If you’ve read any of my reviews before, you’ll know that I’m a tough nut to crack when it comes to sit-coms. I grew up watching a lot of the classics, so I consider most of what I see nowadays to be garbage. Most are carbon copies of each other and rely on the lowest common denominator to get laughs. But occasionally viewers get lucky and are treated to a sitcom that dares to be…… creative. One such sitcom that chose to be so bold was “3rd Rock from the Sun.” The series debuted in 1996, and offers audiences solid laughs (often in the most ridiculous of premises) for 6 seasons. The reason for these non-stop laughs? A great premise, writing that went far and beyond the realm of everyday TV situations and a spectacularly talented cast. Let’s start with the premise of the show shall we? Taking a little bit of a nod from “My Favorite Martian”, the show revolved around a quartet if Martians who travel to Earth (Get it? 3rd Rock from… oh… never mind).

Their mission is to take on human form and mingle with the natives in order to learn as much about them as possible. They wind up in Rutherford, Ohio and quickly find that due to the complexity of human nature, it will take much, much longer to fulfill their mission than originally thought.

This leads me to the cast. Leading the troupe is veteran character actor John Lithgow who is without a doubt, one of the most versatile actors in recent history. He first caught my eye as the transsexual Roberta Muldoon in the brilliant “The World According to Garp.” Since that time I’ve caught him in numerous roles playing everything from psychotic killers, to repressed Baptist ministers to Don Quixote. I was even fortunate enough to have seen him on stage as a washed up boxer opposite George Segal in Rod Serling’s “Requiem for a Heavyweight” Simply put, Lithgow can play any role he chooses and taking on the human persona of Dr. Dick Solomon in “3rd Rock from the Sun” was just the icing on the comedy cake. In this role, he was allowed to cut loose in ways I had not seen him try before. The storylines for the series were often so completely outrageous, and Lithgow’s antics never failed to hit the marks perfectly.

Lithgow was joined by Kirsten Johnston as Sally Solomon, who as an alien was a male and was in a constant battle coming to terms with being a human female. Then we have French Stewart as Harry Solomon. Stewart is a tremendous physical comedian and I don’t think there was a single episode where he didn’t get the chance to show it. Finally, there’s Joseph Gordon-Levitt as ‘young’ Tommy Solomon. His alien persona is actually the oldest of the group and watching him wrestle as a brilliant information officer trapped in the body of a teenager proved a challenge that Gordon-Levitt was more than up for.

Though she wasn’t an alien, I have to mention the great Jane Curtin. She was one of the original Not Ready for Prime Time Players on Saturday Night Live from 1975 – 1980. I always thought she was one of the more underrated talents in the cast, and unfortunately since leaving that show had only a handful of projects. Her comedic talents were once more brought to the forefront when she was cast as Dr. Mary Albright, the professor of anthropology in “3rd Rock from the Sun.” For the most part, she got to play the ‘straight man’ role to Lithgow’s bumbling Solomon, but every scene they shared showed a comic chemistry that couldn’t be beat.

Anchor Bay Entertainment has already released the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th seasons over the last several months, and once again showed the competition up when it comes to packaging and extra features. The first and most noticeable packaging feature was that the first two sets 'talked.' There’s was a pressure point on the cover that delivered the voice of Dick Solomon when pressed. It’s kind of silly, but fits the style of the series to a tea.

This month, Anchor Bay is releasing the 5th season and not a moment too soon if you ask me!! I still can’t get enough of this series and honestly hope they can keep up the pace and release the last season ASAP. There is a small booklet with the episode descriptions, and even more excerpts from The Official Report on Earth by High Comander Dick Solomon. As for extra features on the discs, this set admittedly doesn't have as many as the previous sets. But it does include a great Blooper reel, which alone is worth getting the set.

Speaking of the episodes included in the 5th season, this is one series that actually seemed to get funnier with each new season. With some shows, I can usually pick out a few that stood out as especially funny, but not so with "3rd Rock from the Sun." Every single episode is hysterically funny, but I did especially enjoy "Dial M for Murder." The Solomons are invited to a Murder Mystery Dinner… but have no idea that the guests and victims are actors. I can't begin to describe what happens, and I shouldn't, you really need to see it for yourself.

“3rd Rock from the Sun” was a funnier show than most, earning every single Emmy nomination and win that it received. Having the series available is definitely a high point in my DVD collecting career. I guarantee it would be yours, too.

Episodes:
The Baby Menace
Dick for Tat
Dick & Tuck
Dial M for Dick
The Fifth Solomon
The Loud Solomon Family: A Dickumentary
Dick, Who's Coming to Dinner
Charitable Dick
Sex and the Sally
Dick Strikes Out
Rutherford Beauty
Gwen, Larry, Dick and Mary
Shall We Dick
Dick Puts the 'Id' in Cupid
Youth is Wasted on the Dick
Dick Solomon's Day Off
The Big Giant Head Returns
This Little Dick Went to Market
Dick and Harry Fall in a Hole
Frankie Goes to Rutherford
The Big Giant Head Returns Again, Part 1
The Big Giant Head Returns Again, Part 2

Starring: John Lithgow, Kirsten Johnston, French Stewart, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jane Curtin
Extras: Bloopers, Collectible Booklet
Specifications: Full Screen
Studio: Anchor Bay
Release Date: Available
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give 3rd Rock from the Sun: Season 5 a B+.