Reboots may be having their moment in television programming lately, but for those who were excited to see a new take on everyone’s favorite cat-snacking alien from Melmac we’ve got some sad news. The ALF reboot is not moving forward.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Back in August, it was reported that Warner Bros. was in the early stages of developing a reboot of the hit series which originally ran from 1986 to 1990. At the time, the studio was looking for a writer to take on the reboot. Now, however, a report from TV Line indicates that it ultimately wasn’t the search for a writer that stopped the reboot in its tracks. The project reportedly failed to find an interested network.
This news is sure to be disappointing for fans of the original series as it did reasonably well on The Hollywood Reporter’s poll about reboots they would actually watch. The original ALF series centered on an alien named Gordon Shumway who crash landed in the Tanner family’s garage. Hailing from the planet Melmac, Alf — short for Alien Life Form — followed a radio signal to Earth after his own home planet was destroyed and quickly becomes a part of the Tanner family. The show’s adventures frequently featured the Tanners attempting to keep Alf hidden from the Alien Task Force, the nosy next door neighbors the Ochmoneks, and Alf’s struggles to not eat the family cat, Lucky.
ALF originally aired 102 episodes over the course of 4 seasons ending on a cliffhanger. While the show did get a made-for-TV movie to conclusion, it didn’t involve the original cast and is not considered canon by many fans. Despite the show’s cancellation, the character has remained popular, but even with Alf’s continued popularity the climate for television reboots may be shifting. THR’s poll noted that while audiences would likely watch some reboot series, they’re increasingly more interested in original shows.
That said, even though ALF isn’t moving forward that doesn’t mean reboots are dead. The CW’s Charmed reboot has been off to a promising start and last week The CW announced that the series had been given a full-season order, bringing Charmed to a full 22 episodes for its first season.
Are you sad that the ALF reboot isn’t going forward? Let us know in the comments below.
