Elvis to sing on Third Rock From The Sun to be screened on 2001-05-22
Yahoo.com, 2001-04-05
- Doug Young

 

Thursday April 5 7:44 PM ET
'3rd Rock' Crew Headed Back to Outer Space

 

By Doug Young

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - It's official. The sun will finally set on NBC's ``3rd Rock'' on May 22, ending months of speculation that the end was in sight for the show's out-of-this-world crew.

The final episode of the sitcom starring John Lithgow as leader of a quartet of aliens living among humans will be a one-hour show featuring British actor John Cleese and Elvis Costello singing ``Fly Me to the Moon,'' NBC said on Thursday.

The end for ``3rd Rock from the Sun'' had been rumored since January when word got out that a potential series finale had been taped as NBC considered whether to renew the show after its sixth season.

``We're grateful to the '3rd Rock' producers and the out-of-this-world cast who provided NBC with so many seasons of sheer lunacy,'' said NBC Entertainment President Jeff Zucker. ''Their loopy and creative humor will make this one of the classic series of the 1990s.''

The show, which has been off the NBC schedule since Feb. 27, will return to the airwaves on April 17, then run each week until the May 22 finale that ends with the four aliens sitting in the same red convertible that first brought them to Earth.

During its run, the show has garnered 29 Emmy nominations, winning eight. The series also won a Golden Globe for best comedy series.

``3rd Rock'' debuted in January 1996 and has taped 138 episodes to date. During its run the show has had the dubious distinction of appearing in 18 different time slots during its run -- more than any other show in TV history.

The final episode begins when the aliens get a message from their home planet that it's time to return. After accepting the fact, they decide to throw a big farewell party but don't tell anyone the reason.

Most of the cast and crew learned about the cancellation over the last few days, said James Anderson, a spokesman for Carsey-Werner-Mandabach Prods., which produces the show. He said a farewell party will likely take place, though no plans have been set.

``It takes a couple of days to digest,'' he said. ``I'm sure there will be something. The concern now is that we've got some wonderful episodes coming up, and we want to get the word out about those episodes and hopefully build up to a wonderful ending to a great run.

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