Big Giant Head
Encyclopedia
The Big Giant Head is a fictional character
from the American sitcom
3rd Rock from the Sun
; he is the Solomons' mission leader and king of the galaxy.
at first, and even then very rarely referred to. When Harry
expressed that he was upset about not serving any useful purpose in the mission, the family revealed to him that he was modified to serve as the transmitter that relayed messages from the Big Giant Head, from which point the character then "spoke" through Harry. Though the Solomons are subordinate to the Big Giant Head, they sometimes express dissatisfaction with his leadership, with Dick declaring at one point that he only got the job because he "kissed the Big Giant Butt."
When the character did eventually appear on screen, he was portrayed (in human form) by William Shatner
, and did very little apart from wreak havoc on the Solomons' lives. He insisted on being waited on hand and foot, and frequently interrupted Dick's physics classes, posing as an associate of the Solomons under the pseudonym "Stone Phillips
" (Mrs. Dubcek asked him if it was "Like the guy from Dateline
, to which "Stone" answered, "No").
He eventually confessed to being Dick's
father, at which point, Harry
stated that if Dick was going to take over The Big Giant Head', his name would be Dick Head.
to his Junior Prom
, where he met Vicki Dubcek, who was trying to hook up, since she never had her junior prom. Vicki was also trying to get pregnant with Harry
's child but they just had a break-up. After "Stone" beamed her up to his "bachelor pod" for the night, Vicki declared the next day that she was pregnant by him. Stone left immediately, and about 2 hours later Vicki delivered his baby, whom she named Eric Travis ("ET"). After Stone left, Vicki called a news reporter, saying that she was the mother of a new species
. The reporter showed up, but didn't believe her story, because the baby looked like a normal human being. Stone later returned, after he decided that he wanted to take his son back to his home planet but Vicki refused. Stone decided that they had to make up with Vicki in order to become a family. Unfortunately Harry still had feelings for Vicki, and was also trying to win her back. However, at the ending of the episode Harry decided that, since she had a baby with Stone, she was better off becoming a family with Stone. Stone told Vicki that he and the Solomons were aliens and went off to the galaxy. They returned to Earth together one last time, at which point it was revealed that Vicki still had feelings for Harry, and thought she made the wrong choice when she left Earth with Stone, because she found their marriage boring. At the end of "The Big Giant Head Returns Again: Pt. 2" Stone and Vicki decided to leave Earth to work on their marriage.
responded "The same thing happened to me!". This is a double reference. In an early episode, Dick attempts to fly for the first time and is frightened when he sees something on the wing of the plane. Both references are also to the Twilight Zone
story "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet
", which tells of a man on a commercial flight who is convinced he sees a creature on the plane's wing which no one else can.
Additionally, William Shatner and John Lithgow
(Dick) both played the character; Shatner in the original 1963 TV series episode, and Lithgow in the remake—a segment in 1983's Twilight Zone: The Movie
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the American sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
3rd Rock from the Sun
3rd Rock from the Sun
3rd Rock from the Sun is an American sitcom that aired from 1996 to 2001 on NBC. The show is about four extraterrestrials who are on an expedition to Earth, which they consider to be a very insignificant planet...
; he is the Solomons' mission leader and king of the galaxy.
Role on the Show
He was an unseen characterUnseen character
In fiction, an unseen character is a character that is never directly observed by the audience but is only described by other characters. They are a common device in drama and have been called "triumphs of theatrical invention". They are continuing characters — characters who are currently in...
at first, and even then very rarely referred to. When Harry
Harry Solomon
Harry S. Solomon is a character in 3rd Rock from the Sun, played by French Stewart. He is the brother of Dick Solomon and Sally Solomon, and the uncle of Tommy Solomon. His middle initial is mentioned in the episode "Dick the Vote." French Stewart said in a 1998 interview, "The way the character...
expressed that he was upset about not serving any useful purpose in the mission, the family revealed to him that he was modified to serve as the transmitter that relayed messages from the Big Giant Head, from which point the character then "spoke" through Harry. Though the Solomons are subordinate to the Big Giant Head, they sometimes express dissatisfaction with his leadership, with Dick declaring at one point that he only got the job because he "kissed the Big Giant Butt."
When the character did eventually appear on screen, he was portrayed (in human form) by William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
, and did very little apart from wreak havoc on the Solomons' lives. He insisted on being waited on hand and foot, and frequently interrupted Dick's physics classes, posing as an associate of the Solomons under the pseudonym "Stone Phillips
Stone Phillips
Stone Stockton Phillips is an American television reporter and correspondent. He is the former co-anchor of Dateline NBC, a newsmagazine TV show. He also has worked as a substitute anchor for NBC Nightly News and Today and as a substitute moderator on Meet the Press. He is known for his clear...
" (Mrs. Dubcek asked him if it was "Like the guy from Dateline
Dateline NBC
Dateline NBC, or Dateline, is a U.S. weekly television newsmagazine broadcast by NBC. It previously was NBC's flagship news magazine, but now focuses on true crime stories. It airs Friday at 9 p.m. EST and after football season on Sunday at 7 p.m. EST.-History:Dateline is historically notable for...
, to which "Stone" answered, "No").
He eventually confessed to being Dick's
Dick Solomon
Dr. Richard Solomon, usually known as Dick Solomon, is a character played by John Lithgow in the late '90s NBC sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun. Solomon is the High Commander of a highly trained alien unit, sent to Earth by their leader, The Big Giant Head...
father, at which point, Harry
Harry Solomon
Harry S. Solomon is a character in 3rd Rock from the Sun, played by French Stewart. He is the brother of Dick Solomon and Sally Solomon, and the uncle of Tommy Solomon. His middle initial is mentioned in the episode "Dick the Vote." French Stewart said in a 1998 interview, "The way the character...
stated that if Dick was going to take over The Big Giant Head', his name would be Dick Head.
Relationship with Vicki
After landing on the Earth, Stone (the Big Giant Head) knew very little about women. He was very rude towards them, he decided to go along with TommyTommy Solomon (3rd Rock from the Sun)
Tommy Solomon is a fictional character created by Bonnie and Terry Turner from the American sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun. He was portrayed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.-Ironic age:...
to his Junior Prom
Prom
In the United States and Canada, a prom, short for promenade, is a formal dance, or gathering of high school students. It is typically held near the end of the senior year. It figures greatly in popular culture and is a major event among high school students...
, where he met Vicki Dubcek, who was trying to hook up, since she never had her junior prom. Vicki was also trying to get pregnant with Harry
Harry Solomon
Harry S. Solomon is a character in 3rd Rock from the Sun, played by French Stewart. He is the brother of Dick Solomon and Sally Solomon, and the uncle of Tommy Solomon. His middle initial is mentioned in the episode "Dick the Vote." French Stewart said in a 1998 interview, "The way the character...
's child but they just had a break-up. After "Stone" beamed her up to his "bachelor pod" for the night, Vicki declared the next day that she was pregnant by him. Stone left immediately, and about 2 hours later Vicki delivered his baby, whom she named Eric Travis ("ET"). After Stone left, Vicki called a news reporter, saying that she was the mother of a new species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
. The reporter showed up, but didn't believe her story, because the baby looked like a normal human being. Stone later returned, after he decided that he wanted to take his son back to his home planet but Vicki refused. Stone decided that they had to make up with Vicki in order to become a family. Unfortunately Harry still had feelings for Vicki, and was also trying to win her back. However, at the ending of the episode Harry decided that, since she had a baby with Stone, she was better off becoming a family with Stone. Stone told Vicki that he and the Solomons were aliens and went off to the galaxy. They returned to Earth together one last time, at which point it was revealed that Vicki still had feelings for Harry, and thought she made the wrong choice when she left Earth with Stone, because she found their marriage boring. At the end of "The Big Giant Head Returns Again: Pt. 2" Stone and Vicki decided to leave Earth to work on their marriage.
Miscellaneous
The Solomons first meet the Big Giant Head in person when he arrived by plane at their local airport, in an obviously agitated state. When asked about his flight, he responded "Horrifying, at first. I looked out the window and ... I saw something on the wing of the plane", to which DickDick Solomon
Dr. Richard Solomon, usually known as Dick Solomon, is a character played by John Lithgow in the late '90s NBC sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun. Solomon is the High Commander of a highly trained alien unit, sent to Earth by their leader, The Big Giant Head...
responded "The same thing happened to me!". This is a double reference. In an early episode, Dick attempts to fly for the first time and is frightened when he sees something on the wing of the plane. Both references are also to the Twilight Zone
Twilight zone
-Television series and spinoffs:*The Twilight Zone, the anthology television series and its franchise:**The Twilight Zone , the 1959–1964 original television series***Twilight Zone: The Movie, a 1983 film based on the original series...
story "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet
Nightmare at 20,000 Feet
"Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" is a 1963 episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone, based on the short story of the same name by Richard Matheson.-Plot summary:...
", which tells of a man on a commercial flight who is convinced he sees a creature on the plane's wing which no one else can.
Additionally, William Shatner and John Lithgow
John Lithgow
John Arthur Lithgow is an American actor, musician, and author. Presently, he is involved with a wide range of media projects, including stage, television, film, and radio...
(Dick) both played the character; Shatner in the original 1963 TV series episode, and Lithgow in the remake—a segment in 1983's Twilight Zone: The Movie
Twilight Zone: The Movie
Twilight Zone: The Movie is a 1983 science fiction horror film produced by Steven Spielberg and John Landis as a theatrical version of The Twilight Zone, a 1959 and '60s TV series created by Rod Serling. Those starring in the film are: Dan Aykroyd, Albert Brooks, Vic Morrow, Scatman Crothers,...
.