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'Resident Alien' and 7 more underrated sci-fi shows you need to check out
Looking for a sci-fi show that's somehow flown under your radar? We've got you covered!
Who doesn't love an underdog? The beaten, the down-and-out, the supposed "losers." Not everything is appreciated in its time, as you'll come to understand from our list of underrated science fiction shows that have graced the airwaves of the 21st century. It's the least we could do with Resident Alien about to return for its second season on SYFY this week!
The sci-fi genre is a conduit through which to explore the weak points of our society. Whether the public is always ready and willing to pay attention is another story entirely. From alternate realities, to secret clones, to dinosaurs trying to eat children, you won't want to sleep on any of these small screen programs.
Resident Alien (2021)
The doctor will see you now. Doctor Harry Vanderspeigle, that is. Except that he's not a doctor. Hell, he's not even human! Based on the bestselling Dark Horse comic of the same name, Resident Alien unfolds in the sleepy — and snowy — town of Patience, Colorado where a fish-out-of-water-alien (played by a pitch-perfect Alan Tudyk) attempts to blend in as a fellow member of our bipedal species. As you might expect, things do not go at all according to plan. Season 2 of the hit series premieres on SYFY Wednesday, Jan. 26 at 9 p.m. EST.
The complete first season of Resident Alien is streaming on Peacock and on the SYFY app
Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous (2020)
We get it — this show seems like it's geared toward children. And while that's true to a certain extent, we highly recommend that you don't let Camp Cretaceous pass you by. With Steven Spielberg on board as an executive producer, the storytelling does not disappoint, building on the new-generation mythology crafted by Colin Trevorrow (also an executive producer) and introducing new concepts that feel straight out of the late Michael Crichton's imagination.
Seasons 1-4 of Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous are streaming on Netflix
Beforeigners (2019)
What if immigrants began to enter a country not from a different nation, but from a different time period altogether? That is the central premise that lies behind this criminally underrated neo-noir mystery series from Norway. Who wouldn't want to see a modern day homicide cop trying to solve a murder with a Viking detective as a partner? Plus, the opening theme song is all kinds of fire.
Seasons 1-2 of Beforeigners are streaming on HBO Max
Dark (2017)
Slightly overshadowed by its more popular American cousin, Stranger Things, Dark is a must-watch for anyone who considers themselves a fan of Hawkins, Indiana. The German-language series trades in the very same concepts as the Duffer Brothers: a nostalgic period setting and a questionable science experiment that rocks a small town to its core.
All three seasons of Dark are streaming on Netflix
The Man in the High Castle (2015)
Loosely based on the seminal alternate history novel penned by Phillip K. Dick, The Man in the High Castle takes place in a grim reinterpretation of the mid-20th century where the Axis powers won the Second World War. Spoiler alert: it ain't pretty. When mysterious film reels of an Allied victory start to crop up — giving the conquered American people a semblance of hope and a spark of their old revolutionary spirit — the Nazis and agents of Imperial Japan rush to prevent the U.S. from doing what it does best: rebel.
All four seasons of The Man in the High Castle are streaming on Prime Video
Orphan Black (2013)
Before Tatiana Maslany makes her MCU debut as Jennifer Walters in She-Hulk on Disney+, head back to the series that made her a star in the first place. The actress shows her versatility, playing a cadre of scattered clones living separate lives throughout. Normally, that wouldn't be an issue, except for the fact that they were all the result of an illicit cloning experiment and... oh yeah, it's on the tip of our tongue... someone is trying to kill them!
All five seasons of Orphan Black are streaming on AMC+
Almost Human (2013)
It is an absolute crying shame that Fox did not renew Almost Human for a second season. Created by J.H. Wyman (Debris) and produced by the illustrious J.J. Abrams, the RoboCop-meets-Blade Runner project focuses on the budding professional relationship between jaded police officer, John Kennex (a pre-The Boys Karl Urban), and his android partner, Dorian (Westworld's Michael Ealy). John doesn't trust machines one bit, but he'll come to learn that they're not as bad they seem as he and Dorian team up to solve all kinds of future-crimes. Oh, and Abrams composed the theme music. How cool is that?
The complete first season of Almost Human is streaming on Tubi
Fringe (2008)
The second entry on our list to be produced and scored by the talented Mr. Abrams, Fringe is among some of the most well-known cult shows in television history. In addition to his other roles, Abrams also co-created this series with eventual Star Trek screenwriters, Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman. As its title suggest, the narrative exists on the outskirts of known and unknown. "A fifth dimension dimension beyond that which is known to man," as Rod Serling might say. Anna Torv stars as Olivia Dunman, an FBI agent who explores unexplained and dangerous phenomena with Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble) and his son, Peter (Joshua Jackson).
All five seasons of Fringe are streaming on Prime Video.
