Aliens are among us. At least, that’s what Hollywood would like you to believe. While there’s plenty of alien invasion movies to stream on services like Netflix, television is no stranger to producing fascinating tales of beings from another planet and the hijinks they cause. Even if humans aren’t entirely sure if they’re actually alone in the universe, there’s some shows that may have you taking another cautionary glance out your window at night.
From a disturbing cartoon cancelled before its prime to a series that likes to travel through time and delightfully confuse audiences, we’re taking a look at some of the best alien invasion shows ever to appear on television. Along with our own opinions on the matter, we took a look at iMDB and Reddit to see what critics and audiences consider their favorites. We can also tell you where each of these shows are available for streaming.
Should you find yourself devouring this list only to be hungry for more, we can also show you our thoughts on the best alien invasion movies of all time. Even if there may someday come a time when aliens do actually visit humanity, let’s hope it goes a little more smoothly than some of the premises available below. It’s also good to remember that being abducted by aliens isn’t a valid excuse to call off work should you find yourself up all night binging these often award-winning sci-fi shows.
5. Falling Skies
Fans of HBO’s “The Pitt” may or may not know about this underrated Steven Spielberg-produced sci-fi series, and the five-season “Falling Skies” is good for those wanting some post-apocalyptic and dystopian themes to go with their alien invasion. Along with Spielberg attaching his name to the project starring Noah Wyle, the series was also created by Robert Rodat, who film buffs may recognize as writer of Spielberg’s Oscar-winning film “Saving Private Ryan.”
Set in a world that suffered a debilitating alien invasion only six months prior, “Falling Skies” follows Tom Mason (Wyle) — a history professor who lost his family to the alien attack. Relying on his knowledge of military history, Mason joins a resistance movement known as the 2nd Mass who must do what they can to not only destroy the remaining alien force but survive in a world where 90% of the human population has been obliterated. Including Wyle, “Falling Skies” also stars Will Patton, Drew Roy, Maxim Knight, and Sarah Carter, among others.
With two Primetime Emmy nominations, the series earned three award wins overall and 32 total nominations. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 79% Tomatometer score and a 68% Popcornmeter score, though many consider the first three seasons to be superior to the last two. In a 2016 review for SciFiNow, critic Steve Wright states that “Falling Skies” “benefits from the resolution that many shows don’t get, and sits comfortably and competently in the Spielberg TV pantheon.” You can stream “Falling Skies” on Netflix.
4. 3 Body Problem
We’ve been fans of “3 Body Problem” since before its release — even covering our worries way back in 2020 about the fact that the showrunners behind “Game of Thrones” (David Benioff and D.B. Weiss) were also behind this show. Based on the “Remembrance of Earth’s Past” book series by Beijing-born author Liu Cixin, many thought the books were unfilmable for their use of time travel and coverage of complex scientific topics (you’re familiar with the Rare Earth hypothesis, right?). However, all Netflix had to do was spend $20 million an episode to make it happen.
Starring Jovan Adepo, Eiza González, Jess Hong, and Liam Cunningham, among others, “3 Body Problem” focuses on an astrophysicist living through the Chinese Cultural Revolution of the ’60s as they work at a secret military radio station. Ultimately, a decision is made that impacts everything 58 years later, and a team of scientists must work with a detective to save the Earth from an extraterrestrial threat. Somehow, things only grow more complicated from there.
Along with two wins and 39 award nominations, the first and (to date) only season holds a 79% Tomatometer rating and a 76 Popcornmeter rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the series has been picked up for two more seasons, which are being filmed concurrently. In a 2024 review for The Ringer, critic Zach Kram states that “Netflix’s new sci-fi series from the makers of ‘Game of Thrones’ doesn’t just honor Liu Cixin’s remarkable books — it improves on them.” Check Netflix (naturally) if you want to stream this one.
3. Resident Alien
In addition to making our list of the best sci-fi shows of 2025, this four-season series adapted from a Peter Hogan comic of the same name currently tops iMDB’s list of 100 Most Popular Alien Invasion TV shows, and it’s pretty difficult not to be won over by Alan Tudyk’s almost inhuman charisma in his role as Harry Vanderspeigle — an alien on a dubious mission that finds itself adopting the identity of a doctor in a Colorado town. A great position for an alien attempting to be inconspicuous.
Created by Chris Sheridan of “Family Guy” fame, Harry’s conflicting morals as he finds himself becoming more intertwined with the lives of humans can make for some incredibly funny moments, and things only get more absurdly comical when Harry realizes someone in town can see him for who he truly is. It’s not too surprising that the series holds 19 award nominations and four wins, including winning Best Cable Series, Comedy at the 2021 Hollywood Critics Association Television Awards.
Along with Tudyk, the series also stars Sara Tomko, Corey Reynolds, Levi Fiehler, and Elizabeth Bowen, among others. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 97% Tomatometer score and an 87% Popcornmeter score. In a 2021 review for the first season, critic Kyle Wilson wrote for The Lamplight Review that “Resident Alien” is “the perfect vehicle for Tudyk’s versatile talents in what is unexpectedly going to be one of the best new shows of 2021.” Users can find the series on Netflix, Peacock, and Prime Video.
2. Invader ZIM
Those old enough to remember have likely seen characters from “Invader ZIM” adorning a variety of clothing, as the IP absolutely dominated Hot Topic retail stores throughout the U.S. Created by Jhonen Vasquez of “Johnny the Homicidal Maniac” comic book fame, “Invader ZIM” is the cartoon equivalent of an over-caffeinated child, and its chaotic style and dark humor likely helped cement it as a cult-classic.
The original two-season run of “Invader ZIM” follows an alien named Zim (Richard Steven Horvitz) and his robot GIR (Rikki Simons) as they’re sent on a secret mission to overtake Earth. Posing as a human child, Zim has to try and carry out his mission as one of his classmates realizes what he actually is. To give you an idea of how bizarre the show can be, a segment from one episode has Zim stealing organs from his fellow classmates in a rather bizarre fashion.
Nickelodeon originally picked up the show as it was hunting for media geared toward older kids, though the series was axed prematurely. However, Netflix revived it with a one-hour special (“Enter The Florpus”), and it also continued on as a comic series. The series also holds a 100% Tomatometer score and a 92% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes. In a 2019 review of the first season for Screen Rant, critic Ryan Carlquist states that “‘Invader ZIM is without a doubt one of the strangest and chillingly creepy television programs to debut on Nickelodeon.” Stream this one on Paramount+.
1. The X-Files
While “The X-Files” covered a lot of topics beyond alien invasions, it’s hard to overlook the cultural sensation that was FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) questioning if “The truth is out there.” Conspiracy theories, cults, monsters-of-the-week — the series took on everything paranormal — and its overarching mythology centers on an alien invasion. If you were around during its initial ’90s run, it’s difficult not to associate the show almost exclusively with aliens.
Winner of 16 Primetime Emmys along with 105 total award wins and 218 nominations, “The X-Files” follows Mulder and Scully as they work within the government bureau to explore anything and everything unexplainable in our world. One of the more famous TV duos, the two made a great partnership not just for their chemistry, but for the fact that Mulder was an adamant believer in the paranormal whereas Scully was a hardened skeptic.
With an original nine-season run ending in 2002, the series was given two theatrical films and a revival in 2016. Director Ryan Googler is currently rebooting the franchise with new leads. Though the first five seasons may contain the most gold for audiences (and we’ve even ranked our favorite episodes), the series holds an overall 66% Tomatometer score and 73% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes — likely due to the contentious revival. Check out the original series that Rolling Stone called a “Nineties TV phenomena” on Hulu and Disney+.
