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{{Episode|prev=[[For Your Eyes Only]]|next=[[Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue?]]}}
  
{{Episode|prev=[[For Your Eyes Only]]|next=[[Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue?]]}}
  ⚫
'''Help Me, Rhonda''' is the seventh episode of [[ALF (TV series)|''ALF'']]'s [[Season 1|first season]].[[File:Stella.jpg|thumb|Alf and Stella.]]
−  
⚫
'''Help Me, Rhonda''' is the seventh episode of [[ALF (TV series)|''ALF'']]'s [[Season 1|first season]].[[File:Stella.jpg|thumb|Alf and Rhonda.]] It originally aired on Nov. 10, 1986.
  
   
 
==Plot Summary==
  
==Plot Summary==
−
When [[Brian]]'s birthday is coming up, [[ALF]] starts feeling homesick for his friends, since his planet [[Melmac]] blew up on his last birthday with his friends.
  
   
  +
=== Prologue ===
−
Seeing that [[ALF]] is homesick, [[Willie]] uses his radio equipment to attempt to contact someone from [[Melmac]] and gets in touch with [[ALF]]'s best friend [[Skip]] and the girl he likes, [[Rhonda]]. When they ask [[ALF]] to come with them to start a Melmacian colony on a new planet, he must decide whether he wants to go with them or stay with the [[Tanner Family|Tanners]].
  
  +
[[Brian]]'s birthday is coming up, and he is trying to decide on what he wants on his cake, and what he wants as gifts. Brian leads ALF into saying that back home on Melmac that people gave out large numbers of pricey gifts.
  +
  +
=== Act One ===
  +
That night [[ALF]] is having trouble sleeping and in the laundry room counting a stuffed sheep that is in the dryer as it's tumbling along. Willie comes in and asks how he's feeling, ALF mentions how he misses his crush Rhonda, and how just before their first date, his planet was destroyed in a nuclear war. That night he dreams about being back home with his friends celebrating his birthday, and being teased about his upcoming date. He's awakened from his dream and Willie tells him he was singing "Help me Rhonda" in his sleep. ALF tells Willie how homesick he is
  +
  +
=== Act Two ===
  +
ALF is lying on the couch in a depressed state, while Kate and Lynn are standing over consoling him. Meanwhile Willie and Brian are in the garage trying to contact someone from Melmac on Willie's radio that ALF can talk to. Back in the house Kate is giving ALF some soup. Willie and Brian rush in to say they've made contact with ALF's friend Skip. ALF and the rest go into the garage, and ALF then talks to Skip and he offers to pick ALF up on their way to Andromeda. ALF asks if he can wait until after Brian's birthday, but Skip then puts Rhonda on the line and tells ALF how much she misses him. He then relents and tells them to come.
  +
  +
  +
The family is celebrating Brian's birthday, and Brian is very sad about ALF leaving. ALF explains about how he wants to be back with his old friends, Lynn then brings in Brian's birthday cake with a picture of ALF on it which Kate made. Lynn gives ALF a tearful goodbye kiss, and Willie tells ALF how much he's enriched their lives. Kate gives ALF a hug, and wishes him luck. ALF gets a tearful hug from Brian, and heads outdoors to wait for the spaceship to pick him up.
  +
  +
  +
The family is in the living room and Brian is looking out the window to watch for the spaceship, and they all reminisce about ALF's many shenanigans. ALF then comes back in to return Willie's watch and give Brian his birthday present, of Melmacian fuzzy dice which always roll a seven. ALF rambles on about things and as the spaceship flies by and leaves without him. ALF missed his ride and decided to stay on [[Earth]] because he feels that he would miss the [[Tanner family]] more. He also feels that he has plenty of time to meet up with his friends later since he's got centuries left to live.
  +
  +
=== Epilogue ===
  +
Kate then talks to ALF about how she's had mixed feelings about him, and ALF then goes to the couch wanting to sleep. Kate then sarcastically wishes that ALF's friends would come back to get him
  +
  +
==Background information==
  +
  +
===Production history===
  +
*Premiere airdate: November 10, 1986
  +
  +
===Continuity===
  ⚫
*"''Help Me, Rhonda''" is a song by The Beach Boys - Skip and Rick sing this when they are ribbing Gordon about his date with Rhonda.
  +
*Brian turns seven years old in this episode. This places his birth in 1979.
  +
*ALF will be 229 in August 1987. This places his birth in August 1758. Lynn asks his age, but everyone seems unfazed when he says how old he is.
  +
*Ruth, the two-headed nurse, 'was the Vanna White and the Betty White of Melmac.'
  +
*Melmac "exploded" on ALF’s 228th birthday, which was in August 1986. ALF recalled "Orbit Guards, man your battle stations. The rest is history."
  +
*ALF's first date with Rhonda was going to be on ALF's 228th birthday.
  +
*ALF's flashback to life on Melmac took the form of a dream sequence. Therefore, it was not necessarily an accurate depiction.
  +
*Rick says Stella has "legs like a lunar lander." This implies that Melmac has landed on at least one of its moons.
  +
*Lynn takes ALF's temperature. It is normal, 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
  +
*Willie gives his radio handle as "K726 XAA Los Angeles."
  +
*ALF gives his name as "Gordon Shumway" in his will. Lynn was unaware of his real name until reading it.
  +
*ALF says "Goodnight Mrs. Ochmonek, wherever you are." This was a reference to Jimmy Durante's line at the end of his radio program, "Good night, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are!"
  +
*ALF gives Brian Melmacian dice, and says "every roll is a seven."
  +
*ALF says Rhonda will only want him more "after a couple of centuries." This establishes that Melmacians live over 400 years.
  +
  +
===Syndication cuts===
  +
[[File:Rhonda_on_Skip's_ship.jpg|thumb|300px|Rhonda on Skip's ship in a syndication cut scene.]]
  +
*Intro shortened.
  +
*ALF continues describing Ruth the two-headed nurse.
  +
*Brian whispers to ALF to talk about the birthday presents he wants.
  +
*Rick tells ALF that he's spent a third of his life doing nothing. Skip says he's spent it the same way they all have, looking at girls.
  +
*Rick originally says "Check out those gams, she's got legs like a lunar landa.
  +
*Skip and Rick tease ALF by singing "Help Me Rhonda." ALF tells his friends he'll miss them if something ever happened. The announcement is made for all Orbit Guards to man their battle stations. ALF wants to leave a message for Rhonda but decides not to. Rick tells Skip to pass over ALF's omelette.
  +
*Willie says "It was the one with Rhonda in the title. Help Me Rhonda, Help, Help Me Rhonda"
  +
*Willie and Brian play "Help Me Rhonda" over the radio.
  +
*Shots of Skip on the spaceship are cut during parts of the conversation. Skip mentions Rick and Stella got married and opened a tanning parlor on Mercury. Skip says he's not running a bus service. Rhonda is shown on the spaceship. She says she's missed Gordon and that he's the only one for her.
  +
*Kate tells Brian that ALF probably feels just as bad as he does. ALF then enters singing "I've Got the World on a String" before he asks if he's interrupting something
   
  +
==Links and references==
−
In the end, [[ALF]] chooses to stay on [[Earth]] because he feels that he would miss the [[Tanner family]] more. He also feels that he has plenty of time to meet up with his friends later since he has over 400 years remaining, according to Melmacian life expectancy.
  
  +
===Cast===
  +
*[[Lisa Buckley]] as [[Rhonda]] (uncredited)
  ⚫
*[[Andrea Elson]] as [[Lynn Tanner]]
  +
*[[Bob Fappiano]] as [[Skip]] (uncredited)
  +
*[[Paul Fusco]] as Gordon/[[ALF]] (voice) and [[Rick Fusterman]] (uncredited)
  ⚫
*[[Benji Gregory]] as [[Brian Tanner]]
  ⚫
*[[Anne Schedeen]] as [[Kate Tanner]]
  ⚫
*[[Max Wright]] as [[Willie Tanner]]
  +
*Unknown actress as [[Stella]]
   
−
== Cast ==
 +
===References===
  +
[[Andromeda]]; [[Archie (comics)|Archie]]; [[baseball]]; [[Beach Boys]]; [[birthday cake]]; [[calico claws]]; [[camera]]; [[candle]]; [[cat tail]]; [[chili cat]]; [[couch]]; [[date (social)|date]]; [[dice]]; [[Dustbuster]]; [[el gato stew]]; [[feline and fries]]; [[frosting]]; [[garage]]; [[gravy]]; [[heart]]; [[Hopalong Cassidy]]; [[Archie (comics)|Jughead]]; [[Los Angeles]]; [[Little Deuce Coupe]]; [[lunar lander]]; [[Martian]]; ''[[The Mary Tyler Moore Show|Mary Tyler Moore Show, The]]''; [[Melmac (planet)|Melmac]]; [[Melmacian]]; [[Ohio]]; [[Orbit Guard]]; ''[[The Phil Donahue Show|Phil Donahue Show, The]]''; [[planet;]] ''[[Rhoda]]''; [[Robin Hood]]; [[Ruth (nurse)|Ruth]]; [[Marsha Shanken|Shanken, Marsha]]; [[sheep]]; [[soup]]; [[suitcase]]; [[tail]]; [[tiger]]; [[Toledo]]; [[transvestite]]; [[watch]]; [[whisker omelet]]; [[Betty White|White, Betty]]; [[Vanna White|White, Vanna]]; [[will and testament]]
−
* [[ALF]]
  
⚫
* [[Willie Tanner]]
  
⚫
* [[Kate |Kate Tanner]]
  
⚫
* [[Brian Tanner]]
  
⚫
* [[Lynn Tanner]]
  
−
* [[Lucky the Cat]]
  
−
* [[Skip]]
  
−
* [[Rhonda]]
  
−
* [[Rick Fusterman|Rick]]
  
−
* [[BALF]] ''(dropped)''
  
   
−
==Title Reference==
 +
===Cut references===
  +
"[[I've Got the World on a String]]"; [[Mercury (planet)|Mercury]]; [[tanning parlor]]
   
  +
===External links===
⚫
"''Help Me, Rhonda''" is a song by The Beach Boys - [[Skip]] and [[Rick Fusterman|Rick]] sing this when they are ribbing [[ALF]] about his date with [[Rhonda]].
  
  +
*[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0504405 Help Me, Rhonda] at the [https://www.imdb.com IMDb]
   
−
== Trivia ==
  
−
* BALF was originally going to appear during ALF's dream, but he was dropped.
  
 
[[de:Ein Mädchen namens Rhonda]]
  
[[de:Ein Mädchen namens Rhonda]]
 
[[Category:ALF Episodes]]
  
[[Category:ALF Episodes]]
  +
[[Category:Season 1 Episodes]]

Latest revision as of 18:53, 15 February 2024



Previous episode: Next episode:
For Your Eyes Only Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue?


Help Me, Rhonda is the seventh episode of ALF's first season.

Stella

Alf and Stella.

Plot Summary

Prologue

Brian's birthday is coming up, and he is trying to decide on what he wants on his cake, and what he wants as gifts. Brian leads ALF into saying that back home on Melmac that people gave out large numbers of pricey gifts.

Act One

That night ALF is having trouble sleeping and in the laundry room counting a stuffed sheep that is in the dryer as it's tumbling along. Willie comes in and asks how he's feeling, ALF mentions how he misses his crush Rhonda, and how just before their first date, his planet was destroyed in a nuclear war. That night he dreams about being back home with his friends celebrating his birthday, and being teased about his upcoming date. He's awakened from his dream and Willie tells him he was singing "Help me Rhonda" in his sleep. ALF tells Willie how homesick he is

Act Two

ALF is lying on the couch in a depressed state, while Kate and Lynn are standing over consoling him. Meanwhile Willie and Brian are in the garage trying to contact someone from Melmac on Willie's radio that ALF can talk to. Back in the house Kate is giving ALF some soup. Willie and Brian rush in to say they've made contact with ALF's friend Skip. ALF and the rest go into the garage, and ALF then talks to Skip and he offers to pick ALF up on their way to Andromeda. ALF asks if he can wait until after Brian's birthday, but Skip then puts Rhonda on the line and tells ALF how much she misses him. He then relents and tells them to come.


The family is celebrating Brian's birthday, and Brian is very sad about ALF leaving. ALF explains about how he wants to be back with his old friends, Lynn then brings in Brian's birthday cake with a picture of ALF on it which Kate made. Lynn gives ALF a tearful goodbye kiss, and Willie tells ALF how much he's enriched their lives. Kate gives ALF a hug, and wishes him luck. ALF gets a tearful hug from Brian, and heads outdoors to wait for the spaceship to pick him up.


The family is in the living room and Brian is looking out the window to watch for the spaceship, and they all reminisce about ALF's many shenanigans. ALF then comes back in to return Willie's watch and give Brian his birthday present, of Melmacian fuzzy dice which always roll a seven. ALF rambles on about things and as the spaceship flies by and leaves without him. ALF missed his ride and decided to stay on Earth because he feels that he would miss the Tanner family more. He also feels that he has plenty of time to meet up with his friends later since he's got centuries left to live.

Epilogue

Kate then talks to ALF about how she's had mixed feelings about him, and ALF then goes to the couch wanting to sleep. Kate then sarcastically wishes that ALF's friends would come back to get him

Background information

Production history

  • Premiere airdate: November 10, 1986

Continuity

  • "Help Me, Rhonda" is a song by The Beach Boys - Skip and Rick sing this when they are ribbing Gordon about his date with Rhonda.
  • Brian turns seven years old in this episode. This places his birth in 1979.
  • ALF will be 229 in August 1987. This places his birth in August 1758. Lynn asks his age, but everyone seems unfazed when he says how old he is.
  • Ruth, the two-headed nurse, 'was the Vanna White and the Betty White of Melmac.'
  • Melmac "exploded" on ALF’s 228th birthday, which was in August 1986. ALF recalled "Orbit Guards, man your battle stations. The rest is history."
  • ALF's first date with Rhonda was going to be on ALF's 228th birthday.
  • ALF's flashback to life on Melmac took the form of a dream sequence. Therefore, it was not necessarily an accurate depiction.
  • Rick says Stella has "legs like a lunar lander." This implies that Melmac has landed on at least one of its moons.
  • Lynn takes ALF's temperature. It is normal, 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Willie gives his radio handle as "K726 XAA Los Angeles."
  • ALF gives his name as "Gordon Shumway" in his will. Lynn was unaware of his real name until reading it.
  • ALF says "Goodnight Mrs. Ochmonek, wherever you are." This was a reference to Jimmy Durante's line at the end of his radio program, "Good night, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are!"
  • ALF gives Brian Melmacian dice, and says "every roll is a seven."
  • ALF says Rhonda will only want him more "after a couple of centuries." This establishes that Melmacians live over 400 years.

Syndication cuts

Rhonda on Skip's ship

Rhonda on Skip's ship in a syndication cut scene.

  • Intro shortened.
  • ALF continues describing Ruth the two-headed nurse.
  • Brian whispers to ALF to talk about the birthday presents he wants.
  • Rick tells ALF that he's spent a third of his life doing nothing. Skip says he's spent it the same way they all have, looking at girls.
  • Rick originally says "Check out those gams, she's got legs like a lunar landa.
  • Skip and Rick tease ALF by singing "Help Me Rhonda." ALF tells his friends he'll miss them if something ever happened. The announcement is made for all Orbit Guards to man their battle stations. ALF wants to leave a message for Rhonda but decides not to. Rick tells Skip to pass over ALF's omelette.
  • Willie says "It was the one with Rhonda in the title. Help Me Rhonda, Help, Help Me Rhonda"
  • Willie and Brian play "Help Me Rhonda" over the radio.
  • Shots of Skip on the spaceship are cut during parts of the conversation. Skip mentions Rick and Stella got married and opened a tanning parlor on Mercury. Skip says he's not running a bus service. Rhonda is shown on the spaceship. She says she's missed Gordon and that he's the only one for her.
  • Kate tells Brian that ALF probably feels just as bad as he does. ALF then enters singing "I've Got the World on a String" before he asks if he's interrupting something

Links and references

Cast

References

Andromeda; Archie; baseball; Beach Boys; birthday cake; calico claws; camera; candle; cat tail; chili cat; couch; date; dice; Dustbuster; el gato stew; feline and fries; frosting; garage; gravy; heart; Hopalong Cassidy; Jughead; Los Angeles; Little Deuce Coupe; lunar lander; Martian; Mary Tyler Moore Show, The; Melmac; Melmacian; Ohio; Orbit Guard; Phil Donahue Show, The; planet; Rhoda; Robin Hood; Ruth; Shanken, Marsha; sheep; soup; suitcase; tail; tiger; Toledo; transvestite; watch; whisker omelet; White, Betty; White, Vanna; will and testament

Cut references

"I've Got the World on a String"; Mercury; tanning parlor

External links

Deutsch
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