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The NBC comedy ALF may have been something that could only happen in the ‘80s. ALF, short for Alien Life Form, was a puppet with the voice of creator Paul Fusco. His Melmac name was Gordon Shumway. Anyway, the idea of building a family sitcom around a stuffed character is something they probably wouldn’t do today. But, if you grew up on ALF or just discovered it on Peacock, Freevee, Shout TV, Crackle, Tubi, Vudu, Fubo or Roku Channel, there are a few other shows that deliver similarly oddball comedy. 

ALF sits between his costars
L-R: Max Wright, Benji Gregory, ALF, Andrea Elson, and Anne Shedeen | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

If you liked ‘ALF,’ meet the humanoid aliens of ‘3rd Rock from the Sun’

ALF wasn’t the last time NBC aired an alien comedy. However, in the ’90s, they cast humans as the aliens. 3rd Rock From the Sun starred John Lithgow, Kristen Johnston, French Stewart and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as an alien family trying to blend in on Earth. 

As the Solomons try to learn about human customs, they don’t succeed very well at blending in. Frankly, the 3rd Rock from the Sun shenanigans make ALF look downright intellectual. But if you need more aliens, the series is streaming on Sling, Spectrum and Hoopla. 

If you liked ‘ALF,’ meet the ‘Dinosaurs’ puppets 

If ALF was unique in casting a stuffed main character, Dinosaurs was downright groundbreaking making them all puppets. Jim Henson Productions designed the dinosaur costumes and produced the show about a family of prehistoric creatures. 

Dinosaurs created an entire world for the prehistoric sitcom but the Sinclair family had the same relatable problems as any modern day humans. Dinosaurs is now streaming on Disney+.

Edgy ‘Greg the Bunny’ didn’t last long 

Attempting to use puppet characters in an edgier comedy, Greg the Bunny posits a world in which humans and puppets live in harmony. Well, not economic harmony. Greg tries to break into show business with the help of human Jimmy Bender (Seth Green). Eugene Levy plays Jimmy’s dad, Gil. Though Greg the Bunny only lasted one season, if you’re interested in a more grown-up puppet sitcom, it is streaming on Tubi.

‘The Muppets’ were the original prime time puppets 

As long as we’re celebrating ALF, it’s important to remember he stood on the shoulders of the Muppets. The Muppets began as a prime time variety show and they’ve returned to prime time after movies. All the Muppet shows, except for the ‘90s Muppets Tonight, are streaming on Disney+.

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‘ALF’: The Unaired 5th Season Had a Wild Plot, but NBC Killed It

ALF’s Cat-Eating, Beer-Drinking Ways Worried NBC Execs

The ‘ALF’ Cast Experienced ‘Tension’ On Set Because They Didn’t Want to ‘Play Second Fiddle To a Puppet’

If you liked ‘ALF’ double down on his animated shows 

If you weren’t there, it may be hard to believe what a phenomenon ALF was. NBC was quick to capitalize on his sitcom success with a Saturday morning animated version of ALF. Since it was animated, they could recreate ALF’s home planet Melmac, full of other ALFs. 

There was even another animated spinoff called ALF Tales, where characters from the ALF cartoon recreated classic stories with their own humorous spin. Tubi, Freevee, Shout Factory TV and Roku Channel have both animated series.

Triumph the Insult Comic Dog carries on ‘ALF’s legacy

Puppetry has surely come a long way since ALF. Triumph the Insult Comic Dog went the complete opposite way. Part of the joke was that he’s the cheapest puppet you could get away with. Still, Triumph brings the laughs in all his appearances. 

Triumph did get his own sitcom, The Jack and Triumph Show, which is available for purchase on Prime Video and Vudu. Or, you can find any of his various talk show appearances on YouTube and get some good puppet laughs. 

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