EXCLUSIVE: Just over a month after Season 3 of Resident alien I hear the future of the quirky sci-fi comedy-drama is uncertain. And there is some intrigue over where the Alan Tudyk-starring series will continue should there be a fourth season.
I’ve heard there’s talk about it Resident alien Moving from Syfy to sister NBCU cable network USA Network, which also currently has no scripted originals Chucky, which it shares with Syfy. According to sources, a return to Syfy seems unlikely, as does the US Resident alienis the only possible destination within NBCU, whose UCP division is producing the adaptation of the comic by Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse.
But a possible US pickup of season four would involve a significant budget cut, up to $500,000 per episode, which I’ve heard will be a challenge.
Budgets in basic cable have always been modest. Given the economic reality of ad-supported cable networks, which have been hit hard by cord-cutting and the general decline of linear television, they are now facing additional scrutiny.
As Deadline exclusively reported in December, USA is exploring a return of its Blue Sky drama brand with hour-long shows with budgets capped at $2 million to $3 million per episode.
Right now the focus is on trying to maintain Resident alien at NBCU, I hear. If that proves impossible, UCP, part of Universal Studio Group, is expected to explore other options, particularly a move to Netflix. The streamer released seasons 1 and 2 of Resident alien on February 13, a day before the third season premieres on Syfy, with availability the next day on Peacock, where the show’s library is also located.
The well-reviewed series (the first two seasons had a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes) landed on several must-watch lists, and Season 1 made Netflix’s top 10 English-language series in its first five weeks of release.
A move to Netflix would be challenging due to the patchwork of international rights that need to be untangled Resident alien has performed strongly internationally for NBCU and is available in numerous territories. Netflix went through this with Warner Bros. TV Lucifer and with eOne on Designated Survivor. Universal Television, a subsidiary of Universal Studio Group, just did it for comedy series Girl5Evawhich moved from domestic streamer Peacock to Netflix for Season 3.
Created by Chris Sheridan based on the comic, Resident alien The focus is on the title character, played by Tudyk, who is sent to wipe out humanity on Earth. However, over time, he develops compassion for his hosts and begins to defend them from other alien threats while working as a doctor in a small Colorado town.
Sara Tomko, Corey Reynolds, Alice Wetterlund, Levi Fiehler, Judah Prehn and Elizabeth Bowen also star.
Sheridan, Mike Richardson, Keith Goldberg, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, David Dobkin and Robert Duncan McNeill are executive producers. Jocko Productions, Amblin Television and Dark Horse Entertainment are producing with UCP.