ALF (TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids ALF |
|
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom Comic science fiction |
| Created by | Paul Fusco Tom Patchett |
| Starring | Paul Fusco Max Wright Anne Schedeen Andrea Elson Benji Gregory |
| Theme music composer | Alf Clausen Tom Kramer |
| Composer(s) | Alf Clausen |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 99 (original run) 102 (syndication) (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Bernie Brillstein Tom Patchett |
| Producer(s) | Paul Fusco |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 24 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Alien Productions |
| Distributor | Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Original release | September 22, 1986 – March 24, 1990 |
ALF is a super popular American TV show called a sitcom. It was shown on NBC from September 22, 1986, to March 24, 1990. The main character is an alien named Gordon Shumway, but everyone calls him ALF. This stands for Alien Life Form.
ALF is a funny and sarcastic alien who crash-lands his spaceship into the garage of the Tanner family. The show stars Max Wright as Willie Tanner, Anne Schedeen as Kate Tanner, and Andrea Elson and Benji Gregory as their kids, Lynn and Brian. The amazing alien puppet ALF was brought to life by puppeteer Paul Fusco, who also helped create the show with Tom Patchett.
The show was made by Alien Productions. ALF ran for four seasons and had 99 episodes. Some longer episodes were split into two parts for reruns, making a total of 102 episodes. In 2018, there were talks about making a new ALF show, but those plans were later stopped.
Contents
The Story of ALF
An Alien Visitor
The story begins when ALF, an alien from the planet Melmac, follows a radio signal to Earth. He accidentally crashes his spaceship right into the garage of the Tanner family. The Tanners are a regular family living in the San Fernando Valley in California.
The family includes Willie (Max Wright), who works as a social worker, his wife Kate (Anne Schedeen), their teenage daughter Lynn (Andrea Elson), and their younger son Brian (Benji Gregory). They also have a pet cat named Lucky. ALF, being from Melmac, thinks cats are tasty!
The Tanners aren't sure what to do with ALF. They decide to let him stay and hide him from the Alien Task Force. This is a special part of the U.S. military that looks for aliens. They also have to hide him from their nosy neighbors, Trevor and Raquel Ochmonek. ALF usually hides in the kitchen.
Later, we learn that ALF's home planet, Melmac, exploded because of a big war. ALF was away from Melmac when it was destroyed because he was part of the Melmac Orbit Guard. This means ALF is now homeless, but he isn't the only one from his planet who survived.
ALF becomes a permanent part of the Tanner family. His different culture and sometimes feeling lonely can cause problems for the Tanners. But even with all the trouble, they grow to love him. They are also very careful to keep his secret safe.
New Friends and Family Changes
Each episode of ALF shows him learning more about Earth. He makes new friends both inside and outside the Tanner family. These friends include Willie's brother Neal (Jim J. Bullock) and Kate's mother Dorothy (Anne Meara). ALF and Dorothy have a funny love-hate relationship.
Other friends include Dorothy's boyfriend (and later husband) Whizzer (Paul Dooley), the Ochmoneks' nephew Jake (Josh Blake), a psychologist named Larry (Bill Daily), and a blind woman named Jody (Andrea Covell). Jody never finds out ALF is an alien, even though she knows he's short and hairy!
The Tanner family also changes during the show. A new baby, Eric, is born. ALF moves from the laundry room to the attic, which he and Willie turn into his own "apartment." Sadly, their cat Lucky passes away in season four. Even though ALF used to want to eat Lucky, he realizes he loved the family pet too much.
When ALF gets a new cat, he plans to eat it. But he ends up liking it too much and lets the family adopt it. He even admits to the Tanners that he has become a "cat lover," which is a strange thing for someone from Melmac!
Who's Who in ALF?
Main Characters
- Paul Fusco – He is the puppeteer and voice of ALF.
- Michu Meszaros – He sometimes wore the ALF costume for full body shots.
- Lisa Buckley – An assistant puppeteer for ALF.
- Bob Fappiano – Another assistant puppeteer for ALF.
- Anne Schedeen – Plays Kate Tanner, the mom.
- Max Wright – Plays Willie Tanner, the dad.
- Andrea Elson – Plays Lynn Tanner, the daughter.
- Benji Gregory – Plays Brian Tanner, the son.
About ALF (Gordon Shumway)
Gordon Shumway is his real name, but Willie Tanner gives him the nickname ALF. He was born on October 28, 1756, on the planet Melmac. Melmac had a green sky, blue grass, and a purple sun.
On Melmac, their money was called a "Wernick," which was worth about 10 American dollars. Things like lint, gravel, and foam were as valuable as gold on Earth. Gold and platinum were so common on Melmac that they were used for things like toilets! ALF even sold the gold and platinum parts of his spaceship to buy a Ferrari for Lynn.
ALF's body is covered with fur. He has a snout, moles on his face, and eight stomachs! His heart is supposedly in his right ear. He loves to burp and eat cats. He can also whistle without opening his mouth.
ALF had a best friend named Malhar Naik on Melmac. He also has friends named Skip, Rick, Stella, and a girlfriend named Rhonda, who all escaped Melmac's explosion. ALF went to high school for 122 years. He was even the captain of a "Bouillabaisseball team," which was a game played on ice using seafood as a ball.
ALF can be a bit troublesome, sarcastic, and messy. He sometimes causes problems that might reveal his secret. But when things go too far, he always tries his best to fix his mistakes.
See also
In Spanish: ALF para niños
