Alf's Hit Talk Show

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Alf's Hit Talk Show was an American cable television talk show on the TV Land network. It ran for seven episodes in 2004. The host is Alf, of '80s television fame. At the beginning of each show, Alf is introduced by his "sidekick," Ed McMahon. The show runs in a 30-minute block and has featured guests such as Drew Carey and Joe Mantegna.

The show's format is traditional: Alf sits behind a desk and talks to celebrity guests who drop by for brief chats. In between, there is light banter and some prerecorded comedy skits, usually featuring McMahon. On Alf's desk is a large bowl of snack food (popcorn, peanut brittle, or the like) which the guests are invited to eat. (Alf himself, being an alien, and a puppet to boot, does not partake.) Running jokes on the show include Alf's stated penchant for eating cats, and McMahon's bewilderment at how he ended up saying "And now... Heeeere's Alf!" on a late-night cable show hosted by a B-list '80s celebrity who isn't even human.

The idea of Alf hosting a Tonight Show-type program perhaps is based on a 1988 episode of his eponymous sitcom, titled "Tonight, Tonight" (where he hosts The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. In a dream, Alf is substitute host for Johnny Carson; McMahon remains as the sidekick, and special guests include Rich Little, Dr. Joyce Brothers, Teresa Ganzel and "Pope John Paul II" (Eugene Greytak).