Hide your cats, earthlings, because that crazy, cynical Melmacian ALF is returning to TV. According to TVLine, Warner Bros. is in the early stages of rebooting the hit sitcom, and is presently looking for a writer to “spearhead the update.”
Gordon Shumway, a.k.a. ALF, was voiced by Paul Fusco, who likewise operated the puppet, and co-created the series along with Tom Patchett. As of now, Fusco’s involvement in the reboot remains unclear. Though, it must be said, he has continually tried to revive the popular alien over the years, and was rumored to be actively developing a CGI-animated film in 2012 with Sony Pictures.
ALF first appeared on NBC on September 22, 1986 and ran for 99 episodes until its rather abrupt cancellation on March 24, 1990. ALF’s final episode teased viewers with the immortal “to be continued” tagline, but, alas, a proper finale never materialized. Instead, the character has appeared in various media forms, including a TV movie entitled Project: ALF in 1996, which was meant to provide closure to the show despite featuring none of the original cast; a comic book published by Marvel Comics, which ran for four years and totaled 50 issues; ALF: The Animated Series, which served as a prequel and ran on Saturday mornings from 1987-1988; and even ALF’s Hit Talk Show, which featured the titular alien in a late night talk show format, complete with sidekick Ed McMahon. The character also made guest appearances on other TV shows such as Blossom, Hollywood Squares, and The Simpsons, among others.
The original TV show followed the exploits of ALF, an alien from the planet Melmac, who crash lands on Earth and befriends the Tanner family. The Tanners, headed by Willie (Max Wright), Kate (Anne Schedeen), Lynn (Andrea Elson), and Brian (Benji Gregory), hide the alien from the Alien Task Force, and deal with his day-to-day shenanigans.
For scenes featuring ALF’s full body, Mihaly Meszaros performed the alien’s actions.
