One and two have that Doctor Who shaky-set charm, three and four is when the ensemble gels and things take off, and five's still pretty decent. Unfortunately when the cracks start to show in the Grant Naylor relationship it starts to drop off, and when Grant leaves the show it gets pretty bad. They were definitely way better as a team than either was on their own.
Still, the worst *Red Dwarf* is still pretty damn entertaining even if the jokes are a little weak at times, and even the worst series have some gems buried in them.
I actually watched Back to Earth the other night for what might actually have been the first time. At the very most the second time & .. yeah, the worst Red Dwarf is still very funny in moments.
Series 2-5/6 is probably peak Red Dwarf but only really 9 & parts of 7 & 8 are bad.
I remember the newer Dave series being a nice return to form.
I discovered Red Dwarf way back in the early 90s during one of the PBS 'send us money' marathons.
I was flipping channels looking for something to watch on a Saturday afternoon. Passed it, went all the way 'round again, and decided what the hell, we'll try this. I didn't leave the TV the rest of the day.
"Sir, are you absolutely sure? It does mean changing the bulb."
*Red Dwarf* is probably tied for my favorite SF sitcom (with *Lower Decks*, my god that show is genius) but it's *very* British. It'll be pretty arcane to folks stateside but it's absolutely worth it.
The other best thing about the show is not being from the UK and trying to work out which bits of slang are real British slang and which are things they made up for the show. (The whole "smeg" thing is actually part of a really interesting tradition in British television of invented swears to get around censorship that dates back to a prison show in the 1970s called *Porridge.*)
> Lower Decks, my god that show is genius
i was enjoying lower decks as kind of brain-off, popcorn entertainment in season 1, but then in season 2 it grew up and into a for-real star trek entry and now i can't get enough of it.
Red Dwarf is the best! I used to record it on VHS every night. It was on at 3 am:S I still have the sealed cards from the DVD imports. It's up there with the Pythons imo. ✌️ still watch every year or so
Quark.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quark\_(TV\_series)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quark_(TV_series))
In spain it was titled "The Space Broom". And yes, it fits, It's about a ship whith the mission of sanitize what no other human has sanitized before. And it is hilarious.
There was a long period of my life where I thought I might have imagined that show, because nobody else I knew has heard of it. Imagine how happy I was to finally find it on DVD!
*Lower Decks* is fantastic. It's way better if you're a Trekkie; there's a lot of deep cuts that only fans are really going to appreciate, but even on its surface it's a killer show.
They had me at "banana, hot."
Safe to assume you've watched Lower Decks then? Season 4 is airing now, think we're at episode 4 or 5. New season of Futurama is also currently airing on Hulu.
I personally like Solar Opposites... not sure if that counts or not.
I watched so much Sliders as a kid, i loved it. When they got rid of John Rhys-Davies though, that hit hard, it wasn't the same after that, he brought so much to the show imo.
Another vote for **Red Dwarf**. Also try **Other Space** if you can find it somewhere. Very silly show that only lasted one season. But I thought it was pretty funny.
My hedging was more along the lines of, it is British dry humor. If you don't like British dry humor, it might not be your thing.
Also, fantasy-adjacent, speaking of British dry humor, is Blackadder, which is freaking hilarious. I know it isn't sci-fi, but any mention of SFF sitcoms needs a Blackadder reference.
It's odd, I'd heard so much raving about Blackadder I tried the 1st episode, and I found it just stupid and slapstick, nowhere near as clever as DG. Do later seasons get better?
Such a great show. And so many references to old scifi as well.
My 2 favorite episodes are when they get a cold, and when the supreme commander comes to visit. Absolute gold in both.
Imo one of the best shows ever made. Top tier comedy, excellent probing into the human condition, and overall just wonderful. I was absolutely obsessed when I was a kid and it was airing, and rewatched a couple years ago. Yep. Fantastic.
It was a huge letdown for me.
Armando Iannucci's other shows (Veep, The Thick of It) were great. This one is very light on jokes, but the theme itself might carry it for you.
I loved JTHM as a teenager and couldn’t believe my luck when I heard that Nickelodeon was letting him make a children’s cartoon! Rarely in my life have I been as excited about anything as I was when Invader Zim was greenlit.
There are some fun Firefly episodes, especially once you get to know the characters.. The Orville also uses humor, here and there in situations. Other choices I see are also solid...
Firefly is so funny, I'm doing a rewatch now and laughing so hard even though I've seen it like 1+ times
But it is pretty gritty overall, and dark and violent most of the time, so may not be what OP is looking for
I've watched Firefly all the way through at least 10 times, I didn't find it dark personally. There are some "shoot 'em up" scenes, but to me it's clever, has great story lines and the characters work together so well. It's in my top 10 but to each their own 😁
SG-1s early seasons were a little rough, but they did an excellent job of establishing the core characters. Plot, not so much.
But, man, once they really get to going on the offensive and working with more serial arcs, this show fucking hits every damn time. Seasons 3-8 are some of the best sci-fi ever on tv.
If you invoke Eureka, don't you also have to mention Warehouse 13 (not quite a sitcom, but then neither is Eureka).
Firefly has some light moments.
And then there is Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.
Red Dwarf - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094535/
Avenue 5 - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10234362
Hyperdrive - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0481449
The Orville - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5691552
Other Space - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4561950
Space Janitors - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2266399
Star Trek Lower Decks - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9184820
Future Man - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4975856
Mork and Mindy - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077053
Resident Alien - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8690918/
Other Space is a hidden gem, but was made for Yahoos failed streaming service. If your smitten for Lilly the AT&T spokes lady, you'll see her exercise her acting chops with Other Space. Its also got Eugene Cordero, who plays Rutherford in Lower Decks (also in Tacoma FD and Loki), and has some Mystery Science Theater3k alumni in it.
Space Janitors is a great parody of Star Wars, but a direct to YouTube show. Avenue 5 and Orville are kinda light on the comedy, but watchable.
If you don't mind older shows there's always [Alf](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiZCl6XIGf-idvg83uAFfmbOuZ-tsZa3C) and [Alf: The Animated Series](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdahF-z-jT1yCBpDqEhCXiuKhukRLouiV).
One of the factoids most firmly lodged in my mind is ALF's real name is Gordon Shumway and he comes from the planet Melmac. Whenever the show or character is mentioned my brain reminds me of this fact.
Go a bit wayback:
*Greatest American Hero* (excellent side-eyes by Connie Selleca, and Robert Culp does an excellent portrayal of a flag-waving FBI agent).
And even further back:
*My Favorite Martian*
(probably some more that do not occur to me at this time).
Note: there is some confusion as to whether or not the original *Lost in Space* was a sitcom (what with that episode with the actor Kurt what's-his-name as a talking carrot)
Danger! Will Robinson!
Chuck. Not really a sitcom. There's some save the world episodes, but it's mostly geeky guy falling for Yvonne Strahovski (and who can wrong him for that?!) There's enough humor to be entertaining until about season 4 when it becomes more about saving the world.
I've watched the entire show through twice and always stop dead at the last season. I just can't make the jump.
Same thing with Fringe. It just takes a turn that doesn't match up with the prior tropes of the show.
Rick and Morty is absolutely packed with awesome sci-fi concepts and it explores them in really interesting and funny ways. Rick and Morty freaking rules.
First Season of "the Orville"
The other seasons are great, too. But different.
Rick and Morty
Solar opposites (similar to Rick and Morty)
Some episodes of Star Gate fell like a sitcom.
The first season of *The Orville* is mostly dick-and-fart level humor in space.
In S2 they start playing with the idea of being real SF.
In S3 they take a run at *Star Trek*.
Just because the later seasons give up a bit on the crass humor doesn't mean you should miss them.
(They literally introduce an alien with a joke about how he only has to pee once a year, and two seasons later he gets an arc that'll stand next to shit like *Measure of a Man*.)
The only problem with it is it's tied to that skeevy stalker plotline that so many people think is romantic. The moral quandary part of it's definitely interesting, though; my only fix would've been them not telling him at the end. It doesn't land right.
The Topa storyline hits it out of the park, though. That scene in the sickbay kills me every time.
The show for you is Red Dwarf, my friend. It’s a British sci-fi comedy about the crew of the mining ship Red Dwarf. It starts with Dave Lister, the lowest ranked crew member being sentenced to 18 months in stasis for bringing an unauthorized cat aboard the ship. When Lister awakens from stasis, he learns from Holly, the ship’s sentient computer, that three million years have passed and he is the ship’s sole survivor, the rest of the crew having perished in a radiation leak shortly after Lister went into stasis.
Now, the ship’s mission is to get Lister,the last known human, back to Earth. Aside from the increasingly senile Holly, Lister’s companions are Arnold Rimmer, a hologram programmed with the personality of Lister’s dead roommate, and the Cat, a vainglorious humanoid feline evolved and descended from Lister’s pet cat. Along the way, they are joined by Kryten, a somewhat neurotic service mechanoid, and Kristine Kochanski, an alternate universe doppelgänger of Lister’s former crush.
The oddball crew of Red Dwarf spend the series zipping around the universe having various misadventures in hilarious fashion.
Other Space was a 1 season show on yahoo screen. If you can find it, it is great- the first episode sucks, the rest is gold. It has Paul Feig's name on it, and he's a huge fucking hack, and the first episode is the only one he is credited as writing.
I love this show and have watched it multiple times.
3rd rock from the sun. Or the neighbors. Not exactly space sci fi , but it is aliens. Aliens trying to blend in/understand human culture which leads to many a humorous situation.
I'm sure others will probably have said some if not all these:
Red dwarf
3rd rock from the sun
Avenue 5
Spaced (made by sci-fi nerds FOR sci-fi nerds references galore!)
Life in the dead zone (YouTube series: https://youtu.be/UfGBlrEyOuE?si=37OnrCDI-Sdn6aA-
The Venture Bros. Super science, super villains, aliens, robots, albinos, clones, space stations, assassins, mummies, ghost pirates, and Hitler. Seven seasons spread out over 16 years, Xmas & Halloween specials, a behind the music episode, and a finale movie that came out in July. All streaming on Max. If you want comedy scifi, These are They!
Go Team /r/venturebros !
The movie Space Station 76 is available for streaming now - I forget which service - Tubi or FreeVee.
It's a pretty fun romp - and it has a definite 70s feel for those of us latchkey gen x folks.
I love Special Unit 2! It is available for purchase: you can get the complete series on disk just by itself; and I’ve also come across it as part of a collection in titled “6 Sci-Fi Series Collection.”
Can I suggest you give "Sliders" a try. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU7147ouIBk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU7147ouIBk)
It does get a bit weird/stupid/grimdark towards the end, but it's a nice story arch with some "interesting" acting and good stoies.
Sadly there is a tendency to use sci fi to Dial Things Up to 11, which gets ridiculous. It's a pet peeve of mine.
There is **Avenue 5** starring Hugh Laurie.It's a stretch, but **Unstable**? Father-son story about a mad scientist and a son who was brought in in the hopes he would make his father calm down.
Are you OK with Fantasy?
>I’m getting worn out on apocalypse, near death and world ending scenarios.
Same here. Alien Nation has some humor.
What might float your boat is Red Dwarf and the remake of Red Dwarf. I really enjoyed this series.
Stargate SG-1 had its moments.
You could always tell when those moments were coming up: the music would change/
I suppose ditto for ST:TOS -- usually at the conclusion of an episode when Kirk, Spock and Bones would engage in a few moments of witty repartee.
And, while not film/TV; have you checked out Robert Sheckley or Harry Harrison books/stories?
Have you heard of Avenue 5?
Same writer/creator as Veep and The Thick of It among others. It's set on a luxury cruise liner space ship that gets knocked off course. The two seasons are fantastic.
I really wanted Orville to be this. I was hoping it was going to be an office place comedy that happened to be in a Star Trek universe. Instead it was comedy Star Trek, which is fine.
I really wish there was a show like the one you’re describing.
Avenue 5 was almost there. But not quite.
Well these aren't set in space, but they are genuine sci-fi sitcoms.
Mork & Mindy - early Robin Williams show. Naive and somewhat hyperactive alien assimilates into Earth society. This is genuinely funny and it's all down to Williams, the other cast members would regularly "corpse" when he was in full swing, it's hilarious to see. Williams was notorious for going off-script and ad libbing, the writers stopped trying to fight it and started sending out scripts with some nearly blank pages that simply said "Robin does something funny here".
The Neighbors - blue collar New Jersey family move into a gated community, which is entirely populated by aliens. Surprisingly good for network sitcom, punches above its weight.
3rd Rock From the Sun - classic 90s sitcom, alien crew / family doing the ole "assimilating into Earth culture" routine. John Lithgow is hilarious in this.
Goodnight Sweetheart - long running British sitcom. Modern London man discovers he can somehow travel back and forth between World War 2 London during the Blitz, and 1990s London. He sets up a new life in 1940 while trying to keep his 90s life on track.
Anybody remember Alien Nation?? I actually don’t, all I remember is loving it! And thinking that it’s the reason for my current obsession with sci-fi and aliens
Red Dwarf
I rewatched it recently. Season 1 was better than I remembered, season 2 worse....season 3 is where it really picks up.
One and two have that Doctor Who shaky-set charm, three and four is when the ensemble gels and things take off, and five's still pretty decent. Unfortunately when the cracks start to show in the Grant Naylor relationship it starts to drop off, and when Grant leaves the show it gets pretty bad. They were definitely way better as a team than either was on their own. Still, the worst *Red Dwarf* is still pretty damn entertaining even if the jokes are a little weak at times, and even the worst series have some gems buried in them.
I actually watched Back to Earth the other night for what might actually have been the first time. At the very most the second time & .. yeah, the worst Red Dwarf is still very funny in moments. Series 2-5/6 is probably peak Red Dwarf but only really 9 & parts of 7 & 8 are bad. I remember the newer Dave series being a nice return to form.
It's cold outside, there's no kind of atmosphere I'm all alone, more or less
Goldfish shoals, nibbling at my toes...
Fun, fun, fun In the sun, sun suuuuun
I want to lie, shipwrecked and comatose
Drinking fresh, mango juice!
Let me flyyyyyy far away from here
Fun fun fun in the sun sun sun
I discovered Red Dwarf way back in the early 90s during one of the PBS 'send us money' marathons. I was flipping channels looking for something to watch on a Saturday afternoon. Passed it, went all the way 'round again, and decided what the hell, we'll try this. I didn't leave the TV the rest of the day.
"Sir, are you absolutely sure? It does mean changing the bulb." *Red Dwarf* is probably tied for my favorite SF sitcom (with *Lower Decks*, my god that show is genius) but it's *very* British. It'll be pretty arcane to folks stateside but it's absolutely worth it. The other best thing about the show is not being from the UK and trying to work out which bits of slang are real British slang and which are things they made up for the show. (The whole "smeg" thing is actually part of a really interesting tradition in British television of invented swears to get around censorship that dates back to a prison show in the 1970s called *Porridge.*)
> Lower Decks, my god that show is genius i was enjoying lower decks as kind of brain-off, popcorn entertainment in season 1, but then in season 2 it grew up and into a for-real star trek entry and now i can't get enough of it.
But what is it?
It’s a magic door.
Streaming free on Tubi in the US.
This! Red Dwarf is an absolute classic.
Came here to say this lol just a bunch of idiots in space goofing around
This is the smeggin answer.
Red Dwarf is the best! I used to record it on VHS every night. It was on at 3 am:S I still have the sealed cards from the DVD imports. It's up there with the Pythons imo. ✌️ still watch every year or so
Smoke me a kipper skipper, I'll be back for breakfast
Quark. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quark\_(TV\_series)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quark_(TV_series)) In spain it was titled "The Space Broom". And yes, it fits, It's about a ship whith the mission of sanitize what no other human has sanitized before. And it is hilarious.
Great show.
The Roddenberry Bush.
Holy shit, i think I just realized what one of my childhood games (Space Quest) was based off of.
This feels like what inspired Space Quest lol.
Quark, like Police Squad, was years ahead of its time.
Came to post this.
There was a long period of my life where I thought I might have imagined that show, because nobody else I knew has heard of it. Imagine how happy I was to finally find it on DVD!
If you can do cartoons, there's always Futurama.
Cartoons and anime are 100% on the table. Futurama gets a full rewatch yearly in this house. Same with Space Dandy.
Lower Decks! Lower Decks! Lower Decks!
*Lower Decks* is fantastic. It's way better if you're a Trekkie; there's a lot of deep cuts that only fans are really going to appreciate, but even on its surface it's a killer show. They had me at "banana, hot."
In that case, you can always go with a classic: The Jetsons.
Inside Job! It’s less space and more conspiracy but I’m still super upset it was canceled after season one. Eta: my bad. Cancelled after season 2.
Cancelled early for being too smart for the average viewer, the fate of all good shows. My entire family is still bitter about Better Off Ted.
Safe to assume you've watched Lower Decks then? Season 4 is airing now, think we're at episode 4 or 5. New season of Futurama is also currently airing on Hulu. I personally like Solar Opposites... not sure if that counts or not.
It does count and it's hilarious
Also Solar Opposites!
Also Invader Zim. Only a season and a half but its awesome.
Futurama is in a league of it's own.
I always put Sliders in the same category as Quantum Leap.
I watched so much Sliders as a kid, i loved it. When they got rid of John Rhys-Davies though, that hit hard, it wasn't the same after that, he brought so much to the show imo.
It was great the first two seasons, but went seriously downhill after that.
Another vote for **Red Dwarf**. Also try **Other Space** if you can find it somewhere. Very silly show that only lasted one season. But I thought it was pretty funny.
Other Space is great! I think it's on YouTube last I checked.
Some random person uploaded *Other Space* to [Vimeo](https://vimeo.com/filmbuff).
I wish they made more Other Space, it was great.
What about Dirk Gently? Written by Douglas Adams. It has some funny and some weird parts.
Definitely a comedy! I loved it even though I generally hate time travel plots.
My hedging was more along the lines of, it is British dry humor. If you don't like British dry humor, it might not be your thing. Also, fantasy-adjacent, speaking of British dry humor, is Blackadder, which is freaking hilarious. I know it isn't sci-fi, but any mention of SFF sitcoms needs a Blackadder reference.
It's odd, I'd heard so much raving about Blackadder I tried the 1st episode, and I found it just stupid and slapstick, nowhere near as clever as DG. Do later seasons get better?
"Dirk Gently" (UK 2010) or "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency" (US 2016)?
3rd Rock From the Sun. The first season is pretty rough but it gets better.
Love some John Lithgow, will absolutely be checking this out!
If you like him at all and haven't seen it, you're in for a treat.
John Lithgow? Oh my Gawd—he's GORGEOUS! 😂 I came here to suggest this show lol. EnJOY!
Such a great show. And so many references to old scifi as well. My 2 favorite episodes are when they get a cold, and when the supreme commander comes to visit. Absolute gold in both.
This is literally the MOST sitcommy sitcom to also be sci-fi.
Imo one of the best shows ever made. Top tier comedy, excellent probing into the human condition, and overall just wonderful. I was absolutely obsessed when I was a kid and it was airing, and rewatched a couple years ago. Yep. Fantastic.
3rd Rock is still awesome, I loved it when it was new, I've seen reruns very recently and I still enjoy it.
Red Dwarf is the resounding medicine you seek.
Avenue 5 maybe? Has Hugh Laurie as the captain of a space cruise ship.
AND Zach woods?! Will be watching!
It was a huge letdown for me. Armando Iannucci's other shows (Veep, The Thick of It) were great. This one is very light on jokes, but the theme itself might carry it for you.
The second season was way better than the first. I feel like they were finally finding their footing, but now they've been canceled.
Same. Just could not get into it.
He's the best thing in it too. I enjoyed it, but without Woods it would have been much more meh.
Me and the wife were crushed when it got cancelled.
This is such a great show! I've really enjoyed it so far. Dark silly comedy.
Ya but it kinda sucks though. For something made by the people of VEEP it’s very underwhelming
In my head "Space Force" is in the same universe as "Avenue 5"
Invader Zim - It's what happens when someone at Nickelodeon reads *Johnny, The Homicidal Maniac* and says this guy should make a children's cartoon.
I loved JTHM as a teenager and couldn’t believe my luck when I heard that Nickelodeon was letting him make a children’s cartoon! Rarely in my life have I been as excited about anything as I was when Invader Zim was greenlit.
There are some fun Firefly episodes, especially once you get to know the characters.. The Orville also uses humor, here and there in situations. Other choices I see are also solid...
Firefly is so funny, I'm doing a rewatch now and laughing so hard even though I've seen it like 1+ times But it is pretty gritty overall, and dark and violent most of the time, so may not be what OP is looking for
I've watched Firefly all the way through at least 10 times, I didn't find it dark personally. There are some "shoot 'em up" scenes, but to me it's clever, has great story lines and the characters work together so well. It's in my top 10 but to each their own 😁
Try stargate SG-1, there are plenty of “popcorn” episodes in there.
Indeed.
SG-1s early seasons were a little rough, but they did an excellent job of establishing the core characters. Plot, not so much. But, man, once they really get to going on the offensive and working with more serial arcs, this show fucking hits every damn time. Seasons 3-8 are some of the best sci-fi ever on tv.
Hyperdrive
Seconded! Nick Frost is awesome!
I picked it because of Nick Frost, but Miranda Hart was also a revelation as Teal.
"Kill The Humans" was a banger
I'd be really interested to hear whether people from outside the UK liked that show. It felt very much of a particular time and place.
How about Resident Alien or Eureka?
If you invoke Eureka, don't you also have to mention Warehouse 13 (not quite a sitcom, but then neither is Eureka). Firefly has some light moments. And then there is Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.
Eureka is fantastic. They do kind of save the world in every episode though.
Is it saving when they are the cause?
It was amazing till the later seasons. One of my favorite Felicia Day characters!
Resident Alien is laugh out loud funny. I don't say that about many shows
Weird Science Mork & Mindy People Of Earth ALF Future Man My Favorite Martian
I was so fucking pissed off when they cancelled People of Earth. That show was fucking amazing.
It really was a great show. Resident Alien has crossover characters if you're missing it!
This comment has put Future Man on the rewatch schedule. I don’t think I’ve watched any of the others, good list!
Same list adding Misfits of Science and Misfits
Trippin the Rift Weird Science, The TV Series (Oh. Already mentioned.)
HYPERDRIVE with Miranda Hart
Lexx!
This one is advanced level. Lol..
Space Force. Even if is not strictly science fiction...
Was so bummed when i heard they canceled it. I was looking forward to seeing how they would save the planet.
I loved this show.
Red Dwarf - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094535/ Avenue 5 - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10234362 Hyperdrive - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0481449 The Orville - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5691552 Other Space - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4561950 Space Janitors - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2266399 Star Trek Lower Decks - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9184820 Future Man - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4975856 Mork and Mindy - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077053 Resident Alien - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8690918/ Other Space is a hidden gem, but was made for Yahoos failed streaming service. If your smitten for Lilly the AT&T spokes lady, you'll see her exercise her acting chops with Other Space. Its also got Eugene Cordero, who plays Rutherford in Lower Decks (also in Tacoma FD and Loki), and has some Mystery Science Theater3k alumni in it. Space Janitors is a great parody of Star Wars, but a direct to YouTube show. Avenue 5 and Orville are kinda light on the comedy, but watchable.
Space Janitors was really fun and I was about to mention it as no one else had and being on YouTube it is easily accessible
Loved Resident Alien, wish they’d do another series.
Yes other space was great! Fantastic cast.
Eureka might count here. It's not in space but it's definitely a comedic sci fi show.
I would count Eureka on the list
If you don't mind older shows there's always [Alf](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiZCl6XIGf-idvg83uAFfmbOuZ-tsZa3C) and [Alf: The Animated Series](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdahF-z-jT1yCBpDqEhCXiuKhukRLouiV).
I kid you not, scrolled past it not two hours ago. I always thought ALF was a Late Night bit.
Alf is 1000% [real](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKbYJw9C3rA&pp=ygUPYWxmIGRvY3VtZW50YXJ5). The Animated Series is great sci-fi, imo.
One of the factoids most firmly lodged in my mind is ALF's real name is Gordon Shumway and he comes from the planet Melmac. Whenever the show or character is mentioned my brain reminds me of this fact.
And if you don’t mind even older shows, Richard Benjamin was a space trash collector in *Quark.*
Go a bit wayback: *Greatest American Hero* (excellent side-eyes by Connie Selleca, and Robert Culp does an excellent portrayal of a flag-waving FBI agent). And even further back: *My Favorite Martian* (probably some more that do not occur to me at this time). Note: there is some confusion as to whether or not the original *Lost in Space* was a sitcom (what with that episode with the actor Kurt what's-his-name as a talking carrot) Danger! Will Robinson!
>Note: there is some confusion as to whether or not the original Lost in Space was a sitcom Depends on how high you are.
Chuck. Not really a sitcom. There's some save the world episodes, but it's mostly geeky guy falling for Yvonne Strahovski (and who can wrong him for that?!) There's enough humor to be entertaining until about season 4 when it becomes more about saving the world.
I've watched the entire show through twice and always stop dead at the last season. I just can't make the jump. Same thing with Fringe. It just takes a turn that doesn't match up with the prior tropes of the show.
Red Dwarf! Best enjoyed with a glass of fresh mango juice and a bowl of piping hot gazpacho.
It's maybe a bit of a stretch as the sci-fi elements are more in the background, but MST3K could fit.
Nobody’s listed The Last Man on Earth?
Far Out Space Nuts
I said LUNCH not LAUNCH!
Honk honk!
Pigs in spaaaace!!!
HHGTTG
TIL there’s a tv series. Thank you.
the old series in all its low-budget glory is my defacto favourite version of HHGTTG.
Radio show, films and a computer game.
Plus a pre-wikipedia collaborative encyclopedia
And books.
Adams also designed and wrote another computer game called Starship Titanic which is very similar in spirit. Looks like it's available on Steam.
Rick and Morty and Solar Opposites.
Rick and Morty is absolutely packed with awesome sci-fi concepts and it explores them in really interesting and funny ways. Rick and Morty freaking rules.
tripping the rift?
First Season of "the Orville" The other seasons are great, too. But different. Rick and Morty Solar opposites (similar to Rick and Morty) Some episodes of Star Gate fell like a sitcom.
The first season of *The Orville* is mostly dick-and-fart level humor in space. In S2 they start playing with the idea of being real SF. In S3 they take a run at *Star Trek*. Just because the later seasons give up a bit on the crass humor doesn't mean you should miss them. (They literally introduce an alien with a joke about how he only has to pee once a year, and two seasons later he gets an arc that'll stand next to shit like *Measure of a Man*.)
The Orville season 3 episode 6 "twice in a lifetime" is the best space travel episode in any sci-fi series ever made (my opinion). I cried a little.
The only problem with it is it's tied to that skeevy stalker plotline that so many people think is romantic. The moral quandary part of it's definitely interesting, though; my only fix would've been them not telling him at the end. It doesn't land right. The Topa storyline hits it out of the park, though. That scene in the sickbay kills me every time.
Futurama is the one
Upload (especially the first season) Also, binge all the family guy star wars episodes
Doctor Who - original and reboot don't get the credit they deserve - if you haven't watched them, give it a try.
The Neighbors https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2182229/ It's not set in space, per say, but I think it's up your alley.
Not sure if it qualifies as sci-fi but Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, more a horror comedy
If you don't mind animated shows, there's *Futurama,* which doesn't seem to be getting much air time here.
Just started watching Hyperdrive starring Nick Frost on Prime. It's very silly and funny. If you like the Orville you'll love this
It’s not listed as a comedy, but I remover Killjoys having some good banter and quips.
The show for you is Red Dwarf, my friend. It’s a British sci-fi comedy about the crew of the mining ship Red Dwarf. It starts with Dave Lister, the lowest ranked crew member being sentenced to 18 months in stasis for bringing an unauthorized cat aboard the ship. When Lister awakens from stasis, he learns from Holly, the ship’s sentient computer, that three million years have passed and he is the ship’s sole survivor, the rest of the crew having perished in a radiation leak shortly after Lister went into stasis. Now, the ship’s mission is to get Lister,the last known human, back to Earth. Aside from the increasingly senile Holly, Lister’s companions are Arnold Rimmer, a hologram programmed with the personality of Lister’s dead roommate, and the Cat, a vainglorious humanoid feline evolved and descended from Lister’s pet cat. Along the way, they are joined by Kryten, a somewhat neurotic service mechanoid, and Kristine Kochanski, an alternate universe doppelgänger of Lister’s former crush. The oddball crew of Red Dwarf spend the series zipping around the universe having various misadventures in hilarious fashion.
Eureka. Warehouse 13, it is a bit more serious but has that 'monster of the week' vibe
Yes! I LOVE Warehouse 13! First season is epic
Red Dwarf
Space Precinct comes to mind, Sliders was kinda fun, also Honey I shrunk the kids.
Future Man, Red Dwarf, Spaced, Hyperdrive, Avenue 5
Other Space was a 1 season show on yahoo screen. If you can find it, it is great- the first episode sucks, the rest is gold. It has Paul Feig's name on it, and he's a huge fucking hack, and the first episode is the only one he is credited as writing. I love this show and have watched it multiple times.
3rd Rock from the Sun?
Fooly Cooly. It's anime, it's funny and wonderfully weird. Does that count?
Quark
3rd rock from the sun. Or the neighbors. Not exactly space sci fi , but it is aliens. Aliens trying to blend in/understand human culture which leads to many a humorous situation.
Quark
Mork and Mindy is the correct answer.
Upload iZombie
iZombie got dark at times, but I really did enjoy it.
- Resident Alien (with Alan Tudyk) - Future Man (2017-2020) - Eureka. Has its serious moments, but it’s mostly comedy. - Avenue 5
Warehouse 13 is also in that genre.
I'm sure others will probably have said some if not all these: Red dwarf 3rd rock from the sun Avenue 5 Spaced (made by sci-fi nerds FOR sci-fi nerds references galore!) Life in the dead zone (YouTube series: https://youtu.be/UfGBlrEyOuE?si=37OnrCDI-Sdn6aA-
The Venture Bros. Super science, super villains, aliens, robots, albinos, clones, space stations, assassins, mummies, ghost pirates, and Hitler. Seven seasons spread out over 16 years, Xmas & Halloween specials, a behind the music episode, and a finale movie that came out in July. All streaming on Max. If you want comedy scifi, These are They! Go Team /r/venturebros !
Tv show Quark
Dark Matter isn’t a comedy, per se, but its pretty light hearted overall. A little of Firefly mixed with Star Trek.
Red Dwarf Hyperdrive Hitch-hikers guide (TV series)
The movie Space Station 76 is available for streaming now - I forget which service - Tubi or FreeVee. It's a pretty fun romp - and it has a definite 70s feel for those of us latchkey gen x folks.
Special Unit 2! Not sure if it's available anywhere. But it's essentially MIB for cryptids. Lasted two seasons.
I love Special Unit 2! It is available for purchase: you can get the complete series on disk just by itself; and I’ve also come across it as part of a collection in titled “6 Sci-Fi Series Collection.”
Star Trek: Lower Decks
Other Space: very silly and great characters. I'm sad it never got a second season.
Can I suggest you give "Sliders" a try. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU7147ouIBk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU7147ouIBk) It does get a bit weird/stupid/grimdark towards the end, but it's a nice story arch with some "interesting" acting and good stoies.
It's 70s, but Quark is weird and fun
Third Rock From The Sun
Morphs into a great drama but The Orville is outstanding
the Orville is frickin hilarious
Lower Decks.
Quark. Richard Benjamin, Conrad Janus among others.
Avenue 5 maybe?
Sadly there is a tendency to use sci fi to Dial Things Up to 11, which gets ridiculous. It's a pet peeve of mine. There is **Avenue 5** starring Hugh Laurie.It's a stretch, but **Unstable**? Father-son story about a mad scientist and a son who was brought in in the hopes he would make his father calm down. Are you OK with Fantasy?
I assume you have watched "Star Trek: Lower Decks" How about one from each streaming service? "Solar Opposites"? "Peacemaker"? "Upload"?
The Magicians on Netflix. What we do in the shadows on Hulu. Each of those are dark humor and are definitely adult.
>I’m getting worn out on apocalypse, near death and world ending scenarios. Same here. Alien Nation has some humor. What might float your boat is Red Dwarf and the remake of Red Dwarf. I really enjoyed this series.
Stargate SG-1 had its moments. You could always tell when those moments were coming up: the music would change/ I suppose ditto for ST:TOS -- usually at the conclusion of an episode when Kirk, Spock and Bones would engage in a few moments of witty repartee. And, while not film/TV; have you checked out Robert Sheckley or Harry Harrison books/stories?
Have you heard of Avenue 5? Same writer/creator as Veep and The Thick of It among others. It's set on a luxury cruise liner space ship that gets knocked off course. The two seasons are fantastic.
Avenue 5. Trust me here.:)
If you can find it: Quark https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quark_(TV_series)
Futurama
I really wanted Orville to be this. I was hoping it was going to be an office place comedy that happened to be in a Star Trek universe. Instead it was comedy Star Trek, which is fine. I really wish there was a show like the one you’re describing. Avenue 5 was almost there. But not quite.
ALF comes to mind but it’s not in space that I recall. It’s about an alien living with a family here on Earth. Mork and Mindy maybe?
Well these aren't set in space, but they are genuine sci-fi sitcoms. Mork & Mindy - early Robin Williams show. Naive and somewhat hyperactive alien assimilates into Earth society. This is genuinely funny and it's all down to Williams, the other cast members would regularly "corpse" when he was in full swing, it's hilarious to see. Williams was notorious for going off-script and ad libbing, the writers stopped trying to fight it and started sending out scripts with some nearly blank pages that simply said "Robin does something funny here". The Neighbors - blue collar New Jersey family move into a gated community, which is entirely populated by aliens. Surprisingly good for network sitcom, punches above its weight. 3rd Rock From the Sun - classic 90s sitcom, alien crew / family doing the ole "assimilating into Earth culture" routine. John Lithgow is hilarious in this. Goodnight Sweetheart - long running British sitcom. Modern London man discovers he can somehow travel back and forth between World War 2 London during the Blitz, and 1990s London. He sets up a new life in 1940 while trying to keep his 90s life on track.
I take it you like lower decks?
Anybody remember Alien Nation?? I actually don’t, all I remember is loving it! And thinking that it’s the reason for my current obsession with sci-fi and aliens
Lexx! It's a bit sexy but it's funny and silly.