- Melmac (planet)
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This article is about the fictional planet. For other uses, see Melmac (disambiguation).
Melmac 
Melmac in ALF: The Animated SeriesUniverse ALF Notable locations Lower East Side Notable races Melmacians Notable people Gordon Shumway Creator Paul Fusco Genre Television Melmac is a fictional planet in the television series ALF. The name is a joke reference to the Melmac brand of dinnerware made popular in the 1950s.
Melmac was discovered 23,000 years ago when Harold Twink accidentally took the wrong exit for Neptune.[1] Although ALF described the planet's demise as having exploded in a freak boating accident one night while he was out in his Orbit Guard patrol ship,[1] the real reason was a nuclear war.[2] Other explanation given during the show on the reason why Melmac exploded was that all Melmacians turned on their hair-dryers at the same time, thus causing the explosion of the planet. In yet another time when ALF was in a public service announcement about environmentalism, he says that Melmac was destroyed due to environmental irresponsibility. Melmac was located six parsecs past the Hydra-Centaurus Supercluster. Melmac was very much like Earth but it had two moons, it was oddly shaped and made of Melmac,[3] Melmac had green skies and blue grass, and has a purple sun.
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Melmacian culture
The Melmacian God is Barry.[4] The planet's motto is "Are you going to finish that sandwich?".[3] Melmac's national anthem was Dance till you drop, by Homer T. Swipe,[5] and the national flower was Roger, the turnip.[5] During the holiday season, Melmacians dress up as vegetables and dance with their neighbours. During Fappiano (Melmacian Thanksgiving), they eat a feast that lasts from sunrise to sunset, and exchange gifts.[4][5] Melmacians' favorite food is cats. Melmac's one and only military was named the Orbit Guard and it took the duties of protecting Melmac from space, sea, land, and air. Melmac technology was very advanced; they had flying/hover cars, cyborgs, and light-speed space travel. The Melmacian education system accepts students into college for the standard 63-year enrollment period.[4] Alf attended high school for 122 years and was captain of a Bouillabaisseball team (which is played on ice using shellfish as a ball).
The commonly-used currency is a Wernick, which is equal to ten American dollars, and the substance we call foam is as precious on Melmac as gold is on Earth. Most metal pipes in their spaceships are made of gold. Gravel, lint, and wax are also considered to be precious metals.
Every seventy-five years, Melmacians change their personality for a short period of time. They are aggressive for twelve hours and desire more than anything to eat a cat. To prevent them from destroying things a cage is built for them to pass the phase in. The final stage of the transformation is marked by quoting people, often incorrectly.[6]
A hiccup from a Melmacian is very loud, very strong, and very disturbing. The hiccups can shatter glass and are hard to get rid of. The only cure for the hiccups is cat juice or raw spinach (Popeye being reviled in Melmac mythology).[7]
Being born in wedlock was considered a great shame on Melmac, the opposite of Earth. A Melmacian wedding consisted of a priest saying "You're hitched. Go for it babe." The high priest on Melmac, was also a butcher.
Death is a festival on Melmac. All Melmacians die at the age of 650 years, so they have enough time to withdraw their accounts and give away their possessions.[8][9]
Despite this eccentric slacker attitude, Melmacian culture appreciates education; to the point that burning books was regarded as a magnet for bad luck, since, by their logic, you would be stealing knowledge from future generations.
Melmacian time
A year on Melmac consists of 364 days, 386 days if you include Sundays.[1] These days seem to be similar to the length of a day on Earth. The Melmac months are: Harble, Tarble, Gorruf, Kilmerl, Gagg, Orring, Barp, Twangle, Fanfan, Nathinganger, Anerva, and Fibble.[4] It's not explained how a month is defined on a planet with two moons.
Biology
Before the Melmacian race existed, huge creatures used to roam Melmac; they looked like a cross between a dinosaur and an insurance salesman.[1] Melmacians have a lifespan of 650 years. By the inclusion of a plant called the Carl Shrub in their diet, Melmacians are immune to infectious disease. 90% of Melmacians are under the height of 3 feet (0.91 m), but are over the weight of 400 pounds, since their fur is very dense. A Melmacian's favorite dish is Cat, although they also eat a lot of seafood. Their blood is green-colored and they have ten major organs in their bodies: a heart (which is in their heads), liver and eight stomachs. Their mating call is a high-pitched, shrieking wail reminiscent of the giant ants in the classic 1950's film Them!, which Alf demonstrated in one episode.
History
Following the destruction of the planet, Gordon Shumway, from the Lower East side of the planet, believed he was the last survivor of both his civilization and his species. Only six other surviving Melmacians are known: Skip and Rhonda, who invited Shumway to leave with them and colonize a new planet; ALF's cousin "Blinky" who was seen in a car traveling down the highway and Brian, a furniture salesman. On his first Day on Earth, Alf attempted to contact his friends in space: Skip, Larry, and Murphy.
Melmac in culture
In the science fiction series, Stargate SG-1, (Season 6, Episode 13, "Sight Unseen") Melmac is mentioned. Colonel O'Neill tells Vernon Sharpe, a civilian, that the 'aliens' he has been seeing came from the planet Melmac. Vernon is perplexed: "Isn't that where ALF is from?" Colonel O'Neill pretended that he had no idea what Vernon is talking about, and after Vernon's explanation about the TV show and puppet, O'Neill claims never to have seen it. (Richard Dean Anderson, who portrayed Colonel O'Neill, also starred as MacGyver in the eponymous series that aired in a time slot opposite the show ALF, MacGyver itself was referenced in an episode of Alf, though the two characters were never shown watching any episodes of the other on either series.)
References
- ^ a b c d "ALF FACTS". ALFtv.net. http://www.alftv.net/alffacts.html. Retrieved 2007-03-09.
- ^ "Alf: Season One (Lions Gate)". UnderGroundOnline review. http://www.ugo.com/channels/dvd/features/alf_season1/review.asp. Retrieved 2007-03-09.
- ^ a b "Alien Puppets". TV Acres. http://www.tvacres.com/aliens_puppets_alf.htm. Retrieved 2007-03-09.
- ^ a b c d "Trivia Archive". The ALF archive. http://www.pleasant.org/alf/arctriv.html. Retrieved 2007-03-09.
- ^ a b c "Melmac Facts". http://www.pleasant.org/alf/melfacts.html. Retrieved 2007-03-09.
- ^ ALF, Season 1, Episode 19, "Wild Thing"
- ^ Alf, Season 2, Episode 8, "Something's Wrong with Me"
- ^ Alf, Season 2, Episode 16, "We're So Sorry, Uncle Albert"
- ^ Alf, Season 4, Episode 18, "Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades"
ALF Characters Gordon Shumway · Willie Tanner · Kate Tanner · Lynn Tanner · Brian TannerMain cast Related Episodes · ALF: The Animated Series · ALF Tales · Alf's Hit Talk Show · Melmac · Project ALF · Video game · Cartoon All-Stars to the RescueCategories:- Fictional planets
- ALF (TV series)
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