You weren’t the only one to “phone home” on Thanksgiving. An all-new E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial short debuted on NBC, Syfy and Comcast Xfinity’s website this Thursday—and it gave us all a glimpse into what life is like for the adorable alien, Elliott and the rest of his fam almost 30 years after the original film.

The four-minute-ish film, titled A Holiday Reunion, starts with Elliott’s children finding E.T. As you might remember from the classic flick, the scream-filled exchange is more than reminiscent of the original meet and greet (or rather, meet and shriek) that happened when Elliot and Gertie first saw the alien.

As the short goes on, E.T. gets the chance to experience all kinds of new and exciting 2019 adventures, such as the Internet, virtual reality goggles and Reese’s Pieces cupcakes!

Henry Thomas, the original Elliott, told Deadline, “The audience is going to get everything they want out of a sequel without the messy bits that could destroy the beauty of the original and the special place it has in people’s minds and hearts.”

Even though acclaimed director Steven Spielberg helped the original movie, he didn’t return for the short. Instead, Lance Acord (cinematographer for Lost in Translation and Adaptation) directed A Holiday Reunion.

The welcome piece of nostalgia for the holidays comes to us courtesy of Comcast Xfinity. According to Deadline, Peter Intermaggio, SVP for Marketing Communications, Comcast Cable, said, “Our goal is to show how Xfinity and Sky technology connects family, friends and loved ones, which is so important during the holidays.” Intermaggio also added, “The classic friendship between E.T. and Elliott resonates around the world.”

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Xfinity via YouTube

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