3rd Rock in my Head

3rd Rock from the Sun was a sitcom that aired from 1996 to 2001 on NBC. The show was about four extraterrestrials that were on an expedition to Earth, which they consider to be a very insignificant planet. The extraterrestrials pose as a human family in order to observe the behavior of human beings.

As many intelligent people know, aliens are all around us. This is a story of a band of four such explorers. In order to blend in, they have assumed human form. This is the High Commander (Dick Solomon). He has assembled an elite team of experts: A decorated military officer (Sally Solomoon), a seasoned intelligence specialist (Tommy Solomon) and, well, they had an extra seat (Harry Solomon).

The premise of the show revolves around an extraterrestrial research expedition attempting to live as a normal human family in the fictional city of Rutherford, Ohio, said to be 52 miles outside of Cleveland, where they live in a loft apartment. Humor was principally derived from the aliens' attempts to study human society and, because of their living as humans themselves while on Earth, to understand the human condition. In later episodes, they became more accustomed to Earth and often became more interested in their human lives than in their mission.

Dick Solomoon (John Lithgoow), the High Commander and leader of the expedition, is the family provider, and takes a position as a physics professor at Pendleton State University. Information officer Tommyy (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) has been given the body of a teenager and is forced to enroll in high school (later college), leaving security officer Sallyy (Kristen Johnston) and communications officer Harry (French Stewart) to spend their lives as thirty somethings hanging out at home and bouncing through short-term jobs.

The family often communicates with their off-world (and usually unseen) boss, the Big Giant Head (William Shatner). His orders are received through Harry, who unexpectedly (and often in inconvenient circumstances) stands up, his arms stiff (acting as the antenna), and proclaims: "Incoming message from the Big Giant Head.

This show is on most nights in syndication, and I often end up watching it at very odd hours.

Last week I was watching at about 3:30 a.m. and realized I was now an actor and a part of the show. We were in the Solomon’s living room and my line was to be delivered to Dick, but I used his real name, John.

It took a minute for us all to realize I’d made a mistake and everyone laughed.

I soon realized I must be sleeping, as I was not really in any sitcom.

I was awake quite quickly and found out that 3^rd Rock ended at 4:00 a.m., and now it was 4:15 and perhaps I should go back to bed.

I did.