Each story typically spoofs a film genre, such as the “Cinderella” episode done as an Elvis movie. Some episodes featured a “fourth wall” effect where ALF is backstage preparing for the episode, and Rob Cowan would appear drawn as a TV executive to try to brief ALF on how to improve this episode. For instance Cowan once told ALF who was readying for a medieval themed episode that “less than 2% of our audience lives in the Dark Ages”.