3rd Rock from the Sun

Year: 1996 First Air: 1996-01-01

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Overview

A team of aliens posing as a human family moves into small town Ohio to study Earth. Their clueless attempts to fit in spark sharp, offbeat sitcom chaos and culture clash comedy

Synopsis

Disguised as the Solomon family, four extraterrestrials take on everyday human roles while secretly reporting back on their mission. Dick, the pompous “high commander,” becomes a college professor and constantly misreads social cues, while Sally wrestles with instinct and emotion. Teen looking Tommy serves as the group’s most practical observer, and Harry receives bizarre transmissions that never arrive at convenient times. Their landlord and love interests pull them deeper into human relationships, forcing them to improvise new rules for everything from dating to workplace politics. As they learn, they bicker, bond, and regularly expose just how strange ordinary life can seem from the outside

Cast

John Lithgow — Dick Solomon Kristen Johnston — Sally Solomon Joseph Gordon-Levitt — Tommy Solomon French Stewart — Harry Solomon Jane Curtin — Dr. Mary Albright Simbi Khali — Nina Campbell Wayne Knight — Don Orville

Trivia

Think big 1990s network sitcom energy and a cast known for physical comedy. One star’s awards run became part of the show’s legacy.

Q1: Which U.S. broadcast network originally aired 3rd Rock from the Sun?

Answer: NBC

Its NBC run places it in the same era as several defining 1990s Thursday-night comedies.

Q2: John Lithgow won multiple Emmy Awards for playing which character on the series?

Answer: Dick Solomon

The awards highlight how central Lithgow’s performance was to the show’s comedic identity.

Q3: What is the name of the town where the Solomon family lives for most of the series?

Answer: Rutherford, Ohio

The specific setting grounds the show’s weirdness in a recognizable slice of middle America.

3RD ROCK FROM THE SUN

3rd Rock from the Sun