Alf

Somewhere Over The Rerun is the Second Episode of the Second Season of "Alf." It aired on September 28, 1987.

Synopsis
Watching TV, Alf becomes a big fan of "Gilligan's Island" and starts considering it paradise, going as far as to question why life isn't as much fun at home, as it is on the series, much to the annoyance of Willie and Kate. Alf starts turning the Tanner's home into a shrine to the series, but he eventually takes it too far as he digs a huge hole in the back yard and diverts the main water line to his hole to create a lagoon. Willie is livid that Alf would do such a thing and demands that Alf restore his yard to its original state, refusing to let him back into the house until he does so. Later that evening, Lynn gives Alf some lemonade, and Alf tries to use reverse psychology to get her to dig for him (which he claims Gilligan always falls for), but Lynn doesn't buy it. After working well into the night and making little progress, Alf falls asleep and has a dream where he's now on the island and meets Gilligan, the Skipper, the Professor and Mary Ann. However, becoming one with the Castaways is not turning out to be the fantasy he hopes for as they have become bored and chronically depressed from being away from civilization for over twenty-three years. Gilligan has grown to resent being called "Little Buddy" into his forties, and he really detests being continuously smacked by the Skipper (and occasionally the Professor) with his hat. Mary Ann now only makes healthy meals and fruit for dessert since the Professor commented her coconut cream pies were bad for their blood sugar levels. Gilligan comments they were sick to death of them anyway''. The Castaways continuously bicker about other things too, mainly about being stranded and their inability to get rescued. ''The bickering had gotten so bad that Ginger and the Howells have moved to the other side of the island and are now on non-speaking terms with the others. Disillusioned by their bickering and sour moods, Alf tries to convince the Castaways to be the funny, friendly, wacky characters he's used to seeing on TV, but they turn on him and order him to dig dirt to fill in their lagoon for them to build a miniature golf course, something they don't intend to share with the Howells. Alf attempts to use reverse psychology on Gilligan, to get him to dig instead, but Gilligan no longer falls for it. While leaving Alf to dig, the Castaways turn to a makeshift TV the Professor built to pick up a TV signal. It turns out their favorite TV show is "The Tanners" which reminds them of what regular life is all about back in the civilized world, and they pine for things that the Tanners are able to do, like take warm bathes, eat meatloaf and apple pie, and change clothes. Alf now realizes that the show is "only fun in half-hour chunks" as Willie breaks the fourth wall through the Professor's TV and declares that Alf wanted to be on "Gilligan's island," where the fun never stops. Alf begs to return home just as Willie wakes him up. Alf is now disenchanted by "Gilligan's Island" and more appreciative of what he has with the Tanners. Although touched by Alf's sentiment, Willie still insists he finish filling his makeshift lagoon, much to Alf's dismay. Unfortunately, a few days later, Alf has latched into another TV show, turning the Tanner back yard into the Ponderosa from "Bonanza."

Cast
Main Cast/Gilligan's Island
 * Bob Denver as Gilligan
 * Alan Hale, Jr. as The Skipper
 * Dawn Wells as Mary Ann
 * Russell Johnson as The Professor

Main Cast/Alf
 * Paul Fusco as Gordon "Alf" Schumwey
 * Max Wright as William "Willie" Tanner
 * Anne Schedeen as Kate Tanner
 * Andrea Elson as Lynn Tanner
 * Benji Gregory as Brian Tanner

Guest Cast
 * None

Trivia

 * The Howells and Ginger are not seen in this episode; its explained that they went to live on the other side of the island.
 * This crossover completely ignores the events of Rescue from Gilligan's Island, The Castaways on Gilligan's Island and The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island which sees the Castaways rescued, disenchanted with civilization then sharing the Island with the outside world.

Quotes

 * Coming up