Resident Alien TV show

A sci-fi (or Syfy) gem is overlooked

One of TV’s best shows is nearing its “mid-season finale,” getting a fraction of the attention it deserves.
“Resident Alien” (9 p.m. Wednesdays on Syfy) has it all – droll humor, zestful science-fiction, intriguing characters and a talking octopus. Its March 2 episode is another good one, with two more before the show rests after March 16.
Our hero (well, our protagonist) had a simple assignment: Secretly land on Earth, trigger a device to destroy all humans, then return home.
That started smoothly, when he killed a cabin-dwelling loner and assumed his body (shown here). Then the problems began: Part of his kill-everyone device was lost in the crash; he must find or replace it.  Also, Harry (the guy whose body he has) was a doctor who suddenly is needed in town. The new “Harry,” a fast learner, had to take over the clinic. Read more…

It’s an alien world of wit, weirdness and a talking octopus

It’s probably safe to assume the people of Ladysmith are sane souls, living normal lives. They are, after all, Canadian.
So they may not get many sights like this: “Running down the streets of Ladysmith with an octopus was fun to do,” Alan Tudyk told the Television Critics Association. “I think it was popular with the local residents as well.”
We should probably explain that this was a talking octopus in “Resident Alien” (9 p.m. Wednesdays on Syfy, with the second season starting Jan. 26). We should also explain that Tudyk (shown here) plays an alien who came to Earth, killed a doctor and took his human form. He’s supposed to kill all Earthlings, but …
Well, the show requires a lot of explaining. Suffice it to say that it made sense for Tudyk to run through downtown Ladysmith (a Vancouver Island town of 8,500) with a talking octopus, Read more…

No, Dr. Harry isn’t from around here

Like most small towns – well, most small towns in TV shows – Patience, Colo., has odd folks who feel like they don’t fit in.
But in “Resident Alien” (debuting at 10 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27, on Syfy), one guy is far odder than the rest. That’s Dr. Harry Vanderspiegle … or, to be precise, the outer-space alien who killed the doctor and then assumed his human form.
“Everybody has the same experience,” Alice Wetterlund, who plays D’arcy, a friendly bartender, told the Television Critics Association. “We’re all trying to fit in, in our own way.”
It’s just that this Harry (shown here) has to try harder. He’s not from around here. Read more…