3rd Rock From the Sun was an American television situation comedy that ran from 1996 until 2001. The show was about a "family" of four extraterrestrials that landed on Earth to observe human beings, while pretending (often awkwardly) to be humans.

The plot

The show derived much humor from the contrast between the outward appearance adopted by each of the aliens and his or her actual, internal nature. Dick, far from being a wise and fatherly figurehead, is arrogant, self-absorbed, petulant, faddish, and often downright foolish. Inside Sally's glamourous form lives the weapons and security officer: uncouth, swaggering and macho. The oldest of the group was morphed into teenager Tommy, his former wisdom at odds with the strange and often humiliating life in which his teenage persona casts him. Only the oddball of the group, Harry, seems comfortable with Earth - yet he is the most obviously weird of them all (particularly when his built-in "radio" function takes unexpected control over his body, relaying orders from the aliens' homeworld in an odd, booming voice).

The family comprise a survey-team from an alien culture, and often communicate with their offworld (and unseen) boss, "The Big Giant Head" who apparently only got the job by kissing "The Big Giant Butt". His orders are received by Harry, who unexpectedly (and often in inconvenient circumstances) stands erect, his arms stiff (acting perhaps as the antenna), and declaims "INCOMING MESSAGE FROM THE BIG GIANT HEAD". The Big Giant Head finally makes an appearance in the fourth season, played by actor William Shatner. His desire to review the team's results and performance is soon forgotten, as the newly corporeal alien is quickly distracted by all the vices his new flesh affords.

At the end of his first appearance, TBGH tells Dick of a bad experience he had once on an airplane. Dick exclaims that the same thing happened to him! This is an inside joke to the Twilight Zone episode "Terror at 20,000 Feet". Shatner appeared in the original television version; Lithgow appeared in the movie remake some thirty years later.

Series finale

After Mary sees Dick change Liam into a monkey, Dick reveals his true identity to Mary. The Big Giant Head finds out and tells them that their mission is over. Sally helps Don realize what it means to be a police officer and Dick leaves Mary forever. The ending scene features the aliens singing goodbye in their Rambler and disappearing back to their home planet.

Cast

• John Lithgow as High Commander Dick Solomon
• Kristen Johnston as Security Officer Lieutenant Sally Solomon (Dick's "sister", she is sometimes introduced as Tommy's sister earlier in the series, although never Dick's "daughter")
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Information Officer Tommy Solomon (Dick's "son")
• French Stewart as Communicator Harry Solomon (Dick's "brother")
• Wayne Knight as Police Officer Don Orville (at times, Sally's boyfriend)
• Jane Curtin as Dr. Mary Albright (at times, Dick's girlfriend)
• Simbi Khali as Nina Campbell (Albright's assistant)
• Elmarie Wendell as Mrs. Mamie Dubcek (the Solomons' landlord)

The names of the male Solomons are likely a play on the expression, "Every Tom, Dick, and Harry". Sally's name may come from the title of the movie When Harry Met Sally.

Theatrical basis

The theatrical basis of 3rd Rock is the Italian tradition of Commedia dell'arte. These were troupes of comedy actors who toured Europe from the 16th to the 18th century. They mostly wore masks, they employed verbal ribaldry, slapstick and mime, they kept more-or-less the same group of characters in each story and they parodied the failings of human society such as the seven deadly sins.

The 3rd rock characters are masked in the sense that their true identities are disguised behind human forms. The correspondences between the commedia characters and the 3rd Rock ones are roughly:

• High Commander Dick Solomon: Il Dottore (in the Commedia dell'arte Il Dottore is a supposedly learned man such as a doctor or professor who believes himself to be wise (wise as Soloman) but actually knows only nonsense).

• Sally: Isabella, (Lucinda, Cornelia, Silvia, Rosaura), Pantalone's daughter. She is very headstrong, flirtatious, sensuous, and articulate. Men are constantly falling hopelessly in love with her. She loves to tease and test the men. Her father always tries to control her life by arranging meetings and agreements with inappropriate overaged gentlemen suitors.

• Tommy: Pierrot, a foolish, confused, clown character. Perhaps the oldest of the stock characters yet eternally youthful. A skillfull mime.

• Harry: Arlecchino, a servant who exagerates all of his actions into acrobatics and buffoonery.

• Police Officer Don Orville: Il Capitano, a military or naval figure, an officer of the guard or similar sort of character who would wear a uniform. Outward bravado but actually a coward.

• Dr. Mary Albright: The Innamorata (the Lover), the leading woman, who wore no mask (not an alien).

• Nina Campbell: Columbina, a servant who is the most sane and quietly intelligent character on stage.

• Mrs. Mamie Dubcek: La Ruffiana, an older female character with a shady past.

• The Big Giant Head: Pantalone, a miserly, libidinous, aged character.

External link

• 3rd Rock From The Sun Home Page (http://3rdrock.com)