One of the most surprising TV hits of the 1990s was 3rd Rock From the Sun. The show told the story of four aliens who came to Earth disguised as humans in order to conduct research for their leader, The Big Giant Head.
It was filled with classic sitcom misunderstandings and overreactions from a group of intergalactic weirdos. But it was the cast that made it work, particularly legendary actors John Lithgow and Jane Curtin. It also featured Wayne Knight, French Stewart, and Kristen Johnston. It’s about as 90s a sitcom as you can find, but it still holds up today.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Breakout Role
While it isn’t a secret that Joseph Gordon-Levitt was one of the main cast members of 3rd Rock From the Sun, people forget how important this show was to his career. He had several notable movie and TV roles at that point, including a recurring character on Roseanne, but this was the first time where he really got to show how good he was.
JGL played Tommy Solomon, the youngest member of the human Solomon family, but the oldest member of the alien reconnaissance team. It was hilarious watching an old alien disguised as a young boy trying to navigate high school on Earth.
Moving On
Eagle-eyed fans noticed that Tommy Solomon seemed to be on the screen a lot less in the last couple of seasons, mainly because he was. Joseph Gordon-Levitt had decided to move on with his career by going to Columbia University, where he studied history, literature, and French poetry.
He split his time between the set and campus for a couple of years, then focused on school after the end of the series. That didn’t last long as JGL left Columbia and returned to acting in 2004.
Will Forte Was In The Writer’s Room
Comedian and SNL alum Will Forte should be as well known for his work behind the camera as his work in front of it. He created The Last Man on Earth, wrote for The Late Show with David Letterman, and was a writer and producer on That ’70s Show. But he was also a writer for 3rd Rock From the Sun.
While he only wrote a handful of episodes, it’s interesting that MacGruber himself was involved in the series at all. Funny shows need funny talent on both sides of the camera.
Lithgow Taught His Son A Lesson
John Lithgow starred as Dick Solomon. As an alien, he was the leader of his team’s mission on Earth. As a human, he was the patriarch of the Solomon family. Much of the comedy in the series came from how inept he was in both roles.
But to make money for the family, he worked as a professor of physics at Pendelton State University, where he confounded students with his genius-level understanding of physics and his Grade three understanding of humanity. One of those students was played by Ian Lithgow, John’s son, and he was the most inept of the bunch.
The Advanced Physics Dick Taught Was Legit
Some of the funniest moments in 3rd Rock From the Sun happen in Dick Solomon’s physics classroom. Dick constantly goes to his put upon students with highly inappropriate questions about being human.
From a teaching perspective, he subjects them to a level of physics they can’t possibly be expected to understand without an advanced degree in the topic. Author and professor Brian Greene is the reason for that. He taught math and physics at Columbia, and was brought in to make sure Dick’s physics speak was correct.
Phil Hartman’s Death Impacted The Series
One of the most tragic death’s in Hollywood history was Phil Hartman’s. A breakout star on SNL, Hartman was making the transition to roles in film and sitcoms when his wife killed him as part of a murder/suicide. It caught friends, family, and fans completely off guard.
There were professional repercussions to his death, as well. Shows like The Simpsons and News Radio were impacted as was 3rd Rock From the Sun. In a season finale, Hartman’s character kidnapped Harry Solomon, but the actor’s death caused changes to the resolution of the cliff hanger.
French Stewart Took A Beating For The Show
Harry Solomon was Dick’s brother and part of the alien’s mission to Earth, though not a particularly helpful one. A sweet, quirky guy, Harry wasn’t the brightest and frequently did more harm than good in most situations. But he was an important comedic part of the series, particularly due to the physical comedy he brought.
French Stewart, who played Harry, created his character’s signature squint and mannerisms but also undertook the huge bumps for laughs. He was regularly bruised and beaten up from doing the pratfalls for multiple takes each day.
Jane Curtin Was Brought In By Friends
As one of the original SNL cast members, Jane Curtin is a legend among comedians. She would eventually go on to star alongside Dan Aykroyd in one of the many movies based on SNL sketches, Coneheads. Unfortunately, it wasn’t one of the good ones like Wayne’s World or The Blues Brothers.
But the Coneheads movie was written by Terry and Bonnie Turner, who would go on to create 3rd Rock From the Sun. Curtin took the part of Mary Albright, the professor of anthropology that shares Dick’s office and is the focus of his affections, due to her faith in the Turners.
The Ending Could Have Been Very Different
The series finale on NBC featured the four aliens returning to their home planet, the mission they were sent to do completed. They were also forced to leave their human friends, family, and loved ones behind. This was especially devastating to Dick, who had grown extremely close to Mary. She watched them leave, breaking her heart. But that almost wasn’t how that scene went down.
The producers filmed a backup version where Mary left with them in case the cancellation was reversed. It gave them a place to pick up on if they needed to in season seven, which never happened.
It Wandered TV Schedules Aimlessly
A huge part of making a TV show successful is finding the right time slot for it. Many great series have been taken down by airing on the wrong day or time, or by being bounced around the schedule. That’s what happened to 3rd Rock From the Sun. Reputedly, it had 13 different time slots during its six-season run, which seems quite excessive.
Despite that, it aired 139 episodes over its six seasons and maintained a reasonable level of popularity throughout. Had NBC given it a consistent time slot, 3rd Rock From the Sun could have built a much bigger audience.
