One of the defining characters of the 1980s that largely stayed in that era, though, is the Alien Life Form himself, Gordon Shumway, aka ALF. The hit sitcom that premiered in 1987 was such a hot commodity at the time it debuted that TWO animated spin-offs were released and ran alongside the flagship show. In the end, though, Alf’s story took an incredibly dramatic turn with the live-action series ending with what can only be described as a crushing final episode, one that also had the gall to end on a cliffhanger. This happened today, 36 years ago today, on March 24, 1990, creating a traumatic conclusion for fans, one that wouldn’t be answered for years.
Alf’s Season 4 Finale Ends on Devastating Cliffhanger
The Season 4 finale of ALF starts like any other episode might, with the titular alien playing around on his radio. While trying to contact someone in Australia to find out who wins that night’s sporting event (since he has learned it’s “tomorrow” down under), Alf receives another transmission, one from his fellow aliens, Skip and Rhonda, who tell him they’ve found a new alien planet to call home and want him to join them. From there, the episode takes on a dour tone, as the Tanner family comes to terms with the fact that Alf is leaving and say their goodbyes.
There’s another subplot that makes itself known throughout the episode, though, as the ever-present Alien Task Force has also intercepted the transmissions from deep space intended for Alf. In addition, they’re also listening as Alf sends his reply, learning the exact time and location that he will meet with his fellow aliens for pickup. This leads to the final scene of the last episode of Alf, as he stands in a vacant field and prepares to be picked up by an unseen UFO, only for the United States military to arrive on the scene. The final image of the episode is Alf surrounded by generals, his alien pals having left the scene, and the Tanner family powerless nearby to do anything about it.
At the time the episode premiered, this wasn’t intended to be the series finale for Alf, as its last image of Alf in custody had “To Be Continued…” superimposed on the screen. NBC reportedly gave a verbal commitment for a fifth season, but after the episode aired, it decided instead to cancel the show. This made the season finale into the series finale and ended the show on perhaps the biggest downbeat of all-time with its lead character in custody and fans everywhere stunned by the lack of resolution.
Six Years Later, Project ALF Finally Completed the Story
Series creator (and voice of Alf) Paul Fusco revealed that even after the cancellation of the show, NBC offered to make a TV Movie to allow him to wrap it up (knowing full well that the series’ ending wasn’t exactly satisfying for anyone). In the end, though, a change in management meant that the promise went unfulfilled, leaving fans hanging and a beloved icon of the era in perhaps the worst possible narrative place.
Six years after the show ended, though, answers finally arrived. ABC commissioned a made-for-TV movie that would act as a sequel to the series and finally resolve this massive cliffhanger. Project: ALF, which premiered on February 17, 1996, made the most of how much time had passed and the devastating implications of the last episode. In the film, yes, it’s confirmed that Alf has been in the possession of the US military that entire time, but in reality, he seemed to be having a great time and wasn’t treated poorly, as many assumed given the sinister nature of that last scene. Despite plans by an evil general (played by none other than Martin Sheen) to have Alf executed, the character manages to thwart this plan and win the hearts and minds of the military.
Despite answering the question of “what happened to Alf after the finale,” the sequel TV movie was made without the participation of any other cast members from the TV show. This meant that the Tanner family isn’t present, and they’re written off as being in the witness protection program in Iceland. As a result, Project: ALF may have wrapped up the depressing finale, but it has a very weird place in the narrative throughline of the show. In the end, though, not every sci-fi TV cliffhanger gets resolved at all, which means the Alf TV movie has a pretty distinct place in the history of television. That said, the finale of the show itself was arguably watched by more people than the resolution six years later, meaning that terrifying final image is the last thing some remembered of Alf. It begs the question if cliffhangers truly do demand answers after an extended length of time, and especially when the popularity of the main character has fallen off completely.
