Aliens in the Family

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Not to be confused with the 1987 BBC drama serial, or the 1986 Margaret Mahy novel on which it was based, both of the same name.
Aliens in the Family
GenreSci-fi/fantasy Sitcom
Created byAndy Borowitz
Susan Borowitz
Written bySusan Borowitz
Andy Borowitz
Patricia Marx
Charlie Rubin
Directed byTom Trbovich
StarringJohn Bedford Lloyd
Margaret Trigg
Theme music composerTodd Rundgren
Composer(s)Joe Carroll
Peter Thom
Country of originUnited States
Original language(s)English
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producer(s)Andy Borowitz
Susan Borowitz
Brian Henson
Producer(s)Ritamarie Peruggi
Running time22–24 minutes
Production companiesThe Jim Henson Company
Jim Henson Productions
The Stuffed Dog Company
Broadcast
Original channelABC
Audio formatDolby Surround
Original runMarch 15, 1996 – August 31, 1996
Aliens in the Family is an American sci-fi/fantasy sitcom that aired on ABC, conceived as part of its TGIF lineup From the Creators of Dinosaurs and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Premise[edit]

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. Much of the series humor was derived from gags involving the assimilation of the alien family into everyday life—despite being pink and having massive heads (all of the aliens were puppets designed by Jim Henson's Creature Shop), everyone on Earth seems to accept their presence, and in spite of possessing technology far superior to that of Earth, the aliens all go about their everyday lives in the same fashion as all the humans.
Although not the focus of the show, the character to receive the most attention in episodes was Bobut, Cookie's infant son. Baby Bobut could talk, had a genius-level IQ, and was perpetually plotting a grisly fate for those around him (though the series position as a family show meant that Bobut's plans were always family-friendly: for example, wreaking havoc on the city by causing a frog to grow ten times its size).

Episodes[edit]

Ep #TitleAirdateSynopsis
1"Meet the Brodys"March 15, 1996
2"Bobut Conquers All"March 22, 1996
3"Cookie Makes Some Dough"July 27, 1996
4"You Don't Have a Pet to Be Popular"August 3, 1996
5"Too Good to Be True"August 10, 1996
6"Respect Your Elders"August 17, 1996
7"Dissected and Neglected"August 24, 1996
8"A Very Brody Tweeznax"August 31, 1996

Cancellation[edit]

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 finally burned off the rest of its episodes on Saturday mornings in the summer of 1996.

Cast[edit]

  • John Bedford Lloyd - Doug Brody
  • Margaret Trigg - Cookie Brody
  • Paige Tiffany - Heather Brody
  • Chris Marquette - Adam Brody
  • Julie Dretzin - Sally Hagen

Puppeteers[edit]

Production notes[edit]

The series was created, written by and executive produced by Andy and Susan Borowitz. Brian Henson, son of Jim Henson, also served as executive producer. The series theme song was written and performed by Todd Rundgren.[1]

References[edit]

  1. Jump up^ "Aliens in the Family: Cast and crew". tv.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2008-10-05.

External links[edit]