I would like to thank the cast for enduring their hardships for this show. Their contributions made q lot of families and their children very happy including myself.🙏
There are a number of thing's you left out here. It was filmed on a closed set without a live audience. So laugh tracks were constantly used. Also it more like a wearhouse than a studio set, which made it miserable to work in. Since the building did not have air-conditioning. The actors worked on an elevated stage so the puppeteer's could work Alf from trap door's in the floor. Everyone had to be cautious of where they stood, so they wouldn't fall through the floor.
"not just another family sitcom". It kind of was, every family sitcom had to have a gimmick. Alien, British butler, Bigfoot, foreign cousin, black kids in a white family, robot daughter...
The man who wore the Alf costume in the popular American TV series "ALF" was Michu Meszaros, a Hungarian actor of short stature. Meszaros was born in 1939 in Budapest, Hungary, and was only about 83 cm tall (2 feet 9 inches) due to a rare form of dwarfism. He portrayed Alf in scenes where the character needed to move or physically interact, while most of the time a puppet operated by puppeteers was used. Due to his height, he was perfect for the role of the alien Alf, appearing in full-body scenes, while the character’s voice was provided by Paul Fusco, who was also the co-creator of the series. Michu Meszaros also performed in circuses before becoming a Hollywood actor. He passed away in 2016 in Los Angeles.
Alf was cancelled over ownership issues. Not due to bad ratings. Ultimately NBC decided to cancel Alf,and replace with The Fresh Prince, because they could own The Fresh Prince outright, while Paul Fusco owned Alf.
99% of all artists aren't really valued, appreciated, recognized, nor do they live fulfilling lives. Ironically, nearly ALL artists end up as puppets for the wealthy, influential, and popular. It is what it is.
I’d say you failed to mention the source of the show’s behind the scenes problems. Paul Fusco, co-creator and ALF’s voice and primary handler was responsible for the hostile work environment. His insistence that ALF be treated like a living breathing member of the cast made the difficult set working conditions worse. You should consider adding a segment covering Paul Fusco or make a separate video about him.
I've read up on the problems with this show, and most of them seemed to be due to the man who was ALF's puppeteer. You were not allowed to talk to the guy, you had to talk to ALF. Also, there were trapdoors all over the set for the puppeteer and he would demand retakes if he noticed during a take that anyone looked down as they walked to avoid falling into them. His anger was usually directed at the kids. So it seems that the man problem was ALF's "handler".
Yes, but without him, there would be no show. He may have been hard to work with, but outside of the dad, I haven't seen them in anything else, so they probably wouldn't have been even B list famous without him. I think it was both a curse and a blessing being on that show.
@@dapper_gentRemember the leaked Christian Bale on set rant from some years back? I now can't stop thinking of something along those lines except with Alf.
I'm fairly sure the American Dad alien dynamic is based on a real life claim by some guy who said he used to work for the CIA and became friends with an alien who survived from the Roswell crash, even insofar as the guy claimed the alien spent time in his house. Wish I could remember the guy's name.
I did a game show with Alf back in 86, The Hollywood Squares. I was a contestant and lost. They sent me home with ‘a lovely parting gift’…A year’s supply of Tuna Helper….😮
It’s my understanding that the issues of working with Alf were less about the technical challenges of the puppet and more about dealing with the toxic personality of Alf’s puppeteer.
What makes me sad is they never looked back at the show and realised that their great skills and acting chops are as big a part of what made ALF great as those who brought ALF to life. Max Wright and Benji Gregory especially had a great natural rapport with ALF and that's what made ALF seem so real.
One of the added stresses not mentioned here was the entire set took place on a highly elevated platform so the puppeteer could work below. This put the actors much closer to the stage lights, making conditions insanely hot during most of the filming.
I always found the show pretty funny when I was a kid. I even watched some of the episodes on Tubi not too recently, and it brought back some good memories/laughs. What a shame how it ended.
@@GunV-qu2nm That episode where ALF had a crush on Lynn but Kate thought he had a crush on her, I wonder how it would've played out if ALF really did have a crush on Kate. Lol
My dad and I used to watch this together while I was in high school, so, it remains a huge positive memory for me. Hopefully that gives a positive to the remaining living members of the cast. It was ridiculous and silly and yet just fun. A perfect rep of the 80s. And sure, it was difficult to make, but everyone who has worked landscape, roofing, construction or in the kitchen of a restaurant knows that feeling. The fact you made millions laugh while talking about eating cats and an alien named Gordon...that's what made it worthwhile.
ALF was SUPER popular in Japan. You can tell this by comparing the English Wikipedia vs the Japanese Wikipedia page, the latter of which is much longer. It's bizarre how these things happen.
While I've never confused characters with the actors, many people tend to get a feel for what the actors might be like based on the characters they portray. Its almost like those disembodied voices of radio DJs - we build a mental picture of what they might look like., then one day you see a promo picture of the DJ and you're mind is blown! Not even close (in most cases) - the same is true with assuming an actor's personality might be roughly similar to the character they give life to. Surprisingly a few actors do come remarkably close - but not perfectly.
The more I watch this the more it breaks my heart! I watch the show every night when I go to bed to this day! So sad to know that they actually lived like that during the making of it!😢😢
I liked ALF alot. My whole family did. I had no idea about any of this. The guy that played Alf passed away a few years ago after the sequel movie. I think. Thanks. Shocking stuff though.
I remember having a VHS tape of an Alf cartoon that had like two episodes on it. It was set on his home planet when he was still living with his own family.
Also, after spending the entire run of the show shielding him from the evil government agency who wanted to torture him for his alien knowledge, in the final episode...the evil agency catches him and we never see ALF again. Dark.
They had a tv movie or miniseries around 96 where ALF was in a government lab. The Tanners were mentioned as having gone into witness protection but were not on it. I don't remember much except it was sort of depressing.
I loved the show when I was a kid. ALF was like the out of work smart-mouth uncle that moved in with your family until he gets back on his feet again, could be a pain in the ass, but at the same time you wouldn’t know what you would do without him.
I'm surprised you didn't talk about one of the writers who turned out to be a massive heroin addict. Apparently was spending $10,000 a week on heroin. Ben Stiller made a movie about his life. It was called permanent midnight..
I think before people join the marines, they should spend at least two years filming a tv show with a puppet in order to truly understand what struggle is…
I read somewhere that after reading his last line, Max Wright went to his dressing room, grabbed his belongings, and left without saying one word to anyone.
Ok, he didn't like playing second fiddle to a puppet, but it was called ALF, not Willie. He knew what the role was when he auditioned for, and then accepted. Liz Sheradin (Mrs Ochmonek) went on to be Jerry Seinfelds mother in, Seinfeld.
Alf was a pretty horrendous production for the cast. Max Wright pretty much loathed both the Alf character and the actor behind the puppet. I think he despised being on the show. Anne Shedeen I think has noted how it was totally surprising that the behind the scenes bedlam , anger and frustration never really leaked to the media This was a really volatile and fractious set from what I have found out. I think it was a living nightmare for the cast.
Remember ALF? He’s back, in POG form.
First thing I thought of was Milhouse showing Bart his ALF pogs.
No
“You traded my soul for POGS!? NOOOOOO!”
Classic.
Member berries 😂
I would like to thank the cast for enduring their hardships for this show. Their contributions made q lot of families and their children very happy including myself.🙏
There are a number of thing's you left out here. It was filmed on a closed set without a live audience. So laugh tracks were constantly used. Also it more like a wearhouse than a studio set, which made it miserable to work in. Since the building did not have air-conditioning.
The actors worked on an elevated stage so the puppeteer's could work Alf from trap door's in the floor. Everyone had to be cautious of where they stood, so they wouldn't fall through the floor.
Miserable? Come the Eff on.. How the Eff is this miserable. i can show you msierable. This ain´t it. Spoiled, over-paid CUNT-.actors. Fucking joke
You don’t wear a house it’s warehouse 😂
@@rc70ys thank you Captain Obvious for pointing out a typographical error more than 30 days later 🤷🏼♂️
That's funny 😂😅😅😂@@rc70ys
and they couldnt look down to make sure they didnt fall through
Tell you what, pay me 5k an episode ( in 80s money) to talk to and work with a puppet for a living, and won't hear a peep out of me.
Actors/actresses are divas... They b*tch about anything
True but it isn't exactly a dream job for an actor. It's all relative
that's $19,154.37 in today's money.
My favorite show as a kid!!!
This and Dinosaurs were so good
"not just another family sitcom". It kind of was, every family sitcom had to have a gimmick. Alien, British butler, Bigfoot, foreign cousin, black kids in a white family, robot daughter...
LOL I completely forgot about that boot-leg robot daughter show. Vicki was her name, I believe.
My favorite was Punky Brewster. The old kid's mom abandoned her in a grocery store cliche. Shit mildly traumatized me.
@@JohnnyUtah-71 V.I.K.I. Small Wonder.
Oh I forgot a troupe. Male housekeeper. Both Charles in Charge and Who's the Boss?.
@@JohnnyUtah-71Small Wonder.
I think it's a credit to the talent of the actors who worked under such impossible conditions that they were able to make the show a success.
Yeah, although I do question Max Wright's frustration with a puppet getting the better lines, it's what he signed up for.
You know what’s also hard? Picking up trash or driving a truck long distances
Impossible conditions? geta life trash
One of my favorite 1980s shows. Very creative and unusual at the time, I am surprised that it got green lit by network executives.
The man who wore the Alf costume in the popular American TV series "ALF" was Michu Meszaros, a Hungarian actor of short stature. Meszaros was born in 1939 in Budapest, Hungary, and was only about 83 cm tall (2 feet 9 inches) due to a rare form of dwarfism.
He portrayed Alf in scenes where the character needed to move or physically interact, while most of the time a puppet operated by puppeteers was used. Due to his height, he was perfect for the role of the alien Alf, appearing in full-body scenes, while the character’s voice was provided by Paul Fusco, who was also the co-creator of the series.
Michu Meszaros also performed in circuses before becoming a Hollywood actor. He passed away in 2016 in Los Angeles.
I was devastated when Alf was canceled...
Alf was cancelled over ownership issues. Not due to bad ratings. Ultimately NBC decided to cancel Alf,and replace with The Fresh Prince, because they could own The Fresh Prince outright, while Paul Fusco owned Alf.
I thought Fresh Prince was owned by Warner Bros.
I was an extra on an episode of Quantum Leap and Max Wright was a guest star, we had a two hour conversation and he could not have been nicer!
Which Quantum Leap Episode?
Oh, I am just a few years older than Benji. I grew up watching Alf. This is depressing.
99% of all artists aren't really valued, appreciated, recognized, nor do they live fulfilling lives. Ironically, nearly ALL artists end up as puppets for the wealthy, influential, and popular. It is what it is.
I know....Benji and his service dog. I'm sad for him but also his poor dog was essentially trapped in the car. Life really sucks, sometimes. ☹
Actors: sign on for a show where the puppet is the star.
Also Actors: mad about working on a show where the puppet is the star.
Max Wright was just a narcissist the whole time.
I’d say you failed to mention the source of the show’s behind the scenes problems. Paul Fusco, co-creator and ALF’s voice and primary handler was responsible for the hostile work environment. His insistence that ALF be treated like a living breathing member of the cast made the difficult set working conditions worse.
You should consider adding a segment covering Paul Fusco or make a separate video about him.
Paul was also a racist, not surprised the cast hated that job
@filaspeaks1094 Do you think that just because of that one video or something else?
@@filaspeaks1094how do you know that? Haven't seen that anywhere.
Do you know that for sure? Or are you stating that because he is white?
@@hubbaman9885 My comment is based on facts. You can easily find information about Fusco's on set demands during the production of ALF.
I loved ALF.
Greatest show.
The Ochmoneks were a riot 😂
no, no. its Ouch! My Neck!
I was stationed in Germany in 89,90 and Alf was huge there!
Yeah, dubbed on ZDF
Alf or Adolf?
@@mistermax3034both
@@mistermax3034Adolf was born in 89!
In ex YU also.
I've read up on the problems with this show, and most of them seemed to be due to the man who was ALF's puppeteer. You were not allowed to talk to the guy, you had to talk to ALF. Also, there were trapdoors all over the set for the puppeteer and he would demand retakes if he noticed during a take that anyone looked down as they walked to avoid falling into them. His anger was usually directed at the kids. So it seems that the man problem was ALF's "handler".
DAMN
He was also the creator, writer, producer, and director of the sitcom, according to Wikipedia.
one time he got so upset that Alf forgot to break character after they lost their shit!
Yes, but without him, there would be no show. He may have been hard to work with, but outside of the dad, I haven't seen them in anything else, so they probably wouldn't have been even B list famous without him. I think it was both a curse and a blessing being on that show.
@@dapper_gentRemember the leaked Christian Bale on set rant from some years back? I now can't stop thinking of something along those lines except with Alf.
I used to love watching ALF with my two cats.
Santa is just Odin
Dinner AND a show, eh?
So this was American Dad before American Dad
But in more real life form lol
You start to realize seth MacFartlane is the least original creator ever
I didn't like American dad but I enjoyed alf.
I'm fairly sure the American Dad alien dynamic is based on a real life claim by some guy who said he used to work for the CIA and became friends with an alien who survived from the Roswell crash, even insofar as the guy claimed the alien spent time in his house. Wish I could remember the guy's name.
Seth steals everything. Not an original joke in that guy.
I did a game show with Alf back in 86, The Hollywood Squares. I was a contestant and lost. They sent me home with ‘a lovely parting gift’…A year’s supply of Tuna Helper….😮
Cool.
🐟 😂❤
Sounds like you won to me!
@@STEPHANTODD great 😃👍 comment! 💕
I'm curious: How many boxes of Tuna Helper is a year's supply?
I’m 38 years old and still have my talking alf that I’ve had since I was a kid….. memories
I'm 45 and still have mine. I got it for Christmas in 1988.
It’s my understanding that the issues of working with Alf were less about the technical challenges of the puppet and more about dealing with the toxic personality of Alf’s puppeteer.
What makes me sad is they never looked back at the show and realised that their great skills and acting chops are as big a part of what made ALF great as those who brought ALF to life. Max Wright and Benji Gregory especially had a great natural rapport with ALF and that's what made ALF seem so real.
Honestly, another childhood memory destroyed, so sad
Can you imagine complaining about the pressures of working with a puppet?
What a f* nightmare! lol
Alf as a tv series was brilliant👍👍👍
I used to have an ALF for President poster hanging in my room back then. Vote Melmacian. I think I still have it somewhere.
Want to sell it?
What about the actor who played Alf?
Actor? ... Alf went back to Melmack once the series ended. He opened a pet store there.
@HardRockMiner It was rated one of the best restaurants in town!
@@HardRockMiner A cat rescue I heard.
You talked about all the main cast except for the actor that played ALF.
Michu mizarious died a while back. I forget the year.
One of the added stresses not mentioned here was the entire set took place on a highly elevated platform so the puppeteer could work below. This put the actors much closer to the stage lights, making conditions insanely hot during most of the filming.
Max is the last guy I'd guess would have a wild side, him and Conrad Bain. haha.
If there is one thing Alf is not it is tragic. This was one of my favorite shows as a kid. I never missed an episode!
I own the series on DVD
I always found the show pretty funny when I was a kid. I even watched some of the episodes on Tubi not too recently, and it brought back some good memories/laughs. What a shame how it ended.
Oh no it took 25 hours of work per week to film ALF. Imagine having to work 40 hours each week for your entire life.
Non-stop?
25 hours to shoot an episode, not 25 hours per week.
I bet Those 25 hours be like working 400 hrs a week!
ALF went to Springfield, OH and was never seen again.
Remember Alf? He's back, in Pog form.
that daughter was gorgeous 😍😍😍
So was Kate.
the mom was too until she got that super short haircut
@Frogman1943 Kate was on an episode of Bonanza years earlier with very long hair, and was gorgeous
@@GunV-qu2nm That episode where ALF had a crush on Lynn but Kate thought he had a crush on her, I wonder how it would've played out if ALF really did have a crush on Kate. Lol
My dad and I used to watch this together while I was in high school, so, it remains a huge positive memory for me. Hopefully that gives a positive to the remaining living members of the cast. It was ridiculous and silly and yet just fun. A perfect rep of the 80s.
And sure, it was difficult to make, but everyone who has worked landscape, roofing, construction or in the kitchen of a restaurant knows that feeling. The fact you made millions laugh while talking about eating cats and an alien named Gordon...that's what made it worthwhile.
Andrea Elson was so beautiful on the show, still is. Just a lovely person.
ALF was SUPER popular in Japan. You can tell this by comparing the English Wikipedia vs the Japanese Wikipedia page, the latter of which is much longer. It's bizarre how these things happen.
I also suffer from severe insomnia problems like the young ALF star. It is a very difficult medical condition to live with.
So maybe he did fall asleep in the car with his dog.
I didn’t realize it was so hard to work with a puppet. The set of Sesame Street must be a nightmare.
While I've never confused characters with the actors, many people tend to get a feel for what the actors might be like based on the characters they portray. Its almost like those disembodied voices of radio DJs - we build a mental picture of what they might look like., then one day you see a promo picture of the DJ and you're mind is blown! Not even close (in most cases) - the same is true with assuming an actor's personality might be roughly similar to the character they give life to. Surprisingly a few actors do come remarkably close - but not perfectly.
I'm Uruguayan and grew up watching Alf, I absolutely adored this series.
A cat hungry alien from the planet melmack. Lol
Wait, Alf is a puppet? I suppose next you’re going to tell us Santa Claus isn’t real .. 😘
We have tens of thousands of cat-hungry aliens here in the US right now. ALF was predictive programming, an ominous warning. lol
HEY WILLY, I ATE YOUR CAT! HA HA
Alf's comb-over looks awfully familiar.... and his orange tone....
@@edwardjski The gov't was always after ALF too.
@@JacobSanders-zc7sq The government may have been after him but Alf wasn't after the government.
And wasn't a criminal.
@@edwardjski Stop thinking like at 16-year-old girl.
ALF was not exactly a ground breaking sitcom. But it was definitely a note worthy show for the 80's
The more I watch this the more it breaks my heart! I watch the show every night when I go to bed to this day! So sad to know that they actually lived like that during the making of it!😢😢
Very interesting information. I wasn't aware of most of these people acting with a puppet.
I liked ALF alot. My whole family did. I had no idea about any of this. The guy that played Alf passed away a few years ago after the sequel movie. I think. Thanks. Shocking stuff though.
The animated series was cool, that would be good for a reboot
Yeah, I remember the animated series more than the live action version.
All ive got to say is, God bless you all for a great childrens program back in the day!
I remember having a VHS tape of an Alf cartoon that had like two episodes on it. It was set on his home planet when he was still living with his own family.
Thank you !
I grew up right at that time watching Alf and even had the trading cards. It was very popular
My husband and I really loved watching ALF!!
How is all their real life troubles blamed on the TV show? What happened to those in poltergeist is truly sad.
Also, after spending the entire run of the show shielding him from the evil government agency who wanted to torture him for his alien knowledge, in the final episode...the evil agency catches him and we never see ALF again. Dark.
They had a tv movie or miniseries around 96 where ALF was in a government lab. The Tanners were mentioned as having gone into witness protection but were not on it.
I don't remember much except it was sort of depressing.
Max Wright would have made a really good “Mr. Wilson” if Dennis the Menace had been rebooted during the eighties.
Mr Belvedere better or the guy who makes the jump to conclusion mat in office space
@@fastesteddiealivelol was watching office space earlier. He’s in a movie called man from earth.
I loved the show when I was a kid. ALF was like the out of work smart-mouth uncle that moved in with your family until he gets back on his feet again, could be a pain in the ass, but at the same time you wouldn’t know what you would do without him.
I'm surprised you didn't talk about one of the writers who turned out to be a massive heroin addict. Apparently was spending $10,000 a week on heroin. Ben Stiller made a movie about his life. It was called permanent midnight..
Ben Stiller is a fuckin american icon. He didnt do heroin
That’s a great film. They had to call the show Mr Choppers rather than Alf in the film for copyright reasons.
I loved Alf. I have great memories of the 80's and Alf was a part of that. RIP to Benji Gregory and his service dog🙏
Good video. Would have been great had you used up to date pics of all the actors in the different shows they were in.
ALF was one of my favorite shows. 😢
They could have gone out and roofed houses if it was just too hot in the studio
I think before people join the marines, they should spend at least two years filming a tv show with a puppet in order to truly understand what struggle is…
I saw Alf on TV some show couple months ago and he looks great. Didn’t age a bit better than the humans
Young Sheldon?
@@ARCJ78 no Alf the furry star of the show. He looks the same today.
@@Thefutureooksbight What show did you see Alf on recently? I think it was Young Sheldon.
They complained…. Think about how those on Sesame Street felt.
They had something similar? I know they are really sad when the actor who played Mr. Hooper died.
I read somewhere that after reading his last line, Max Wright went to his dressing room, grabbed his belongings, and left without saying one word to anyone.
That's too bad! I don't know why people have to be like that! That would have been such an honor to play a character like Alf!🙏🏽💚
I love this show. Got all 4 seasons on DVD.
You obviously didn't look at Max Wrights' IMDB.
Ok, he didn't like playing second fiddle to a puppet, but it was called ALF, not Willie.
He knew what the role was when he auditioned for, and then accepted.
Liz Sheradin (Mrs Ochmonek) went on to be Jerry Seinfelds mother in, Seinfeld.
I always wondered how the _ALF_ show runners would have cast Eric Tanner. If the baby had gotten older in the next seasons.
Alf’s best performance in the ratings was 10th, during its second season. Best show in the 80s, my ass.
Alf was a pretty horrendous production for the cast.
Max Wright pretty much loathed both the Alf character and the actor behind the puppet. I think he despised being on the show.
Anne Shedeen I think has noted how it was totally surprising that the behind the scenes bedlam , anger and frustration never really leaked to the media This was a really volatile and fractious set from what I have found out.
I think it was a living nightmare for the cast.
ALF's real name is Gordon Shumway
Alf was also a cartoon series.
ALF sounds like kind of a Diva.
He's eating the dogs and the cats!!!!
Max Wright was great in the 'Norm Show'!
He was
"Oh my god. Hey remember when I hired the dad from ALF, you know? Turns out he loved crack!" RIP Norm
he was also an evil government scientist in the TV miniseries The Stand
Used to love this show from 9-13 years old(86-90) I tried to watch it again in my 40s and oohhhhhh boy it aged like milk.
If they think working with a puppet is rough they should have tried working construction or maybe welding. I can’t take these actors seriously.
that's too bad.. they're all pretty memorable, which is rare.
I can still remember being 7 years old in 1986, eagerly waiting for the premiere of ALF.
"...let me know if I've missed anything" YEAH..ALF!
I loved (and still love) this show!
This is one of my absolute favourite shows ever!!
It wasn't called the Max Wright show.
“Alf” was all a true story , the man keeps throwing the truth in our faces. #alfthetruth
I feel bad for all the cats Alf consumed throughout the shows episodes 😢 R.I.P 🐈
I loved watching this series as a young kid. It’s so depressing to hear this😢
Funny to see Alf get accolades via Young Sheldon😊
One of my favorite shows ever!
The kid finally gained notoriety as the the comedian Theo Vaugh manghn many years later
but what about the actor who played alf?
The greatest show ever! ALF is the greatest !
Ya got any cats!!??? I remember Alf from back in the day I was a kid when it aired.
They didn’t say anything about the actor played inside the costume of Alf whatever happened to him
Alf would have died of starvation in Haiti
Or meet his soulmates and live FOREVER.
@hal
Or get eaten 😋
🤣
Haiti is the new Ethiopia. Also, Alf would’ve been eaten as well.