"ALF befriends Trevor and Raquel's nephew Jake from New York."

A replacement for Brian? Surely not! (we didnt kill him) Either way, wonder writers Al Jean and Mike Reiss are on scripting duties to introduce a new Ochmonek to the party so Ben and John will be coming the episode for Simpsons-style jokes. And for nits like usual. Obvs.

And if you want to fix our telescope, perhaps consider joining the Orbit Guard. You'll get a tons of bonus stuff and keep this here show on the air. Visit ⁠https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra⁠ for more.

Oh boy, we finally made it to the most famous ALF episode of the lot - for good reasons, you may ask? Ha ha, no. Of course not. This is a double-length but largely joke-free misery festival full of suicidal Santas and sick kids by the pound. In the midst of it all John Matthews tries to remain positive whilst Ben Baker is already on the egged nog.

Listen out for some special seasonal guests and a lot of tinsel Tanner tut as we shuffle through this bumper edition like all your festive favourites. Is there any goodness in there though? Tune in now and find out...

And if you want to give us a "special" "Christmas", perhaps consider joining the Orbit Guard. You'll get a tons of bonus stuff and keep this here show on the air. Visit ⁠https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra⁠ for more.

Thank you! And Merry Christmas! We'll be back on Jaunary 6th.

"Seeing that Kate and Willie have been arguing of late, ALF and the Tanner children plan to recreate the couple's Niagara Falls honeymoon."

What an ALF Antic! An ALFtic even! The love life of Willie and Kate is addressed by the four fingered fluff machine who uses some uncanny abilities to recreate the best day of their marriage. And we dont mean the day they met him!

And if you want to give us the magic fingers, perhaps consider joining the Orbit Guard. You'll get a tons of bonus stuff and keep this here show on the air. Visit ⁠https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra⁠ for more.

"Reminiscing his younger and more carefree days when he was known as "Boxcar Willie", Willie takes ALF to the switchyard where they jump a moving freight train."

ALF and train jumping - together at last! Its no exaggeration to say this is one of the great ALF episodes of all time but will it - as Ben Baker and John Matthews fear - make a lousy episode of ALFsplaining? Time - and beans - will decide!

And if you want to buy us some beans, perhaps consider joining the Orbit Guard. You'll get a tons of bonus stuff and keep this here show on the air. Visit ⁠https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra⁠ for more.

"Dorothy is planning to marry Whizzer, but ALF's Melmacian hiccups put the wedding in jeopardy."

It barely seems like two seconds since Dorothy was being appalled by her new neighbour Whizzer and now they're hitched. What a strange time to be alive...especially if you're an unpleasantly hiccuping ALF. Is there a connection between these two plot lines? Good luck if you can find it. We even brought in a ringer to help!

You'll probably know Ruth Husko from being brilliant on social media here - https://x.com/dank_ackroyd - but is increasingly turning up in lots of interesting places. She does turn down many podcasts however so we're extremely fortunate to have her here as a new convert to the cause. The cause of ALF's anus.

And if you're still here after reading that last sentence, perhaps consider joining the Orbit Guard. You'll get a tons of bonus stuff and keep this here show on the air for many weddings to come. Visit ⁠https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra⁠ for more.

"Lynn is depressed over being dumped by a boyfriend for a prettier girl, so ALF enters her in a beauty pageant to increase her self-confidence."

Its an oddly familiar plot as excuse for some great gags about clog dancing. ALF is at his jerky best here but perhaps for once its well placed? Your hosts as ever are Ben Baker and John Matthews who are dressed in a crimpolence blouse with ruffs from Top Shop and rather too much make-up.

And if you want to pay for them to get perms, perhaps consider joining the Orbit Guard. You'll get a tons of bonus stuff and keep this here show on the air for many Halloweens to come. Visit ⁠https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra⁠ for more.

"After watching a presidential debate, Kate has recurring dreams of running against ALF."

Another election? Did we not just do that? Well, its time to strap on your best Uncle Sam hat and never wear trousers as its a politically charged episode of ALF today - so much so we've actually bumped it up the running order a little to make it super topical and relevant. I mean, as much as a sitcom about a hairy dwarf alien can.

Kissing babies and taking names as always are your hosts Ben Baker and John Matthews who wonder if ALF as President might actually be a good thing. Especially as we recorded this a week before the election cycles results were announced....

And if you want to support our Super-PAC campaign, perhaps consider joining the Orbit Guard. You'll get a tons of bonus stuff and keep this here show on the air for many Elections to come. Visit ⁠https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra⁠ for more.

"Not allowed to go trick-or-treating, ALF attends Willie's Halloween party and tries to convince his boss to give Willie an overdue promotion."

Ghoul-d morning ghouls and man...ghouls? Can you tell its the Halloween episode of ALF this week? And boy is it a treat with "Gordo" finally allowed to let his freak flag fly around real human beings...but with a catch. Or, more accurately, a zipper. Dressed as Fake Shemps in the corner as always are your hosts Ben Baker and John Matthews.

And if you want to pay their bail after their costumes accidentally fell off in town, perhaps consider joining the Orbit Guard. You'll get a tons of bonus stuff and keep this here show on the air for many Halloweens to come. Visit https://www.patreon.com/ALFsplainingExtra for more.

"When the Tanners become part of the new Thompson Rating System, ALF rigs the ratings in order to prevent his favorite show, Polka Jamboree, from being cancelled."

The Tanners go TV tonto for the second time in a month as the writing staff have a lot of fun sending up broadcasting tropes, including the actual Head of Programming at NBC who is played here by someone oddly familiar.

To help us tiptoe through the tube bits we have an expert in the field who loves his archive telly so much he's just written the definitive book on the subject. You can pre-order Tim's book "The Golden Age of Children's TV" from Amazon here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Golden-Age-Childrens-TV/dp/1785306405

...unless its ages into the future then just regular order it.

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"ALF, after being deeply saddened by the fact that his parents got married before his birth - which is a taboo on Melmac - runs away to a monastery."

Ah that standard sitcom trope! Join Ben Baker and John Matthews in their finest fibre cassocks for some monky business exploring ALF's family tree, religious intolerance (of ALF) and Willie's darkest secret. You'll find us easily - we're the ones eating paste.

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