NSünchen (dpa) – Aleph caused chaos in the Tanner TV family’s life for 102 episodes. On September 22, 1986, his spaceship crashed and crashed into Willie and Kate’s living room – and into the living rooms of the American public.
The series became a successful NBC rating. A year and a half later, it happened ZDF Foreign anarchists to Germany. For kids of the ’80s, Aleph became a TV hero. Legendary: Tommy Piper Synchronization.
His smoky, hoarse voice “Hahaha – I’m laughing at myself dead” sounds unforgettable in the ears. For a long time, the 80-year-old did not want to talk about Aleph at all and complained that the series spoiled his career. No offers for the role were made after that. Instead, he received inquiries from private individuals whether he could record birthday greetings for their relatives. To this day, Piper, who lives in Munich, feels reduced in shape.
When Piper walks down the street in his adopted home in Bavaria, it is not uncommon to say: “Look, there goes a thousand!” He told the German news agency. It is also eaten this way in the pub or in the supermarket. Someone in a parking lot asked him recently, “Are you from Millmac?” He denied it and then annoyed himself and asked himself: “Why don’t you confess: You made a thousand!” Only in the past few years has he been able to look forward to helping write a piece of television history.
When the unknown creature with red-brown fur and a trunk-like nose fell slightly distraught on Tanner’s coffee table after the unfortunate explosion of Planet Melmac, family head Willie (Max Wright) said: “It’s an alien life form, Alf.” A thousand bears the name Gordon Shumway. Because he can’t go home, Tanner takes him.
Fearing that Alf will be confiscated by the authorities and he ends up in a testing lab, they hide the beloved colleague. The daily life of the fairly sedate average family – which also includes children Lynne and Brian – is falling apart.
Alf feeds the pantry empty, orders useless things over the phone, pays for Willy’s credit card, destroys clumsy electrical appliances or Brian’s toys, calls the President of the United States, orders non-stop pizza and trades – even for profit – on the stock exchange. Time and time again he exposes Willy with know-it-all comments. The very curious Ochmonek couple from the house next door also have to deal with the hustle and bustle of a thousand.
Alf would like to eat his house cat Lucky, in the form of a “SLT sandwich with ham, Lucky and tomato” or as fresh Lucky juice. Anyway, her new roommate regularly causes Tanner’s parents to blush with anger. However, they couldn’t be angry with the blushed magician for long. Somehow they took him to their hearts.
After 102 episodes, Alif’s adventures come to an end somewhat unsatisfactory for many fans: when Alif is finally supposed to be captured by his extraterrestrial friends in a spaceship, the authorities match him.
Even for the stars of the series, Project Aleph did not end happily. They really couldn’t get out of the huge shadow of the tiny alien being roughly three feet tall. Max Wright has occasionally been seen in films and has appeared in several episodes of the American comedy series Friends. He fought cancer for years. He passed away in 2019 at the age of 75. Tanner’s other cast didn’t have any major actor successes either.
Piper is currently working on a resume. A thousand memories will return. More or less by chance he got the job. He had just been in the studio at ZDF and was fired for a role when the director came from the side studio and automatically offered him Alf. Piper came up with one of Alf’s legendary sayings in his own words: “No problem!”
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