3rd Rock from the Sun (1996–2001)

A group of aliens are sent to Earth, disguised as a human family, to experience and report life on the 3rd planet from the sun.

Creators:

Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner

Stars:

John Lithgow, Kristen Johnston, French Stewart

Won 2 Golden Globes. Another 34 wins & 62 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
John Lithgow	...	Dr. Dick Solomon (139 episodes, 1996-2001)
Kristen Johnston	...	Sally Solomon (139 episodes, 1996-2001)
French Stewart	...	Harry Solomon (139 episodes, 1996-2001)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt	...	Tommy Solomon (139 episodes, 1996-2001)
Jane Curtin	...	Dr. Mary Albright (137 episodes, 1996-2001)
Simbi Khali	...	Nina Campbell (134 episodes, 1996-2001)
Elmarie Wendel	...	Mrs. Mamie Dubcek (118 episodes, 1996-2001)
Wayne Knight	...	Officer Don (100 episodes, 1996-2001)

Storyline

A group of aliens has come to Earth to learn about its population, customs, etc. To avoid detection, they have taken on human form which gives them human emotions, physical needs etc. WITHOUT the understanding of what they mean or the inhibitions normally present in humans. Their leader takes the position of a college professor, their military expert as his sister, their intelligence expert, supposedly oldest of group takes form of his teenage son. The uninhibited reactions turn everyday events into unusual situations.

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Plot Keywords:

alien | human form | extraterrestrial | landlady | disembodied head | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Sci-Fi

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Details

Official Sites:

Carsey-Werner [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

Hungarian English

Release Date:

9 January 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

3rd Rock

Filming Locations:

CBS Studio Center - 4024 Radford Avenue, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Carsey-Werner Company, YBYL Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min 25 min (124 episodes) 60 min (7 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The coffee house frequented by the main characters, Johnny Foam's, is named after the series' costuming supervisor, Johnny Foam.

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Quotes

[at career day]
Officer Don: Sorry I'm late, kids, but I was just involved in one of the world's scariest police chases.
Kid: How did it end?
Officer Don: The guy got away.
[dejected groans]
Officer Don: but, I rolled my car!
[cheers]

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Connections

Spoofed in Jane White Is Sick & Twisted (2002)

User Reviews

i loved this show!

i totally loved this show!

instead of all the other sci-fi- or fantasy-centered sitcoms (like for example sabrina) this one didn't rely on heavy special effects. instead, the "alien" feeling came through the actors performance. it was exaggerated, sure, but in a very VERY good way. my favorite episodes where the ones where harry turned into a transmitter. in one of the last episodes he transmits an alien-award show and you can see him dance on behalf of the ballet. when you look closely you can even see kristen johnston (sally) nearly fall out of character. it was so hilarious, you could see her biting the insides of her cheeks not to start laughing and ruining the scene. and my favorite dialog was her asking dick "why am i the woman"-"because you lost".

great.