Spinoffs that Were Better then the original - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Sean Snow · 10-22-2001, 02:59 PM

Which spinoffs were better then the original?

I like "Mayberry RFD" and "Gomer Pyle, USMC" waaaay more then "The Andy Griffith Show"!

PPatters · 10-22-2001, 04:44 PM

I so agree with you on both of those. I'm sorry, but Andy was good, but I liked the ensemble of "Mayberry R.F.D." and the hilariousness of "Gomer Pyle". If TAGS had a better ensemble (not just Andy, Barney, and THEN SOMETIMES Aunt Bee, Opie, etc..) and was a bit funnier, I may have liked it better.

LucyFan · 10-22-2001, 08:45 PM

I tend to like Laverne & Shirley more than it's parent show Happy Days. To me, Laverne & Shirley seemed funnier (with good morals in it) than Happy Days. Happy Days was good too but not as good as Laverne & Shirley was.
I like both shows alot.

Sean Snow · 10-22-2001, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LucyFan:
I tend to like Laverne & Shirley more than it's parent show Happy Days. To me, Laverne & Shirley seemed funnier (with good morals in it) than Happy Days. Happy Days was good too but not as good as Laverne & Shirley was.
I like both shows alot.

I Agree! I Loooovvveee "Laverne & Shirley"!

PPatters · 10-22-2001, 09:08 PM

Again, I agree. I used to watch "Laverne & Shirley" religiously in the mornings (and I still catch it when I'm up that early), but I could never really sit through a full episode of "Happy Days". I think that Penny Marshall is HILARIOUS!

LucyFan · 10-22-2001, 09:20 PM

I agree. Penny Marshall was hilarious in Laverne & Shirley as well as Cindy Williams. In Fact, those two actresses are two of my favorites next to Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance.

LucyFan · 10-22-2001, 09:26 PM

Another Spin-Off I found better than the original was The Jeffersons. The Jeffersons could be serious and funny at the same time, whereas with All in the Family couldn't. It was either funny OR serious, but not both. Also, I found All in the Family a tad bit boring.

TV Guy · 10-23-2001, 06:59 PM

I was set to say that I couldn't think of a spinoff better than the parent show. Then I saw "Laverne & Shirley" mentioned, and I have to agree with that one -- way funnier than "Happy Days". A very underrated show, especially during the Milwaukee years.

Krisalicious · 10-29-2001, 06:56 PM

I think....
-The Facts of Life was better than Diff'rent Strokes
-Laverne and Shirley was better than Happy Days
-The Jeffersons is better than All in the Family[well, maybe thats a tie]

DJM77 · 10-29-2001, 09:16 PM

I always liked Empty Nest much better than The Golden Girls. I also have always enjoyed Good Times much more than Maude.

dawsongirl · 11-02-2001, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sean Snow:
I like "Mayberry RFD" and "Gomer Pyle, USMC" waaaay more then "The Andy Griffith Show"!

Same here! I told my dad (a big Andy fan) that though, and he thought I was crazy.

TVLanFan · 11-17-2001, 01:52 PM

This is a great topic!

Can't really comment on L&S vs Happy Days, I liked HD while the guys were in High School, but didn't watch it after that...and I never watched L&S...

But, by listing the following, I think you good folks out there may have hit on just about every instance where the spin off was better:

1) Gomer Pyle vs AG Show...I can't watch A.G. Show any more, but I can watch Gomer any time...and there are a huge # of GPs that I never get tired of watching..

2) Empty Nest - I never liked Golden Girls, but I liked EN a lot...Kristy M was sooo cute, and the other girl's character was really funny. And I like David Leisure (in small doses, like we got on this show).

3) Good Times - definitely better than Maude, which I hated...and it plays much better today, IMHO, in spite of the 70s setting.

4) Facts of Life vs. D.Strokes...I was never a big DS fan, although I thought Dana Plato was one of the cutest girls on TV at that time...she just wasn't featured enough on that show to keep me interested...not only that, but I hated all of the housekeepers except for Mrs. Garrett...And Facts of Life got a lot better (I thought) when they trimmed the cast down to the four main girls...

5) I also agree that the Jeffersons was better than AITF...IMO, AITF was great for about the first 3 years or so, but after Mike and Gloria moved out and had the baby, the whole premise of the show was destroyed...but for the first 3 years or so, I loved AITF and never missed it (we didn't have VCRs in THOSE days) :-)

But great job, folks...I can't think of another spin off that was as good or better than the original...

One point though...I'm not a "Frasier" fan, but I loved "Cheers"...does anyone out there think that "Frasier" is better? I know it's won numerous awards (not that I take awards that seriously...I mean, I know what's good and what's not :-) , but does anyone think it's a superior show to "Cheers"? That's about the only other possibility I can think of..

JT · 11-18-2001, 11:34 AM

Well Cheers did win 28 awards the second comedy to recieve the most awards (right after MTM with 29)

I like L&S better because it has more physical comedy.Like the hospital bed scene.The sofa scene.The closet bed scene.I could go on!!!!!!!!

LucyFan · 11-18-2001, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JT:
I like L&S better because it has more physical comedy.Like the hospital bed scene.The sofa scene.The closet bed scene.I could go on!!!!!!!!

I think of Laverne & Shirley as a younger version of Lucy Ricardo/Lucy Carmichael and Ethel Mertz/Vivian Bagley. All three shows had a lot of physical comedy and the situations in L&S were very similar to those of I Love Lucy and The Lucy Show. Please take note that Garry Marshall, the creater of Laverne & Shirley, was also one of the writers for The Lucy Show.

boechsner · 11-20-2001, 01:37 PM

1. Maude was better then All in the Family
2. The Jeffersons was better then All in the Family
3. Rhoda was better then The Mary Tyler Moore Show
4. The Facts of Life was better then Diff'rent Strokes
5. Laverne & Shirley was better then Happy Days

[This message has been edited by boechsner (edited 11-20-2001).]

10-22-2001, 02:59 PM	#1
Sean Snow moo Forum Fanatic Join Date: May 06, 2001 Location: Georgia Posts: 10,407	Spinoffs that Were Better then the original Which spinoffs were better then the original? I like "Mayberry RFD" and "Gomer Pyle, USMC" waaaay more then "The Andy Griffith Show"!

10-22-2001, 04:44 PM	#2
PPatters Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Aug 27, 2001 Location: Rockford, MI, USA Posts: 404	I so agree with you on both of those. I'm sorry, but Andy was good, but I liked the ensemble of "Mayberry R.F.D." and the hilariousness of "Gomer Pyle". If TAGS had a better ensemble (not just Andy, Barney, and THEN SOMETIMES Aunt Bee, Opie, etc..) and was a bit funnier, I may have liked it better.

10-22-2001, 08:45 PM	#3
LucyFan Still Loving Lucy! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 23, 2001 Location: In the Wonderful World of Lucy! Posts: 8,198	I tend to like Laverne & Shirley more than it's parent show Happy Days. To me, Laverne & Shirley seemed funnier (with good morals in it) than Happy Days. Happy Days was good too but not as good as Laverne & Shirley was. I like both shows alot.

10-22-2001, 09:08 PM	#5
PPatters Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Aug 27, 2001 Location: Rockford, MI, USA Posts: 404	Again, I agree. I used to watch "Laverne & Shirley" religiously in the mornings (and I still catch it when I'm up that early), but I could never really sit through a full episode of "Happy Days". I think that Penny Marshall is HILARIOUS!

10-22-2001, 09:20 PM	#6
LucyFan Still Loving Lucy! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 23, 2001 Location: In the Wonderful World of Lucy! Posts: 8,198	I agree. Penny Marshall was hilarious in Laverne & Shirley as well as Cindy Williams. In Fact, those two actresses are two of my favorites next to Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance.

10-22-2001, 09:26 PM	#7
LucyFan Still Loving Lucy! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 23, 2001 Location: In the Wonderful World of Lucy! Posts: 8,198	Another Spin-Off I found better than the original was The Jeffersons. The Jeffersons could be serious and funny at the same time, whereas with All in the Family couldn't. It was either funny OR serious, but not both. Also, I found All in the Family a tad bit boring.

10-23-2001, 06:59 PM	#8
TV Guy Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 25, 2001 Location: Boston, MA, USA Posts: 3,419	I was set to say that I couldn't think of a spinoff better than the parent show. Then I saw "Laverne & Shirley" mentioned, and I have to agree with that one -- way funnier than "Happy Days". A very underrated show, especially during the Milwaukee years.

10-29-2001, 06:56 PM	#9
Krisalicious Archie FTW! Forum Veteran Join Date: Jun 27, 2001 Location: NJ Posts: 5,775	I think.... -The Facts of Life was better than Diff'rent Strokes -Laverne and Shirley was better than Happy Days -The Jeffersons is better than All in the Family[well, maybe thats a tie]

10-29-2001, 09:16 PM	#10
DJM77 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: May 15, 2001 Location: Missouri Posts: 5,552	I always liked Empty Nest much better than The Golden Girls. I also have always enjoyed Good Times much more than Maude.

11-17-2001, 01:52 PM	#12
TVLanFan Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 31, 2001 Location: Florida Posts: 199	This is a great topic! Can't really comment on L&S vs Happy Days, I liked HD while the guys were in High School, but didn't watch it after that...and I never watched L&S... But, by listing the following, I think you good folks out there may have hit on just about every instance where the spin off was better: 1) Gomer Pyle vs AG Show...I can't watch A.G. Show any more, but I can watch Gomer any time...and there are a huge # of GPs that I never get tired of watching.. 2) Empty Nest - I never liked Golden Girls, but I liked EN a lot...Kristy M was sooo cute, and the other girl's character was really funny. And I like David Leisure (in small doses, like we got on this show). 3) Good Times - definitely better than Maude, which I hated...and it plays much better today, IMHO, in spite of the 70s setting. 4) Facts of Life vs. D.Strokes...I was never a big DS fan, although I thought Dana Plato was one of the cutest girls on TV at that time...she just wasn't featured enough on that show to keep me interested...not only that, but I hated all of the housekeepers except for Mrs. Garrett...And Facts of Life got a lot better (I thought) when they trimmed the cast down to the four main girls... 5) I also agree that the Jeffersons was better than AITF...IMO, AITF was great for about the first 3 years or so, but after Mike and Gloria moved out and had the baby, the whole premise of the show was destroyed...but for the first 3 years or so, I loved AITF and never missed it (we didn't have VCRs in THOSE days) :-) But great job, folks...I can't think of another spin off that was as good or better than the original... One point though...I'm not a "Frasier" fan, but I loved "Cheers"...does anyone out there think that "Frasier" is better? I know it's won numerous awards (not that I take awards that seriously...I mean, I know what's good and what's not :-) , but does anyone think it's a superior show to "Cheers"? That's about the only other possibility I can think of..

11-18-2001, 11:34 AM	#13
JT Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 29, 2001 Location: USA Posts: 7,219	Well Cheers did win 28 awards the second comedy to recieve the most awards (right after MTM with 29) I like L&S better because it has more physical comedy.Like the hospital bed scene.The sofa scene.The closet bed scene.I could go on!!!!!!!!

11-20-2001, 01:37 PM	#15
boechsner Member Senior Member Join Date: Oct 18, 2000 Location: Green Bay, WI Posts: 2,212	1. Maude was better then All in the Family 2. The Jeffersons was better then All in the Family 3. Rhoda was better then The Mary Tyler Moore Show 4. The Facts of Life was better then Diff'rent Strokes 5. Laverne & Shirley was better then Happy Days [This message has been edited by boechsner (edited 11-20-2001).]