Customer Reviews

3rd Rock from the Sun

5 star:		(53)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This is a tough one to write for me. I loved 3RD ROCK FROM THE SUN and was eagerly awaiting its release on DVD. Needless to say I grapped it the day it hit stores and popped it in that night. Within a few minutes my anticipation turned to frustration as I knew something was wrong. Not believing what I wasn't seeing, I dug through boxes to find my VHS copies of the first season and sure enough, the episodes on the DVD set are the syndicated versions...which means anywhere from 2 to 4 minutes are trimmed per episode. Take that out of a 22 or 23 minute running time and you get an idea of how much has been taken away.
I've been a huge supporter of Anchor Bay for years now, so I am even more let down and even more angry but this insult. Releasing cut DVD's is unacceptable and with no notice given on the packing, it also strikes me as a deceitful business practice. This may well be all they were given by Casey-Werner, as I've now discovered that THE COSBY SHOW S1 & the upcoming ROSEANNE S1 also feature the edited, syndicated versions but if this is what they are going to release, they owe to consumers & fans of those shows to let people know they are not getting the entire, uncut episodes.
For those of you who don't care that you are spending your money on a imcomplete product, clearly this isn't for you but for those of you who do care about wanting the see the entire episodes as they first appeared on their intial broadcasts, beware of this set.

From DVDVerdict:

"So in case you've been living under a rock or have just returned from a sojourn to the stars, the major grumble against this otherwise well-constructed presentation is the fact that the episodes presented here are the shortened syndication versions. Yes, a tidy two minutes have been surgically excised from each episode, rendering this set about as appealing as home-made VHS copies (unless those would be first-run, non-edited episodes). Anchor Bay isn't readily 'fessing up to this injurious insult and is even fudging this fact with misleading box text reading, "...these 20 full-length episodes..." Lie! This is fast becoming the bane of long-awaited TV-on-DVD releases. Anchor Bay has some explaining to do and reparations to make before the release of the Season Two set, slated for October 25, 2005. However, this seems to be the studio's sole official response to the unacceptable situation:

"The issue that exists is the originally aired episodes vs. syndicated episodes. We were only permitted to distribute the syndicated version of the series, which is what is on the DVD. Carsey-Werner (the licensor of the series) maintains the rights to the originally aired broadcast & it is their decision whether or not those will ever be released. If we are ever able to secure these rights from them, we will certainly do so."-Anchor Bay

That's fine, but clearly Anchor Bay is reticent to be so forthcoming in their release notes, knowing this situation will not sit well with impassioned collectors and will surely impact sell-through rates. I wonder what Dick might have to say about this unscrupulous human trickery?"

So if you keep buying this s*** they'll keep giving us this shortened s***!

When a group of four extraterrestrial aliens assumed human form in order to study humanity, the results were hilarious on NBC's 1996-2001 sitcom "3rd Rock from the Sun". The unrelated travelling extraterrestrial foursome takes up residence in the fictional Midwestern college town of Rutherford, Ohio. The "High Commander" (John Lithgow) takes on the identity of a father and college physics professor named Dick Solomon. The "Security Officer" (Kristen Johnston) takes on the female identity of Dick's sister Sally. The "Information Officer" (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) takes on the identify of Dick's son Tommy. The fourth alien (French Stewart) takes on the identity of Dick's brother Harry. Having never experienced life as human beings, the alien foursome quickly find that dealing with strange human feelings and senses can be very challenging. This was especially true for Sally, who, as a woman, experiences a greater array of emotions. Then, there's the human woman that inadvertently captures Dick's heart: a college professor by the name of Dr. Mary Margaret Albright (Jane Curtain). Dick falls madly in love with Mary, who for a long time has little interest in Dick's advances and thinks that Dick is a bit odd. Then there's Dick's human secretary Nina Campbell (Simbi Khali), who also thinks he's very odd. Other humans that the Solomon's frequently interact with are their eccentric landlady Mrs. Dubcek (Elmarie Wendel) and Police Officer Donald 'Don' Orville (Wayne Knight). Don becomes quite infatuated with Sally. Other humans that Dick interacts with frequently are the students in his physics classes. As regularly appearing guest actors, these include Leon (Ian Lithgow, John Lithgow's son), Bug Pollone (David DeLuise, the son of Dom DeLuise), Aubrey Pitman (Chris Hogan), Caryn (Danielle Nicolet) and Judith Draper (Ileen Getz).

The first season of "3rd Rock from the Sun" features the following 20 episodes:

1. "Brains and Eggs" (series premiere). Dick's infatuation with Mary begins while Harry & Sally learn cooking from Mrs. Dubcek.

2. "Post-Nasal Dick" (featuring a cameo appearance by Martha Stewart). The Solomons experience their first case of human sickness: a cold.

3. "Dick's First Birthday". When Dick has to provide his birthday to Nina for records, the Solomons learn a lesson about age.

4. "Dick Is From Mars, Sally Is From Venus". Tommy has to attend high school while Sally bemoans the differences between men & women.

5. "Dick, Smoker". Dick takes up smoking.

6. "Green-Eyed Dick". Dick gets jealous of a former boyfriend of Mary; Tommy adopts a stray dog.

7. "Lonely Dick". Dick bemoans Mary when she goes on vacation while Harry & Sally experiment with skin-care products.

8. "Body & Soul & Dick". Dick has to give an eulogy while Tommy neglects his female friend August (Shay Astar).

9. "Ab-Dick-ted". Mary's brother Roy (Bronson Pinchot ) claims he was once abducted by aliens.

10. "Truth or Dick". Dick attends a faculty meeting for Mary that harms her reputation. Harry & Sally want drivers licenses and Tommy discovers the mall.

11. "The Art of Dick". Dick & Harry take up painting while Sally takes over a bake sale.

12. "Frozen Dick". Mary gets stuck with Dick in a vehicle during a snowstorm.

13. "Angry Dick". The Solomons try to befriend their next-door neighbors.

14. "The Dicks They Are A-Changin'". Issues over Dick's past makes Mary think he's a former 1960's activist that she once knew.

15. "I Enjoy Being A Dick". Dick dons a dress to attend Mary's women-only study group while Sarry & Harry get jobs at a restaurant.

16. "Dick Like Me". The Solomons discover that they have no roots like everyone else.

17. "Assault With A Deadly Dick". Sally meets Officer Don when their home is broken into.

18. "Father Knows Dick". Harry finds out that he has the aliens' communication device in his head.

19. "Selfish Dick". Harry & Tommy pretend to work at a hospital, inspired by TV medical programs.

20. "See Dick Run (1)". Just when Mary agrees to date Dick, a replacement Dick arrives and he means business!

Overall, I rate the first season of "3rd Rock from the Sun" with a resounding 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it.

Here is Anchor Bay Entertainment's response:
The issue that exists is the originally aired episodes vs. syndicated episodes. We were only permitted to distribute the syndicated version of the series, which is what is on the DVD. Carsey-Werner (the licensor of the series) maintains the rights to the originally aired broadcast & it is their decision whether or not those will ever be released. If we are ever able to secure these rights from them, we will certainly do so.

I've also contacted Jim Kraus President, Domestic Television Distribution at Carsey-Werner to let him know we want the unedited versions and although we love the show, we will not be buying this edited version.
(Especially when it sounds like the edits in episode one were made to appease some narrowminded ignorant fundamentalists who don't want women to learn about their own health/bodies!)

Say it ain't so! There is absolutely no excuse for releasing an edited version of these episodes, since all of the original elements exist. I'll stay with my homemade VHS recordings of this, and encourage everyone to boycott these so-called "complete seasons" if they aren't really complete.

'3rd Rock From the Sun' is a brilliant sitcom and I was thrilled to learn of the DVD release. However, I noticed while watching the episode 'Dick's First Birthday' that a scene is missing. Described in the episode summary (both on the 1st disc and inside the accompanying booklet) is a sequence where- "Tommy brings her (Sally) to health class for his project on female reproduction."- However, this sequence is nowhere to be found in the actual episode, leading me to believe Carsey-Werner/Acnchor Bay slipped in an edited version of this episode from syndication. This news should hardly come as a surprise given that Carsey-Werner is dealing the same low blow to fans of their most famous property, 'The Cosby Show'.
It's such a shame really, because with a little more class and effort on the parts of C-W and Anchor Bay, I would have purchased every season of both shows. But, I won't pay good money for chopped versions of classic TV episodes. The talented men and women behind such gems as '3rd Rock' and 'Cosby' deserve much better, and so do we fans.

Please note that this is finally a proper release of the series; the 2005 release was only the syndicated cuts of the episodes, but these are the full broadcast cuts. So if you're seeing a bunch of 1 star reviews from 2005 and 2006, just know that it's due to the awful previous DVD release does not reflect on this one.

"Third Rock From the Sun" was, along with "Seinfeld" one of the premier sitcoms of the late 1990s. The entire ensemble cast works seamlessly to produce classic comedy. John Lithgow is particularly noteworthy as the pompous buffoon commanding the extraterrestrial invasion of laughs. While the core cast is brilliant, also noteworthy are the guest stars who really shine in very odd situations. Most notable of the guest spots is Martha Stewart, whose interaction with French Stewart is absolute comedy genius.

These shows are all well crafted (though I don't really care much for "Dick, Smoker"), and largely derive their humor from the small insanities of modern life which are so ingrained in us (the audience) they aren't even noticed, but to an alien would seem strange indeed. My favorite episode in the set is without question "I Enjoy Being A Dick," in which Dick goes to one of Mary's (women's only) meetings in drag. The reactions of Dick, Mary, and especially Nina to the situation are comedy gold and fully justify the purchase price of the set.

The set has many enjoyable extras (bloopers, interviews, a collectible booklet, etc.) and is very well done. Although some have complained that these are edited versions, I can honestly say that whether or not these are slightly shortened syndication versions, they are still wonderful, and I wholeheartedly recommend the set.

If you would like to laugh at some silly, yet not brainless, situational humor, this set can't be beat.

Third Rock from the Sun was one of my favorite sitcoms of the 1990's and I am glad to hear that it will finally get the respect it deserves starting with Season One on DVD. The show ran from 1996 to 2001 on NBC and lasted 6 seasons and 139 episodes. This first season release should contain the first 20 episodes. Amazon has listed this as a 6 disc set and I am not sure why the studio has decided to make the set so large. Third Rock was a half hour show and they could easily have fit more episodes per disc but the price Amazon has listed is fantastic at only $27.99. I am hoping that the extra space on these DVDs will be used for some bonus features. I would love some comentary tracks from the cast and crew, deleted scences, and some behind the scences footage of how this show was done. Anchor Bay usually does a fair job with their TV on DVD sets and I am hoping that this set will meet the standards of the fans of the series.

This wasn't on my Christmas list but the wife got it for me anyway ignoring the Richard Greene Robin Hood Episodes I was dying for.

Well it turned out all right because I forgot just how FUNNY this show was. I remember watching it religiously during the first two seasons and season one was just wonderful.

Episode after episode you see the insane comedy of a top notch cast headed by John Lithgow one of the most versitile people in the business teamed with in my opinion the greatest modern straight woman in show business Jane Curtin. Combine this with inspired writing and you can see why it won award after award.

The DVD extras were pretty boring in my opinion but you buy this stuff for the actual shows and boy were they good. I particularly like John Litgow's son as Leon.

If these bring half the smile to your face as they did to mine then you should buy them. (I bought the Robin Hood Stuff anyway myself). Thanks Honey for knowing me better than I did.