Why The Creator Of 'ALF' Turned Down Disney
The thing about classic sitcoms is that they are just as good today as they were when they first aired. While many of the jokes might be outdated, the performances and general energy always seem on point, relevant, and relatable. This is particularly true of the greatest family sitcoms. For many, 'ALF', which ran on NBC between 1986 and 1990, is one of the superb family sitcoms. But would it have been as successful had it landed at Disney? We're not sure the show's co-creators Paul Fusco and Tom Patchett think so. While they may not have the animosity toward Disney that Quentin Tarantino has, there's a reason why they didn't want their wise-cracking alien from Melmac under the Mickey Moose logo.
'ALF' Was Destined To Become A Phenomenon And Some Networks Could See That Better Than Others
Thanks to an in-depth oral history by Mental Floss, we know quite a bit about the creation of 'ALF'. It was a passion project of a virtually unknown puppeteer and magician named Paul Fusco who was all about his idea of a puppet alien crash landing in the garage of a typical suburban family and then decides to meld into their lifestyle... while trying to eat their cat, of course.
Ultimately, the show went to NBC who initially had mixed feelings about his idea. This is because they didn't think the alien was cute. In fact, they called ALF "a Teddy Ruxpin bear that [looks like he] was horribly disfigured by a revolving door". Still, someone figured out that the show would be hugely popular for the network. After all, the merchandising alone made NBC a ton of money. ALF, much like Kermit The Frog and the other Jim Henson characters, became a celebrity himself. And much of this had to do with Paul's superb performance as the deer-drinking, chaos-prone alien puppet.
Audiences adored the show... Max Wright, the show's live-action star (Willie Tanner)... not so much. But cast scabbles aside, ALF was a phenomenon.
Although NBC took a minute to realize the lightning in a bottle they had captured, Disney was all in on the idea when it was pitched to them... But Paul Wasn't interested in working with them...
The main reason why Paul Fusco turned down a chunk of cash at a massive company was that he didn't want his whole life owned by Disney.
"I had the idea for the show and Disney wanted to buy it," Paul Fusco told Mental Floss. "If you worked for Disney, they owned everything. They owned you, lock, stock, and barrel. I couldn’t deal with something called Walt Disney’s ALF, so I turned them down."
It Took A While For The Show To Get The Right Deal
It great show always needs a great team behind it. This is why Paul Fusco needed Tom Patchett, who ultimately became the co-creator and writer on the show.
"I had worked on a show called Buffalo Bill with Dabney Coleman," Tom explained. "The lead character was like ALF in terms of being brazen. My manager told me a puppeteer named Paul Fusco wanted to meet me because he liked the show. I had worked on two Muppet movies already, and I thought, 'Gosh, I don't know.'"
Paul thought that Tom's show was totally in line with the sense of humor he wanted for 'ALF'.
"I remember meeting Paul in [manager] Bernie Brillstein's offices," Tom said. "Bernie didn't know Paul at the time. This was before. He got very upset. 'What's this f***ing puppet doing here?' He represented Jim Henson and didn't want any other puppets around. Then he saw ALF and said to me, 'Tom, I have one word for you: Merchandising.' That's show biz."
Paul knew that the character of ALF (as well as his performance) was ultimately going to sell people on the idea. So he would even drag the charmingly politically incorrect ALF around to parties and comedy clubs to get the responses he needed.
The performance and character definitely sold Tom on the idea. Tom had previously worked with both Jim Henson and Frank Oz, so Paul had some tough talent to be compared to.
"I've seen the best, and I think Paul is right up there," Tom admitted. "I would say Paul created the character and I created the show. I was fortunate enough to have worked with the Muppets and knew what it would take to make it believable."
Tom and Paul knew that had something special, which is why they took so long to sell the show. In fact, they pitched 'ALF' to companies for two or three years, according to the Mental Floss article. Between Disney wanting to own their entire lives and other networks wanting to make the show 'too saccharine', Paul and Tom decided to take their time to find the right partner.
Eventually, Bernie Brillstein helped set them up at NBC, who really needed a hit after a string of terrible failures. NBC president Brandon Tartikoff, the man behind Cheers and Family Ties, saw something in the show and the rest is history.
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