ALF

 March 24, 1990, the final episode of ALF aired. The NBC sitcom ran from September 22, 1986, to March 24, 1990, producing 99 episodes (often counted as 102 in syndication) and was notable as the first television series presented in Dolby Surround.

The series centered on Gordon Shumway, a wisecracking alien nicknamed ALF (Alien Life Form), who crash-lands in the garage of the Tanner family in suburban California. The show starred Max Wright as Willie Tanner, Anne Schedeen as Kate, and Andrea Elson and Benji Gregory as their children, Lynn and Brian. ALF himself was performed by creator Paul Fusco.

Balancing sitcom humor with science fiction elements, the series followed ALF adjusting to life on Earth while hiding from the government and nosy neighbors. Though much of the show played for laughs, it also explored themes of loneliness and displacement, as ALF coped with the destruction of his home planet, Melmac.

The series finale, titled “Consider Me Gone,” ended on a dramatic cliffhanger, with ALF attempting to leave Earth but being captured by the Alien Task Force—leaving viewers without resolution until the later TV movie continuation.