Years Later, This 6-Part Sci-Fi Sitcom Is Still Funnier Than 'The Big Bang Theory'

Debuting as a mid-season replacement in January 1996, NBC’s sci-fi sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun arrived years before The Big Bang Theory—and still stands out for its comedy built around outsiders. The half-hour series follows the Solomon family—Dick (John Lithgow), his teenage son Tommy (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), sister Sally (Kristen Johnston), and brother Harry (French Stewart)—all alien scientists studying human life. With physics-and-life reflections, rapid, witty chemistry, and an ensemble led by Lithgow, the show served as a precursor to later sitcoms, including HBO Max’s Stuart Fails to Save the Universe.