[dc]I[/dc]t says a lot about me that the first show I ever recorded with a DVR was ALF. No, not some new reboot. The original show from the 1980s. Yes, I now have access to a state of the art TV recording device, and I use it to record reruns of sitcoms from the 1980s.
Don’t judge.
“No problem!” Image via Amazon.
Like most who share my 30+ years, I grew up watching ALF. I remember watching reruns after school as a kid. This might explain how I developed my own smart-mouth sarcastic humor (and perhaps, my fondness for cats). As a kid, the show’s draw was it had a puppet. But, as an adult, I get much, much more of the humor and enjoy its brilliant absurdity.
OK. I still enjoy the puppet factor.
I watched a favorite episode recently — where the Tanners (ALF’s Earth family) throw a Halloween party, and ALF shows up with a zipper taped to his chest to pass off as a guest (Some Enchanted Evening).
I’m still laughing. Yes, it was a cheesy, simple gag, but I loved it. The visual is hilarious on two levels — the zipper looks totally out-of-place, and ALF interacting with a room full of adults, instead of just the Tanners, really puts the focus on his shortness.
Ah, sitcoms.
The episode also has one of my favorite comedic reversals. I’m paraphrasing here, but it goes something like this:
Willie: Where did you get that zipper?
ALF: You know that old jacket you’ve been meaning to throw out?
Willie: Yeah.
ALF: Well, you might wanna hang on to it. I ripped this out of your new raincoat.
Ha! Classic.
I don’t care much for many new live-action sitcoms these days (notable recent exceptions: Arrested Development, The IT Crowd. If the list includes animated sitcoms, there are many, many more), but I will always watch ALF when I can . Maybe it is the connection to my youth, or maybe it is the humor.
Or maybe, maybe, I like smart-mouth puppets.
Product links in this post: ALF seasons, ALF Season One DVD, Some Enchanted Evening episode, Arrested Development seasons, The IT Crowd series one.
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(NOTE: I originally wrote this post for The Idler, which came to an end, so I’m backing it up here with a few new edits.)
