‘Chicago Fire’ Knocked off Streaming Spot by Alan Tudyk’s 98% Rotten Tomatoes Sci-Fi Series

   

The aliens have landed, and they’ve burned through Chicago Fire’s long-held streaming stronghold. Resident Alien, the quirky sci-fi dramedy led by genre chameleon Alan Tudyk, has officially dethroned NBC’s Chicago Fire to take the No. 7 spot on Peacock’s Top 10 TV shows.

Not only has the SyFy/USA crossover hit surged in popularity following its Season 4 premiere on June 6, but it's now poised to knock Chicago P.D. out of the No. 6 position, continuing what might be a full-on extraterrestrial takeover of the streamer’s algorithm.

Powered by a nearly spotless 98% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, Resident Alien has proven it’s far more than a niche sci-fi sideshow. With its biting humor, the series has grown from fan-favorite to legitimate streaming contender, and Tudyk is, unsurprisingly, at the center of it all. With a resume reading like a Comic-Con greatest hits list, Tudyk brings his signature brand of awkward charm to the role of Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle, an alien who crash-lands on Earth and assumes the identity of a small-town doctor while secretly plotting humanity’s extinction. Classic alien invasion stuff… until he develops an inconvenient fondness for the very species he planned to annihilate.

The Firefly alum has long been a fan-favorite for his genre-spanning roles, from the comical pilot Wash in Joss Whedon’s space Western to the dryly heroic droid K-2SO in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Andor. Add in his comedic stints in A Knight’s TaleDodgeball, and a long list of animated credits (Wreck-It RalphMoanaWish, and the upcoming Moana 2), and it’s clear that Tudyk is one of Hollywood’s most versatile performers.

Who Else Stars With Alan Tudyk in 'Resident Alien'?

Alongside Alan Tudyk, Resident Alien features a talented ensemble cast, including Sara Tomko as Asta Twelvetrees, the compassionate nurse who becomes Harry’s closest human connection. Before Resident Alien, Tomko appeared in genre favorites like Once Upon a Time and The LeftoversCorey Reynolds, best known for his acclaimed run as Sgt. David Gabriel in The Closer, plays Sheriff Mike Thompson. Alice Wetterlund, a standout from HBO’s Silicon Valley and the TBS cult sci-fi comedy People of Earth, is electric as D’Arcy Bloom – the small-town bartender with Olympic dreams and a fierce loyalty to her friends.

Levi Fiehler, who takes on the role of sweetly awkward Mayor Ben Hawthorne, previously starred in The Fosters and MarsElizabeth Bowen, known for her work in Upload and Woke, plays Deputy Liv Baker, the soft-spoken but perceptive officer who often sees what others miss. Rounding out the ensemble is a recurring lineup of actors like Gary Farmer (Reservation Dogs), who plays Asta’s wise and grounded father Dan; Mandell Maughan (Bajillion Dollar Propertie$) as government agent Lisa Casper; and Alex Barima (Supernatural) as CIA operative David Logan.