Resident Alien has been a delight since its premiere in 2021, seamlessly blending situational comedy with sci-fi world-building and a quirky imagination. Season 3, perhaps its best yet, premiered more than one year ago, and fans are eagerly awaiting Season 4 as the show heads to the USA Network.
There’s a kindness and a deep understanding of the human condition laced throughout that show, and it constantly reminds me of possibly my favorite sci-fi comedy on television, a very similar (and arguably even better) series from 2016 that aired on TBS. It developed a small but loyal cult following in Season 2 after word-of-mouth spread, and was renewed for Season 3. Until it wasn’t.
Extraterrestrials and People of Earth
People of Earth was one of the rare shows that critics and audiences agreed was great; it currently has an 89% critics’ score and an 86% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Created by David Jenkins (Our Flag Means Death) and executive produced by Greg Daniels (Parks and Recreation) and Conan O’Brien, the series was grounded by a wonderful, acclaimed cast, with two of them (Michael Cassidy and Alice Wetterlund) going on to star in Resident Alien.
The cast included two former cast members of The Office (Oscar Nuñez and Paul Lieberstein), two former SNL stars (Ana Gasteyer and Nasim Pedrad), two comedy legends (H. Jon Benjamin and Brian Huskey), a future Oscar winner (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), and a Daily Show correspondent (Wyatt Cenac), and they all mixed perfectly with each other.
Related
10 Underrated Sci-Fi Comedy Shows Not Enough People Talk About
Sci-fi comedy blends societal critique with humor, making dystopian fears digestible, and these underrated shows helped redefine the genre.
The storyline generally oscillates between a support group on Earth for people who have encountered or been abducted by aliens (called “StarCrossed”) and a crew of literal aliens aboard a “Sub-Ship” in space. The extraterrestrials on the ship are of different species — there’s Jeff, who is a grey (the traditional image of squat, gray aliens with giant eyes); Don, a white (a Nordic-looking humanoid); and Kurt, a reptilian (the classic conspiratorial reptiloid that can disguise itself as humans). They’re a bumbling collection of creatures.
The Comedy of Kindness
The series tracked a collision course between the StarCrossed members and the Sup-Ship crew as their fates become intertwined. The humans in the support group are an interesting mix, from socially respectable people who hide their alien encounters from the public to out-and-out sign-waving alien enthusiasts. Some people in the group may have a genuine mental illness, and others may be using the group and the belief in aliens as a way to avoid their personal problems, like a divorce. People of Earth becomes an existential masterpiece in the way it examines how we choose to live our lives after life-altering “events,” and why we believe in certain things.
Related
The Best Sci-Fi Comedies, Ranked
The genres of comedy and science fiction have blended for decades. Which sci-fi comedy reigns supreme?!
The show never mocks its characters, though, and the humor is never cruel. Like Resident Alien, People of Earth has a warmth and joyful compassion to it that would probably make Earth a very inviting place for aliens. In the real world, we’re pretty awful and deserve a lethal alien invasion, but in the quiet down of Beacon, New York in People of Earth, kindness and curiosity are virtues, and you truly want to spend more time with these people as each episode ends. The show felt like the natural evolution of the sort of “comedy of kindness” that had been set in motion around Season 2 of The Office and developed through Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Schitt’s Creek.
People of Earth was also the highlight of one of the best comedy seasons of any television station. For whatever reason, TBS launched a variety of brilliant, unique scripted comedies in 2016. There was the hilarious Airplane!-style comedy spoof Angie Tribeca with Rashida Jones; the raunchy but sweet road trip comedy The Detour with husband-and-wife creators Jason Jones and Samantha Bee; the utterly captivating satirical mystery Search Party with Alia Shawkat; and the more-hits-than-misses anthology comedy The Guest Book, which could be considered the prototype for The White Lotus. It was truly a year to remember.
Related: ‘Resident Alien’ Season 4 Release Date Teased by Alan Tudyk
‘People of Earth’ Season 3
Release Date
2016 – 2016
Network
TBS
Directors
Ian Fitzgibbon
Writers
David Jenkins
-
Ana Gasteyer
Gina Morrison
The main storyline and different character arcs of People of Earth became more complicated and enthralling as it went on, leading to an epic Season 2 finale. We put our trust in the creators for another great season, and we waited. The show was renewed and, over the next nine months, the new season was written; everything seemed to be in place for a great Season 3. Suddenly, on June 8, 2018, creator David Jenkins announced that the series was axed:
TBS had gotten cold feet and reversed their renewal, canceling the show and the hopes of its audience. Sadly, this means that People of Earth ends on a very incomplete, troubling note. But don’t let that (and TBS’ financial decision) ruin all the beauty which came before the finale.
The Perfect Holdover Until ‘Resident Alien’ Season 4
While People of Earth was streaming for a bit on Hulu (and found a whole new audience of enamored fans, who took to Reddit to celebrate the show), it is not streaming anywhere as of March 2025. However, individual episodes and whole seasons are available to purchase on digital platforms like YouTube, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, and on Prime Video through the link below. I encourage you to check it out; it’s probably the best thing to hold you over while you wait for Season 4 of Resident Alien.
You can view the original article HERE.
