The Journey of Allen Strange ran on Nickelodeon from 1997 to 2000. It is a mostly forgotten science-fiction show about two siblings, Josh (Shane Sweet) and Robbie (Erin J. Dean) who befriend a young alien (Arjay Smith) stranded on Earth after his spaceship takes off without him. He disguises himself as a human and lives in the attic of the siblings' home. The kids name him Allen Strange and protect him from anyone who would suspect anything as well as his two main pursuers, Shaw (J. Kenneth Campbell), the leader of ARC, an alien-hunting government organization and deranged journalist Phil Berg (Dee Bradley Baker).
It was created by Thomas Lynch, who also created The Secret World of Alex Mack.
Tropes:
- Alien Among Us: Allen is stranded on Earth and has to blend in as a normal boy.
- Amicable Exes: The Stevenson parents, who are separated, act very pleasant around each other which makes you wonder why they broke up in the first place.
- Batman in My Basement: Allen sleeps in a cocoon in the attic of the Stevenson family.
- Blank Slate: The mannequin brought to life to play the role of Allen's father. The mannequin acted very oddly, saying random things, and needed to have his behavior molded to be more appropriate.
- Brought Down to Normal: To undergo a rite of passage, Allen must pass four tests to prove his good nature. He's forced to go through them as a human.
- Fun with Acronyms: Allen is chased by a government agency called the Alien Retrieval Commission or ARC for short.
- The Men in Black: The Alien Retrieval Commission, particularly its faceless leader, Shaw.
- More than Three Dimensions: While wandering around a human high school, Allen overhears a physics class and walks in to "correct" the teacher with Xelan physics, which includes at least fifteen dimensions.
- Murderous Mannequin: The alien Allen Strange needs to blend in on Earth. To this end, he takes human form and brings a mannequin in a sports store to life so it can pose as his father. The mannequin is given the name Manfred Strange and throughout the series needs fine-tuning to properly act like a human.
- Secret Test of Character: One episode has Allen temporarily become human before he undergoes a rite of passage to prove his worth as a Xelon. He heads up to the highest point to complete the four tests, not realising the situations he finds himself in along the way (protecting a young girl from a hungry dog, telling a salesman that the money found among a pile of apples is not his, struggling up the mountain) are really the tests. He passes the final one when he thinks of Robbie rather than getting his Xelon powers back.
- Single Tear: One episode where it looks like Allen will be returning home, has the mannequin cry when Allen tells it goodbye.
- Tomboyish Name: The female lead is called "Robbie". She is not a tomboy however.
- They Would Cut You Up: The A.R.C. wanted to dissect Allen, hence the hiding.
- Very Special Episode: "Eye of a Stranger," in which Allen's assignment on Black History Month gives him a better understanding of slavery and the civil rights movement.
- Weirdness Magnet: Former alien abductee and conspiracy theorist Phil Berg. Being an abductee is explicitly mentioned as why more alien things gravitate to him.
- Xanatos Gambit: One episode had Josh and Robbie's divorced parents spending time together. Josh bets Robbie that they won't end up getting back together. When Robbie expresses her shock that he would 'bet against Mom and Dad' Josh replies, "That way I can't lose."
