moshomaniac I was in Kindergarten when this out-of-this-world comedy debuted. ALF, an alien from the planet Melmac, crashed landed in the attic of an American family called the Tanners in 1986, and into the hearts of millions. Rather than tell a comprehensive review of the series, I just wanted to mention how the series impacted all of us back in the 80s. ALF was a cultural phenomenon, ranking up there with 80s icons like Max Headroom, E.T., and Indiana Jones. Gordon Shumway(aka ALF) was a wisecracking, cat-eating, accident-prone, T.V. loving, constantly hungry, but always lovable extraterrestrial, the brainchild of Paul Fusco, co-creator and the voice of ALF. ALF was a series that was cut off before its prime, ending on an unresolved cliff-hanger. When I saw the DVD first put out in the early 2000s, I bought it, wondering if the show would still be as fun for me as a kid. To my astonishment, I found I not only like it as much as an adult, but even more. They have jokes in there that are aimed at adult audiences too(ALF's emulates Tarmac the Magnificent on the tonight show, and does an impression of Mork from Mork and Mindy). All in all, ALF is still a fun series, but left a bit of a bittersweet note with me as well: that sitcoms that are wholesome and family-friendly have all but the dust. Well, we'll always have memories, and nothing can change that.

4-Kane ALF is a wonderful TV show. Watching that sitcom was a Monday night ritual for me during the four years (1986-1990) it was on the air. It was fun to see what kind of mischief the furry alien got into. But the Tanners were cautious, because not only did they have to protect their cat Lucky from the cat-eating alien, but they had to keep his existence a secret from everyone, out of concern for his safety and well-being. Inevitably, though, some people discovered him, but kept it a secret, too. One of my favorite episodes is "Prime Time." That is the episode in which the Tanner family get a ratings system for their television set. When ALF learns that his favorite polka music show is doing poorly in the ratings, he rigs the system in order to save it from cancellation. As a result, the polka show hits #1 in the ratings. But that success is short-lived, because the Tanners inevitably find out about it and soon get rid of their ratings equipment.The worst thing about the show was that it ended with a cliffhanger. In the Season 4 finale "Consider Me Gone," four years after the destruction of his home planet Melmac, ALF finally makes contact with his fellow surviving Melmacians and agrees to go with them to live on a new planet. Unfortunately, his attempt to leave Earth fails and the episode ends with Alien Task Force closing in on him. It was not intended to be the end of the series, though. The door was open for a fifth season, but NBC had a verbal agreement with the producers to commission a special that would wrap up the storyline if they decided against renewing the show. Not only was the show ultimately canceled, but NBC underwent a change in management that resulted in the verbal agreement being rescinded. Rival network ABC aired the post-series TV-movie Project: ALF in 1996, six years after the show's cancellation, but the absence of the Tanner family made it unpopular with many ALF fans. ALF creator/puppeteer Paul Fusco said in a 2012 interview that the late NBC executive Brandon Tartikoff admitted to him that the 1990 cancellation was a big mistake.Again, ALF is a wonderful show. It is suitable for the whole family.

James Ghent ALF was a great show for family entertainment value, it was clean and was very original at the time with a main character who was a wise cracking alien, the cast was all really good and it was actually pretty funny most of the time. My fave characters were the guy who played Willie and the Okmonaks next door (sorry if I spelled that wrong but you have to admit it's a tough name to spell).I loved this show when I was a kid. I picked up the DVDs for season one the other week and have to admit it is not as good as I remember but hey it's been like twenty years or whatever, it was an awesome show and I bet kids would still love it. The guy who played ALF or at least played the voice of ALF was perfect with great timing and all the good jokes in the show were ALF's wisecracks.

moni One of the greatest US products made for TV. I really wish I could travel in time back some years so I can regain the endless joy of viewing the series for the first time. The dialog is full of fresh jokes, no sexual offending or humiliating ones like in Friends for example. It reminds me to the classics like Kermit's show or Jack Lemmon's Some like it hot *my absolute top 1 movie of all time* It is so sad that entertainment like this one is never been created, it is not good for the entertainment industry as a whole. But who knows, maybe we're cursed with the ancient Chinese curse "to live in the interesting times" I give it wholeheartedly 10/10 and highly recommend it for viewing/renting/buying the DVDs. I really do hope DVDs will be shipped to Europe soon.