# Non-humanoids aliens in tv shows?



## EmpanadaDePorotos (May 4, 2020)

I know there are a few non humanoids species in the orville but i dont know if there are more in other series


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## Danny McG (May 5, 2020)

Star Trek the original series.March 9th 1967.
Episode "The devil in the dark" Silicon based life form the *Horta*


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## J Riff (May 5, 2020)

_Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea-_ lots to choose from. Today was an orchid, could shoot mind control rays and a few other tricks.


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## Droflet (May 5, 2020)

Let's not forget our old friend the Gorn. And the poor bloke in the suit.


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## Glaysher (May 5, 2020)

Vorlons and Shadows in Babylon 5


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## Elckerlyc (May 5, 2020)

Farscape, many species from other worlds.
Most of Moya's crew was alien. Heck, Moya _herself_ was an alien.


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## Rodders (May 5, 2020)

Initially, Babylon 5 tried hard to make their aliens different and not just a person made alien by make up. I remember that had a mantis (N’Grath) type criminal in the alien sector.  That soon fell away due to budget, but I liked that they attempted it.

Unrelated, but in K-Pax, when asked by the psychiatrist why a human form, he stated that it’s like a drop of water. It’s just the most economical shape for biology to form hence most races were humanoid.

As for non-humanoid, what about the aliens from Galaxy Quest? Aren’t they squid-like when not taking human form?

Farscape’s Budong. A supermassive space creature was pretty cool.


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## Danny McG (May 5, 2020)

Droflet said:


> Let's not forget our old friend the Gorn. And the poor bloke in the suit.
> 
> View attachment 63672


Does he meet the definition of non-humanoid?
Two arms, two legs, hands, a head with forward facing eyes etc...a point of quibble perhaps?


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## Droflet (May 5, 2020)

He's a lizard so maybe not humanoid. Just a thought.


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## Elckerlyc (May 5, 2020)

Two arms, two legs, hands, a head with forward facing eyes etc... . 
That perfectly describes 99% of all aliens in TV-series.

But then again, those might be evolutionary conditions to be able to dominate your natural environment and evolve into sentient species.


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## Rodders (May 5, 2020)

Farscape again. Pilot was a great example of a non-humanoid Alien. A great character as well.


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## Overread (May 5, 2020)

Elckerlyc said:


> Two arms, two legs, hands, a head with forward facing eyes etc... .
> That perfectly describes 99% of all aliens in TV-series.
> 
> But then again, those might be evolutionary conditions to be able to dominate your natural environment and evolve into sentient species.



More likely its simpler and cheaper to costume/animate on a TV budget 
It's also much easier for an audience to connect with. It's why so many film and tv aliens are indeed quite humanoid in overall appearance and design. If not then they often start to emulate real world animals to some degree.


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## tegeus-Cromis (May 5, 2020)

The (first set of) aliens on _Falling Skies. 

_


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## EmpanadaDePorotos (May 5, 2020)

Rodders said:


> Initially, Babylon 5 tried hard to make their aliens different and not just a person made alien by make up. I remember that had a mantis (N’Grath) type criminal in the alien sector.  That soon fell away due to budget, but I liked that they attempted it.
> 
> Unrelated, but in K-Pax, when asked by the psychiatrist why a human form, he stated that it’s like a drop of water. It’s just the most economical shape for biology to form hence most races were humanoid.
> 
> ...


GalaxyQuest seems interesting and, about babylon 5 i think the aliens look amazing but i dont know if there are more non-humanoid species in


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## J Riff (May 7, 2020)

for that matter, the ocean has a lot of lifeforms would pass nicely as aliens. )


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## ctg (May 7, 2020)

How about Netflix's NightFlyers? Does that count?


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## Rodders (May 7, 2020)

Fart in Rick and Morty was a gaseous creature.


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## Avelino de Castro (May 7, 2020)

EmpanadaDePorotos said:


> I know there are a few non humanoids species in the orville but i dont know if there are more in other series


Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom has squamish (Lovecraft's word) octopus like monsters in it.


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## Avelino de Castro (May 7, 2020)

EmpanadaDePorotos said:


> I know there are a few non humanoids species in the orville but i dont know if there are more in other series


I just realized, the whole point of Starship Troopers a series of three movies, only the first of which is really worth watching, is based on a Heinlein story about alien bugs that hurl asteroids at earth.  The troopers meet up with ant like bugs, caterpillar bugs, and all sorts of bug aliens.


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## BAYLOR (May 18, 2020)

Avelino de Castro said:


> I just realized, the whole point of Starship Troopers a series of three movies, only the first of which is really worth watching, is based on a Heinlein story about alien bugs that hurl asteroids at earth.  The troopers meet up with ant like bugs, caterpillar bugs, and all sorts of bug aliens.



Check out the animated tv series Roughnecks Starship Troopers Chronicles.


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## Margaret Note Spelling (May 18, 2020)

Lots and lots of classic Doctor Who. They had everything--insects, plants, blobs, fish, a gigantic virus, robots, alien supercomputers, plastics...my memory ends sooner than all the aliens they roped into the show. If Doctor Who had had _anything_ like a consistent worldbuilding back then, their story universe would have been hugely complex, and frankly quite impressive.


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## Rodders (May 18, 2020)

Your comment on Dr. Who featuring plants as an alien species made me think of the Triffids. 

A side note. Now I'm on Netflix I intend to binge watch all of the new Dr. Who. I haven't seen many, (maybe six in all) and I suspect that I am in for a treat,


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## Harpo (Dec 26, 2022)

Zig & Zag


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## Danny McG (Dec 26, 2022)

Don't forget the 1980s series *Helping Henry*.
The alien N3 crossed the universe to find out about humanity - he looked like a dining chair!


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## sciwriterPark (Dec 26, 2022)

The Blob and Japanese giant monsters.


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## Guttersnipe (Dec 26, 2022)

Stargate SG-1: the Goa'uld are basically symbiotic eels, while the Ori are basically living flames.


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## JunkMonkey (Dec 29, 2022)

Guttersnipe said:


> Stargate SG-1: the Goa'uld are basically symbiotic eels, while the Ori are basically living flames.


And the Replicators were animated lego and the ascended Ancients were non-corporial


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## JunkMonkey (Dec 29, 2022)

Others I can think of:
The visitors in Arrival.
The trans-dimensional hyperbeing white mice and Zaphod Beeblebrox (two heads, three arms) from Hitchikers' Guide to the Galaxy.
Any number of 'shapeshifters' who took on humanoid form from convenience.
Some stages of the Xenomorph from Alien's life cycle.
The batspider thing from Angry Red Planet.
The Thing.
Vger from StarTrek the Motion Picture - or rather the unseen alien mechanoid species who found Voyager and sent it home.

EDIT: just realised this is a TV thread not a film thread and all these come from movies.


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## Vladd67 (Saturday at 10:36 AM)

JunkMonkey said:


> Others I can think of:
> The visitors in Arrival.
> The trans-dimensional hyperbeing white mice and Zaphod Beeblebrox (two heads, three arms) from Hitchikers' Guide to the Galaxy.
> Any number of 'shapeshifters' who took on humanoid form from convenience.
> ...


H2G2 was radio first then TV a film version never existed, you must have imagined that.


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## JunkMonkey (Sunday at 12:28 AM)

Vladd67 said:


> H2G2 was radio first then TV a film version never existed, you must have imagined that.



LOL - never underestimate the power of denial.


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