3rd Rock from the Sun

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NBC (ended 2001)
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Show Summary

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"As many intelligent people know, aliens are all around us. This is a story of a band of four such explorers. In order to blend in, they have assumed human form. This is the High Commander [Dick]. He has assembled an elite team of experts: A decorated military officer [Sally], a seasoned intelligence specialist [Tommy] and [Harry], well, they had an extra seat."

3RD ROCK FROM THE SUN is an inspired half-hour comedy series farcically dealing with the human condition set in the fictional city of Rutherford, Ohio. This gentle-hearted series stars John Lithgow as the High Commander of an investigative team sent to Earth on a mission to learn everything about humans and their so-called advanced civilization. Described by its producers as "Carl Sagan meets the Marx Brothers," 3RD ROCK has a clever, distinct point of view seen through the extraterrestrial team who has no other worldly powers except absolute truthfulness. Dick (John Lithgow, Don Quixote), Harry (French Stewart, Love Stinks), Sally (Kristen Johnston, Austin Powers) And Tommy (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 10 thing I Hate About You), arrive in our world completely innocent, while equipped with superior intelligence to analyze every experience. This bizarre vantage point of an innocent seeing everything for the first time is the comic framework from which to satire the human condition and American society, to look at all of the injustices and absurdities and humorously point them out to us. 3RD ROCK cuts through our taboos and traditions with a childlike inquisitive logic and an impeccably paced humorous twist. We the viewers see ourselves in 3RD ROCK, and we see ourselves as the aliens.

The humor of 3RD ROCK is always twisting the viewpoint to show the angle of an outsider looking in. 3RD ROCK which we know as Earth is the way travellers would look at the world - an insignificant blue speck that is The 3rd Rock from the Sun.

Reruns were last seen on ABC Family on April 15, 2005 at 9:00am ET with the episode "The Big Giant Head Returns Again, Part 1" and may return at some other time. Check listings.

Ratings: #22 in the 1995-1996 Season #27 in the 1996-1997 Seasonmoreless
8.8
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Episode Guide

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S 6 :  Ep 20 Aired 1/20/08
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S 6 :  Ep 19 Aired 5/22/01
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S 6 :  Ep 18 Aired 5/15/01
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S 6 :  Ep 17 Aired 5/8/01
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S 6 :  Ep 16 Aired 5/1/01
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Fan Reviews (70)

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  • I opened the tv i found a new show started about a group of alliens living on earth i thought that it could be funny but...

    1.0
    "Abysmal"
    By dodo91085, Mar 31, 2011
    I opened the tv i found a new show started about a group of alliens living on earth i thought that it could be funny but after 10 minutes i saw what it is, it is a disaster a complete disaster i didnt even smile, i felt really disappointed i mean the idea of allins living on earth and the difference between them and humans is a good one and they could have made the show way better than that.
     i saw score that was given to this show and i wander who could possibely like this show, what do they see in it that i cant see?!!!
     i've given it 1/10 for a good idea distroyed by its makersmoreless

  • Alien freaks who you will grow to love!

    10
    "Perfect"
    By Jaykeson, Oct 02, 2010
    This show is in my top 10 favourite comedies of all time.
    The premise for this show is simple - 4 beings from another planet (Dick, Sally, Tommy & Harry) have been sent to Earth to view life on this planet. Along the way, Dick (the "High Commander") falls in love with a woman he works with, Sally tests the strength of mankind, Tommy goes through puberty (even though, on his planet, he is actually the oldest out of the group), and Harry - well... I guess you can say... ummm.... Harry is just Harry.

    This show attracted a plethora of guest stars during it's run such as Roseanne, Elvis Costello, John Cleese, Phil Hartman and many others.

    This show is sharply written - and before this show first aired, I never knew that John Lithgow could handle comedy so well.
    A great show and a must watch if you enjoy comedy mixed with a touch of sci-fi.moreless

  • Good show

    8.0
    "Great"
    By tjtalman, Aug 04, 2010
    This is another show i remember loving when i was younger, but I really don't have any recollection of what the show was really about besides they were aliens from another planet on a mission while trying to live a normal human life in the process, oh and the Newman from Seinfeld was in some episodes. Many people say its a good solid show to watch, that being said this is a show I want to watch again some time in the future to see what I really enjoyed about this show.

    sorry i just needed eight more words sorry.moreless

  • a funny hilorious show about aliens that come to earth and learn the ways of the humans .

    7.5
    "Good"
    By cube2k8, May 05, 2010
    well third rock from the sun was a really well putogether show about aliens that came from space to come earth to learn the ways of the humans. and they report to there head leader the big head. which was funny and the way react around humans makes the show funny you got younger teen and a older but still younger guy and you got a older women and older man on the show which make up the family and the older man works in the office as the other delivers things and othe older man fall in love with a women in his office as the older women has guy a dilver man who is on the chucky side falling her and who has crush on her but she does not like him and the yonger teen has crush on her girl . so it makes up a good funny story and the jokes keep you laughing it was a good show when it was on.moreless

  • Aliens on our planet? No way! Well after seeing this show, you're gonna have to think again. :D

    10
    "Perfect"
    By FlyButterfly, Mar 16, 2009
    This is such great comedy. The cast deserves to be mentioned, because they are largely responsible for show's great success. The story revolves around a weird family that is actually a group of alien researches in disguise. They try to fit in and be as normal human beings as possible and that leads to numerous of funny scenes and unusual situations. And as they get to know humans better, the more human they become themselves and the more people they get to know, the more attached they get to them. I recommend this show to everyone that wants a good laugh but also a possibility to learn something new about us, humans.moreless
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90s, Sitcoms

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