving crimes while being pursued by a secret government agency.
Resident Alien is written and executive produced by Chris Sheridan (Family Guy). In addition to Tudyk, it also stars Linda Hamilton as General McCallister, “a high-ranking official who seemingly plays by the rules and runs a tight ship but secretly oversees a covert operation looking for aliens.”
Joining her are Mandell Maughan (Bajillion Dollar Propertie$), Alex Barima (Riverdale), Levi Fiehler (The Fosters), Sara Tomko (Once Upon a Time) and Alice Wetterlund (People of Earth).
Resident Alien will join an ever-growing slate of sci-fi/comedy hybrids, which include Avenue 5, The Orville, Rick and Morty, and more. The genre crossover is a tricky blend to balance. At its best, we get shows like My Favorite Martian, Mork & Mindy, Futurama, and 3rd Rock From the Sun. At its worst, we get Homeboys in Outer Space and Marvin Marvin.
Given the popularity of genre content and the everlasting appeal of comedy, it’s frustrating that some truly excellent shows of this genre never quite find the audience they deserve. Even superhero comedies struggle in the wake of massive superhero proliferation: just look at Powerless or the cancellation of The Tick.
Resident Alien will have to contend with the ruthless and competitive golden age of content, but with Tudyk at the center and a strong ensemble cast, here’s hoping that the series will garner an audience. After all, who doesn’t want to watch Tudyk as a crime-solving alien doctor?
Resident Alien premieres on Syfy in Summer 2020.
(via Syfy)
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