ALF: The Animated Series facts for kids
Quick facts for kids ALF: The Animated Series |
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| Created by | Paul Fusco Tom Patchett |
| Starring | Paul Fusco Peggy Mahon Tabitha St. Germain (as Paulina Gillis) Thick Wilson Dan Hennessey Rob Cowan |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes per episode |
| Production company(s) | DIC Animation City Saban Productions Alien Productions |
| Distributor | Lorimar-Telepictures |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | September 26, 1987 – January 7, 1989 |
ALF: The Animated Series (also known as ALF on Melmac) is a fun cartoon show that aired on NBC. It ran for 26 episodes from September 26, 1987, to January 7, 1989. Each episode was about 30 minutes long.
This animated series was a prequel to the live-action show ALF. A prequel tells a story that happened before the original one. It showed what ALF's life was like before he crashed on Earth. Paul Fusco, who created ALF and was his puppeteer in the live-action show, also did ALF's voice in the cartoon. None of the human actors from the live-action show appeared in this cartoon. Another cartoon, ALF Tales, was also a spin-off. Both ALF: The Animated Series and ALF Tales were shown together as the ALF & ALF Tales Hour during the 1988–89 TV season.
Contents
What's the Story?
Life on Melmac
This cartoon takes you back to ALF's home planet, Melmac, before it exploded. In the live-action show, "ALF" stands for "Alien Life Form." So, in this cartoon, the main character is called Gordon Shumway, or just "Gordon."
At the start and end of each episode, the live-action ALF appears. He talks to the viewers, sharing his "Melmac Memories." He might set up the episode's story or comment on what happened. Sometimes, he even reads fan mail!
The show is set up like a sitcom, just like The Flintstones or The Jetsons. It shows the daily life of a family. The humor comes from normal activities happening in a strange, alien world.
Gordon/ALF from this cartoon also appeared in Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue.
The Plot
Gordon Shumway is a regular teenager living in a place called East Velcro on the planet Melmac. He lives with his parents, Bob and Flo, his younger brother Curtis, and his little sister Augie. They also have a pet dog named Neep.
Gordon spends his time with his friends, Rick and Skip, who call him "Gordo." He also has a girlfriend named Rhonda. Sometimes, Gordon and his friends have to work for the Melmacian Orbit Guard. The show also features many other interesting characters. These include Madame Pokipsi, who can "smell" the future, and the bad guy Larson Petty, with his helper Eggbert.
Meet the Characters
The Shumway Family
- Gordon (Gordo) Shumway/ALF (voiced by Paul Fusco) – He's the main character of the show.
- Bob Shumway (voiced by Thick Wilson) – Gordon's dad.
- Flo Shumway (voiced by Peggy Mahon) – Gordon's mom.
- Curtis Shumway (voiced by Michael Fantini) – Gordon's younger brother.
- Augie Shumway (voiced by Paulina Gillis) – Gordon's little sister.
- Neep – The family's pet dog. He's officially called a "vespa."
- Harry – The Shumway family's pet bird.
Other Melmacians
- Rhonda (voiced by Paulina Gillis) – Gordon's girlfriend.
- Skipper "Skip" (voiced by Rob Cowan) – One of Gordon's friends.
- Rick Fusterman (voiced by Paul Fusco) – Another one of Gordon's friends.
- Sloop (voiced by Dan Hennessey) – Gordon's other friend.
- Spudder – Curtis's friend.
- Stella (voiced by Ellen-Ray Hennessy) – A waitress.
- Madame Pokipsi (voiced by Deborah Theaker) – She can "smell" what will happen in the future.
- Colonel Cantfayl (voiced by Len Carlson) – An officer in the Orbit Guard.
- Sargent Staff (voiced by Len Carlson) – A sergeant in the Orbit Guard.
- Larson Petty (voiced by Thick Wilson) – The main bad guy. He often tries to invade Melmac.
- Eggbert Petty (voiced by Dan Hennessey) – Larson Petty's assistant.
Episodes and Adventures
ALF: The Animated Series had two seasons with a total of 26 episodes. Each episode showed Gordon and his friends and family getting into funny and sometimes tricky situations on Melmac. They faced challenges like defending their planet, dealing with strange curses, or even going to driving school.
The show often featured parodies of famous movies or stories. For example, one episode was called "Salad Wars," which sounds like "Star Wars." Another episode, "The Spy from East Velcro," made fun of James Bond movies. The characters also played a unique Melmacian sport called "Bouillabaseball," where they used fish instead of baseballs!
Home Video Release
If you wanted to watch ALF: The Animated Series at home, some episodes were released on DVD. On May 30, 2006, Lionsgate Home Entertainment put out a DVD called ALF Animated Adventures – 20,000 Years in Driving School and Other Stories. This DVD included the first nine episodes of the series. They also released a DVD for ALF Tales around the same time.
