Episodes
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The second part of our exclusive chat with Paul Fusco, the man who gave the world ALF, voice and soul.
In this part he talks about the strangest merchandise to make the shelves, celebrity fans, who ALF would be feuding with on social media right now, the influence of Monty Python and The Two Ronnies on his humour, there's an encounter with right wing pundit Bill O'Reilly, why ALF is needed more than ever in the current climate, his annoyance of "dark side" anecdotes about the series, why Jerry Stahl was wrong, where next for the lad Shumway and lots more.
Oh, and yes, we ask him what ALF smells like.
It's a brilliant interview and we're so grateful for his time which long exceeded what we were hoping for. He's a funny, genuine guy and we hope one of the revivals takes off so he can adopt us as the children he never wanted.
Want even more sidebar Shumway in your eyes and ears? Join the Orbit Guard here and support us doing this: https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra
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What do you do when you finally meet God?
Its a question Ben and John are about to learn the answer to as they meet the person central to their obsession this past fifty episodes - Paul Fusco, puppeteer, producer, writer, and creator of both the show and, of course, ALF himself.
He gives a rare all-access interview talking about how ALF came to exist, his early work, the oft-reported tensions on the set, the show he regrets turning down, battles with executives, the nearly made "ALF" prequel movie, the legend of Bernie Brillstein, why he didnt become a popstar and lots more.
In fact so such more that we're continuing it next week!
Want more sidebar Shumway in your eyes and ears and other extremities? Join the Orbit Guard here and support us doing this madness: https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra
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Episodes manquant?
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NOTE: DONT LISTEN TO THIS ONE BEFORE YOU HEAR SEASON TWO!
Thought you were done with Ben Baker and John Matthews for the summer? Not even close!
Not only will we have lots more exciting one offs here and there but there's the now standard series lookback where we go over our favourite episodes of the second run alongside some listener-doxxing stats, an investigation into the TV landscape our furry friend thrived in, questioning Dan Aykroyd's part in the ALF phenomenon, the crowning of the series' MVP and hear some messages from our most adoring fans. Yes, plural.
Want more content as you wait for season 3? Join the Orbit Guard here and support us doing this madness: https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra
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"After realizing that Willie and Kate have emptied Lynn's college fund to support him, a guilty ALF gets ten newspaper routes to earn money for the family."
Another episode in which ALF learns a valuable lesson about....nah, of course not...although he is briefly aware of his impact on the Tanners. Ben Baker and John Matthews fully weigh up the impact he's had on them too as we reach the end of season two and our last review episode for a while.
There'll still be regular updates - audio and video - for the Orbit Guard who support this show being made via https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra but right now, we are more fried than a something cat sizzler burger something something....etc....
....see what we mean?
Its been a blast though and we'll be back before you know it. And we might even bring a couple of pals....
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"The Tanners plan a party for ALF, who is depressed that he is the only one of his species."
There have been some odd episodes of ALF this season but your hosts Ben Baker and John Matthews might have been officially outfoxed by this mix of dream sequences, sketches, downplayed melodrama, boffo gags, horrendous sound effects and confusing the blind. We'll miss it when its gone.
If you want to help us buy more cheap imitation porcelain, perhaps consider joining the Orbit Guard. You'll get a tons of bonus stuff and keep our self-produced show on the air. Visit https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra for more.
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"ALF plays pink elephant for Kate's alcoholic friend Maura"
Crack open a tinny and pour that nebuchadnezzar of floor polish as its a boozy, woozy sort of episode with a very special message - although your hosts Ben Baker and John Matthews are struggling to find it in amongst the salad and dry heaving. Maybe don't listen to this one whilst eating....
If you want to help us buy more delicious medicinal pints, perhaps consider joining the Orbit Guard. You'll get a tons of bonus stuff and keep our self-produced show on the air. Visit https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra for more.
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"ALF gets a ventriloquist dummy in the mail that takes control of him."
Well that all seems perfectly straightforward! Join Ben Baker and John Matthews for a surprisingly not very meta look into a puppeteer's art, soul and hooves. Helping them out on pre-recorded tape are former guests Al Jean, Mike Reiss and Phil Fletcher who all add some interesting pointers on the episode which is good because the first two wrote the episode...and the last one has probably seen it.
If you want to help us buy more oil to take care of our little wooden pals, perhaps consider joining the Orbit Guard. You'll get a tons of bonus stuff and keep our self-produced show on the air. Visit https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra for more.
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"Willie gets a promotion that relocates him to San Diego, however despite hating the new job and proclaiming how much he loves the house they currently live in, it takes drastic moves by ALF to make him realize what he's doing."
Willie's out! And we're all bowing under its enormous pressure as his new job takes him away from the loving bosom of his family....and the actual bosom of ALF. Ben Baker and John Matthews await their cheques eagerly as - inevitably - chaos ensues. No, really.
If you want to help us buy food for mouth, perhaps consider joining the Orbit Guard. You'll get a tons of bonus stuff and keep our self-produced show on the air. Visit https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra for more.
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"Willie tries to teach Brian nonviolence in dealing with a school bully, but changes his ways when the bully's lowlife father comes to the Tanner residence and insults the entire family."
An episode about Brian being repeatedly punched in the face? Erm..., we didnt kill him. That is to say, your hosts Ben Baker and John Matthews didnt, as they're still rubbing liniment into their unmentionables after this heavyweight Melmacian Mauler smackdown.
If you want to help us buy more delicious stinking liniment, perhaps consider joining the Orbit Guard. You'll get a tons of bonus stuff and keep our self-produced show on the air. Visit https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra for more.
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Here on ALFsplaining, we are big fans of balance - be it following every Howard Jones track with one by Nik Kershaw or one of them seals with a beachball you used to see at the zoo in old cartoons. And so after speaking to the lovely Mike Reiss, Ben and John thought it only right and proper to talk to his former long-term writing partner Al Jean.
Like Reiss, he also worked on Sledge Hammer, The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson, The Critic, Its Garry Shandling's Show and, of course, The Simpsons. In fact Al would be credited as showrunner for over 450 episodes of that last one which is surely the biggest TV programme of us and most people's lifetimes.
And yet we're going to talk to him about "ALF".
Those other shows come up as do, inevitably, ALF pogs but Al talks us through what they learned from their year on the show, the cast's terror on set, how basketball solved an office dilemma, which comedy superstar walked in at random and asked to be on "The Simpsons", why him and Mike stopped writing together and, of course, what he thinks ALF smells like.
This is another wonderful chat with a genuine icon who has worked on the best US comedy programmes for four decades and it was a genuine honour that he agreed to be a guest.
And if you want to support our future shenanigans, please consider joining The Orbit Guard for lots of ace video and audio extras about our Melmacian mate: https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra
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In today's very special episode of "ALFsplaining", Ben and John speak to the writer Mike Reiss.
If you aren't familiar with the name - firstly, C'MON - but you'll know the shows he's worked on, including "Sledge Hammer!", "The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson", "It's Garry Shandling's Show" and "The Simpsons" where he has worked for over three decades.
He also co-created "The Critic", has written gags for tons of animated movies and now is turning his experiences travelling the world into a new Substack newslatter titled "Now I've Seen Everything!"
Oh, and he worked on some show called "ALF".
Joining us live from New York, Mike tells us about how he got involved with the second season despite never seeing a second of it prior, how he used what he learned on "ALF" in his future work on "The Simpsons", what the writers room was like and how Jerry Stahl is probably the last person to ask about that, which now very well-known actor nearly played teenage tearaway Jake Ochmanek, how some of the writers wanted to reboot our boy Shumway in modern society, why the puppet could never get wet and, most importantly, answers the one billion Wernick question - what did ALF smell like?
This is a great chat full of insider knowledge with a really friendly guy which we really hope you enjoy. Find Mike's new Substack here: https://reissm.substack.com/
And if you want to support our future shenanigans, please consider joining The Orbit Guard for lots of ace video and audio extras about our Melmacian chum: https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra
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"The Tanners take in a stray dog, much to ALF's dismay. "
It's big guest name time as Anne Ramsay from "The Goonies" and "Throw Momma From The Train" appears as an unscrupulous dog purchaser several months before her early passing. She does not look well throughout but still overshadows Ben Baker and John Matthews who look like stuttering tramps next to her acting chops.
If you want to help us pay for a dog, perhaps consider joining the Orbit Guard. You'll get a tons of bonus stuff and keep this here show on the air. Visit https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra for more.
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"ALF moves in with his blind friend Jody in her condo."
Remember Blind Jody? Well, she's back - in....well, still blind form but she needs a place to stay and apparently that means only one man. Or alien. Perfect hostsBen BakerandJohn Matthews have laid out the best silverware too for their houseguestNina "Buckers" Buckley who shocks everyone by already being a massive ALF fan!
Find her being very funny here on Bluesky.
And listen to her ORIGINAL IP DO NOT STEAL podcast Reclining Pair here.
And if you want to help us drink our weight in Shasta Cola, perhaps consider joining the Orbit Guard. You'll get a tons of bonus stuff and keep this here show on the air. Visithttps://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra for more.
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"ALF spots a criminal by his neighbor's house, and walks inside to investigate."
We left Ben and John on a cliffhanger - our first of the series but far from its last - with ALF trapped Chez Ochmonek as the Police close in on him. How will Willie get him out of this one? And who'll get Willie out too? Its an exciting one so fetch your popcorn and a gunbelt as its time to visit a very strange episode of ALF indeed...
And if you want to help us pay for tear gas, perhaps consider joining the Orbit Guard. You'll get a tons of bonus stuff and keep this here show on the air. Visithttps://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra for more.
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"Willie is chosen by the neighborhood to lead a neighborhood watch. But ALF takes control of the radio and starts to talk as if he was Willie."
There's a crime spree going down and ALF is the man to fix the pus-ridden streets of Hemdale. Ben Baker and John Matthews go ahead and make his day in this unusual two-part opener which occasionally feels like a totally different sitcom alltogether. And the less said about Pat Benatar Jnr the better...
And if you want to help us pay for walkie talkies and binocular wear, perhaps consider joining the Orbit Guard. You'll get a tons of bonus stuff and keep this here show on the air. Visit https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra for more.
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"Willie's Uncle Albert visits the Tanners, and collapses from a heart attack after getting a glimpse of the alien, causing ALF to feel grief thinking he caused the death"
More murder from the Melmacian mofo? Gosh! Best get an expert in the field over! Call for Paul Abbott from The Big Beatles and Sixties Sort Out for this McCartney-music monikered episode. He'll help Ben Baker and John Matthews sort the dead men from the dead boys! This one gets dark and its entirely the fault of Paul Fusco!
And if you want to help preserve the body of ALFSplaining, perhaps consider joining the Orbit Guard. You'll get a tons of bonus stuff and keep this here show on the air. Visit https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra for more.
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"ALF is put on trial for breaking the Ockmonecks' window."
All rise for ALFsplaining….it's the court case of the century!
Can Shumway, G prove his innocence to prosecutor Tanner, Wilbus in the court of Judge Kate? In the reporters box, Ben Baker and John Matthews scrawl crude things in their notebooks as they consider pivoting the whole show to a crime caper in order to improve the flagging ratings. Now dats moider!
And if you want to help us clear this spatter, perhaps consider joining the Orbit Guard. You'll get a tons of bonus stuff and keep this here show on the air. Visit https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra for more.
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"ALF befriends Trevor and Raquel's nephew Jake from New York."
A replacement for Brian? Surely not! (we didnt kill him) Either way, wonder writers Al Jean and Mike Reiss are on scripting duties to introduce a new Ochmonek to the party so Ben and John will be coming the episode for Simpsons-style jokes. And for nits like usual. Obvs.
And if you want to fix our telescope, perhaps consider joining the Orbit Guard. You'll get a tons of bonus stuff and keep this here show on the air. Visit https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra for more.
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Oh boy, we finally made it to the most famous ALF episode of the lot - for good reasons, you may ask? Ha ha, no. Of course not. This is a double-length but largely joke-free misery festival full of suicidal Santas and sick kids by the pound. In the midst of it all John Matthews tries to remain positive whilst Ben Baker is already on the egged nog.
Listen out for some special seasonal guests and a lot of tinsel Tanner tut as we shuffle through this bumper edition like all your festive favourites. Is there any goodness in there though? Tune in now and find out...
And if you want to give us a "special" "Christmas", perhaps consider joining the Orbit Guard. You'll get a tons of bonus stuff and keep this here show on the air. Visit https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra for more.
Thank you! And Merry Christmas! We'll be back on Jaunary 6th.
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"Seeing that Kate and Willie have been arguing of late, ALF and the Tanner children plan to recreate the couple's Niagara Falls honeymoon."
What an ALF Antic! An ALFtic even! The love life of Willie and Kate is addressed by the four fingered fluff machine who uses some uncanny abilities to recreate the best day of their marriage. And we dont mean the day they met him!
And if you want to give us the magic fingers, perhaps consider joining the Orbit Guard. You'll get a tons of bonus stuff and keep this here show on the air. Visit https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra for more.
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