Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left
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"I am a Family Organiser. I am solely responsible for the family wellbeing at all times."
—X on her role in her alien family at around age twelve
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When X's father is caught cheating in the Zyrgonian lottery for the 27th time, the Zyrgonian government loses patience. When they send their officials after him, the head of the family, ten-year-old X herself, sees no choice but to flee as far away as possible. So she and her family go halfway across the galaxy, and turn left.
The 1991 children's television series based on the book by Robin Klein mostly focuses on X's problems controlling her loopy family on an alien planet, while the government on her own planet relentlessly searches for them. X's desperate attempts for her family to fit in with Earth society leave her fighting an uphill battle, and providing much entertaining television in the process.
Tropes used in Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left include:
- Alien Among Us - Part of the premise.
- Amusing Alien - See above.
- Cloudcuckoolander - Every alien character except X and possibly her genius brother Qwrk.
- Dysfunctional Family - Ooohhh boy, this trope Up to Eleven as far as a lighthearted kids show can get.
- Fish Out of Water - See top example.
- Human Aliens
- Insignificant Little Blue Planet - The reason the family came here in the first place.
- Keep Circulating the Tapes - No DVD release, alas - even for its home country Australia. There certainly isn't any copies online, that would just be wrong.
- Man Child - Father and Mother.
- No Social Skills - Father, at least by Earth standards.
- One-Letter Name - X.
- Only Sane Man - X.
- Wise Beyond Their Years - X and Qwrk.