The show premiered three years after the film Coneheads, also written by creators Bonnie and Terry Turner, which featured a similar premise of extraterrestrials arriving on Earth and assimilating into American society.

John Lithgow's real-life eldest son, Ian Lithgow, played Leon, one of Dick's less-successful students, in a recurring role.

William Shatner played the aliens' off-world boss, the Big Giant Head, appearing on screen when the character finally visits Earth.

The opening theme for the first four seasons was a 1950s-style instrumental rock piece composed by Ben Vaughn, and during season one James Earl Jones provided a voice introduction describing the crew.

In season five, the original theme was temporarily replaced by a big band version performed by the group Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, before the original theme returned for the sixth and final season.

For Christmas episodes, jingle bells were added to the opening theme music.

A tie-in book titled '3rd Rock from the Sun: The Official Report on Earth' was released in 1997, presented as the Solomons' in-universe report on Earth, complete with a foreword by John Lithgow claiming he was abducted by the producers, followed by a Post-it note supposedly written by Dick Solomon questioning why the foreword was included.

In 1997, 3rd Rock from the Sun won five Primetime Emmy Awards from eight nominations, and John Lithgow received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series every year the show aired, winning in 1996, 1997, and 1999.