When it first debuted in the mid-1980s, many parents probably felt like ALF was always on their TV. Now, that frustrated impression can be a literal reality, because Amazon’s Freevee has added a new channel that plays nothing but ALF round the clock. This follows on the heels of a marathon back in April on Shout! Factory’s streaming platform, and was likely arranged in concert with Shout!, who recently acquired the rights to make more ALF. The series was a ratings hit and a merchandising juggernaut when it was first released, running for four seasons but spinning off comics, games, an animated series, and more.
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“ALF” is an acronym for Alien Life Form, but also used for the character name–in the same way that “E.T.” served both purposes in Spielberg’s ’80s masterpiece. The series revolved around a wisecracking, cat-eating alien who crash-lands on Earth and stays with a suburban family who hides him from the U.S. government while he tries to return to his native Melmac.
“I couldn’t be more excited that Shout! Factory will be marketing and distributing ALF and working with the series’ creators, Paul Fusco and Tom Patchett,” Jeffrey Peisch, SVP of programming and new business development for Shout!, shared in a statement when the studio acquired the franchise. “ALF was an instant classic when it debuted on network television over 30 years ago, and the series stands the test of time and appeals to multiple generations.”
The series was a sensation for a couple of years, spawning Burger King toys, a comic book series and more before the public got ALF fatigue and the series was quietly cancelled. The affable alien went on to be a regular feature on VH1 specials and Hollywood Squares, and Fusco has been trying to generate interest in a revival for a while now.
The character recently made headlines for a tongue-in-cheek Twitter exchange with Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn, which inevitably got fans wondering whether Gunn could work on an ALF project, or bring somebody from Melmac in for a cameo in an upcoming Guardians joint. So far, though, it seems the Twitter exchange wasn’t any kind of secret promotion for anything, but just…y’know…a Twitter exchange. That can happen sometimes.
ALF is now available to purchase on Amazon by episodes or seasons.
