Alf

'Alf' is an American television comedy that combines family humor and science fiction through the story of Gordon Shumway, an alien from the planet Melmac who ends up on Earth after the spaceship he is traveling in crashes into the planet where humans live. He ends up living with the Tanners, a very typical and well-off American family, who take in the alien they call Alf, which comes from the acronym "Alien Life Form."

The Tanners try to hide Alf from authorities, friends, family, and neighbors so that the alien is not in any danger, as if any of them found out it could cause an uproar in the community and the country. Alf becomes a member of the family, developing a closer relationship with the children, Lynn and Brian, although contributing little to the household since the alien limits himself to eating, watching television, and being somewhat disrespectful of human rules, which does clash with the patience of the parents, Willie and Kate Tanner. 

Throughout the 4 seasons and 102 episodes that the series has, Alf's attempts to adapt to life on Earth, his nostalgia for Melmac, and his obsession with cats and the problems arising from keeping his identity a secret are explored. 

The show was created by Paul Fusco and Tom Patchett and aired between 1986 and 1990 as a production of Alien Productions and Lorimar Television for the NBC network. It starred the character of Alf, portrayed and manipulated by Fusco himself, along with Max Wright (Willie Tanner), Anne Schedeen (Kate Tanner), Andrea Elson (Lynn Tanner), and Benji Gregory (Brian Tanner).