TV Talk: Eureka! Syfy debuts comedic drama ‘Resident Alien’

Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a viewing tip for the coming week.

With media companies prioritizing streaming services over their basic cable networks, the number of original scripted shows on cable has started to decline.

Other than “The Magicians,” which ended last year, Syfy’s scripted originals have mostly dwindled to Canadian imports (like “Wynonna Earp”) and low-budget, late-night animation. That alone makes new drama “Resident Alien” (10 p.m. Wednesday) a potential treat for cable subscribers.

Better yet, “Resident Alien” is pretty entertaining thanks largely to an oddball lead performance by sci-fi vet Alan Tudyk (“Firefly,” “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”) and quirky characters concocted by writer/showrunner Chris Sheridan (“Family Guy,” “Titus”).

Tonally, “Resident Alien” harks back to the light drama vibe of Syfy’s “Eureka” (2006-12).

Tudyk stars as an alien on a secret mission whose spaceship crashed to earth outside fictional Patience, Colo., (played by Ladysmith on Vancouver Island, British Columbia). The alien murders Harry Vanderspeigle and assumes Harry’s identity and human appearance, except to a tiny fraction of Earth’s population who can see him as the multi-colored alien he truly is.

We’ve seen the fish-out-of-water alien story many times but “Resident Alien,” based on a Dark Horse Comics series, benefits tremendously from Tudyk’s game portrayal. From sardonic and slightly obtuse line readings to mischievous facial expressions and a nasally, forced laugh, the actor imbues Harry with alien-trying-to-act-human traits from the start.

Writer Sheridan, who’s primarily worked in comedies before this show, brings an off-kilter approach to many of the characters, including beat boxing, insecure town sheriff Mike “Big Black” Thompson (Corey Reynolds) and timid-but-trustworthy deputy Liv Baker (Elizabeth Bowen, last seen as scene-stealing Cousin Fran on Amazon’s “Upload”).

“Resident Alien” also benefits from a medical franchise component — Harry gets recruited to be the town’s doctor in the premiere — and a murder mystery (who killed the previous town doc?).

The serialized spine of the 10-episode first season is the murder mystery, Harry’s attempts to find his damaged, buried-in-snow spaceship so he can complete his intended mission and Harry’s assimilation and growing, grudging respect for humankind, particular through the friendship he develops with his office nurse, Asta Twelvetrees (Sara Tomko, “Sneaky Pete”).

The combination of Tudyk’s otherworldly performance and Sheridan’s execution of stories running on multiple, parallel tracks make “Resident Alien” a welcome addition to the dwindling ranks of scripted basic cable originals.