TVLine's 15 Worst Spin-offs

[JamesG]

The Golden Palace (1992-93)

CBS fought hard to steal away from NBC this one-and-done "Golden Girls" spin-off, only to discover that viewers weren’t nearly as eager to check in to a hotel run by Rose, Blanche and Sophia as they were to hang out on the lanai with Rose, Blanche, Sophia and Dorothy.





Ravenswood (2013-14)

Curses! Despite the supernatural element that ran through this short-lived "Pretty Little Liars" spin-off, it failed to enchant fans of the original series.

So, almost as soon as the offshoot was launched, its title was being engraved on a tombstone right next to Caleb’s name.





Three's a Crowd (1984-85)

ABC should’ve just cut its losses and moved on after "Three’s Company" replaced Suzanne Somers with Jenilee Harrison (and Harrison with Priscilla Barnes).

Instead, it spun off John Ritter’s Jack Tripper into a mediocre spin-off that kept him at odds with his girlfriend’s disapproving dad.





Sanford Arms (1977)

This "Sanford and Son" spin-off that featured neither Sanford nor son (but a bunch of supporting players from the original series) was so poorly received that it was tossed on the junk heap after only four episodes and completely disregarded when Redd Foxx later reprised his old role in another offshoot.





Enos (1980-81)

If you said the world had never needed a "Dukes of Hazzard" spin-off, we’d nod our heads in agreement.

But if you said that the world had never needed a spin-off that followed Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane’s country-fried deputy to L.A., we’d have nodded so hard, we’d have needed a neck brace when we were done!





Top of the Heap (1991)

Bottom of the Barrel was more like it. Axed after just seven episodes, this "Married… with Children" spin-off starred a pre-Friends Matt LeBlanc as a hunky have-not whose father hoped to marry him to money.

See? Joey doesn’t seem so bad now, does it?





Baywatch Nights (1995-97)

Remember how bad "Baywatch" was? Well, its spin-off was worse.

In its first season, David Hasselhoff’s Mitch Buchannon hung up his red swim trunks to become a private eye. When that didn’t attract as many viewers as Pamela Anderson running in slo-mo, the show was reimagined in Season 2 as an "X-Files" ripoff.

Because, you know, why not?





Checking In (1981)

Suffice it to say Marla Gibbs’ spin-off of "The Jeffersons" wasn’t exactly “maid to order.”

After only four episodes, we learned that the hotel at which her feisty Florence had been hired had burned down, and the housekeeper was sent back to her old job at George and Weezy’s.





Joanie Loves Chachi (1982-83)

Sure she did. Unfortunately, nobody loved this "Happy Days" offshoot that followed Richie Cunningham’s kid sister and Fonzie’s cousin as they moved to the Windy City and tried to become pop stars.

Who did they think they were, Donny Most?





The Brady Brides (1981)

“I do… not want to watch this,” said fans of "The Brady Bunch" when NBC got the bright idea to turn its Brady Girls Get Married TV movie into a blah sitcom that tried to cast Marcia (Marcia! Marcia!) and Jan’s yin-and-yang husbands as a new Odd Couple.





Galactica 1980 (1980)

After the original "Battlestar Galactica" was axed, fans wrote in in droves, begging ABC to reverse its decision.

Instead of do so, the network green-lit a godawful spin-off that lacked two of the series’ big draws (Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict), chucked its time-travel conceit after one episode, and never addressed the fate of robodog Muffit.





Gloria (1982-83)

This one-and-done "All in the Family" spin-off that centered around Archie Bunker’s newly-single daughter wasn’t a ratings disaster, but it was born under a bad sign.

After CBS’ meatheads dissed its original pilot, written by veterans of Carroll O’Connor’s series, both he and head of the Family Norman Lear had nothing to do with Sally Struthers’ offshoot.





Beverly Hills Buntz (1987-88)

“Take an edgy cop character from a popular drama and make him the lead in a private-eye comedy,” said somebody at NBC. “What could possibly go wrong?”

Everything, it turned out. So this "Hill Street Blues" spin-off featuring Dennis Franz’s Norman Buntz was mercifully yanked even before all 13 of its episodes had aired.





AfterMASH (1983-85)

Not until CBS scheduled its second season opposite "The A-Team" did the network wave the white flag and cancel this ill-conceived "M*A*S*H" offshoot that pushed to the foreground supporting characters Col. Potter, Klinger and Father Mulcahy.





The Tortellis (1987)

What’s that you say? You don’t even remember this tacky "Cheers" spin-off that focused on Carla’s loudmouthed ex, Nick, and the walking dumb-blonde joke that he married after her?

Consider yourself lucky and reflect fondly on "Frasier" instead.

https://tvline.com/2019/05/28/worst-...-shows-photos/

[Edward216]

I actually liked Joanie Loves Chachi and AfterMASH. Oh well.

Ed.

[thejasoomian]

I don't agree with Three's A Crowd being on this list.

[Mr. Television]

Three's a Crowd and Enos shouldn't be on the list.

[atimnie]

You know what should be on the list? The Ropers.