Yet another Henson/Disney article - LaughingPlace.com

[Luke]

Originally posted by Muppets1985
Luke, WOW!!!!!!! I have NO idea Disney tryed buying "ALF" when was this??? ......Sounds cool tho!

It was around 1985 probably, Diz offered about $7 million for the entire rights - there was some negotiation which ended when Disney said they wanted to call him "Disney's ALF" and basically make him just funny and take out the sharp crude humor. The creators thought it was a lame idea that would pretty much wreck the character and be unsuccesful, and they also thought that if Disney were prepared to offer so much before the show had even started then it must have the potential to be worth tons more than that in the future so they decided to hold onto the rights and form their own independant company to make the show for NBC - they've gone on to make many hundreds of million dollars since from the original show, international distribution and licensing. They were managed by Bernie Brillstein, Jim's manager and i think they definitely made the right decisions !

 

[BoyRaisin2]

I'm not a major ALF fan, but, yeah, Disney buying the show and calling it "Disney's ALF" (if that's indeed true) would be unnecessary.

 

[Luke]

Yeah it is indeed true, i've heard it from ALF's creator and also it's in the biography of the manager who was negotiating the deal at the time.

 

[Chilly Down]

Luke, you seem to have made a typo. You said Disney wanted to buy out ALF in 1985, but the show didn't start till 1986--as I'm sure you know! So what's the actual date?

 

[Luke]

That's the correct date - Eisner had originally turned down ALF when it was just a character concept (CAA/Ovitz sent Paul to Disney/Witt Thomas before Bernie Brillstein). NBC made a pilot in late 1985 i think - it was shown to the industry and test audiences who loved it and Eisner wanted back in. He didn't want just the distribution though - he wanted to own 'ALF' entirely but according to Brillstein nobody could get past Eisner wanting to call it "Walt Disney's ALF" and make him cute and cuddly, the producers wanted him to keep the 'edge'. The pilot was later screened as part of the first 13 episodes on NBC in 1986.

 

[JamieDenny]

Is there anything successful that Disney doesn't want to claim as there own?
Jamie

 

[sarah_yzma]

no

Sarah

 

[trekkie1701E]

Disney's Alf <shudder>

 

[Kye]

Originally posted by trekkie1701E
Disney's Alf <shudder>

ANYTHING ALF <shudder>

 

[sarah_yzma]

*watches for luke*

I.....don't wanna be around *skedaddles*