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Tuesday, May 08, 2018

The Last Episode: Alf: The Finale that wasn't supposed to be

The Flashback Classics 

     May is the month that is usually the home of season and series finales, since it's the end of the TV season. Many shows never have a chance to have  a planned finale since most most shows fail in catching on in the first place. This month we take a look at some examples of how shows made their ends.

     Unlike the last show we looked at where it had a finale that they had planned this show didn't have that chance , but even more their finale left loose threads and this is a finale that wasn't supposed to  be one. We look at "Alf"  Consider Me Gone.   Though that would a good title for a finale.


        "Alf" had ran for four seasons on NBC from 1986 to 1990 and was popular where when the show wrapped up it's fourth season they had some well something, something to make sure that the fifth would start off fun but, plans changed.

      The episode  starts with Alf being his normal self  when eventually he picks up a signal that he thinks is from someone from  his home planet ,Melmac. His friends apparently have bought a planet and they want Alf to join him.  Alf is considering if he wants to leave or not. (Should I stay or should I go?) Meanwhile, the alien task force is also getting the signals and they wonder if it is aliens. (Insert picture of  guy on History Channel saying aliens here)  If Alf wants to leave he has only one chance to do so. He gives his answer  he decides that he wants to leave. The task force also captures Alf's signal back to his friends and know it's from Earth but not where it's from.

     The Tanner family is un happy that Alf is leaving (Well not Kate) at his going away party. They give him some gifts.   [Cutting away from the episode for a minute]  This scenes here would have actually made a good series finale, with Alf deciding to leave and the family saying goodbye. It has all the great workings of being a series finale and a fine one.  [more on that later]  So, Alf say his goodbye to the house as the family is going to drive him to spot where he's going to picked up.  The Alien Task Force finds out about the space craft is coming down and they of course, are going to do their thing. The aliens come done to pick up Alf when the Alien Task Force come from behind and his friends fly away in fear. The Task Force surrounds Al, and the original cut of the episode ends with to be continued.

       My personal note about this episode: When I was watching the series on repeats as a kid, I never knew the show ended  so when this episode came on and I saw the line to be continued, apparently the channel I had watched on it didn't use the cut where that doesn't appear (Amazon Prime Streaming's version for example doesn't have that message) and I  thought the next day when they were airing the first episode , i  thought I had somehow missed it or the channel messed up. I didn't know for years that this was how Alf ended.

    As said above, I feel the episode before the alien task force comes in and Alf's friends leave would  have actually made a great series finale for Alf.  Though, I will add the build up with the task force was also hinting to more than just a finale.  The people working on this show didn't know this was going to be the last episode and they had  made a two parter as an insurance policy and sadly, it ended  up being the last episode.  It is kind of funny how this show ended though , Alf crashes into  the world causes  a stir makes messes and the end of the whole thing it's a mess.  Many series do get unexpected or unplanned finales, because maybe the show was getting expensive or the network was trying a different direction or 892 other reasons.  Alf's finale is remembered because of the cliff hanger and it wasn't supposed end here it's like reading something in a book or something and it just.

       Alf did get some sort of reprieve  in 1996 thanks to ABC. We have written about that  HERE   

    Next time, some series don't get a chance to choose their finales, but what if a series never really had a chance to end and it's final episodes weren't even for the series?  That's Next time.

 Tune in next time,  after we get picked up by a space ship, we just got a call and we are going!  

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