Spinoff Question, Do you think the Cosby Show and Happy Days carried their spinoffs - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TVFactFan · 05-02-2006, 08:24 PM

for a couple of years? When Laverne and Shirley premired the Fonz not only appeared in several eps but L&S aired RIGHT AFTER Happy Days on Tuesday Nights. Same thing with the Cosby Show, the cast members from the Cosby Show guest starred on A Different World several Times in the first season and ADW aired right after the Cosby show on Thursdays. So I think both spinoffs received a HELPING HAND in getting off the ground the first couple of seasons. What do you think?

Brieannas21 · 05-02-2006, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVResearcher

for a couple of years? When Laverne and Shirley premired the Fonz not only appeared in several eps but L&S aired RIGHT AFTER Happy Days on Tuesday Nights. Same thing with the Cosby Show, the cast members from the Cosby Show guest starred on A Different World several Times in the first season and ADW aired right after the Cosby show on Thursdays. So I think both spinoffs received a HELPING HAND in getting off the ground the first couple of seasons. What do you think?

NO

TVFactFan · 05-02-2006, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brieannas21

NO

Can you tell me why?

Ireneparalegal · 05-02-2006, 10:15 PM

I believe A Different World benefitted from Cosby Show greatly. Had this show been conceived without a Cosby Show to help it, it would have fallen flat on its face. HOWEVER, because of that "helping hand" it did the show more bad than good. It needed to separate itself from Cosby Show, which it did by getting rid of Lisa Bonet. It helped it alot more when they got rid of Marisa Tomei and also that stupid smarty girl with the glasses that was always stuck with Whitley. She was soooo not needed. And it wasn't believable that a character like Marisa Tomei's character would be at a black majority college. I think the viewers were taken aback by that. I know I would be. There are all black colleges.

Brieannas21 · 05-02-2006, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVResearcher

Can you tell me why?

I don't think that TCS carried ADW in any way. The first season had Denise on ADW and you saw nothing but the Cosby cast, and we all know that the first seasons ratings weren't good at all. The second season of ADW was so far away from Cosby, you only saw Claire on 2 or three episodes. So I don't think that's carrying anything.

Also with L&S you only saw Fonzie about 2 or 3 times, and he wasn't a big part of the episodes that he was in, you only saw him for a few minutes and that was it. Also Richie was in a couple of L&S episodes and the episodes didn't focus on him at all. So Happy Days didn't carry L&S at all they were two completely different shows.

Lamont · 05-02-2006, 10:33 PM

LAVERNE and SHIRLEY was a good show for the era
good cast, good gimmicks, lots of slapstick
the show would have been a hit regardless
it just had that 70s Hit Feel to it

A DIFFERENT WORLD ---- i never got the show at all
i hated it
and after lisa bonet left, it was not really even like a cosby show spinoff---- i mean it TECHNICALLY was still a spinoff, but without lisa bonet, the show had no connection to the cosby show at all, and was a pretty stupid 80s sitcom

OTHER spinoffs from Happy Days---
MORK AND MINDY would have been a hit no matter b/c of robin williams

BLANSKYS BEAUTIES and JOANNIE LOVES CHACHI--- nothing could save them, they were pure crapola

Mr. Television · 05-02-2006, 11:34 PM

TCS absolutely carried ADW especially during the first season.Critics trashed the show and the storylines for that first season were weak. Thankfully the show was revamped and got a lot better. IMO it became better than TCS eventually. But if it hadn't been between Cosby and Cheers that show would have flopped. HD helped L&S too as the Fonz did make a few appearances on that show too and it had a great timeslot but within a few years the show had become #1 so it eventually made it on it's own at least until it was moved opposite The Waltons.

TVFactFan · 05-03-2006, 12:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I Walk The Line

TCS absolutely carried ADW especially during the first season.Critics trashed the show and the storylines for that first season were weak. Thankfully the show was revamped and got a lot better. IMO it became better than TCS eventually. But if it hadn't been between Cosby and Cheers that show would have flopped. HD helped L&S too as the Fonz did make a few appearances on that show too and it had a great timeslot but within a few years the show had become #1 so it eventually made it on it's own at least until it was moved opposite The Waltons.

And as soon as ABC moved L&S to Thursday Nights, it was no longer in the top 30. These numbers below proves that Happy Days carried Laverne and Shirley.

From 1975 to 1979, these are the ratings for L&S when it aired AFTER Happy Days

1975-76-#3
1976-77-#2
1977-78-#1
1978-79-#1

Now when L&S was moved to Thursday Nights in the Fall of 1979, here was the Ratings

1979-80-Below #30

When L&S was moved BACK to Tuesdays Nights, it reached the top 20 the next season

1980-81-#20
1981-82-#20
1982-83-#25

So L&S obviously needed Happy Days as a Lead In to be in the Top 20/30.

y2k3Joker · 05-03-2006, 12:18 AM

A Diff'rent World did not depend on the Cosby Show at all. Like any series it takes time for a show to take off and this is 1 show that got better and better from season to season.

In my opinion it was the secondary characters that carried it early on and they eventually became the stars by the end of it's run. (i.e Dwayne and Whitley)

One of my favorite comedies of the 90's

Ireneparalegal · 05-03-2006, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVResearcher

And as soon as ABC moved L&S to Thursday Nights, it was no longer in the top 30. These numbers below proves that Happy Days carried Laverne and Shirley.

From 1975 to 1979, these are the ratings for L&S when it aired AFTER Happy Days

1975-76-#3
1976-77-#2
1977-78-#1
1978-79-#1

Now when L&S was moved to Thursday Nights in the Fall of 1979, here was the Ratings

1979-80-Below #30

When L&S was moved BACK to Tuesdays Nights, it reached the top 20 the next season

1980-81-#20
1981-82-#20
1982-83-#25

So L&S obviously needed Happy Days as a Lead In to be in the Top 20/30.

have you checked to see what Laverne & Shirley was airing against when it was moved to Thursday nights? that might play a part in its ratings.

Mr. Television · 05-03-2006, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by y2k3Joker

A Diff'rent World did not depend on the Cosby Show at all. Like any series it takes time for a show to take off and this is 1 show that got better and better from season to season.

In my opinion it was the secondary characters that carried it early on and they eventually became the stars by the end of it's run. (i.e Dwayne and Whitley)

One of my favorite comedies of the 90's

As soon as TCS went off the air ADW tanked and it had Cosby's timeslot. I agree it was a great show but the timeslot was the key.

Mr. Television · 05-03-2006, 12:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVResearcher

And as soon as ABC moved L&S to Thursday Nights, it was no longer in the top 30. These numbers below proves that Happy Days carried Laverne and Shirley.

From 1975 to 1979, these are the ratings for L&S when it aired AFTER Happy Days

1975-76-#3
1976-77-#2
1977-78-#1
1978-79-#1

Now when L&S was moved to Thursday Nights in the Fall of 1979, here was the Ratings

1979-80-Below #30

When L&S was moved BACK to Tuesdays Nights, it reached the top 20 the next season

1980-81-#20
1981-82-#20
1982-83-#25

So L&S obviously needed Happy Days as a Lead In to be in the Top 20/30.

The last 3 years it was set in California and those years were awful. It wasn't the same show.

TVFactFan · 05-03-2006, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ireneparalegal

have you checked to see what Laverne & Shirley was airing against when it was moved to Thursday nights? that might play a part in its ratings.

It went up against the Waltons. But that shouldn't have mattered because L&S was the number 1 show the previous season. It was from #1 to ?????-LOL

TVFactFan · 05-03-2006, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I Walk The Line

The last 3 years it was set in California and those years were awful. It wasn't the same show.

Yeah it was obvious that ABC thought by moving it back to Tuesday Nights that the show would reached the Top ten but since the setting was dfferent it lost viewers

Ireneparalegal · 05-03-2006, 12:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVResearcher

Yeah it was obvious that ABC thought by moving it back to Tuesday Nights that the show would reached the Top ten but since the setting was dfferent it lost viewers

what are the shows that it was up against when it was moved to Thursday nights?

05-02-2006, 10:15 PM	#4
Ireneparalegal LEGAL SPICE ;) Forum Legend Join Date: Jul 25, 2005 Location: OXNARD, CA - WHERE THE DALLAS COWBOYS TRAIN & PRACTICE Posts: 38,689	I believe A Different World benefitted from Cosby Show greatly. Had this show been conceived without a Cosby Show to help it, it would have fallen flat on its face. HOWEVER, because of that "helping hand" it did the show more bad than good. It needed to separate itself from Cosby Show, which it did by getting rid of Lisa Bonet. It helped it alot more when they got rid of Marisa Tomei and also that stupid smarty girl with the glasses that was always stuck with Whitley. She was soooo not needed. And it wasn't believable that a character like Marisa Tomei's character would be at a black majority college. I think the viewers were taken aback by that. I know I would be. There are all black colleges.
	__________________ DALLAS COWBOYS ARE HERE AT TRAINING CAMP!!!

05-02-2006, 10:33 PM	#6
Lamont Lamont says Smile! Forum Veteran Join Date: May 28, 2005 Location: Deep in the Heart of Nowhere Posts: 5,217	.... LAVERNE and SHIRLEY was a good show for the era good cast, good gimmicks, lots of slapstick the show would have been a hit regardless it just had that 70s Hit Feel to it A DIFFERENT WORLD ---- i never got the show at all i hated it and after lisa bonet left, it was not really even like a cosby show spinoff---- i mean it TECHNICALLY was still a spinoff, but without lisa bonet, the show had no connection to the cosby show at all, and was a pretty stupid 80s sitcom OTHER spinoffs from Happy Days--- MORK AND MINDY would have been a hit no matter b/c of robin williams BLANSKYS BEAUTIES and JOANNIE LOVES CHACHI--- nothing could save them, they were pure crapola
	__________________ I have not been trading for some time now, so please do not ask---- sorry, i cannot help you!

05-02-2006, 11:34 PM	#7
Mr. Television 22 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,127	TCS absolutely carried ADW especially during the first season.Critics trashed the show and the storylines for that first season were weak. Thankfully the show was revamped and got a lot better. IMO it became better than TCS eventually. But if it hadn't been between Cosby and Cheers that show would have flopped. HD helped L&S too as the Fonz did make a few appearances on that show too and it had a great timeslot but within a few years the show had become #1 so it eventually made it on it's own at least until it was moved opposite The Waltons.
	__________________ Sonny

05-02-2006, 08:24 PM	#1
TVFactFan Member Forum Junkie Join Date: Aug 17, 2002 Posts: 98,982	Spinoff Question, Do you think the Cosby Show and Happy Days carried their spinoffs for a couple of years? When Laverne and Shirley premired the Fonz not only appeared in several eps but L&S aired RIGHT AFTER Happy Days on Tuesday Nights. Same thing with the Cosby Show, the cast members from the Cosby Show guest starred on A Different World several Times in the first season and ADW aired right after the Cosby show on Thursdays. So I think both spinoffs received a HELPING HAND in getting off the ground the first couple of seasons. What do you think?

05-03-2006, 12:18 AM	#9
y2k3Joker Why So Serious? Senior Member Join Date: Aug 28, 2003 Location: Arkham Asylum Posts: 1,256	A Diff'rent World did not depend on the Cosby Show at all. Like any series it takes time for a show to take off and this is 1 show that got better and better from season to season. In my opinion it was the secondary characters that carried it early on and they eventually became the stars by the end of it's run. (i.e Dwayne and Whitley) One of my favorite comedies of the 90's