Description:  ALF: The Animated Series is a prequel cartoon that depicts the life of Gordon "ALF" Shumway on his home planet of Melmac before it exploded. It follows the teenage Gordon as he gets into wacky situations with his family and friends, such as his parents Bob and Flo, younger brother Curtis, sister Augie, and girlfriend Rhonda. Each episode is framed by a live-action intro and outro with the puppet ALF, who talks to the audience about the adventures he's recalling from his "Melmac Memories".

Setting: The planet Melmac, in a suburban town called East Velcro.

Protagonist: Gordon Shumway, a teenager who lives with his family and is friends with Skip, Rick, and his girlfriend Rhonda.

Family: His parents Bob and Flo, younger brother Curtis, and younger sister Augie.

Pets: The family dog Neep and bird Harry.

Prequel: The series is a prequel to the live-action sitcom, showing what life was like on Melmac before its destruction.

Live-action frame: Each animated episode begins and ends with a live-action segment featuring the puppet ALF talking to the audience.

Humor: Much of the humor comes from the characters engaging in ordinary human activities in an alien, surreal environment.

Parodies: Some episodes were parodies of famous movies and stories, such as "Salad Wars" for Star Wars and "The Spy from East Velcro" for James Bond.

Expanded lore: The show expanded on the backstory of the live-action series, detailing Melmac's culture, slang, and traditions.