"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.

"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.

"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.

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

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

"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.

"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.

"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.