The rumors of an ALF movie are greatly exaggerated; it's mostly just Alf's creator and puppeteer, Paul Fusco, trying to drum up work for his '80s sensation. Nonetheless, the very idea of an ALF movie is something that appeals deeply to the soulless yawning money-maw of Hollywood. "Eeeesttaaabbblisssheeeed ffffffffraaaannncchisseeee", they moan, gnawing on the bones of gigantic properties while spitting out anything original.
OK, we're being unfair: movies are not just entertainment, they're investments, so of course they play it safe. But since we're officially scraping the bottom of the barrel here, and if there's even a hint of reviving "Alf", we're officially at that point, let's look at SF sitcoms and see what we can't bring back first, hm?
A BBC show that sadly seems dead, it stars Nick Frost (recognizable nerd talent) as a would-be Captain Kirk who, despite the best efforts of the Starfleet-esque organizaton he works for, has risen through the ranks. It's really Frost's enthusiasm that makes the show: you can stream it on Netflix and see for yourself. And speaking of British TV shows...
Just give Grant and Naylor the budget they deserve to make the movie they want. Seriously. The show has been enormously successful for coming up on two decades now, and it seems like if we're going to even entertain the idea of "ALF: The Movie", these guys deserve a shot first.
The show itself is a total cheesefest: there's a reason the last two seasons have never been released on DVD. But then again, so's ALF, and it's a show about a scientist running around with a robot kid, which is way cheaper than building a deathtrap of a set for Fusco to puppeteer in.
This show suffered one of the more unjust deaths on TV in recent memory. It's a science fiction show in the sense that it's often fiction about (utterly ridiculous) science, but it's also a relatable workplace comedy, and it has Ellen's wife in it. Hey Hollywood...guaranteed promotion!
This one's really the no-brainer, because, first of all, it's already had four direct to DVD movies that sold like hotcakes and revised the series. Secondly, it's from Matt Groening, so it's a recognizable brand. Thirdly, it's got a writer's room firing on all cylinders. And finally, it's got a rabid fan base who will show up to watch it and has stuck by the show for more than a decade. The show is still on the air. C'mon, "The Simpsons" was a hit!
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“Smoke me a kipper, I’ll be back for breakfast”
Red Dwarf the Movie. Hell yes
I thought Alf was already back. In pog form.
Beyond that, he usually shows up in “Holy S***, The 80s are Dated Now” type shows.
YOU TRADED MY SOUL FOR POGS!?
Hyperdrive was just a much, much lesser Red Dwarf. It had moments, but overall the series was kind of stale.
There’s something about Frost’s enthusiasm that makes me think there’s enough there for a feature.
Never saw Red Dwarf so maybe that’s why I so enjoyed Hyperdrive. But I’m a sucker for the British being wry. Even the big woman playing Teal made me laugh.
Blake’s 7.
I can’t find Hyperdrive on Netflix. It seems like it may have been taken down since this article went up.
How the heck is Alf “scraping the bottom of the barrel” ? Alf’s return is long overdue. It will be awesome if they make this movie!
Honestly if they just stick Bender’s Big Score in theaters my ass will be in a seat.