Many classic sitcoms ended before they should have, including BBC's Fawlty Towers. But in the case of NBC's ALF (which ran from 1986 - 1990) it may have run its course. While ALF is certainly among some of the sitcoms that hold-up, the show didn't quite have enough gas in the tank to propel it forward. That paired with some drama on the set led to the canceling, as detailed by a fascinating article by Mental Floss. Yes, there was an actor who regretted being on this classic sitcom. Here are the details...

The Success Of The Show Compromised The Premise

The premise of creator Paul Fusco's ALF ultimately led to the show's cancelation. This is because the show was built on the idea of an alien secretly living among a suburban family. This limited the show to the Tanner house with the Tanner family. Occasionally, new characters, like Jody, were brought in to try and shake things up, but eventually, this creative choice lost its effect. And given the show's immense popularity, this story problem was on full display whether the audience fully understood why their favorite show was becoming boring or not.

The cast of ALF
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"We were constantly looking for ways to not violate the rules of the show but still meet other people," ALF creator Paul Fusco explained to Mental Floss. "So one time, he met someone who was drunk. And maybe they just hallucinated him. I think we got some kind of award for that as a Very Special Episode."

Related: Why The Creator Of 'ALF' Turned Down Disney

But this premise made the writers desperate for ideas. At one point, they even tried to bring in Willie Tanner's brother to set up a spin-off or a completely new direction for the show. But they couldn't. ALF was housebound with Willie (Max Wright) and the rest of his family. And there was just no way of sustaining that for any lengthy period of time... At least, not without it 'jumping the shark'.

"When Anne Schedeen got pregnant, I got bombarded with ideas," supervising producer Lisa Bannick explained. "What if ALF has to drive Kate to the hospital? What if ALF has to babysit?' No, that’s ridiculous. Kate is not going to let an alien who can’t walk across a room without breaking a lamp take care of her child."

But no idea could save ALF from the fact that the cast was 'over' the whole show.

Most Of The Cast Wanted The Show To End

The characters on the show were boxed in by the premise and the fact that the puppet was the real star. This made many of the actors very bored or downright unhappy, particularly Max Wright. He was the lead opposite a puppet who stole all of the attention.

Max Wright was a man who was born and bred in the theater and this show was not exactly what he envisioned for her career, according to interviews in the Mental Floss article. But he got caught up in a show that was paying all of his bills. A show where he had to constantly be in conflict with a puppet... And that's pretty much how it was in reality.

"Let me tell you about Max: Writing for Max was like playing a synthesizer. He would play every single comma, ellipsis, or dash you put in. You type it in and he gives you exactly what you wanted," Lisa Bannick said.

It was clear that ALF creator and puppet-master Paul Fusco was picking up on Max's issues as he would use the director to give him notes.

"I might get a note from Paul asking me to ask Max to pick up the pace," director Paul Miller said. "I would dread that because it would usually cause a problem."

cast of alf sitcom
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As Max became more unhappy with being on the show, the more he'd act like a diva. It was clear that he was done with television and just wanted to be on stage, where he truly excelled as an actor.

"We were rehearsing a script where Max makes kind of a cage for ALF and I get locked up in it," Benji Gregory, who played Brian Tanner, said to Mental Floss. "And I flubbed a line and Max flipped out on me. I’m nine years old and he’s screaming. I’m bawling."

Perhaps one of the most famous arguments on set was when the cast was blocking a scene and Anne Schedeen asked the director whether or not she was needed for the same.

"And then someone else asks the same thing," Dean Cameron, who played Robert Sherwood, said. "Max was a very hard worker trying to do the show. He started saying, 'I’m here to work. Are you here to work?' Pretty soon they’re all screaming at each other and the set clears. As he’s walking off, Max starts screaming. 'Put us all on sticks! We’re the puppets here! We’re the puppets!'"

Related: How Larry David And Jerry Seinfeld Really Came Up With Their Iconic Sitcom

Max's energy didn't exactly pair well with creator and ALF performer Paul Fusco, who could be a perfectionist and impatient with people, according to the show's producers.

"Paul was also a guy who was in a trench for five or six hours with his arm up in the air and then he’d go into his office, shut the door, and make calls to Make-a-Wish kids. He was completely drained," Lisa Bannick described.

At the end of the day, the schedule was grueling and the personalities clashed. But the money was good and the show was successful... Until the show's premise caught up with it and ratings went into a decline. The show was forced to end on a cliffhanger where ALF was discovered by military forces. The pay-off to this happened six years later when ALF was brought back for a special. However, the show failed to be picked up for any sort of continuation.

Next: The 15 Worst Classic Sitcom Spin-Offs (And The 15 Best)