TV shows that mix the best sci-fi movies and TV shows explore the trouble that arises from space travel or technological advancements.

Such elements can be overwhelming when presented as a dramatic warning. However, when they're combined with comedy, as seen in series like Avenue 5 and Inside Job, the sharp social commentary is delivered through eccentric characters and absurd plots. Many of the best sci-fi comedies also employ a heavy amount of self-aware humor that playfully pokes fun at the tropes and seriousness associated with the sci-fi genre. Despite being largely overlooked for many years, these sci-fi comedies hold up well against popular series and are just as worthy of love.

10 Avenue 5 (2020-2022)

A Space Cruise Ship Is Thrown Off Course

Director and producer Armando Iannucci is known best for his work in the political satire and sitcom genres and went in an exciting, though somewhat familiar, creative direction for Avenue 5. The sci-fi comedy series was cut short after two seasons but has a well-executed story in its 17 episodes that is still deserving of attention. Avenue 5 follows the eponymous interplanetary cruise ship after it veers off course, leaving its crew to find a solution to keep engers safe.

Hugh Laurie plays the captain of the series' ship and is ed by talented comedic actors such as Josh Gad, Zach Woods, and Suzy Nakamura. The premise of Iannucci's show has been explored in plenty of other sci-fi series before, but Avenue 5 is hilarious but remains widely underrated.

9 People Of Earth (2016-2017)

People Who Experience Alien Abductions Come Together

Many alien abduction stories appear too eccentric to be true, leaving a majority of people to feel skeptical, including People of Earth's protagonist, journalist Ozzie Graham (Wyatt Cenac). The TBS sitcom follows Ozzie as he makes his way to Beacon, New York, to interview of the StarCrossed group, which is made up of people who claim to be survivors of alien encounters. Ozzie is initially unsure of whether to believe the stories, but he soon realizes they align with a few of his personal experiences.

People of Earth's setup is unique, and while alien encounters are a key part of the narrative, the series is able to stay grounded due to its lighthearted humor and relatable Beacon residents.

Along with the heavy amount of humor throughout the show, there is also an overarching mystery revolving around Ozzie's connection to aliens and the purpose the extraterrestrial beings serve on Earth. People of Earth's setup is unique, and while alien encounters are a key part of the narrative, the series is able to stay grounded due to its lighthearted humor and relatable Beacon residents.

8 The Middleman (2008)

An Average Woman Trains To Be The Next World-Saving Hero

Based on Javier Grillo-Marxuach's comic series of the same name, The Middleman follows struggling artist Wendy Watson (Natalie Morales) after she's recruited by a secret agency made to fight evil forces. Wendy teams up with the titular Middleman (Matt Keeslar), who is a sort of hero that faces various threats, including supernatural beings and violent aliens. The Middleman sees the two training together, whilst Wendy tries her hardest to balance her normal life with her job of saving the world.

The Middleman has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

With only 12 episodes to its name, it's no wonder The Middleman hasn't received much love over the years. The lack of attention towards the ABC Family series is unfortunate because there's a ton of potential in its one season. The Middleman received positive remarks regarding its pop culture references, dialogue, and sense of humor. Grillo-Marxuach's show is aware of the seriousness associated with typical superhero and sci-fi stories and uses humor to pivot away from this.

7 Inside Job (2021-2022)

A Shadow Government Organization Manages Famous Conspiracies

Conspiracy theories have always been fascinating, with people continuing to go back and forth on whether these theories have any truth to them. The animated sci-fi comedy Inside Job explains that the events such theories are based on were orchestrated by Cognito, Inc., a shadow government organization. Reagan Ridley (Lizzy Caplan), an employer of Cognito Inc., acts as the series' protagonist and is characterized by her poor social skills and her desire to make the world a better place.

Inside Job is tasked with entertaining audiences with the presented conspiracy theories, which include the Moon landing and the flat Earth belief, while also ensuring they are invested in Reagan and her co-workers. Such a combination is better executed thanks to the series' clever writing. The jokes throughout the show are witty and get a well-earned laugh from audiences. However, Inside Job also aims to critique capitalism and politics in the workplace. Despite its promising future, Inside Job was canceled and never received a proper ending.

6 Eureka (2006-2012)

Many Of The United States' Smartest Scientists Reside In Eureka

Though the fictional world of Eureka may not be as complex as those in other sci-fi series, there is still plenty to love about it. The show follows Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson), a U.S. Marshal turned town sheriff, as he stumbles across the fictional titular town in Oregon. Residents of Eureka are scientific geniuses who are constantly experimenting and contributing to major scientific and technological breakthroughs. Jack initially feels out of place because he's not nearly as informed as Eureka's residents.

However, the outsider perspective Jack brings rounds out the town's dynamic, and he's often the one preventing faulty experiments from producing chaos. Eureka ran for five seasons, and though the response from critics was often mixed, the sci-fi comedy was a hit with audiences. While there's rarely a dull moment throughout the show thanks to the town's fun experiments, the chaos is still grounded by smart commentary on the limits of intelligence and unchecked scientific and technological work.

5 Final Space (2018-2021)

The Space Adventures Of An Astronaut & His Alien Friend

Olan Rogers leads Final Space, lending his voice to the series' two main characters, astronaut Gary Goodspeed and an alien named Mooncake. The adult animated series follows the two on their adventures in space, mainly as they attempt to save the universe. Gary and Mooncake are on the run from the villainous Lord Commander (David Tennant) and come across robots and a variety of shipmates during their adventures who are willing to help them out.

The series' humor isn't the sharpest and has often been a target of criticism, with a few critics commenting on its juvenile approach. Still, Final Space has entertaining and lovable characters making up for it, as well as eye-catching animation. Though the series is deserving of more love and attention from audiences, this is made difficult following its cancellation after three seasons. Unfortunately, Final Space was canceled in 2021 and was subsequently removed from HBO Max and Adult Swim's website, making it hard to watch the series in its entirety.

4 Red Dwarf (1988-2020)

A Man Wakes Up After Three Million Years And Discovers He's Alone

Red Dwarf is both an underrated British comedy and a sci-fi show that began airing in 1988 and has since produced 12 series, with the most recent premiering in 2017. The initial concept of Red Dwarf, which mainly takes place on the eponymous spaceship, sees technician Dave Lister (Craig Charles) as the sole survivor of a radiation leak that killed everyone else on board. Dave is accompanied by a hologram and a unique feline-like creature named Cat.

Since its original run, the series has expanded, introducing more characters and taking them on bigger adventures. However, unlike other sci-fi series, Red Dwarf is more character-driven and merely uses features of the genre as plot devices. This has allowed the jokes and well-established character relationships to be the main focus of the series, which has earned Red Dwarf a ionate cult following. Debates about whether earlier seasons are better than more recent entries continue to be a heated debate among the dedicated fan base of the underrated sci-fi sitcom.

3 Future Man (2017-2020)

An Average Janitor Is Pulled Into A World-Saving Mission

Just a few years after wrapping up The Hunger Games film series, Josh Hutcherson took on the role of an ordinary man tasked with saving the world in the sci-fi comedy series Future Man. Josh Futterman (Hutcherson) is a janitor with little accomplishments to his name, except for being the only person to complete the video game Biotic Wars. Josh is approached by the game's main characters in real life and learns he's being recruited to travel through time with them on a mission to save the world.

Early episodes of the series have a nostalgic feel to them, as their tone echoes the playful and imaginative adventures seen in '80s sci-fi movies. Throughout the series' three seasons, familiar sci-fi tropes are fused with heaps of raunchy and self-aware jokes, which keeps audiences on their toes in between action scenes. Audiences are also immersed in the show through the inept Josh, who is relatable due to his hero's journey being more ridiculous than profound.

2 Solar Opposites (2020-Present)

A Family Of Aliens Crash Land On Earth

Solar Opposites continues to be overlooked despite being one of the best shows on Hulu with every additional season. The adult animated series follows a family of aliens living on Earth and adapting to human life. As is the case with other sci-fi comedies, the humor in Solar Opposites stems from the extraterrestrial beings' honest observations of humanity. However, the aliens' predicament also allows for the exploration of themes concerning identity and belonging.

The humor and relationships throughout Solar Opposites are reminiscent of shows like Rick and Morty (who shares a co-creator, Justin Roiland, with Solar Opposites) and The Simpsons.

This adds an unexpected but appreciated emotional depth to the series and balances out the absurd plots and prevalent crude humor. The humor and relationships throughout Solar Opposites are reminiscent of shows like Rick and Morty (who shares a co-creator, Justin Roiland, with Solar Opposites) and The Simpsons. Still, the Hulu series boasts enough originality and improves upon its beloved writing, humor, and animation with every season.

1 Resident Alien (2021-Present)

An Alien Ordered To Kill Bonds With Humans

The relatively straightforward mission of an alien on Earth becomes increasingly complicated as he bonds with the residents of a Colorado town. Resident Alien is based on a comic book of the same name and is centered around Harry Vanderspeigle (Alan Tudyk), an alien sent to wipe out humanity who takes on the identity of a local doctor. Harry immerses himself in the day-to-day lives of the town's residents, making it harder for him to carry out his initial mission.

Like many sci-fi comedies, Resident Alien finds humor in the eccentricities of the genre, but also the ordinary actions of those around Harry. Seeing Harry get accustomed to normal human activities and behaviors is sure to evoke laughter from audiences. Tudyk delivers a strong comedic performance and manages to bring the necessary emotional weight to the role as his character must decide how to move forward with his mission after connecting with humanity.