The second part of our exclusive chat with Paul Fusco, the man who gave the world ALF, voice and soul.

In this part he talks about the strangest merchandise to make the shelves, celebrity fans, who ALF would be feuding with on social media right now, the influence of Monty Python and The Two Ronnies on his humour, there's an encounter with right wing pundit Bill O'Reilly, why ALF is needed more than ever in the current climate, his annoyance of "dark side" anecdotes about the series, why Jerry Stahl was wrong, where next for the lad Shumway and lots more.

Oh, and yes, we ask him what ALF smells like.

It's a brilliant interview and we're so grateful for his time which long exceeded what we were hoping for. He's a funny, genuine guy and we hope one of the revivals takes off so he can adopt us as the children he never wanted.

Want even more sidebar Shumway in your eyes and ears? Join the Orbit Guard here and support us doing this: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra⁠

What do you do when you finally meet God?

Its a question Ben and John are about to learn the answer to as they meet the person central to their obsession this past fifty episodes - Paul Fusco, puppeteer, producer, writer, and creator of both the show and, of course, ALF himself.

He gives a rare all-access interview talking about how ALF came to exist, his early work, the oft-reported tensions on the set, the show he regrets turning down, battles with executives, the nearly made "ALF" prequel movie, the legend of Bernie Brillstein, why he didnt become a popstar and lots more.

In fact so such more that we're continuing it next week!

Want more sidebar Shumway in your eyes and ears and other extremities? Join the Orbit Guard here and support us doing this madness: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra

NOTE: DONT LISTEN TO THIS ONE BEFORE YOU HEAR SEASON TWO!

Thought you were done with Ben Baker and John Matthews for the summer? Not even close!

Not only will we have lots more exciting one offs here and there but there's the now standard series lookback where we go over our favourite episodes of the second run alongside some listener-doxxing stats, an investigation into the TV landscape our furry friend thrived in, questioning Dan Aykroyd's part in the ALF phenomenon, the crowning of the series' MVP and hear some messages from our most adoring fans. Yes, plural.

Want more content as you wait for season 3? Join the Orbit Guard here and support us doing this madness: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra

"After realizing that Willie and Kate have emptied Lynn's college fund to support him, a guilty ALF gets ten newspaper routes to earn money for the family."

Another episode in which ALF learns a valuable lesson about....nah, of course not...although he is briefly aware of his impact on the Tanners. Ben Baker and John Matthews fully weigh up the impact he's had on them too as we reach the end of season two and our last review episode for a while.

There'll still be regular updates - audio and video - for the Orbit Guard who support this show being made via ⁠https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra but right now, we are more fried than a something cat sizzler burger something something....etc....

....see what we mean?

Its been a blast though and we'll be back before you know it. And we might even bring a couple of pals....

"The Tanners plan a party for ALF, who is depressed that he is the only one of his species."

There have been some odd episodes of ALF this season but your hosts Ben Baker and John Matthews might have been officially outfoxed by this mix of dream sequences, sketches, downplayed melodrama, boffo gags, horrendous sound effects and confusing the blind. We'll miss it when its gone.

If you want to help us buy more cheap imitation porcelain, perhaps consider joining the Orbit Guard. You'll get a tons of bonus stuff and keep our self-produced show on the air. Visit⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra ⁠⁠⁠⁠for more.

"ALF plays pink elephant for Kate's alcoholic friend Maura"

Crack open a tinny and pour that nebuchadnezzar of floor polish as its a boozy, woozy sort of episode with a very special message - although your hosts Ben Baker and John Matthews are struggling to find it in amongst the salad and dry heaving. Maybe don't listen to this one whilst eating....

If you want to help us buy more delicious medicinal pints, perhaps consider joining the Orbit Guard. You'll get a tons of bonus stuff and keep our self-produced show on the air. Visit⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more.

"ALF gets a ventriloquist dummy in the mail that takes control of him."

Well that all seems perfectly straightforward! Join Ben Baker and John Matthews for a surprisingly not very meta look into a puppeteer's art, soul and hooves. Helping them out on pre-recorded tape are former guests Al Jean, Mike Reiss and Phil Fletcher who all add some interesting pointers on the episode which is good because the first two wrote the episode...and the last one has probably seen it.

If you want to help us buy more oil to take care of our little wooden pals, perhaps consider joining the Orbit Guard. You'll get a tons of bonus stuff and keep our self-produced show on the air. Visit⁠⁠⁠ https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra⁠⁠⁠ for more.

"Willie gets a promotion that relocates him to San Diego, however despite hating the new job and proclaiming how much he loves the house they currently live in, it takes drastic moves by ALF to make him realize what he's doing."

Willie's out! And we're all bowing under its enormous pressure as his new job takes him away from the loving bosom of his family....and the actual bosom of ALF. Ben Baker and John Matthews await their cheques eagerly as - inevitably - chaos ensues. No, really.

If you want to help us buy food for mouth, perhaps consider joining the Orbit Guard. You'll get a tons of bonus stuff and keep our self-produced show on the air. Visit⁠⁠⁠ https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra⁠⁠⁠ for more.

"Willie tries to teach Brian nonviolence in dealing with a school bully, but changes his ways when the bully's lowlife father comes to the Tanner residence and insults the entire family."

An episode about Brian being repeatedly punched in the face? Erm..., we didnt kill him. That is to say, your hosts Ben Baker and John Matthews didnt, as they're still rubbing liniment into their unmentionables after this heavyweight Melmacian Mauler smackdown.

If you want to help us buy more delicious stinking liniment, perhaps consider joining the Orbit Guard. You'll get a tons of bonus stuff and keep our self-produced show on the air. Visit⁠⁠⁠ https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra⁠⁠⁠ for more.

Here on ALFsplaining, we are big fans of balance - be it following every Howard Jones track with one by Nik Kershaw or one of them seals with a beachball you used to see at the zoo in old cartoons. And so after speaking to the lovely Mike Reiss, Ben and John thought it only right and proper to talk to his former long-term writing partner Al Jean.

Like Reiss, he also worked on Sledge Hammer, The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson, The Critic, Its Garry Shandling's Show and, of course, The Simpsons. In fact Al would be credited as showrunner for over 450 episodes of that last one which is surely the biggest TV programme of us and most people's lifetimes.

And yet we're going to talk to him about "ALF".

Those other shows come up as do, inevitably, ALF pogs but Al talks us through what they learned from their year on the show, the cast's terror on set, how basketball solved an office dilemma, which comedy superstar walked in at random and asked to be on "The Simpsons", why him and Mike stopped writing together and, of course, what he thinks ALF smells like.

This is another wonderful chat with a genuine icon who has worked on the best US comedy programmes for four decades and it was a genuine honour that he agreed to be a guest.

And if you want to support our future shenanigans, please consider joining The Orbit Guard for lots of ace video and audio extras about our Melmacian mate: ⁠⁠ https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra⁠