ALF

ALF poster

ALF

Year: 1986 First Air: 1986-09-22
Overview

After an unexpected crash landing in a suburban garage, a sarcastic, furry alien ends up hiding out with the Tanner family in California. Calling himself ALF, he turns everyday family life into a stream of mishaps, wisecracks, and surprising heart. While the Tanners try to keep him secret and safe, they juggle neighbors, work, school, and the constant challenge of living with an unpredictable houseguest.

Synopsis

The Tanner family thinks they are in for a normal evening until a strange spacecraft crashes into their garage. Inside is ALF, a quick-talking alien who insists on staying and soon becomes a permanent, if chaotic, part of the household. Willie and Kate Tanner try to keep him hidden from curious neighbors and authorities while raising their kids, Lynn and Brian, and maintaining a calm suburban routine that ALF constantly disrupts. ALF’s outsider perspective turns ordinary problems into offbeat adventures, from navigating human customs to creating elaborate schemes that rarely go as planned. His sharp humor and bad habits test the family’s patience, yet he gradually builds real bonds with each of them, offering unexpected warmth alongside the trouble. Each episode blends sitcom antics with family moments as the Tanners balance responsibility, secrecy, and the odd comfort of having an alien friend under their roof.

Cast
Trivia
A wisecracking alien houseguest brings chaos, secrecy, and heart to a suburban family’s daily life.
Q1: What is ALF’s real name revealed to be in the series?
Answer: Gordon Shumway
It’s a fan-favorite piece of lore that humanizes him beyond the nickname and underscores that he has a full identity and past off-planet.
Q2: Which household pet is ALF constantly tempted to eat, despite the family’s objections?
Answer: Lucky the cat
This recurring gag is one of the show’s signature running jokes and a key source of tension and comedy inside the Tanner home.
Q3: What is the name of ALF’s home planet?
Answer: Melmac
It anchors much of the show’s alien backstory and becomes shorthand for ALF’s culture, memories, and outsider perspective.