Syfy Insider Exclusive

Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, sweepstakes, and more!

Sign Up For Free to View
SYFY WIRE SYFY

SYFY's 'Resident Alien' & 'Chucky' land 5 Saturn nominations, including best sci-fi and horror series

Quick — we need tuxedoes for one killer doll, plus an E.T. with a priorities problem!

By Benjamin Bullard
Death by Misadventure - Extended

What do a maladjusted alien and a killer kids’ doll with a mean streak dating all the way to the 1980s have in common? Aside from taking up residence at SYFY as the stars of their own original series, they’re both on the short list of nominees for this year’s Saturn Awards!

SYFY originals Resident Alien and Chucky combined for a total of five Saturn shoutouts in the 2022 edition of just-released nominees for the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films’ annual handout of genre-friendly honors. Each show made the list of nominees for best TV series in its category, with Chucky picking up a total of four nominations overall, as reported by Deadline.

In the best Science Fiction Television Series (Network/Cable) category, Resident Alien is repping SYFY alongside a host of TV superheroes who also made the best sci-fi show grade. With a third season currently in the works, the Alan Tudyk-starring series sits among a Saturn sci-fi contenders’ list that also includes The Flash (The CW), The Man Who Fell to Earth (Showtime), Supergirl (The CW), Superman & Lois (The CW), and Westworld (HBO).

On the horror side of things, Chucky managed to carve out four total Saturn nominations on the strength of its killer debut season — and the timing couldn’t be more fortuitous: Season 2 of Chucky, which is set to debut on Oct. 5, will have the Good Guy doll fresh on fans’ minds when this year’s Saturns are handed out later in the month on Oct. 25.

The Don Mancini-created series received a big nod in the Saturns’ overall best Horror Television Series category, alongside fellow nominees American Horror Story: Double Feature (FX), Fear the Walking Dead (AMC), From (EPIX), The Walking Dead (AMC), and What We Do in the Shadows (FX). Chucky’s first season also scored another nod in the Home Entertainment TV Series category, slotting in with other bundled releases this year that include The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (Seasons 1 & 2), Creepshow (Season 2), Kolchak: The Night Stalker — The Complete Series, Night Gallery: Season One, and The Six Million Dollar Man: The Complete Series.

Chucky star Zackary Arthur, who anchors the series as the troubled teen who first discovers the pint-sized terror, picked up a well-earned nod in the Saturns’ best Performance by a Younger Actor category (other nominees include Dexter: New Blood’s Jack Alcott, Stargirl’s Brec Bassinger, Shining Vale’s Gus Birney, and Superman & Lois actors Jordan Elsass and Alex Garfin.)

Resident Alien Season 2, Episode 9: "Autopsy."

Not to be outdone by a newcomer, veteran Child’s Play movie icon Jennifer Tilly gave Chucky yet another awards nod for bringing her long-running movie role as Tiffany Valentine over to television. Tilly’s SYFY performance as Chucky’s twisted out-of-body lover landed amid a best Guest-Starring Performance: Network/Cable Series list of nominees that also features Michael Biehn (The Walking Dead), Rachael Harris (Ghosts), Jessie James Keitel (Big Sky), Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead), Fisher Stevens (The Blacklist), and Aisha Tyler (Fear the Walking Dead).

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Saturn Awards, which doles out best-of-year honors to films, TV shows, and home entertainment releases that play in the realms of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Director Matt Reeves' The Batman scored the most film pickups with 12 overall nominations (including for Best Superhero Film, as well as acting shoutouts for stars Robert Pattinson, Zoe Kravitz, Paul Dano, and Colin Farrell.) Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley followed close behind, earning a total of 10 Saturn nods.

The TV awards field is a bit more even, with AMC’s Better Call Saul picking up seven nominations (including for best Action / Thriller Series: Network/Cable). A slew of familiar small-screen names ring in close behind with six nominations apiece; those include The Walking Dead, Stranger Things, Severance, and Superman & Lois.

Need to catch up on SYFY’s contenders before the Saturn Awards are streamed live Oct. 25 on the ElectricNOW platform? No worries: All past episodes of both Chucky and Resident Alien are available for streaming to your heart’s content at Peacock, as well as via the SYFY app. We’ve got you covered if you need a refresher in the lore department, too: Check out our Chucky and Child’s Play primer here, and get a first-step head start on Resident Alien here.