The Journey of Allen Strange
A stranded alien learns to fit in on Earth.
The Journey of Allen Strange ran on Nickelodeon’s SNICK lineup for three seasons, from November 1997 to April 2000. The show centers on a young alien from the planet Xela, played by Arjay Smith, who becomes stranded on Earth. He is taken in by a family consisting of a teenage girl named Robbie Stevenson (Erin J. Dean), her younger brother Josh (Shane Sweet), and their father Ken (Jack Tate). The family gives him the human name Allen Strange. Allen possesses several unusual abilities: he can transform into his alien form, which allows him to hover; he can read an entire book just by placing his hand on its cover; and he has advanced dexterity and muscle memory, once perfectly replicating basketball shots after watching a game. He also brings a sporting goods store mannequin to life, who then poses as his Earth father, Manfred, for events like parent-teacher conferences. Allen has a fondness for canned cheese and lives in the family’s attic inside a strange alien cocoon. His ultimate goal is to return to Xela, but he admits that may take a long time, as he stowed away on an exploratory ship that fled Earth out of fear of discovery.
Allen explains that he chose to disguise himself as an African-American boy because the first Earth people he observed were African-American men playing basketball, and he thought this would help him fit in. His naivety on the subject—such as bringing plain black posterboards for a Black History Month presentation—led to an episode where he learns about slavery and the Civil Rights Movement. Before the series premiered, Nickelodeon ran teaser ads that initially appeared to be promos for other shows, only for blue ooze to fill the screen as an announcer said, “Something strange is coming to SNICK. November 8,” before the original promo resumed.
The main characters include Allen; Robbie, a 15-year-old surfer who helps him adjust to human life; Josh, an 11-year-old science enthusiast; and their father Ken, an architect unaware of Allen’s true nature.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Science fiction / Drama
- Creator
- Thomas W. Lynch
- Starring
- Arjay Smith / Erin J. Dean / Shane Sweet / Jack Tate
- Country
- United States
- Num Seasons
- 3
- Num Episodes
- 57
- Runtime
- 22 minutes
- Company
- Lynch Entertainment / Nickelodeon Productions
- Network
- Nickelodeon
- First Aired
- 1997-11-08
- Last Aired
- 2000-04-23
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The series centers on Allen Strange, a Xelan alien disguised as an African-American boy, who is stranded on Earth after stowing away on an exploratory ship that fled out of fear of discovery. He is taken in by the Stevenson family—15-year-old Robbie, her younger brother Josh, and their father Ken—who are unaware of his true nature. Allen possesses extraordinary powers, including the ability to transform into his alien form to hover, read incredibly fast by placing his hand on a book cover, and duplicate athletic movements after observation. He also brings a store mannequin to life to pose as his Earth father, Manfred. Allen lives in the family's attic in an alien cocoon and has an affinity for canned cheese. His ultimate goal is to return to Xela, but he acknowledges that may take a long time.
Allen chose his human disguise after spying on African-American men playing basketball, believing this was a way to acculturate. His naivety led to a Black History Month episode where he learns about slavery and the Civil Rights Movement after bringing plain black posterboards for his presentation. The series also features recurring antagonists: Phil Berg, a crazed alien hunter and journalist, and Shaw, a sinister leader of the secret government agency A.R.C. (Alien Retrieval Commission).
Reader's Guide
The Journey of Allen Strange is notable as a Nickelodeon series that blended science fiction with family drama, airing on the SNICK programming block. The article notes that in the weeks leading up to the premiere, Nickelodeon ran teaser ads that appeared to be promos for other shows until blue ooze filled the screen with the cryptic announcement, 'Something strange is coming to SNICK. November 8.' The series ran for three seasons from November 1997 to April 2000. A nine-book series based on the episodes was also published, written by authors including John Vornholt and Mel Odom, with a list available at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database. The show's premise—an alien adopted by a human family while hiding his identity—and its exploration of cultural themes through Allen's naivety, such as in the Black History Month episode, contributed to its place in children's television of the late 1990s.
Did You Know?
- Allen Strange can read incredibly fast by simply placing his hand on the cover of a book.
- He brought a store mannequin to life to serve as his Earth father, Manfred.
- Allen's alien form allows him to hover.
More in Television Series About Extraterrestrial Life 1-24
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