An ALF action figure is on the way for a 2022 release, courtesy of NECA. In honor of the classic sitcom's 35th anniversary, NECA unveiled the Ultimate ALF action figure with a handful of photos of the must-have collectible. As is typical with NECA products, the attention to detail is impeccable. You can take a look at the announcement along with the reveal photos below.
NECA stated, "Happy 35th anniversary to our favorite Melmacian! This smart-mouthed Alien Life Form is our '80s spirit animal. The Ultimate ALF action figure crash lands on this planet in Spring 2022."
Specific details on the toy release haven't yet been revealed beyond what we see in the photos. It is clear that ALF comes with a variety of accessories, which even includes a kitty cat sandwich. It remains to be seen if he comes with any other fun stuff. For the collectors, we can presume that the Ultimate ALF action figure will come in display-friendly window box packaging, but the artwork for the box hasn't yet been unveiled.
ALF originally aired on NBC for four seasons between 1986-90. The title is short for Alien Life Form, though his actual name on the show is Gordon Shumway. The furry extra-terrestrial is from the planet Melmac, and he crash-landed on Earth after following an amateur radio signal to the planet. He lands in the garage of the Tanner family who agree to help hide ALF from the Alien Task Force along with their nosy neighbors so the alien can rebuild his spacecraft.
Paul Fusco served as the lead puppeteer and the voice of ALF. The Late Michu Meszaros played ALF in a costume alongside his host family, appearing for 10 episodes where the alien life form needed to be seen in full body shots either running or walking. Co-starring as the Tanner family were Max Wright as Willie, Anne Schedeen as Kate, Andrea Elson as Lynn, and Benji Gregory as Brian. Josh Blake, Jim J. Bullock, Andrea Covell, Bill Daily, Paul Dooney, Anne Meara, and Liz Sheridan also starred.
Controversially, ALF ended on a cliffhanger with its series finale, upsetting many fans of the show wanting proper resolution. In 1996, the made-for-TV movie Project: ALF continued the story to essentially serve as the real finale, showing what became of Gordon after the TV series. It was not exactly well-received, in part due to the total absence of the Tanner family, though Paul Fusco returned as the voice and puppeteer of ALF. The good news is that it does give ALF a more conclusive ending than what he was left with at the end of the sitcom.
In the age of nostalgia, ALF has seen a bit of a resurgence in popularity in more recent years. That is more evident based on the positive response to NECA's announcement of the Ultimate ALF action figure. Whether that leads to a return of the character in any other capacity remains to be seen. In 2018, Warner Bros. TV had announced plans to reboot the show, but for better or for worse, the project fizzled out soon after.
NECA's Ultimate ALF action figure will arrive in Spring 2022. Let's hope additional details will be coming soon. For now, fans can revisit the beloved sitcom by watching classic episodes of ALF for free on Tubi.