ALF: The Animated Series (also known as ALF on Melmac) is a 30-minute Saturday morning animated series that aired on NBC for 26 episodes from September 26, 1987, to January 7, 1989.ALF: The Animated Series was a prequel and animated spinoff of the prime time series ALF, which had also aired on NBC from 1986 to 1990. Paul Fusco, the creator and puppeteer of ALF in the live-action series, was the only cast member to reprise his role in voice form; none of the human characters from the prime time ALF appeared in the animated series, due to the show's premise revolving around ALF (Gordon Shumway) traveling to various places on his home-world of Melmac. ALF Tales was a spin-off from the series that also ran on NBC on Saturdays from September, 1988 to December, 1989. The two ALF animated series ran concurrently during the 1988–89 season as the ALF & ALF Tales Hour.