A 3rd Rock from the Sun Cast Reunion at Vulture Festival

December 19, 2021 8:28 AM

A 3rd Rock from the Sun Cast Reunion at Vulture Festival [56m] Tom, Dick, Harry, Sally, Don and Mary all join to reminisce. Delightful and joyous.
posted by hippybear (16 comments total)

I was in sitcom-overload (Must-See TV!) at the time 3rd Rock from the Sun aired and never watched it. Since then, I've seen bits and pieces of it here and there and found it to be more creative and charming that I expected it to be. Certainly had a good cast.
posted by SoberHighland at 11:14 AM on December 19, 2021

I haven't seen or even thought of that show in ages. Time for a re-watch!
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:19 AM on December 19, 2021

Incoming message from the big giant head!
posted by Foosnark at 11:49 AM on December 19, 2021 [7 favorites]

3rd Rock is indeed a really funny show, and it meets my criteria for "characters I would enjoy hanging out with". I've been rewatching some of these lately and really enjoying them. "The Art of Dick" was especially delightful, as it gives some depth and breadth to Harry's character, played by the amazing French Stewart.

(It's also such a trip to watch the young Joseph Gordon-Leavitt, already so talented at just 15 years old.)

I am really looking forward to seeing this reunion video - thank you so much for posting it, hippybear!
posted by kristi at 1:27 PM on December 19, 2021

It was really worth it to introduce William Shatner as the "supreme leader" and have him say to John Lithgow:

"I looked out and saw a creature on the wing of the plane."

"The same thing happened to me!"
posted by fortitude25 at 1:34 PM on December 19, 2021 [11 favorites]

Every time it snows, me and Dr. indexy:
"They're here! They're here! Albino brain chiggers--cover your ears!"
[low quality video, alas]
posted by indexy at 1:35 PM on December 19, 2021 [2 favorites]

This was already covered in depth on a recent Fusion Chamberlain Show. I'm surprised you all missed it.
_{(struggling to lick my own back in this form)}
posted by zaixfeep at 2:58 PM on December 19, 2021 [4 favorites]

A few months ago it started showing up in reruns, maybe on the Decades channel? Anyway, just a ton of talent in the cast, but man, I can't stand 80% of the writing and French Stewart plays one of the most grating characters ever included in a sitcom. I have to think he really, really appealed to people of a certain age who were/are much younger than me, like the way I can't sit through a Popeye or Three Stooges anymore (I've been softening on the Stooges lately). If I was 10 years younger when it was on I'm pretty sure it would have been a huge favorite, though.

Anyway, I'm glad this is still a thing with its fans and I'm always a bit sad I don't get to watch Jane Curtin more. Sometime during the pandemic, I watched How to Beat the High Cost of Living for the first time in...35 years...and she is really a unique character actor and strong comedic player, particularly in comparison to the rest of the SNL cohort from which she emerged.
posted by rhizome at 3:16 PM on December 19, 2021 [2 favorites]

SKINNY BAR, FAT BAR, FAT BAR, FAT BAR, SKINNY BAR, FAT BAR.

$1.26.

YOU CRACKED THE BAR CODE?

YEAH.

Genius!
posted by Dub at 3:23 PM on December 19, 2021 [2 favorites]

I remember there were just so many bursts of insanity. At one point, Jane Curtin, Wayne Knight, and Lithgow went to some sort of Michael Flatley-like show and came out of the theater, breaking into a one minute dance routine that proved Lithgow and Knight were actually pretty light on their feet. It was outstanding.
posted by Ber at 8:49 PM on December 19, 2021 [3 favorites]

The weird hall of mirrors of the show was the main cast being aliens morphed into humans and being subjected to everything human for the first time, so that was a mirror being held up to society, but also Mary and other human characters on the show were reflecting their reactions to the aliens trying to be humans, so that was another mirror. And then the audience was reacting both to the aliens and the reactions, another TWO reactions there.

It was one of the stronger social commentary shows of my lifetime, really As strong as All In The Family, but with a peculiar frame that gave it more freedom.
posted by hippybear at 8:56 PM on December 19, 2021 [8 favorites]

I really enjoyed the show, great cast, and so much fun watching them try to make sense out of having human bodies and the things we do. When Sally sneezed for the first time and they were terrified... "what was that?" "I don't know... but I want another one!"

They really were able to gently show the weirdness of "normal" life and took little digs at gender stereotypes, traditions, etc.

I wanted to see more of Joseph Gordon Levit and French Stewart after it.

In the reunion talk they mentioned the dream episode, which was indeed amazing. The dance number that introduced our family to "Life Has Been Good to Me" and the fact that Randy Newman wrote a musical version of Faust! and became my youngest kid's favourite song, mystifying their first grade teacher...

Thanks hippybear.
posted by evilmomlady at 3:10 AM on December 20, 2021 [2 favorites]

Anyway, I'm glad this is still a thing with its fans and I'm always a bit sad I don't get to watch Jane Curtin more.

She was really great in the movie The Spy Who Dumped Me as Kate McKinnon's mother.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 6:48 AM on December 20, 2021 [1 favorite]

This was DELIGHTFUL. Thank you!
posted by CoffeeHikeNapWine at 1:54 PM on December 20, 2021

Thank you for sharing this. I really needed a lift, and it was very warming to see the affection and respect among the cast and writers.
posted by BrashTech at 6:01 PM on December 20, 2021 [1 favorite]

Wait, I was hoping to see vultures!
posted by Flight Hardware, do not touch at 7:47 AM on December 21, 2021