if Season 5 was Made?

[eagc7]

What you think Would had happened, Do you think the plot of season 5 would have been the same has proejct Alf or you think Something esle Would had happened if it was made?

what you think Would ahd happened on season 5 if they had ever made it

[Aurora]

I couldn't answer that question on account of I'm up to episode 80 (which I saw last night)... jeez not long to go now till the end...

[ALFicionado]

Paul Fusco answered that on this site's Ask ALF;

The reason ALF got caught by the Alien Task Force in the last episode was because we were supposed to do a 5th season for NBC and the premise would have been ALF living on a military base. It would have opened up the show to more story ideas and given more opportunities for ALF to react to different people. When NBC did not pick up the show we were supposed to do a one hour special to tie it all up---a change of management at NBC ended that hope. We were finally able to wrap it up with the ABC movie of the week PROJECT ALF.

http://www.alftv.net/interviews/askalf.html

[Joe Shumway]

The story with Alf in a military base in season 5 and maybe next seasons would be a great, but I think also that there were some place left with Tanners if season 5 came. Ok, I know that the cast of tanners talked that if there were another season that it would be hard to stay,but somehow I fell that it would worked in one more season, or maybe I'm nostalgic to much I don't know.
I'm thinking about Alf and sometimes I just can't belived that there weren't any offers from some studio or tv network to bring him back, especialy because Mr.Fusco is great puppeteer and have great talent. But we will not be sad because even one episode of Alf is treasure.

[Admin]

I personally think season 5 would have been a complete flop had it been made. Shows are meant to "evolve" over the seasons, but making such a dramatic change from one season to the next almost always means failure. Given that ALF's ratings were going down drastically in 1989-1990, it is my personal opinion that such a large change would have driven a good percentage of the loyal viewers away. Just my opinion. Perhaps going out after season 4 preserved/saved the show's legacy?

If you look at the writers of some of the better season 4 episodes, they were actually written by those who had written for ALF in earlier seasons (so they knew the characters!) or were written by someone who guest starred on the show (ex. Beverly Archer).

http://www.alftv.com/episodeguides/sitcom.php

I personally don't think the problem was running out of ideas for stories (I bet between us here at the forum we could come up with 50 good ones) - I think it was a lack of people who knew how to write for the characters. Again...my opinion.

[ALFicionado]

I personally think season 5 would have been a complete flop had it been made. Shows are meant to "evolve" over the seasons, but making such a dramatic change from one season to the next almost always means failure. Given that ALF's ratings were going down drastically in 1989-1990, it is my personal opinion that such a large change would have driven a good percentage of the loyal viewers away. Just my opinion. Perhaps going out after season 4 preserved/saved the show's legacy?

If you look at the writers of some of the better season 4 episodes, they were actually written by those who had written for ALF in earlier seasons (so they knew the characters!) or were written by someone who guest starred on the show (ex. Beverly Archer).

http://www.alftv.com/episodeguides/sitcom.php

I personally don't think the problem was running out of ideas for stories (I bet between us here at the forum we could come up with 50 good ones) - I think it was a lack of people who knew how to write for the characters. Again...my opinion.

Good points, Jeremiah. If season 5 would have been taking place mostly in the military base with lots of new characters and possibly a lot less of the Tanners, it would very much feel like a new show. More like a spin-off, and those very rarely work out.

Do you know exactly how drastically the ratings had dropped by the fourth season?

[Joe Shumway]

Perhaps going out after season 4 preserved/saved the show's legacy?

This is also a good question. Well from this perspective we will never know.
Yes changes about shows can be bad, but also can open some new way for ideas, because they will get quick about ideas in this case with Alf in military base, and with tanners like I said before in my post there could been episodes but I can add now it would take them a good thinking for a while to make episodes. New way, fresh ideas, but who knows how it would end.

AxelFoley,
I'm also interest about ratings you mentiond.

[Admin]

There are a couple sites with info, though I'm not sure how reputable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ALF_%28TV_ ... ite_note-5 (there is a link to a Nielsen ratings article)
http://alf-tv-series.co.tv/#Ratings

[ALFicionado]

If these ratings are true, then I feel NBC were being very impatient:

1986 - 1987: #28 (16.5 rating)

1987 - 1988: #10 (18.8 rating)

1988 - 1989: #15 (17.5 rating)

1989 - 1990: (out of the top 30)

Three solid years and with one slump they dropped the whole show.

As for preserving the show's legacy, well, the fifth season will have had to be absolutely terrible for that to happen. I have a hard time seeing anything ALF-related that bad. It would have been interesting though, that's for sure, and we would have had 20+ more episodes to watch.

[Joe Shumway]

Well NBC is network that shows often doesn't have a future. Look for example shows as Seaquest DSV, in 1996. they cut them from the air after 3 season. Ok I'm also a fan of that show but I just want to tell that.
Mr. Fusco said about some guy who was in charge on NBC to 1990 and he left and that man told him that if he stay that he would gave them a chance for another season. Does anyone know what his name is, I herad somewhere but I forget.

Admin & Axel,
thanks for ratings info.

[Admin]

Brandon Tartikoff was at NBC from 1977-1991...is that who you are referring to? Or the person who came after?

[Joe Shumway]

Brandon Tartikoff was at NBC from 1977-1991...is that who you are referring to? Or the person who came after?

Yeah, it's Brandon. Thanks. Admin, if I'm correct he left to Paramount.

[Admin]

Yep, that's the same thing I read.

[ALFsince86]

I would have liked the last episode of season 4 to have been a dream, because I didn't like the idea of the government getting a hold of the old ALFer. The Marvel comics series ended ALF with #50. In that, he decided to finally bit the bullet and reveal himself to the world. What ended up happening? He was given his own late night talk show (ironic, because thirteen years later TVLand would offer "ALF's Hit Talk Show").

If there had been a season 5 I would have liked to have seen a larger budget, I'd keep the Tanners, but I would have added more characters and I would have had ALF outside. There could have been a lot of funny moments as the people of Earth got to know ALF.

[Whatnot]

if a season 5 was made that would be awsome i think it would be better then the movie but still probably the worst season

[Alfaholic]

I remember a very good article that came out when Alf got cancelled. I was overseas in Korea and read it in the Stars and Stripes, which probably picked it up from AP or the L.A. Times. From what I remember the article mentioned Alf was losing out to Major Dad and that the time slot change didn't work out yada yada yada. The article was more of a fond reminiscing of Alf than anything, lamenting that the show had been so popular just a couple of years before. The show was such a cash cow with all the merchandising and overseas success but I guess they milked it for all it was worth.

Also, I cannot fathom the show moving on to a 5th season without Willie. They were perfect for each other.

[Joe Shumway]

Also, I cannot fathom the show moving on to a 5th season without Willie. They were perfect for each other.

Yeah, you said it right Alfaholic, without Wille that isn't the same. Just to say, that Mr. Fusco said about Wille aka Max that he was great with Alf, because his theater performence he had, made working the show easier