History Characters / ThirdRockFromTheSun

** Apparently, instead of grading on a curve, he grades on a transient loop. When one of his students asks if her A is still an A after finding out, he simply laughs and replies "No."

* TedBaxter: Once compared herself to Abraham Lincoln in a speech to her colleagues. And, in Nina's words, "he did not come out favorably".

* TedBaxter

!!'''Dr. Dick Solomon'''

High Commander of the aliens.

* BunnyEarsLawyer: Dick's bizarre, childish behaviour is tolerated at the university because his advanced alien knowledge of physics makes him one of the best in his field.

** He also had variations on "I'm GORGEOUS!"

* DoggedNiceGuy: To Mary.
* EthicalSlut: He has an active sex life with Mary, and is very open to chat about it, but he won't turn down an offer from someone else if the opportunity arises.

* InsufferableGenius
* JerkassHasAPoint: On more than one occasion.

* LikeBrotherAndSister: With Sally.
* MeaningfulName

* OneOfTheKids
* ProfessionalButtKisser: Admits he became High Commander by doing this.

!!'''Sally Solomon'''

Security Officer and Dick's "sister".

* AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents: While Dick, Sally, and Harry manage to humiliate Tommy on countless occasions, Sally's overbearing manner makes her the worst offender.

* ICantDance
* IHaveBoobsYouMustObey: Gradually learns how to use this.

* LikeBrotherAndSister: With Dick.
* MamaBear: Sally occasionally treats Tommy this way, despite: A) being younger than him, technically; and B) his embarrassment.

* ShesGotLegs
* StatuesqueStunner

* [[UglyGuyHotWife Ugly Guy, Hot Girlfriend]]: With Don.

!!'''Tommy Solomon'''

Information Officer and Dick's "son".

* TheBerserker: A rare comedic variation.

* OlderThanTheyLook

!!'''Harry Solomon'''
->Portrayed by French Stewart

Dick's "brother", Harry is the "transmitter" with which they contact the Home Planet.

* LargeHam

* WackyGuy

!!'''Dr. Mary Albright'''

Dick's (initially reluctant) Earthling love interest and an anthropology professor at his college.

* GoodBadGirl: In her younger days.

Dick and Mary's secretary.

!!'''Officer Don Orville'''

A portly, dim-witted cop with an overblown image of himself as an enforcer of justice.

* [[UglyGuyHotWife Ugly Guy, Hot Girlfriend]]: With Sally.

!!'''Mrs. Mamie Dubcek'''

!!'''Dr. Judith Draper'''

!!'''Dr. Vincent Strudwick'''

!!'''August Leffler'''

* TheSnarkKnight
* StrawFeminist

!!'''Alissa Strudwick'''

* StarCrossedLovers: She's the daughter of Vincent Strudwick.

!!'''Vicki Dubcek'''

!!'''Big Giant Head'''

The aliens' EvilOverlord. TheGhost for most of the series, but he eventually showed up as an AdamWesting Shatner. On Earth, he goes by the alias "[[CharacterNameAlias Stone Phillips]]", the name of an {{NBC}} reporter at the time of the show's run.

!!'''Dr. Liam Neesam'''

->Portrayed by JohnCleese

An AscendedExtra (almost literally) who became Dick's SitcomArchNemesis towards the show's end.

* BunnyEarsLawyer: His Earth job is as a physics professor.

** TechnoBabble: Coupled with the above to intimidate a criminal into confessing a crime. Said babble had nothing to do with the criminal, and was just done to freak the guy out.

* IHaveBoobsYouMustObey: Gradually learns how to use this

* MamaBear: Has the potential to be one.

Information Officer and Dick's "son", who is ReallySevenHundredYearsOld, but got stuck at CompulsorySchoolAge. He was in HighSchool for most of the series, but he eventually graduated and went to college, at which point he was more-or-less demoted to RecurringCharacter.

* GeniusDitz: He's not very bright in terms of book smarts, but he's the most artistically gifted and has surprisingly no trouble dating women way out of his league. He also cracked the bar code.

* BottleFairy: Borders on this. She's known at the local supermarket as the "White Zinfandel Lady".
** Actually came in handy, as this rendered her immune to the drugged wine given to her by Charlotte from "Alien Hunter". Of course, it didn't help when she knocked Mary out with the gnome.

* {{Catchphrase}}: "Lovely (insert word), very ''nice''."

->Portrayed by John Cleese

'''Dr. Dick Solomon''' (JohnLithgow) - High Commander of the aliens. Played by Lithgow as a LargeHam, Dick is an InsufferableGenius when it comes to science and a TedBaxter when it comes to everything else. He is in love with Mary Albright [[SingleTargetSexuality and Mary Albright alone]] whether [[DoggedNiceGuy she likes it or not]]. [[BunnyEarsLawyer His Earth job is as a physics professor.]]

'''Sally Solomon''' (Kristen Johnston) - Security Officer and Dick's "sister". An AmazonianBeauty who didn't like being "[[TheChick The Woman]]" at first, but eventually discovered that being a [[HelloNurse six-foot-tall blonde bombshell]] has [[FemmeFatale its advantages]]. Works as the Solomons' homemaker despite being a LethalChef.

'''Tommy Solomon''' ({{Joseph Gordon-Levitt}}) - Information Officer and Dick's "son", who is ReallySevenHundredYearsOld, but got stuck at CompulsorySchoolAge. He was in HighSchool for most of the series, but he eventually graduated and went to college, at which point he was more-or-less demoted to RecurringCharacter.

'''Harry Solomon''' (French Stewart) - Dick's "brother", Harry is the "transmitter" with which they contact the Home Planet. A [[TheDitz ditzy]], ChickMagnet and all-round WackyGuy who [[EyesAlwaysShut never seems to open his eyes all the way]].

'''Dr. Mary Albright''' (JaneCurtin) - Dick's (initially reluctant) Earthling love interest and an anthropology professor at his college. She is a neurotic ChristmasCake who was a GoodBadGirl in [[IWasQuiteALooker her younger days]], a fact which Dick seemed to be oblivious of in earlier episodes.

'''Nina Campbell''' (Simbi Khali) - A SassyBlackWoman who works as Dick and Mary's SassySecretary. Naturally spends most of any given episode being a DeadpanSnarker.

'''Officer Don Orville''' (Wayne Knight) - A portly, dim-witted cop with an overblown image of himself as an enforcer of justice. Sally is likeminded in her desire for harsh discipline and finds him incredibly attractive. Don is clueless as to [[ICantBelieveAGuyLikeYouWouldNoticeMe why such a gorgeous woman is interested in him]], but is more than happy to go along with it.

'''Mrs. Mamie Dubcek''' (Elmarie Wendel) - The Solomons' eccentric [[{{Landlord}} landlady]] who ReallyGetsAround, chain smokes and has had a number of former husbands.

'''Dr. Judith Draper''' (Ileen Getz) - A fellow professor known for her monotone and sarcasm.

* LesYay: Sends Mary flowers after Dick, dressed as a woman, french kisses Mary at a womens seminar. Judith states "I knew it all along".

'''Dr. Vincent Strudwick''' (Ron West) - An AscendedExtra (almost literally) who became Dick's SitcomArchNemesis towards the show's end.

'''August Leffler''' (Shay Astar) - TheSnarkKnight and Tommy's first girlfriend. She became increasingly elitist and hypocritical as the show went on, eventually becoming TheScrappy in some viewers' eyes.

'''Alissa Strudwick''' (Larisa Oleynik) - Tommy's second girlfriend. Your basic GirlNextDoor and the daughter of Vincent Strudwick, making her and Tommy StarCrossedLovers. Interestingly enough, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Larisa Oleynik also dated each other in ''TenThingsIHateAboutYou''.

'''Leon''' (Ian Lithgow) - The ButtMonkey of Dick's class. Ian Lithgow is John Lithgow's [[RealLifeRelative Real Life Son]].

'''Bug Pollone''' (David [=DeLuise=]) - Another student and TheSlacker.
* RealLifeRelative: His father is played by Dom [=DeLuise=], who is David's father in real life.

'''Aubrey Pitman''' (Chris Hogan) - Bug's [[HeterosexualLifePartners Heterosexual Life Partner]].

'''Caryn''' (Danielle Nicolet) - TheHeart of Dick's class and occasionally a SoapboxSadie.
* PhraseCatcher: "Oh shut up, Caryn."

'''Vicki Dubcek''' (Jan Hooks) - The skanky white-trash daughter of Mrs. Dubcek and Harry's on-off girlfriend. She repeatedly fails to understand that Mary is NotThatKindOfDoctor and has a Southern accent for some reason[[hottip:* :This is Jan Hooks' natural accent and she hardly ever plays a character without it.]]. Ultimately, she ended up being Queen of the Universe. Don't ask.

'''Big Giant Head''' (WilliamShatner) - The aliens' EvilOverlord. TheGhost for most of the series, but he eventually showed up as an AdamWesting Shatner. On Earth, he goes by the alias "[[CharacterNameAlias Stone Phillips]]", the name of an {{NBC}} reporter at the time of the show's run.

'''Dr. Liam Neesam''' (John Cleese) - An evil alien [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter way better than Dick]] who briefly worked at Dick's college as a biology professor.

* OnlySaneMan: Among a quartet made up of a TedBaxter, a HotAmazon, and a TooDumbToLive KavorkaMan.

'''Sally Solomon''' (Kristen Johnston) - Security Officer and Dick's "sister". A HotAmazon who didn't like being "[[TheChick The Woman]]" at first, but eventually discovered that being a [[HelloNurse six-foot-tall blonde bombshell]] has [[FemmeFatale its advantages]]. Works as the Solomons' homemaker despite being a LethalChef.

* BeyondTheImpossible: Managed to have not one, but two relationships with two different alien beings.

'''Harry Solomon''' (French Stewart) - Dick's "brother", Harry is the "transmitter" with which they contact the Home Planet. A RalphWiggum, ChickMagnet and all-round WackyGuy who [[EyesAlwaysShut never seems to open his eyes all the way]].

** An example would be when Mary compared his family to TheAddamsFamily. Dick assumed she meant second president John Adams. When she states that wasn't what she meant, Dick thinks she meant John Quincy Adams and becomes enraged that she would compare his family to "that freakshow".

* CakeEater: Gender-reversed versions. Sally once had a relationship with Mary's father, and broke it off because of Mary. Before leaving, she smugly reminded Mary that she could've had him. And when her dad told her "she's right", Mary wasn't too thrilled.

* CakeEater: Has been with [[spoiler: Mrs. Dubcek]].

* PetTheDog: Wrote a rather scathing review of Alissa's performance in the high school play, but told Tommy (the editor of the school paper at the time) that she would understand if he didn't print it since Alissa was his girlfriend.[[hottip:* :Reference to Jedediah Leland's scathing review of Susan Alexander in ''CitizenKane'', which this plotline was a WholePlotReference to.]]

* TheDanza: His father is played by Dom [=DeLuise=], who is David's father in real life.

'''Officer Don Orville''' (Wayne Knight) - A portly, dim-witted cop with an overblown image of himself as an enforcer of justice. Sally is likeminded in her desire for harsh discipline and finds him incredibly attractive. Don is clueless as to [[{{ptitle7r6bpxd93qsz}} why such a gorgeous woman is interested in him]], but is more than happy to go along with it.

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!Core Regulars

'''Dr. Dick Solomon''' (John Lithgow) - High Commander of the aliens. Played by Lithgow as a LargeHam, Dick is an InsufferableGenius when it comes to science and a TedBaxter when it comes to everything else. He is in love with Mary Albright [[SingleTargetSexuality and Mary Albright alone]] whether [[DoggedNiceGuy she likes it or not]]. His Earth job is as a physics professor.

'''Sally Solomon''' (Kristen Johnston) - Security Officer and Dick's "sister". A HotAmazon who didn't like being "[[TheChick The Woman]]" at first, but eventually discovered that being a [[HelloNurse six-foot-tall blonde bombshell]] has [[FemmeFatale its advantages]]. Works as the Solomons' homemaker despite being a LethalChef.

'''Tommy Solomon''' ({{Joseph Gordon-Levitt}}) - Information Officer and Dick's "son", who is ReallySevenHundredYearsOld, but got stuck at CompulsorySchoolAge. He was in HighSchool for most of the series, but he eventually graduated and went to college, at which point he was more-or-less demoted to RecurringCharacter.

'''Harry Solomon''' (French Stewart) - Dick's "brother", Harry is the "transmitter" with which they contact the Home Planet. A RalphWiggum, ChickMagnet and all-round WackyGuy who [[EyesAlwaysShut never seems to open his eyes all the way]].

'''Dr. Mary Albright''' (Jane Curtin) - Dick's (initially reluctant) Earthling love interest and an anthropology professor at his college. She is a neurotic ChristmasCake who was a GoodBadGirl in [[IWasQuiteALooker her younger days]], a fact which Dick seemed to be oblivious of in earlier episodes.

![[PromotionToOpeningTitles Promoted To Opening Titles]] In Season Three

'''Nina Campbell''' (Simbi Khali) - A SassyBlackWoman who works as Dick and Mary's SassySecretary. Naturally spends most of any given episode being a DeadpanSnarker.

'''Officer Don Orville''' (Wayne Knight) - A portly, dim-witted cop with an overblown image of himself as an enforcer of justice. Sally is likeminded in her desire for harsh discipline and finds him incredibly attractive. Don is clueless as to [[{{ptitle7r6bpxd93qsz}} why such a gorgeous woman is interested in him]], but is more than happy to go along with it.

'''Mrs. Mamie Dubcek''' (Elmarie Wendel) - The Solomons' eccentric [[{{Landlord}} landlady]] who ReallyGetsAround, chain smokes and has had a number of former husbands.

!Supporting Cast

'''Dr. Judith Draper''' (Ileen Getz) - TheStoic.

'''Dr. Vincent Strudwick''' (Ron West) - An AscendedExtra (almost literally) who became Dick's SitcomArchNemesis towards the show's end.

'''August Leffler''' (Shay Astar) - TheSnarkKnight and Tommy's first girlfriend. She became increasingly elitist and hypocritical as the show went on, eventually becoming TheScrappy in some viewers' eyes.

'''Alissa Strudwick''' (Larisa Oleynik) - Tommy's second girlfriend. Your basic GirlNextDoor and the daughter of Vincent Strudwick, making her and Tommy StarCrossedLovers. Interestingly enough, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Larisa Oleynik also dated each other in ''TenThingsIHateAboutYou''.

'''Leon''' (Ian Lithgow) - The ButtMonkey of Dick's class. Ian Lithgow is John Lithgow's [[RealLifeRelative Real Life Son]].

'''Bug Pollone''' (David [=DeLuise=]) - Another student and TheSlacker.

'''Aubrey Pitman''' (Chris Hogan) - Bug's [[HeterosexualLifePartners Heterosexual Life Partner]].

'''Caryn''' (Danielle Nicolet) - TheHeart of Dick's class and occasionally a SoapboxSadie.

!Recurring Characters

'''Vicki Dubcek''' (Jan Hooks) - The skanky white-trash daughter of Mrs. Dubcek and Harry's on-off girlfriend. She repeatedly fails to understand that Mary is NotThatKindOfDoctor and has a Southern accent for some reason[[hottip:* :This is Jan Hooks' natural accent and she hardly ever plays a character without it.]]. Ultimately, she ended up being Queen of the Universe. Don't ask.

'''Big Giant Head''' (WilliamShatner) - The aliens' EvilOverlord. TheGhost for most of the series, but he eventually showed up as an AdamWesting Shatner. On Earth, he goes by the alias "[[CharacterNameAlias Stone Phillips]]", the name of an {{NBC}} reporter at the time of the show's run.

'''Dr. Liam Neesam''' (John Cleese) - An evil alien [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter way better than Dick]] who briefly worked at Dick's college as a biology professor.

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<<|CharacterSheets|>>

'''Vicki Dubcek''' (Jan Hooks) - The skanky white-trash daughter of Mrs. Dubcek and Harry's on-off girlfriend. She repeatedly fails to understand that Mary is NotThatKindOfDoctor and has a Southern accent for some reason[[hottip:* :This is Jan Hooks' natural accent.]]. Ultimately, she ended up being Queen of the Universe. Don't ask.

'''Vicki Dubcek''' (Jan Hooks) - The skanky white-trash daughter of Mrs. Dubcek and Harry's on-off girlfriend. She repeatedly fails to understand that Mary is NotThatKindOfDoctor and has a Southern accent for some reason. Ultimately, she ended up being Queen of the Universe. Don't ask.

'''Tommy Solomon''' (JosephGordonLevitt) - Information Officer and Dick's "son", who is ReallySevenHundredYearsOld, but got stuck at CompulsorySchoolAge. He was in HighSchool for most of the series, but he eventually graduated and went to college, at which point he was more-or-less demoted to RecurringCharacter.

'''Tommy Solomon''' (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) - Information Officer and Dick's "son", who is ReallySevenHundredYearsOld, but got stuck at CompulsorySchoolAge. He was in HighSchool for most of the series, but he eventually graduated and went to college, at which point he was more-or-less demoted to RecurringCharacter.