ALF: The Animated Series

ALF: The Animated Series
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
Canada
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 26
Production
Running time 30 minutes per episode
Production company(s) DIC Entertainment
Alien Productions
Lorimar-Telepictures
Saban Entertainment (1987–89)
Release
Original network NBC
Audio format Stereo
Original release September 26, 1987 (1987-09-26) – January 7, 1989 (1989-01-07)

ALF: The Animated Series (also known as ALF on Melmac) is a 30-minute Saturday morning animated series and a spin-off based on the live-action sitcom ALF that aired for 26 episodes on NBC from September 26, 1987 to January 7, 1989. ALF Tales was a spin-off from the series that also ran on NBC on Saturdays from September 1988 to December 1989.

Synopsis

This show is a prequel to the live action sitcom ALF, depicting ALF's life back on his home planet of Melmac, much resembling a 1950s/1960s small town. Since the name "ALF" was an acronym short for Alien Life Form and only given to Gordon Shumway later on Earth, "ALF" is never used in the animated series except for its title. ALF would always be referred to as "Gordon", his true name, or "Gordo" by his friends Rick and Skip. In nearly every episode a live action ALF would appear at the introduction and conclusion of the episode; reading fan mail and saying that this show is a response to a huge demand of people wanting to know what his life was like on Melmac.

Much of the humor arises from the characters taking part in surrealistic activities while treating them as ordinary and unremarkable. For example, in order to prove their manhood and win their distinguished antlers, the sons of members of the Mayonnaise Lodge (formed of men who work in the mayonnaise mines) must wrestle a clam and make it sing. Other episodes had issues somewhat similar to Earth issues, such as when Gordon's parents take part in a free vacation, while failing to realize it is a time share scam: the scam artist literally steals the Shumway residence and transplants it to the time share plots, then uses brainwashing machines to convince Flo and Bob to buy a house they already own.

Another one which was a play on the original TV series was a TV show which ALF and his family loved about "the Earthling who crash landed on Melmac" where a human was shown saying "On my homeworld we keep cats as housepets" and a Melmacian telling him "Well, here we eat them!" Gordon/ALF from this series is one of the cartoon characters featured in Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue.

Characters

Episodes

Season 1 (1987–88)

Season 2 (1988–89)

DVD release

On May 30, 2006, Lions Gate Home Entertainment released both the first nine episodes of ALF: The Animated Series as ALF Animated Adventures  20,000 Years in Driving School and Other Stories; and the first seven episodes of ALF Tales entitled ALF and The Beanstalk and Other Classic Fairy Tales on DVD in Region 1.

Currently, the Complete Series of both shows are available for viewing on Hulu Plus.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Damian Inwood. "Pi Theatre, Independent Vancouver Theatre >> The Baroness and the Pig". Retrieved October 30, 2011. That's what Vancouver actresses Diane Brown and Tabitha St. Germain do with the delightful black comedy, The Baroness and the Pig. (...) St. Germain – better known to Vancouver audiences as Paulina Gillis – plays the Baroness as a naïve gentlewoman, full of prissy mannerisms and twittering, bird-like movements.

External links

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