RETRO: PHILADELPHIA - SUMMER 1993

[DToTheJ]

Many of those Warner Brothers Television-distributed off-network shows from that era (late 80s to early 90s) didn't last all too long in broadcast syndication. Here in Los Angeles, KCOP had Head of the Class, Growing Pains, and Night Court, while KCAL had Perfect Strangers, ALF, and The Hogan Family. Head of the Class was gone within two years on KCOP (it was sandwiched between The Cosby Show at 6pm and Night Court at 7), and Perfect Strangers, ALF, and The Hogans were also gone from KCAL within a couple of years. However, KTLA got the rights to Full House (1991), Family Matters (1994), and Fresh Prince (also '94), and each of those shows lasted there at least nearly a decade or more.

IMHO, Perfect Strangers shouldn't have ever been greenlit for production. What a horrible, horrible show...

FYI - ALF still airs on television, on WGN America on weekends. Of course, now you can watch all the ALF you want, as Lionsgate TV (who apparently now handles syndication of the show) now has all of the series' episodes on YouTube.

 

[Stanislav]

Many of those Warner Brothers Television-distributed off-network shows from that era (late 80s to early 90s) didn't last all too long in broadcast syndication. Here in Los Angeles, KCOP had Head of the Class, Growing Pains, and Night Court, while KCAL had Perfect Strangers, ALF, and The Hogan Family. Head of the Class was gone within two years on KCOP (it was sandwiched between The Cosby Show at 6pm and Night Court at 7), and Perfect Strangers, ALF, and The Hogans were also gone from KCAL within a couple of years. However, KTLA got the rights to Full House (1991), Family Matters (1994), and Fresh Prince (also '94), and each of those shows lasted there at least nearly a decade or more.

IMHO, Perfect Strangers shouldn't have ever been greenlit for production. What a horrible, horrible show...

FYI - ALF still airs on television, on WGN America on weekends. Of course, now you can watch all the ALF you want, as Lionsgate TV (who apparently now handles syndication of the show) now has all of the series' episodes on YouTube.

ALF was a cute show, but the Wikipedia entry (which seems to be well-documented with citations) says that it was quite an ordeal for the actors, primarily because of the logistics of staging and blocking with the ALF puppet. Scenes had to be taped in tiny bits and pieces, and a single 30-minute episode could take 20-25 hours to shoot. Apparently, Max Wright also resented the inanimate furball getting all the good lines, and Andrea Elson became bulimic as the series wore on (a problem that she continues to battle to this day). There were a lot of long shooting days/nights on that show, and a lot of tension, and it is a credit to the actors that it never shows in their performances. (Well...almost never. And you thought Wright's deadpan sarcastic delivery and world-weary tone were just good acting...)

 

[brettfern]

Wasn't one of the reasons why Alf didn't do very well in syndication was due to some scandal involving the star of Alf Max Wright ? I believe it had to do with Wright being photographed doing crack cocaine and having sex with male hookers. Even though there is nothing about this on Wikipedia or IMDB, I do remember when that made headlines.

There were many locals that didn't air ALF very long... But it lasted for almost it's entire syndication run here in the Philly market...