The Melmac Menagerie

Your place for all things ALF! This includes news, updates, facts, and trivia about the entire ALF franchise. [Header image and profile image are both promotional images from the ALF series (1986-1990). ALF/Gordon Shumway and anything in the franchise are owned by Alien Productions. I own nothing.]

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"We have a visitor." - Willie Tanner, 1986, ALF (S1E1 - "A.L.F.")

Welcome to the Melmac Menagerie!

As the description above implies, this is a blog for anything and everything involving the ALF franchise. This includes the 1986 NBC sitcom ALF, the 1987 Saturday Morning Cartoon ALF: The Animated Series, the 1988 Saturday Morning Cartoon ALF Tales, the 1988 Marvel ALF comics, the 1996 ABC made-for-television movie Project: ALF, the 2004 TV Land talk show ALF's Hit Talk Show, and any guest appearances, cameos, or other ALF-related media. I'll post some facts and trivia (some deep-cut, others more well-known) about the franchise as well as any updates that come up.

If there's any fact in particular you want to know about or if you're aware of an update that I don't know about, feel free to send in an ask!

A few more things - this is my side blog. My main is @private-g-shumway - I post a lot of ALF over there as well, but there's also some other fandoms mixed in. Also, I am in no way affiliated with Alien Productions in any way and own none of the content shown - it's all owned by Alien Productions and other companies. I'm merely just some person on the internet who is a bit too fixated on this franchise. With that out of the way...

Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Below the cut are some other ALF websites/fansites/fan creations to check out if you like this. The links are in the titles. Also please tell me if I missed any.

ALF TV - An unofficial website that I would say is the leading fan-run site about ALF. There's interviews, photo galleries, more links, a fan forum (more on that below), episode guides, fan art/fiction, fan club newsletters, and whatnot. Endorsed by Paul Fusco himself.

The ALF TV Fan Forum - A message board also run by the aforementioned ALF TV. It gets kind of quiet sometimes but has its incredibly active moments. Endorsed by Paul Fusco.

ALF Wiki - The online encyclopedia for all things ALF.

ALF Official - The official website for the franchise. It's kind of small and nothing ever happens, but it does give some information on where you can watch ALF and some social media links.

ALF (Shout! Factory TV) - Shout! Factory's page for ALF. Includes streaming information, a 24/7 live stream of the sitcom, ALF: The Animated Series, and ALF Tales, and some information about the franchise.

ALFsplaining - The ALF Podcast - A podcast where hosts Ben Baker and John Matthews review ALF episodes and other ALF media and comment on it through a British perspective. They've also done interviews with Paul Fusco, Mike Reiss, Al Jean, and Josh Blake. Endorsed by Paul Fusco.

ALF Archives - A fan-run website with pieces on merchandise, broadcast history, references in other media, cameos, and (my personal favorite) ALF's wardrobe.

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Lore Inconsistency #5

When Gordon begins his speech, he says that he was "born the son of a poor asteroid polisher". This contradicts his role in the animated series, in which his father works at a mayonnaise factory. Whether this is simply the job Bob had when Gordon was born is unknown.

Episode Source: ALF - Season One, Episode Nine- Production Number 1009 - "Jump"

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Melmac Trivia #88

The family has put joke candles on Willie's birthday cake for roughly five years in a row. Willie falls for it every time.

Episode Source: ALF - Season One, Episode Nine- Production Number 1009 - "Jump"

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Melmac Trivia #87

Willie and Gordon have kissed.

Episode Source: ALF - Season One, Episode Nine- Production Number 1009 - "Jump"

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Melmac Trivia #86

If a customer buys enough products from the Terry Faith line, they are qualified to get either soft sided or mock Naugahyde luggage. Also, if a customer buys enough products from the Terry Faith line, they are qualified to take a trip to Dayton and see the Terry Faith museum. The trip to Dayton also includes a three-day, two-night stay at the Terryland Hotel.

Episode Source: ALF - Season One, Episode Five - Production Number 1008 - "Keepin' the Faith"

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Melmac Trivia #85

The Terry Faith Company's slogan is a peace sign while saying "Keep the faith".

Episode Source: ALF - Season One, Episode Five - Production Number 1008 - "Keepin' the Faith"

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Melmac Trivia #84

Gordon was able to achieve status of "Newcomer of the Month" at Terry Faith cosmetics. One achieves this by buying the most products to sell out of the other newcomers.

Episode Source: ALF - Season One, Episode Five - Production Number 1008 - "Keepin' the Faith"

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Melmac Trivia #83

Terry Faith was born near Dayton, Ohio at a bend in the road. She was born around the turn of the century. Whilst we do not learn much else about her life, we do know that she has a hotel named after her - The Terryland Hotel. The hotel has a lounge and dance hall called the Eye Shadow Lounge. Tery Faith's corpse is on display in the Terry Faith museum. She is embalmed in a revolving crystal casket. There is no flash photography allowed.

Episode Source: ALF - Season One, Episode Five - Production Number 1008 - "Keepin' the Faith"

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Melmac Trivia #82

The kit that is sent to new "Terry Fath girls" includes a book entitled "The Wonderful World of Terry Faith Cosmetics". Chapters and topics include "The Facial Part", "Dayton", "Her First Marriage", "Puffy Eyes", "Return to Dayton", and "When Things Turn Green".

Episode Source: ALF - Season One, Episode Five - Production Number 1008 - "Keepin' the Faith"

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Melmac Trivia #81

On Melmac, Gordon owned and operated his own Phlegm dealership. Phlegms were a type of transportation. Types include the Phlegm Turbo (a classic). Some had sunroofs, but it was advised to keep it closed.

Episode Source: ALF - Season One, Episode Five - Production Number 1008 - "Keepin' the Faith"

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Melmac Trivia #80

Gordon can play the piano, but finds it hard to play without the red keys. Pianos on Melmac had an addition of red keys.

Episode Source: ALF - Season One, Episode Five - Production Number 1008 - "Keepin' the Faith"

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Melmac Trivia #79

Gordon once broke the Tanner's vacuum cleaner by getting chicken salad stuck in the impeller blade. Because of this, the repair place had to send it to Munich, Germany for an overhaul.

Episode Source: ALF - Season One, Episode Five - Production Number 1008 - "Keepin' the Faith"

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Melmac Trivia #78

Gordon sleeps with the dryer on and turns it off as soon as he wakes up. It keeps him company at night.

Episode Source: ALF - Season One, Episode Five - Production Number 1008 - "Keepin' the Faith"

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Melmac Trivia #77

Willie leaves the porch light on every time Lynn goes out.

Episode Source: ALF - Season One, Episode Five - Production Number 1008 - "Keepin' the Faith"

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Melmac Trivia #76

Brian attends Franklin Elementary School.

Episode Source: ALF - Season One, Episode Twenty-two - Production Number 1007 - "It Isn't Easy...Bein' Green"

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Not Technically A Fact #2

There is a random Paul Fusco cameo in the crowd scene at the Nutrition Follies (seen below, bottom left corner). However, it can only be seen in the original broadcast version of the episode.

Episode Source: ALF - Season One, Episode Twenty-two - Production Number 1007 - "It Isn't Easy...Bein' Green"

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Community Spotlight - ALFTV: The Official Unofficial ALF Fansite

Official description: “ALF TV is the #1 source on the web for everyone’s favorite alien! 4 million visits since 2003.”

ALFTV is an ALF fansite established in 2003. It’s seen as the primary ALF fan creation by fans, being endorsed by Paul Fusco himself in interviews. It’s a very versatile collection of ALF facts, news, collections, interviews, episode guides, quotes, links, fan fictions, and much more. There’s also a fan forum available on the site, established in 2004, which is still thriving today as a place to chat with other ALF fans about everything ALF (as well as other things). The fan forum gets kind of dead at points in time, having long periods in which no one posts anything, but it’s always a fun place to be when it’s alive and thriving.

I’ve decided to do these spotlights on the last weekend of the month until I run out of stuff to do spotlights on. I should have done this one first, but ALFsplaining was doing something big the last time so it kind of called for it. The ALF TV fan forum has recently had a little life brought back to it after a long quiet period, so I guess it calls for a spotlight. Also, if you’re an ALF fan and you’re not on the forum yet, I highly encourage you to register! It’s free and connects you to ALF fans across the globe.