Short for Alien Life Form, ALF crashed into American living rooms on September 22, 1986, when NBC debuted the story of Gordon Shumway, a wisecracking extraterrestrial from the planet Melmac, who crash-lands in the garage of the suburban Tanner family. What followed was four seasons (and one haunting TV movie) of jokes, heart, and pop culture domination that made ALF one of the most beloved and bizarre characters of the decade.