Hello, I'm Alf

Hide your cats! Lock your refrigerator! Move away from sin musical instruments! We were flying very noisy, intrusive and, admittedly, charming alien: Gordon Shumway aka Alf. In the universe so many planets, the theory of probability that aliens have to literally fall on our heads. Sometimes it happens. The most famous visitor from another planet - of course, Superman. But besides him, fell from the sky and others - less powerful, very hungry, talkative and furry aliens. For example, Alf.





Born on MELMAKE

His real name - Gordon Shumway. Alf - is short for Alien Life Form («alien life form"). He was born 28 natingangrya (or 28 October 1756 on the Earth calendar), in the Lower East Side, on the planet Melmak.
Homeworld Alpha moved in the Andromeda galaxy, six parsecs from Hydra-Centauri superclusters of galaxies. Melmak boasted two moons, green sky, blue grass and purple sun. In addition, the birthplace of Shumway its different form: it was more like an egg than in the bowl.
On Melmake valued flax, gravel and mayonnaise. But gold and platinum were so cheap, that are literally made toilets



Beauty Ronda - where a competent pilot, than Gordon



Alf was captain of the school team and wore rybeysbolu sporting the nickname "No problem».



Melmak planet consisted of ... melmaka. What is the substance - not to understand earthlings. In the depths of the oil extracted Melmaka instead of yogurt. Planet inhabited melmakiantsy, The low furry creatures with long noses and double stomachs, which explains their immoderate appetite. Technology melmakiantsev far superior to the earth, they have invented a super-light engine and flying machines.
Lifetime melmakiantsa average of six hundred and fifty years. Nikog therefore not surprising that Gordon hundred twenty and two years spent in high school, where he studied and learned computer science properly cross the road, and then sixty-three years attended college. Coming into adulthood, Gordon had poreklamirovat underwear, workout machines on sale mucus and play for the team, "Melmakianskie orbitchiki" in rybeysbol - this game is reminiscent of the earth's baseball, only carried out on the ice, but instead of a ball used dead fish. Gordon tried to become a comedian, and even invented the genre of "sit-down comedy": a kind of earthly stand-up comedy, but sitting, because standing is difficult to be funny.
Eventually Shumway joined Orbital Guard melmakianskih custody orbit - a cross between the American National Guard and the Vienna Boys' Choir. Here Gordon learned to fly a patrol vessel (somehow) to shoot a blaster (this does not mean that the shots hit the target) and burp in three languages ​​(ideally). It was in the Guard, our hero met the love of his life - Ronda, beauty and lёtchitsu ace, and true friends, Skip and Rick.
Everything was going well, and then the planet exploded.
On the day of the death of Melmaka, 28 October 1985 Earth calendar, Alf just celebrated a birthday and was about to go on a date with Rhonda, when a romantic evening was interrupted by air raid signal. Gordon recalled from furlough and sent to the Space Patrol. Thus, the authorities unwittingly saved his life: as long as the hero plowed space on Melmak hit nuclear missiles Andromedskih rebels to destroy the planet in an instant.



In a doll Ronda (left) did not look so nice as in the animated series



NEW FAMILY

The blast threw the ship Alfa into deep space. According to Gordon, if he had not strapped, now I would be like the actor Sean Penn with his crooked nose. Almost a year Alf wandered through the universe in search of a new home and only stopped once in orbit Saturn for soda and hotdog with cheese. Finally our hero spotted a short-wave signal with a small blue planet and rushed to meet him.
Since the pilot Orbital Guard Shumway never learned to properly manage the ship, landing a hard left. Or rather it would even call it a crash. As a result of the emergency landing craft Alpha broke the roof of the garage belonging to the family of Tanner. In this garage stood, but the ship came into complete disrepair. Apparently, starships Melmaka far removed from the production of the Russian car industry.
Moving away from the shock, Tanner agreed to shelter the stranger as long as you can not recover his ship. Alas, it turned out that the ship can not be mended, and Shumway stuck on the planet on neopredёlenny term. It Tanner named Alf Gordon, with a new name so loved the stranger that he was to use it more often than his own.



"Papa" Alpha Paul Fusco. On the left, if anything :)



It soon became clear that Shumway - not the last in the universe melmakianets. His relatives, including Ronda, Skip and Rick, not just managed to escape, but even rent for a new planet. Moreover, they went several times to communicate with the alpha. Within two weeks after the arrival of Shumway had a chance to fly away from Earth and reunite with relatives. But Alf did not use it. He could not miss the birthday of his friend Brian Tanner!



SOUP WITH CAT

Alf surprisingly well versed in the culture of the earth. He is fluent in English and Spanish, although the pronunciation and grammar of his difficulties. Both languages ​​Gordon learned another Melmake - there have long been aware of our civilization and caught our television signals, but in no hurry to come into contact.
Of all the countries around the traditions of Alpha it was the most difficult to accept the fact that cats are considered to have pets. Melmakiantsy love them too - but for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Culinary book "How to make a cat" headed ranking on Melmake bestsellers. Now, Alpha had to live under one roof with a cat Tanner, Lucky, suppressing the desire to eat it. Eventually Gordon attached to Lucky and mourned the death of the cat (from natural causes, Alf to do with it). Thus, Gordon, in his own words, has committed a terrible sin, for "koshkolyub" on Melmake - expletive.



The stranger turned drab Tanner leapfrog adventure, fun and challenges. The heaviest blow was inflicted on the family budget as a voracious alien terrorizing refrigerator, he hung on the phone all night watching TV, subscribe to cable channels and did not want to even hear the word "savings". To keep the secret Alfa, family members had to fight a secluded lifestyle and refuse reception guests. In between eating and watching TV Alf hunted cat, writing scripts for soap operas, studied psychoanalysis, spying on the neighbors, called the president, selling cosmetics on the phone, play the stock market, buying mango plantations, shooting music videos, trying to take care of the master's daughter Lynn Tigers stole from the city zoo, forged television ratings and regularly tried to barbecue, which caused two hundred random arson.



Usually tricks Gordon did not go beyond the limits of reasonable, but sometimes other members of the household had to pay for them. Once Alf spent several thousand dollars on cosmetics, and at other times pulled more money on gambling. Moreover, the presence in the house of an alien caught the government's attention to the family. On the first day after the appearance of a stranger knocked on the door Tanner special forces agents to combat the threat of the space. When Alf phoned to President of the United States and advised immediately to abandon nuclear weapons, the father Willie Tanner did was arrested by the FBI on suspicion of terrorism. To its credit, Gordon should be noted that they moved sincere desire to help Tanner and other earthlings. Alf in their own skin experienced the consequences of a nuclear war, and tried to keep from repeating the fate of Earth Melmaka.
When Shumway knew committed follies, he tried to correct himself the consequences, and often he succeeded. In addition, not all the adventures of Gordon turned around failures - sometimes he was able to do something worthwhile. He found the missing cat Lucky (or rather, a cat, as two drops of water similar to Lucky, but he did not eat!), Inspired Brian confidence, when he was afraid to play the asparagus in the school play, and sold parts of his spaceship to buy Lynn "Ferrari". Alf even called on TV to defend against the attacks of Raquel neighbor Tanner, trying to prove that in the house of her neighbors settled alien.
Over time, Gordon Tanner is so used to each other that the shaggy stranger became a full member of the family. But the time for Alpha rolls longing for a lost homeland and lost friends. Four years after its launch in the world Shumway still decided to reunite with Skip and Rhonda. Its signal is sent to friends, seized the US military, and instead of friendly hugs Gordon hit the tenacious hands of secret agents and scientists ...



Many issues of comics about Alpha based on the device shows "what would have happened if ...". Later this idea is used in "Futurama»



FIRST LIVE

For the first time the idea of ​​a fluffy alien piled on her head a simple American family visited Paul Fusco in 1984. With this idea, he turned to Disney and to the creator of "Muppet" Jim Henson, but in both cases was refused. Finally, in 1986, he added a "Alpha" on channel NBC and received permission to shoot the pilot episode. Became director Tom Petchett and Fusco himself voiced his hero. Spectators who attended a test screening, were delighted with the project and promised a great future. "Alpha" began to appear on NBC aired on Mondays at eight o'clock.
The screen in the family Tanner was peace and love, but behind the scenes the situation was far from ideal. Ironically, the main reason for the problems lay in the Alpha.
Doll Gordon drove three people at once. Paul Fusco moved his mouth and one paw. During the second leg replied Lisa Buckley and Bob Fappiano via radio control controlled expression and movement of the ears. To provide access to the puppeteers, "pet", the whole film set was built on a rising platform on the floor which were made dozens of holes. All three puppeteers had to work in unison, otherwise traffic Gordon became unnatural. Therefore, constant mistakes and screw up the doubles were inevitable. To create each scene involving Alfa took several hours, and for the production of a thirty-minute episode was required at least one day.



Alpha-MUSICIAN

Alf - a passionate musician, he knows how to play the guitar, bass guitar, drums and saxophone. He can play the piano, but the Earth's version of the tool for this is inconvenient: Gordon lacks the red button. Throughout the series, Alf often sang favorite songs parodied some singers and even recorded a music video for Lynn. Most of all, love for music was passed on from the makers of Alpha. No wonder almost all of the series named in honor of a particular composition.



That technical difficulties forced Paul Fusco limit the alien interaction with the world outside the house Tanner. Nevertheless, in some series, we see Alpha in full growth, and it runs quite briskly across the room or on the street. In these scenes Alpha suit wear a Hungarian actor Michu Mezaros.
Fusco carefully hide all the details of the shooting process. For a long time the journalists' questions, he replied that alpha plays a real alien. In order to avoid any damage to the doll and listening to all the rehearsals, the actors performed with her copy was nicknamed Ralph. When in the early 2000s Alfa was invited to a talk show devoted to the anniversary of the channel NBC, Paul asked to create all the conditions for action puppeteers were not visible to anyone, including filming and staff gathered in the studio audience. After recording doll was immediately hidden in a suitcase and immediately evacuated from the building.



In "Tales Alpha" Gordon had to try on the image of Robin Hood and the Beast Disney





Technical difficulties adversely affected the mood of the actors. If the six-year Benji Gregory everything that happens on set seemed the game, then played the role of Pope Villa Max Wright was dissatisfied with the fact that all the best lines battered meter doll, and he played a supporting role. Besides shooting in the "Alpha" destroyed the marriage of Max, his wife, tired of the constant delays husband at work. Several times the actor threatened to leave in the middle of filming.
By the fourth season, the voltage at the site reached its peak and, according to Anne Schedeen (Kate), the actors simply would not stand one more season. The quality of the new series has been steadily dropping, and behind him - and ratings. In early 1990, the TV station eventually became disillusioned with the once popular project and decided to close the television series. At the end of the last shooting day Max Wright silently I walked into the dressing room, packed his bags and left, with no one saying goodbye. However, after years of the Wright cooled and began to remember about the show with great warmth. He admitted that for him the most important thing was the positive emotions that the "alpha" causes the viewer.
Anne Schedeen was surprised that the fans had not suspected in what heavy situation was filmed their favorite show. She compared the film crew with a large but disparate family, which is constantly quarrels. And what is on the screen Tanner look happy and friendly team, which once again confirms the high professionalism of the actors.



Tanner and their neighbors



William (Willie) Frances Tanner (Max Wright)

The head of the family, a simple social worker. Willie interested in shortwave radio - it was his alarm accidentally started the Alfa Garage on Tanner. Willie also collects model railroad trains. In the sixties he and his wife, Kate, was a hippie.
The villa complex relationship with Alfa. The two are constantly pin up each other, but at the same time, Gordon first to the rescue when Willie get into trouble, and Willie calls Shumway stunning and amazing. Their disputes are often caused by cultural differences between the Earth and Melmakom.



Katherine (Kate) Daphne Halligan Tanner (Anne Schedeen)

The mother of the family, domozyayka, works part-time in real estate. Distinguished by a serious attitude to life and the family, though her mother still treats Kate as a child with nesmyshlёnym. The only one family expressed against the presence of a stranger in the house. Apparently, because Alf least twice caught Kate in the shower. Kate - the most direct, pessimistic and cynical family member. In many episodes a bad mood, Kate becomes the engine of the plot, and several episodes based on the fact that Kate Alpha punishes or expels him from the house.
By the end of the third season of the writers had to beat a script pregnant actress Anne Schedeen and enter into the plot of the third child of Tanner, Eric.



Tanner Lynn (Andrea Elson)

Eldest child in the family Tanner. From the outset, becoming one of the best friends of Alpha, and at one time was even the object of his yearnings. Lynn grew quite timid and shy girl, so Gordon tried to stir it regularly and make it more open and sociable. Willie once joked, saying that Lynn spends so much time with the alpha, that they may appear common children.



Brian Tanner (Benji Gregory)

The youngest at the beginning of the series Tanner family member, a close friend of Alpha. Brian had to hide all the time the stranger from his friend David. When he wanted to spend the night with Tanner, Brian said that the house was just painted, and at other times - that they had a flood. Willie explained to his son that lying is bad, but he was forced to lie in similar situations.



Neil Tanner (Jim Bullock)

Brother Willie, who moved to the Tanner after the divorce with his wife. Neil was grateful to his adopted Willie and Kate and tried to return the favor to pay them back. The opportunity presented itself when the Nile had to temporarily settle at Alpha, quarreled with Willie. However, the manner of alien Nile so irritated that he was puzzled how to get Willy back to pick up a stranger.



Trevor Okmonek (John La Motta)

Noisy and rude neighbor Tanner has a habit of regularly notified to the guests at the wrong time and to eat food left Alf. Characteristically, his brother, the son of a lawyer and at the time of the series are in prison.



Raquel all felt a little strange. After all, she claimed that her neighbors live alien

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Okmonek Jake (Josh Blake)

The nephew of Trevor and Raquel met with alpha when trying to steal from the garage Tanner telescope. Getting to know a stranger beneficial impact on youth.
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