The 3rd Rock From The Sun Phenomenon
Arts & Entertainment → Television / Movies
- Author Michael Birbeck
- Published June 13, 2012
- Word count 535
3rd Rock from the Sun was a hugely popular 90s sitcom. The show was broadcast on NBC between 1996 and 2001 and followed the life of four aliens. The aliens were sent to earth by their home planet to study humans and what they consider to be the most boring planet in the universe, Planet Earth. The aliens pretend to be a regular American family in order to study life at close quarters.
The alien family make their home in the fictional town of Rutherford, Ohio. Living in a small apartment, they set about their mission by submerging themselves in human life. Towards the end of the show's run, the aliens almost forget about their mission, choosing instead to become embroiled in their human lives.
The leader of the mission is Dick Solomon, played by movie star and respected actor, John Lithgow. Dick has a job as Professor of Physics at a local university. The information officer, Tommy Solomon, takes on the persona of a teenager and has to enroll in the local school. The role of Tommy is played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt who would later become an acclaimed movie actor, starring in Christopher Nolan's, Inception.
Completing the mission team are Sally and Harry who take the role of work-shy thirty somethings. Following the tradition of Mork and Mindy, the family have to make regular reports to their home planet. These reports are made directly to their boss, known as the 'big giant head.' Although often unseen, the 'head' is played by Star Trek legend, William Shatner.
Much the appeal and humor of the show comes from the fact that the central characters' personalities are in direct contradiction of the human forms they have chosen to adopt. The mission leader, Dick, adopts a loving and paternal form, however in reality he is self centered, egotistical and selfish. The oldest member of the alien expedition is Tommy, who takes on the form of a nerdy teenager.
The show's main theme of humor is derived from the team's struggle to adapt to the social cultures and traditions of their human neighbors. In trying to understand and copy those customs and social norms, the aliens make countless mistakes and gaffes. Part of the problem seems to be they are taking much of their information directly from TV shows and movies.
There is also a huge disconnect between human life on earth and the life the aliens are used to. Although there aren't many references to their home planet, we do know there is minimal use of emotion. One reference is made to sexual reproduction involving a business like transaction where genetic material is posted from a father to a mother. This lack of interaction and emotion in their home life, makes their struggle on earth that more interesting and funny.
The show's success saw it become America's third favorite sitcom for a while, closely behind Everybody Loves Raymond and The King of Queens. However, its popularity waned somewhat after the first three seasons, despite the show winning several Emmy awards. This may well have been down to the fact that once the initial joke of being an alien on earth was spent, there simply wasn't anywhere else to go.
Michael Birbeck is an expert author from Australia. He has written many articles in various interesting DVD Movies stories like the 3rd Rock From The Sun, friends, Harry Potter complete series. For more information about DVD Box Sets, please contact with us.
Article source: https://articlebiz.comRate article
Article comments
There are no posted comments.
Related articles
- Mark Bowers’ Directorial Debut Brings New Nightmare in the Found Footage Horror Film "Its Name Was Mormo''
- OnionPlay: An Overview of the Online Streaming Platform
- Michelangelo Antonioni's The Passenger: A Study of the Subtext
- Maximizing Your Entertainment Experience: The Ultimate Guide to IPTV
- Gyeongseong Creature: Japan’s Invasion Collides with Joseon
- Slippin' Jimmy Lives On
- Cinema and artificial intelligence
- Why Satanists have given new horror movie Amityville Apt. their endorsement
- Revolutionizing Cinema: Rediscovering the Allure of French New Wave
- A Pioneering Technology Channel
- Clone Trooper-5555
- Mobile Suit Gundam Watch Order: From Start to Finish
- 15 NSFW Anime You Shouldn’t Watch in Public
- How to Watch Boruto in Order
- How to Watch Demon Slayer in Order with Movies: From Start to Finish
- The Ever-Evolving Landscape of Entertainment: From Traditional to Digital
- US actor Allison Mack was released early from prison due to the Nxivm cult.
- Did Dragonheart improve Dennis Quaid's acting skills?
- My Favorite Movie
- One Piece Shirts for Men and Women: A Perfect Gift for Anime Fans
- Best Places to Watch Monster Anime Online
- Who Killed Tanjiro’s Family in Demon Slayer?
- The Wild West: A Look at the Top 5 Classic Western Movies
- Get the best cinema experience
- Where to Watch Spy Family Online
- Where to Watch Pokemon Online
- Superheroes are no longer entertaining
- Where to Watch Movie Streaming and Download TV Episodes
- Determination & hard work pays off
- The Batman: The Greatest CBM Of The Last Ten Years.