Dan Fogelman’s science-fiction sitcom The Neighbors premiered on ABC in 2012, running for 44 episodes across two seasons. Its premise centres on the Weaver family’s arrival in Hidden Hills, an exclusive gated community whose other residents are aliens disguised as humans. Known as Zabvronians, they have been living on Earth for a decade while awaiting further instructions. Their attempts to imitate human behaviour provide much of the comedy: they take nourishment from books rather than food, and green liquid flows from their ears when they cry.
George Takei made four appearances as Big Bird, father of the aliens’ leader, Larry Bird, played by Simon Templeman. Introduced in the first-season finale, Takei shared a scene with Star Wars actor Mark Hamill, who played Commander Bill. Big Bird’s communication equipment resembles a toaster: bread inserted at his end emerges on Earth bearing a burnt-in message. The exchange between the actors incorporates references to both Star Trek and Star Wars, including a joke about transmitting a message by ‘beaming’ it.
Fogelman secured Takei’s participation through a personal letter. In a 2013 interview with The A.V. Club, he explained that several writers were Star Trek enthusiasts and that he also admired Takei’s appearances on Howard Stern’s programme. Although the sitcom initially received poor reviews, its second season attracted favourable reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. It did not return for a third season. The series is available to purchase online rather than through streaming.
