Monday, April 21, 2008
As a General Rule, Spin-offs Suck
Best TV Spin-offs
So Joe and I were emailing and he openly wondered what the best spin-off in TV history is. He figured Frasier and, after some research, I have to back him up. I also discovered that most spin-offs are god awful.
To the point, my criteria for the list below is TV sitcoms and dramas (not game shows or reality shows or cartoons), and they were all shows that I’ve actually seen. (Apparently some people love Rhoda, but I have nothing to add on that one.)
Anyway, here it goes:
1. Frasier (Cheers)
2. Benson (Soap)
3. The Bionic Woman (Six Million Dollar Man)
4. Empty Nest (Golden Girls)
5. A Different World (Cosby Show)
6. The Facts of Life (Diff’rent Strokes)
7. Saved by the Bell: The College Years (Saved by the Bell)
8. Just the Ten of Us (Growing Pains)
9. Melrose Place (90210)
10. Booker (21 Jump Street)
Also deserving consideration, though not true spin-offs and thus not on the list, are the Muppet Show (derived from Sesame Street) and The Simpsons (which came from the Tracey Ullman Show).
In doing research for this post, I came across the following: The spin-off from “BJ and the Bear” was called “The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo.” If someone has seen this and can comment, it would be greatly appreciated.
Also, did anyone catch “The Tortellis”? The Cheers spin-off. I can’t say I remembered this at all.
So Joe and I were emailing and he openly wondered what the best spin-off in TV history is. He figured Frasier and, after some research, I have to back him up. I also discovered that most spin-offs are god awful.
To the point, my criteria for the list below is TV sitcoms and dramas (not game shows or reality shows or cartoons), and they were all shows that I’ve actually seen. (Apparently some people love Rhoda, but I have nothing to add on that one.)
Anyway, here it goes:
1. Frasier (Cheers)
2. Benson (Soap)
3. The Bionic Woman (Six Million Dollar Man)
4. Empty Nest (Golden Girls)
5. A Different World (Cosby Show)
6. The Facts of Life (Diff’rent Strokes)
7. Saved by the Bell: The College Years (Saved by the Bell)
8. Just the Ten of Us (Growing Pains)
9. Melrose Place (90210)
10. Booker (21 Jump Street)
Also deserving consideration, though not true spin-offs and thus not on the list, are the Muppet Show (derived from Sesame Street) and The Simpsons (which came from the Tracey Ullman Show).
In doing research for this post, I came across the following: The spin-off from “BJ and the Bear” was called “The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo.” If someone has seen this and can comment, it would be greatly appreciated.
Also, did anyone catch “The Tortellis”? The Cheers spin-off. I can’t say I remembered this at all.
# posted by EJ @ 12:43 PM 
Comments:
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In doing your research check out this site....
http://www.tvacres.com/spin_a.htm
Does the Hills count from Laguna Beach? I would add the Jefferson's to that list (All in the family). Xena (hercules), even though I have never watched.
As EJ said, I think this starts and ends with Frasier.
http://www.tvacres.com/spin_a.htm
Does the Hills count from Laguna Beach? I would add the Jefferson's to that list (All in the family). Xena (hercules), even though I have never watched.
As EJ said, I think this starts and ends with Frasier.
I vaguely remember Just the Ten of Us as being watchable because there was a hot teenage daughter with long blonde hair, and I was like 15 and made all my viewing choices on that single criterion. But I might be thinking of something else.
Mork and Mindy, I think, was a Happy Days spinoff, so you have to give some dap to that one. Also, how can we forget Joanie Loves Chachi?
The worst part of spinoffs is when the original show has to waste an entire episode setting up the spinoff. Gar-bage.
Mork and Mindy, I think, was a Happy Days spinoff, so you have to give some dap to that one. Also, how can we forget Joanie Loves Chachi?
The worst part of spinoffs is when the original show has to waste an entire episode setting up the spinoff. Gar-bage.
As for Sheriff Lobo, I think everyone should know that as there are at least 2 episodes of the Simpsons that reference it.
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