Creativity thrived in the 1980s. It was the only decade brave enough to center a family sitcom around a fluffy alien puppet with a croissant-like nose, the lovability of a dog, and sensibilities of a stand-up comedian. While never the No. 1 show of its time in the U.S., "ALF" took first place in everybody's heart for four seasons, establishing itself as an important cornerstone of pop culture – even if it feels like it has lost some of its sheen and influence in modern times.
"ALF" is a tale as old as a time. An intergalactic creature named Gordon Shumway from the planet of Melmac crashes his spaceship into a garage. He meets the Tanner family – no, not the annoyingly huggy people from "Full House" – who proceed to name him ALF, which is shorthand for Alien Life Form. Since his ship can't be repaired, and every '80s kid wanted to be Elliott Taylor and have a friendly alien best buddy like in "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," ALF sticks around on Earth, cracking quips, wreaking havoc, and terrorizing the neighborhood cats.
Our pal ALF was far from the first TV alien to crash-land on this rock and become chummy with humans. In the '60s, "My Favorite Martian" explored a similar premise through Martin O'Hara (played by Ray Walston). Then, in the late '70s, Robin Williams portrayed Mork in "Mork & Mindy." Did Martin or Mork have the charm and side-splitting gags of ALF who at one point tries to hypnotize a cat into thinking he's a bagel? Of course not. There was only one Gordon Shumway.
"ALF's humor came out of him not knowing any better," said Paul Fusco, the co-creator, puppeteer, and voice of the character. "He wasn't politically correct, but he was like Sophia on 'The Golden Girls' – the remarks came out of honesty. That was always the premise. He was never mean."
Under the guise of humor, "ALF" got away with a lot for its time. The pilot episode sees ALF downing beer and almost sharing one with the way-too-young Brian Tanner (Benji Gregory). Even so, the show ducked and dived the long arm of the network fuddy-duddies beautifully, skirting the edge of censorship with a knowing wink, clever pun, and out-of-this-world comedic timing.
Speaking of otherworldliness, the absolute best sci-fi shows don't need to belabor the fact they're about science fiction. They trust that the viewer understands the basic setup and wants to find out more about the stories behind the individuals. "ALF" gets this, choosing to focus on the main character being a fish out of water and an unruly houseguest rather than hammering home the point that he's an alien at every opportunity. Think of it as a PG version of "You, Me and Dupree", but with a funnier and less insufferable Dupree in the form of ALF.
Unlike other family sitcoms of its era that always devolved into ham-fisted lessons about "oh shucks, family knows best" and "it's not toxic if we gaslight and say I love you," "ALF" finds the balance between light-hearted shenanigans and hard-hitting events.
Yes, there are the running gags of ALF trying to hide his presence from snooping neighbors, dodging the Alien Task Force, and turning the Tanner household into his own personal playpen, but there's also a seriousness behind the smiles when you look for it. From him feeling survivor's guilt over the destruction of his planet to his sincere reaction to the death of Lucky the cat in later episodes, there's genuine emotion and depth behind the jokes that highlight real character development and growth throughout his story arc.
ALF is also a complex guy. He's sarcastic and a bona fide troublemaker, yet he's also kind and caring. There's an hilarious episode in the first season titled "Looking for Lucky," where Lucky the cat disappears and the Tanners presume that ALF ate him because of a furball he coughs up. ALF pleads his case and embarks on a search for Lucky, even questioning other neighborhood cats about his whereabouts. This episode alone shows the different facets of his personality – yeah, he spoke about Lucky as if he was a meal best served with some fava beans and a nice Chianti, but when Brian misses his pet, ALF realizes he needs to right this wrong, even if he isn't the one to blame here.
It's this template that other alien comedies, such as "3rd Rock from the Sun" and "Resident Alien," imitate to various degrees of success. They all begin under the guise of aliens failing to understand the complexity of human life and stumbling into awkward situations. However, they become more about how the concept of humanity transcends species; these characters become more human than the actual human beings featured in the series.
The truth is, though, that "ALF" surpasses all of them as the ultimate comfort and relatable alien show. You want to spend more time with ALF and the Tanners; you feel as if you're part of the family and understand exactly what they're going through. It's for this reason that the show received an animated series, a TV movie that wrapped up the events after the fourth season's cliffhanger ending, and even a talk show for ALF to host guests. Did John Lithgow's Dick Solomon ever get this treatment? No, and he didn't deserve it either, if we're being honest.
"ALF" might not be looked back on in the same way as iconic sitcoms like "Friends" and "Seinfeld," but it's a show that connected with audiences around the world – from Ma and Pops watching in their lounge in Louisville, Kentucky to the young boy sitting in front of his grandparents' TV set in Johannesburg, South Africa. Its layered humor, sharp writing, and outstanding performances made everybody forget that the main character was a puppet. And that's part of the magic, since he still feels real to this day.
Every few years or so, a new rumor pops up about an "ALF" reboot in the making. While it's an enticing prospect to consider, let's be honest here: nothing will reach the heights of the original show. It's lightning in a bottle. A moment in time. A one of one… and it ended when it was supposed to. So, to quote the madcap Melmacian himself, "If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you, it's yours. If it gets run over by a car, you don't want it."
