ALF - 'Erinnerungen an Melmac'

...that ran for three seasons but technically consisted of four, the first two being ALF: The Animated Series and the second two being ALF Tales. Both arguably ran Stateside on NBC-TV concurrently over three years, at times in an hour-long format that paired episodes from each. The casual viewer would be forgiven for confusing the two.

I frankly hadn't thought of either show in, what, 30-plus years? And I only lately recalled these when challenged by a friend to name animated spin-offs of prime-time sitcoms and dramas. (Only one of the latter came to mind, Star Trek: The Animated Series.) At least in my view ALF the prime-time offering had worn itself thin fairly quickly, principally because the only insight we got concerning its star came from, well, its star.

But ALF:TAS came back to me VERY quickly as a show that took the new medium and format and ran with it clear across the galaxy while gleefully toying with the viewer's head and much of its contents. For starters we're on the planet Melmac in all its glory and cats, and the lead character has another name among family and friends. Remarkable character design and backgrounds too.

No "dumbdown" for the kids and no adult humor to speak of or even wink at but inside jokes, puns and sight gags like you wouldn't believe and in many ways reminiscent of the legendary Jay Ward. To say this toon cries out for a full re-issue would be charitable. Anybody else Out There remember?

(UPDATE: The nominal two seasons of ALF:TAS appear available for on-line viewing and download from a provider that just about anyone can guess. I task myself to view all the episodes. At times there is more than a streak of the Firesigns in its humor, and that's enough to raise it above your standard Saturday morning toonfare.)

The ALF cartoons were clearly not written by the same people behind the sitcom. Where else do you find Saturday morning cartoons with post-modern meta-humour not dissimilar to Mystery Science Theater 3000? Standout episodes include Madame Poughkeepsie, the fortune teller who grants Gordon's wish to have a more many head of hair, but curses him to tender anyone he touches instantly hairless, or the Arnold Schwarzenegger parody filming "The Gutsquisher" in his hometown, complete with Arnold likeness and voice impression, "AAAUHNGG! I mahst skvish gütts!".

Alf Tales also has laugh-out-loud re-tellings of Cinderella (with Marlon Brando as Fairy Godmother and evil step-sisters Janet & Latoya) and loads of gags kids under 10 wouldn't even get when the show was current. This was really subversive TV in the mid-late '80s. The sitcom was just a puppet show and the groaning that comes along with their attempt at "jokes".

The writers earned their paycheques on the cartoons, though. Watch and listen, as much of the humour zips past if you're not paying attention.

I remember two things about this show besides how much I liked it. They are: "Madame Poughkeepsie," a fortune teller that Gordon would visit; and the episode with the Boulliabaseball game, where fish were used instead of balls. The "cat" problem became quite severe after the sixth inning on hot days for reasons you can probably imagine.

It is definitely a show for a more mature audience than little kids, and should be considered as one of the early examples of the animation renaissance that "Ren and Stimpy" and "The Simpsons" started. If it ever becomes available on DVD, I will camp out at the store to get my copy.

I recall watching this show and finding it much funnier than the live series. Gordon, Rick and Skip were like a furry Three Stooges, getting into bizarre and hilarious predicaments, while the bird and Curtis taunted. Bob is a semi-competent inventor and Flo the wise, yet not clichéd mother.

Episodes included Larson Petty's attempts to take over Melmac, an attempted invasion by shrimp, Pizmo the robot at the planet's center, Gordon moving out, preservation of the west feldman smulk bird, a visit to the racetrack at south toaster, among others. Something fun and entertaining while most other cartoons were little more than half-hour advertisements for toys.

This would be a great set to own on DVD.

Edit: I have picked up a couple Alf DVDs - ALF: Animated Adventures - 20,000 Years in Driving School and Other Stories & ALF Tales: ALF and the Beanstalk and Other Classic Fairy Tales. Animated Adventures I swear have been edited. I have several of these on old VHS tapes and will compare, but could swear there was a Birdland song in Birdman of Melmac.

Telling stories from Melmac shows that the ALF makers understand their fan base. Great adventures, great humor and great background knowledge are the recipe for this cartoon.