LOS ANGELES - Transformers, Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake, The Smurfs, The Muppets... if all those '80s favorites can forge comebacks, why not ALF?

That's the hope of ALF - the character and the TV show - creator Paul Fusco, who is about to pitch an ALF comeback for the big screen.

"I think the timing is right," Fusco told The Hollywood Reporter. "That's a big important thing, timing. There have been movies out there of characters that I didn't think were on the same parallel as ALF that got movies made, so I think it's time. I think it could be a home run on a lot of levels."

"ALF," about the furry, wisecracking Melmac alien with the anteater snoot and a love of eating cats, aired on NBC from 1986-90, while ALF was also the star of an animated spin-off series, "ALF: The Animated Series," on NBC from 1987-88.

The character was also featured in a comic book, a line of merchandise that included trading cards, lunchboxes, videogames and dolls, a TV Land talk show that co-starred Ed McMahon and commercials for the 10-10-220 telephone service.

"ALF could be more outspoken now than ever, because the world is a whole different place than the '80s," Fusco said. "And I think the character still stands up and certainly has more to say now than ever. I think we would approach it in a fresh way. I don't think we would duplicate the TV show, but I think we would maybe put it in a storyline where we would explain how ALF got here and put him with a new family and let the character speak for himself."