The Real Reason Why Alf Was Canceled

Running for four years with huge success, the American sitcom ALF was canceled in 1990 after it’s fourth season. When a classic sitcom ends before it rightfully should have, it’s always a shocking surprise. But when it comes to the NBC television series ALF, a show about an alien living with a suburban American family after crashing into their garage, that may not be the case. The show ALF, titled after the alien’s name, premiered in the fall of 1986. NBC was currently going through a rough patch and had failed with its recent programming. This included the shows Fathers and Sons, Baby Boom and Manimal. You probably haven’t heard of any of them and for good reason. The new series based around a sarcastic alien appeared to be another misguided effort by the network. Early reviews of the show reflected this, critics hated it. But the show had something, as it managed to find an audience. It was a full-fledged phenomenon by the time it hit it’s second season. The image of ALF was plastered over every kind of merchandise possible. Lunch boxes, trading cards, skateboards, comic books, dolls, even wristwatches. They released several albums by ALF, Stuck on Earth charted in Belgium, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand and Germany. ALF even featured on the game show Hollywood Squares, where he was a regular celebrity guest. Although the show was highly successful, it came to an abrupt end when ALF was canceled after the fourth season ended on a cliffhanger. Clearly the creators of the show expected it to go on. So with such an iconic leading alien, a set up for another season that looked to shake up the direction of the series, why was the sitcom so abruptly canceled? From on set dramas, to technically demanding shoots, we’ll dive into the real reason why ALF was canceled after four seasons. The Real Reason Why Alf Was Canceled