L&S Was The Happy Days Spin-Off That Showed How Spin-Offs Should Spin Off

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https://www.looper.com/1184234/laver...ould-spin-off/

BY MELISSA LEMIEUX/JAN. 31, 2023 3:30 PM EST

"Laverne & Shirley" was a special show. That might be said of hundreds of sitcoms. But among spin-offs — which tend to fall apart and flounder after their first few episodes, or if they're lucky, first few seasons — it was quite the shocking success.

Debuting as a mid-season replacement, it was supposed to serve as an assist for "Happy Days," to guarantee the former's success. But right out of the box, it was just as successful as its predecessor in the ratings — and, within a season, soon eclipsed "Happy Days" in popularity for three seasons running, as reported by The Los Angeles Times. That's the kind of miracle that rarely visits network programs, let alone a show that was created to fill in time after the gold rush of the fall season took its first bow. While the show did end up tumbling down in the ratings after an ill-advised attempt at moving it to a different night — which itself resulted in a move to California for the show's main characters, as well as a labor dispute which would result in Cindy Williams leaving the show early, and a $20 million lawsuit being filed against Garry Marshall and Paramount (per AP News) — it had four solid seasons of success before meeting cancellation.

There are many reasons why "Laverne & Shirley" was such a cultural touchstone in its time. However, this spin-off, while being just one of many "Happy Days" spin-offs, was obviously the best one. Furthermore, it definitely serves as a definitive blueprint for how to do spin-offs the right way — with originality, heart, humor, and skill.