10 Amazing TV Shows That Began As Mid-Season Replacements

6. 3rd Rock From The Sun

When 3rd Rock From The Sun was first being conceived, there was a lot of demand for the type of comedy that resembled the most popular sitcom of the era: Seinfeld. And a show about a group of intergalactic travellers posing as an Earth family to study the native species was not exactly the sort of "comedy about nothing" most networks were looking for. But NBC picked up the pilot, and they were well rewarded for it. The show took the concept of a group of wacky outsiders observing the human race and turned it into a way to poke fun at all of our little quirks as people. Their wildly inventive program was a hit among audiences and critics alike, and John Lithgow and Kristen Johnston were both awarded Emmys for their performances. It also launched the career of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, for which the entire world owes it a debt of gratitude. 3rd Rock From The Sun was on the air for six seasons, and created a clever, irreverent style of humour that was all its own.