| “ | If I'm not home by the time Santa gets there, I'll sue you. | ” |
— ALF to Willie, after the car gets stuck | ||
"Oh, Tannerbaum" is the first Christmas episode of the NBC sitcom ALF, originally broadcast on December 22, 1986. Its title is a reference to the song "O Tannenbaum".
Synopsis[]
| This page about a Christmas special or an episode from a television series with a Christmas theme is in need of a longer synopsis. You can help the Christmas Special Wiki by expanding this synopsis. |
After ALF cuts down the family Christmas tree on Christmas Eve, Willie goes looking for a new one. After backing out of an auction for the last one at the last lot in town, run by a man named Fahid, he buys a fake one. Unable to complete it in part due to the instructions being in Japanese (which ALF claims to be able to read), he decides to travel to McCollun's Tree Farm in the Angeles Forest to buy a real one, and ALF comes along, in hopes of seeing snow.
With ALF navigating, Willie drives the car off the road and it gets stuck in mud. While they are awaiting help to arrive, Willie takes a nap and has a nightmare about his fake tree. When he wakes up, he finds that ALF has cut one down and tied it to the car, for which Willie gets fined by a park ranger.
Edits[]
When shown in syndication, the following edits were made:
- Willie waking up and turning off the radio while it was playing "Jingle Bell Rock" was replaced with an establishing shot of the house.
- Lynn and Brian adding in their opinions about Willie getting the fake tree was cut.
- Willie telling ALF that the instructions were in Japanese was cut, along with ALF translating the first sentence on the sheet ("So you weren't able to buy a real tree...").
- Kate telling Trevor that Willie went out to get a real tree was cut.
- Willie's nightmare was shortened, cutting out the parts where Kate, Lynn, and Brian run out on him.
Availability[]
The episode was included in Lions Gate Home Entertainment's ALF: The Complete First Season DVD set, released on August 10, 2004. Unfortunately, like all the other episodes on the set, it was presented in the edited form used in syndication. The uncut version was made available on Shout! Studios' ALF: The Complete Series Deluxe Edition DVD set, released on October 17, 2023.
Cast[]
| Actor/actress | Character |
|---|---|
| Paul Fusco | ALF |
| Max Wright | Willie Tanner |
| Anne Schedeen | Kate Tanner |
| Andrea Elson | Lynn Tanner |
| Benji Gregory | Brian Tanner |
| John LaMotta | Trevor Ochmonek |