Television series
My Parents Are Aliens
- Alien contact
- Fantasy
- Comedy
- Light-hearted
A British sitcom where two aliens crash-land on Earth, adopt three orphans, and attempt to blend in while learning human customs. It's a warm-hearted family comedy that plays its absurd premise straight, finding genuine heart in the clash between extraterrestrial logic and earthly chaos. Perfect for younger viewers and anyone who likes their sci-fi funny rather than serious.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you enjoy gentle, slapstick family sitcoms where the joke is the awkward fish-out-of-water domestic mix-up, and a cheerful, low-stakes half hour is exactly what you want.
Skip it if you want sharp, fast-moving comedy or a show with real emotional grit; this one runs on broad, repetitive gags and a fairly soft, predictable rhythm.
What it asks of you: Half an hour an episode and very little concentration, since each one is self-contained and happy to be watched in pieces; you will be laughing at familiar setups rather than following a story.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
The Addams Family1991
A family of delightful weirdos navigating a normal world with perfect deadpan confidence. Like *My Parents Are Aliens*, it finds comedy in the gap between their perspective and everyone else's, wrapped in genuine affection for each character.
But It's more gothic and droll than silly. If you want constant laughs rather than a smarter, slower-burn approach, this might feel dated or arch.
We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story1993
A sitcom family that's literally not human, learning Earth customs through misunderstanding. Same DNA as *My Parents*: creature-based comedy grounded in real family dynamics, with surprisingly touching moments underneath the jokes.
But The animatronic dinosaurs look clunky by modern standards, and the 90s sitcom rhythm can feel sluggish if you're used to faster pacing.
Misfits2009
Young people with extraordinary circumstances hiding their true nature and learning to function in the world. Sharper and darker than *My Parents*, but built on the same tension: keeping a massive secret while growing up and figuring out who you are.
But It's brutal in ways *My Parents* isn't. The tone is cynical and the content includes violence and sexual content that feels light-years from family sitcom warmth.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from My Parents Are Aliens
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Fraggle Rock1983
Both use the 'outsiders learning Earth/society' premise to ask deeper questions about belonging, family, and what it means to be different—but *Fraggle Rock* does it through wonder rather than comedy.
Jim Henson's puppet comedy about creatures living in a hidden world who occasionally interact with humans. Like *My Parents*, it's fundamentally about different species learning to coexist, but told through pure practical puppetry magic and genuine philosophical curiosity about friendship across difference.
But It's entirely puppets, which takes adjustment. The pacing is deliberately slow and meditative; if you want fast jokes, the quieter moments will frustrate you.
More like this (8)
3rd Rock from the Sun1996
Aliens posing as a human family on Earth, learning our customs through trial and error. It's the spiritual cousin: smart comedy about outsiders observing normal life, with real heart underneath the high concept.
But It's American network sitcom, so the sentiment is sometimes heavy-handed and the laugh track intrusive. Longer seasons might require patience.
The Sarah Jane Adventures2007
Young people discovering extraordinary secrets about the world and becoming protectors of it. Shares *My Parents*' blend of adventure, mystery, and genuine emotion, with a similar respect for younger audience intelligence.
But It's tied to *Doctor Who* continuity, so some references may land better if you know that universe. Pacing is deliberately episodic rather than arc-driven.
Kes1970
A young boy finding kinship and purpose outside his family. Like *My Parents*, it's ultimately about belonging and learning to navigate the world, but told with real gravity and beauty instead of comedy.
But It's a serious, quiet 1960s film about a working-class Yorkshire boy. If you want lightness and fantasy, the realism will feel like a hard turn.
Raising Dion2019
A parent learning to raise a child with extraordinary abilities while keeping it secret from the world. Same tension: family love and normalcy under pressure from impossible circumstances, but from the parent's exhausted perspective.
But It's more sentimental and Netflix-serious than the giddy comedy of *My Parents*. The tone is protective rather than playful.
Harriet the Spy1996
A young person discovering secrets and navigating trust within their community. Shares *My Parents*' child-centered perspective and its interest in how kids see the world differently than adults, with adventure and heart.
But It's a one-off film rather than serialized, so there's no ongoing family dynamic to root for. The stakes feel smaller by design.
The Owl House2020
A human girl in a magical world learning to adapt and belong, with a large found family. Fantasy adventure with real emotional depth; like *My Parents*, it treats its young characters with genuine respect and gives them real problems to solve.
But It's animated and pitched younger, which some viewers find too slight. Later seasons become serialized, shifting away from standalone comedy-adventure.
The Box of Delights1984
Both trust their young audience completely. Neither talks down, both assume children can handle complexity and real stakes, and both balance adventure with genuine emotional investment in family.
A BBC Christmas serial where a young boy is given a magical box that lets him travel through time and space. British children's television at its most imaginative; shares *My Parents*' sense that childhood can contain real magic and genuine danger, wrapped in warmth.
But It's a 1980s British TV production on a modest budget. The effects are deliberately handmade and the pacing is unhurried; it requires patience and nostalgia-resistant goodwill.
NewsRadio1995
Same emotional core: characters learning that the people you end up with, who understand you, matter more than the ones you were born with. *My Parents* makes that literal through adoption; *NewsRadio* finds it in work.
A workplace sitcom about misfits finding community in a strange environment. Faster and sharper than *My Parents*, but built on identical DNA: people who don't belong learning to love each other anyway, with comedy rooted in character and situation rather than gags.
But It's entirely workplace-focused—no family angle, no fantasy element. If you want the warmth of *My Parents*' found-family angle but don't mind losing the sci-fi hook, this might feel like a lateral move rather than a discovery.
