Aliens in the Family
Aliens in the Family is an American science fantasy sitcom that aired on ABC from March 15 to August 31, 1996, conceived as part of its TGIF lineup.
| Aliens in the Family | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Created by | |
| Written by |
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| Directed by | Tom Trbovich |
| Starring |
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| Theme music composer | Todd Rundgren |
| Composers |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 8 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producer | Ritamarie Peruggi |
| Running time | 22–24 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Audio format | Dolby Surround |
| Original release | March 15 – August 31, 1996 |
Premise
The show was about single dad Doug Brody (John Bedford Lloyd), who is abducted by single alien mom Cookie (Margaret Trigg). The two fall in love, get married, and try to live a normal life on Earth as a mixed family.
Cast
- John Bedford Lloyd as Doug Brody
- Margaret Trigg as Cookie Brody
- Paige Tiffany as Heather Brody
- Chris Marquette as Adam Brody
- Julie Dretzin as Sally Hagen
Puppeteers
- Alice Dinnean as Snizzy (face and voice)
- Michael Gilden as Snizzy (body)
- John Kennedy as Bobut (face)
- Bruce Lanoil as Spit (face)
- Peter Linz as Varch, Elder of the Nertron Galactic Federation (in "Respect Your Elders"), Red Yukkle (in "Dissected and Neglected")
- Joey Mazzarino as Spit (voice), Green and Yellow Yukkles (in "Dissected and Neglected")
- David Rudman as Bobut (body and voice), Orange and Purple Yukkles (in "Dissected and Neglected")
- Michelan Sisti as Spit (body)
Production
The series was created, written and executive produced by Andy and Susan Borowitz. Brian Henson, son of Jim Henson, also served as co-executive producer. The series theme song was written and performed by Todd Rundgren. The series was shot in its entirety at Lifetime Studios in New York City.[1]
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Meet the Brodys" | Tom Trbovich | Andy Borowitz & Susan Borowitz | March 15, 1996 |
| 2 | "Bobut Conquers All" | Tom Trbovich | Susan Borowitz & Andy Borowitz | March 22, 1996 |
| 3 | "Cookie Makes Some Dough" | Tom Trbovich | Susan Borowitz & Andy Borowitz | July 27, 1996 |
| 4 | "You Don't Have a Pet to Be Popular" | Tom Trbovich | Susan Borowitz & Andy Borowitz | August 3, 1996 |
| 5 | "Too Good to Be True" | Tom Trbovich | Patricia Marx | August 10, 1996 |
| 6 | "Respect Your Elders" | Tom Trbovich | Susan Borowitz & Andy Borowitz | August 17, 1996 |
| 7 | "Dissected and Neglected" | Tom Trbovich | Charlie Rubin | August 24, 1996 |
| 8 | "A Very Brody Tweeznax" | Tom Trbovich | Susan Borowitz & Andy Borowitz | August 31, 1996 |
Cancellation
The show premiered on March 15, 1996; ABC pulled the series from its TGIF lineup after two weeks, replacing the show's scheduled third airing with re-runs of other TGIF programs. The show did not return for over four months and aired the rest of its episodes on Saturday mornings in the summer of 1996.
Jaleel White, who starred as Steve Urkel on another TGIF program (Family Matters), was a vocal critic of TGIF adding Jim Henson programs onto the TGIF block (Aliens in the Family debuted the same year as Muppets Tonight) and speculated that their addition ruined the block's credibility by changing its target demographic from whole families to children.[2]
References
- "Aliens in the Family: Cast and crew". tv.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
- Hal Boedeker (July 18, 1997). "He's A Goober But CBS Has A Lot Riding On Urkel TV". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved October 18, 2012.