ALF: The Animated Series


ALF: The Animated Series is an American animated television series that aired on NBC for 26 episodes from September 26, 1987, to January 7, 1989.
ALF: The Animated Series was a prequel and animated spinoff of the prime time series ALF, which also aired on NBC from 1986 to 1990. Paul Fusco, the creator and puppeteer of ALF in the live-action series, was the only cast member to reprise his role; none of the human characters from the prime time ALF appeared in the animated series, due to its nature as a prequel and its setting being on Melmac rather than Earth. ALF Tales was a spin-off of the series, which also aired on NBC on Saturdays from September 1988 to December 1989. The two ALF animated series ran concurrently during the 1988–89 season as the ALF & ALF Tales Hour.

Synopsis

Setting

The series is a prequel to ALF, depicting ALF's life on his home planet of Melmac before it exploded and he came to Earth. Since the name ALF was given to him after his arrival on Earth, he is instead known by his original name, Gordon Shumway. The puppet ALF appears at the beginning and end of the episode, talking to the viewers in the Tanner family's garage and either setting up the episode as if he were writing his memoir "Melmac Memories" and commenting on it afterwards, reading fan mail, or describing what his life was like on Melmac. The visual look of the series was created by lead character designer Fil Barlow.
The format of the series is that of a situation comedy, with much of the humor deriving from the characters partaking in ordinary activities, but in an alien environment.
Gordon/ALF as depicted in the series is later one of the cartoon characters featured in Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue.

Plot

Gordon Shumway is a teenager who lives in suburban East Velcro on the planet Melmac with his parents Bob and Flo, his brother Curtis, his younger sister Augie, and their dog Neep. He has two friends, Rick and Skip, and a girlfriend, Rhonda, who, along with him, are members of the Melmacian Orbit Guard. The show also features supporting characters, such as the fortune teller Madame Pokipsi and the villainous Larson Petty and his sidekick Eggbert.

Characters

The Shumway Family

  • Gordon (Gordo) Shumway / ALF – The protagonist. A resident of East Velcro and member of the Melmacian Orbit Guard.
  • Bob Shumway – Gordon's father. He works at a mayonnaise factory and is an amateur inventor.
  • Flo Shumway – Gordon's mother.
  • Curtis Shumway – Gordon's younger brother.
  • Augie Shumway – Gordon's younger sister.
  • Neep – The Shumway family's pet, a dog-like alien creature called a vespa.
  • Harry – The Shumway family's pet, a bird-like alien creature called a Westfellman Smulk.

    Melmacians

  • Rhonda – Gordon's girlfriend who is secretly an accomplished pilot.
  • Skipper "Skip" – One of Gordon's friends
  • Rick Fusterman – One of Gordon's friends.
  • Spudder – Curtis' friend.
  • Stella – A waitress at the Cats Up Diner.
  • Eddie – The owner of the Cats Up Diner.
  • Madame Pokipsi – A fortune teller.
  • Colonel Cantfayl – A colonel in the Orbit Guard and Sargent Staff's superior.
  • Sargent Staff – A sergeant in the Orbit Guard and Gordon, Skip and Rick's superior officer, whom Gordon is often at odds at.
  • Freda Fusterman
  • Tillie
  • Jane Appalling
  • '''TV Announcer'''

    Villains

  • Larson Petty – The main antagonist of the series. He is an unspecified alien general who attempts to invade Melmac.
  • * Sloop - The son/aide of Larson Petty. His birth name is Eggbert Petty.
  • Louie the Pruner - A villain and owner of a salad dressing empire.
  • * Sonny - The son of Louie the Pruner.

    Episodes

Each episode is bookended by ALF in live-action talking about his upcoming book Melmac Memories about his life on Melmac during his first year in the Orbit Guard.

Season 1 (1987–88)

Season 2 (1988–89)

Home media

On May 30, 2006, Lionsgate 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.
Some episodes can also be found in the special features section of the collectors edition release of the original live action series.
The complete series was remastered and subsequently released on October 17, 2023, by Shout! Factory in the DVD box set ALF: The Complete Series . The box set release also included the original 1986–90 sitcom, ALF Tales and Project: ALF.