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The Gambler is the twenty third episode of ALF's first season. It originally aired on April 6, 1987.
Plot Summary[]
Prologue[]
The family is getting ready for a garage sale. Willie is upset about Kate wanting to sell Willie's Niña ship in a bottle. ALF learns about the family's $11,000 balloon payment.
Act One[]
Willie explains to ALF about what garage sales and balloon payments are. Dorothy comes in to bring some items for the sale and to watch the results of a horse race she has money on. Kate asks her mom why she was never taken to a racetrack and tells her she just uses a bookie known as Nick "The Fish" Mints. The horse she bet on wins and Dorothy has won $300. ALF asks Dorothy about betting saying he wants to help with the family's payments and she rebuffs him. That night ALF is in Kate and Willie's bedroom and asks them to leave so he can make a private phone call. When they leave ALF calls The Fish and asks him to use $50 he got from rebate coupons for some bets. ALF wins 300 on his first race and then wins another later, and bets more on various horses at the same time. On the day of the sale, Dorothy comes over to help. ALF is watching another race and Willie comes into the room ALF asks Willie to keep an eye on number 9 who just fell down. ALF keep's yelling "get up" and calls Nick on the phone, and finds out he lost everything and more and now is $6000 in debt. ALF offers to put a check in the mail, but Nick says he'll be right over collect the money. ALF asks Kate what could happen to a person who can't pay a gambling debt to which he is told could result in broken legs
Act Two[]
ALF Kate and Willie are in the garage, and ALF is trying to sell some of his stuff for the sale to cover his gambling debt, including a collection of bouillabaisseball cards. At the garage sale, nobody is buying anything and the family wonders why. A number of people then reveal that the prices are excessively high. An older man in a military uniform then asks if they have any more of the $800 screwdrivers for sale. Kate and Willie run into the house to ask about why he changed the prices, but he thinks they were talking about the horse race betting The doorbell rings, and Nick comes to ask for his money. When Kate and Willie say they don't have the money. Nick starts to leave saying he better find it or else. On his way out, he breaks a porcelain vase. Dorothy has changed the tags and they all chide ALF for the gambling debt. ALF shifts the blame to Dorothy saying she introduced him to the practice. The doorbell rings again, but this time it is a set decorator for a movie studio named Carl Buck. He came to the sale looking for props for the movie Jupiter Guys he's working on and wants ALF's spaceship and was willing to pay $4,000 to rent it.. Willie says he can rent it for $6,000 to which Carl accepts.
Epilogue[]
ALF is searching through the family's trash to find rebate coupons and Willie comes out looking for his Niña ship and finds it
Background information[]
Production history[]
- Premiere airdate: April 6, 1987
- Production number: 1022
Title Reference[]
"The Gambler" is a song by Don Schlitz that came to great popularity when covered by Kenny Rogers.
Trivia[]
- Antagonist: Nick "The Fish" Mints