Spinoffs That Lasted And Spinoffs That Failed

[USATVFAN]

Why Do you Think Some Spinoffs Last Like The Jeffersons,Laverne & Shirley,Maude,Good Times,The Fact Of Life,Benson,Frasier And Why Some Spinoffs Fail Like Joey,Checking In,The Ropers After M*A*S*h?

[JulieSomoski]

Some spinoffs are just more entertaining to watch than others. Plus, shows like The Jeffersons, Maude, and Frasier were securely placed in good timeslots, between 2 very popular shows. Then, the shows like AfterMASH and Checking in are nowhere near the original show, and viewers just do not want to see their favorite characters in a totally different show.

[mstewart]

Phyllis failed. It had the potential of being a hit but they changed the character Phyllis too radically and the workplace they put her in during the second season was not good.

Joanie Loves Chachi was a failure.

Flo failed and knowing that Linda Lavin enjoyed it not wanting her to succeed.

Proposed spinoffs did not go through:
Eight Is Enough was going to spinoff David Bradford's character but that did not go through

Who's the Boss was going to spinoff Mona Robinson but that would had worked. She belonged on Who's the Boss.

One Day At A Time was going to spinoff Schneider's character and that would had bombed.

[JulieSomoski]

Originally Posted by mstewart

Phyllis failed. It had the potential of being a hit but they changed the character Phyllis too radically and the workplace they put her in during the second season was not good.

Joanie Loves Chachi was a failure.

Flo failed and knowing that Linda Lavin enjoyed it not wanting her to succeed.

Proposed spinoffs did not go through:
Eight Is Enough was going to spinoff David Bradford's character but that did not go through

Who's the Boss was going to spinoff Mona Robinson but that would had worked. She belonged on Who's the Boss.

One Day At A Time was going to spinoff Schneider's character and that would had bombed.

So, the point is, in most cases, when it comes to spinoffs, the writers change the character too much, where as viewers would rather see that chracter left alone.

[BensonFan]

My opinion is that the difference between the spinoffs that were successful and those that were not is simply that the successful ones were ones that had more substance--there wasn't any relying just on the name or the character for success. A name alone isn't enough--if you don't really put 100% into it, the people can see that and they lose interest.

[Penny Lane]

Rhoda was good. But I liked her better on MTM.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by George&weezyforever

Why Do you Think Some Spinoffs Last Like The Jeffersons,Laverne & Shirley,Maude,Good Times,The Fact Of Life,Benson,Frasier And Why Some Spinoffs Fail Like Joey,Checking In,The Ropers After M*A*S*h?

I think Checking In failed because it premeired too early. It should have been after the Jeffersons ended and would have generated more of a audience since the Jeffersons no longer on the air. The same thing with Joanie Loves Chachi, the two characters were just too minor on the Parent show and couldn';t really grab an audience.


Now on the flip side, the Jeffersons was a hit because it involved two strong characters

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by Penny Lane

Rhoda was good. But I liked her better on MTM.

I don't think Rhoda should be in the faled spinoff category since it lasted 4 years and was a instant hit in it' first season. I think it was more of a bad scheduling move that killed the show

[JulieSomoski]

Originally Posted by TheAnalyzer

I think Checking In failed because it premeired too early. It should have been after the Jeffersons ended and would have generated more of a audience since the Jeffersons no longer on the air. The same thing with Joanie Loves Chachi, the two characters were just too minor on the Parent show and couldn';t really grab an audience.


Now on the flip side, the Jeffersons was a hit because it involved two strong characters

I agree with you on Checking In. They were really moving the character of Florence too fast. She had just become a regular cast member of The Jeffersons a few years back, and it was way too soon to evolve her character. People loved seeing her wisecracking George Jefferson, not as a housekeeper in a swanky hotel.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by roseanne88-97

I agree with you on Checking In. They were really moving the character of Florence too fast. She had just become a regular cast member of The Jeffersons a few years back, and it was way too soon to evolve her character. People loved seeing her wisecracking George Jefferson, not as a housekeeper in a swanky hotel.

The real dumb move was ending season 7 of the Jeffersons, and then premeiring Checking In, thinking it would do well since all the Jeffersons eps were repeats-lol

[JulieSomoski]

Originally Posted by TheAnalyzer

The real dumb move was ending season 7 of the Jeffersons, and then premeiring Checking In, thinking it would do well since all the Jeffersons eps were repeats-lol

Yeah. The least they could have done was air the pilot for Checking In either after an all new episode of The Jeffersons, or in the fall, after The Jeffersons with heavy promotion. They literally gave the show almost no chance to do well.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by roseanne88-97

Yeah. The least they could have done was air the pilot for Checking In either after an all new episode of The Jeffersons, or in the fall, after The Jeffersons with heavy promotion. They literally gave the show almost no chance to do well.

Fun Fact for you

Checking In was a Top Ten Show in the Summer of 1981, ranked #6-lol

[JulieSomoski]

Originally Posted by TheAnalyzer

Fun Fact for you

Checking In was a Top Ten Show in the Summer of 1981, ranked #6-lol

You're kidding me! I wonder how bad the ratings were for it in the spring when it first debuted, then. Now I wonder what would have happened if CBS kept it going for another season or 2.

[JT]

Originally Posted by mstewart

Phyllis failed. It had the potential of being a hit but they changed the character Phyllis too radically and the workplace they put her in during the second season was not good.

Joanie Loves Chachi was a failure.

Flo failed and knowing that Linda Lavin enjoyed it not wanting her to succeed.

Proposed spinoffs did not go through:
Eight Is Enough was going to spinoff David Bradford's character but that did not go through

Who's the Boss was going to spinoff Mona Robinson but that would had worked. She belonged on Who's the Boss.

One Day At A Time was going to spinoff Schneider's character and that would had bombed.

Wow, I never knew about the potential "Eight is Enough" spin-off. And it was to be focused on David, my favorite character? I would have definitely been all over that one. Probably wouldn't have lasted too long, though. Two seasons tops.

I think the problem with most spin-offs is that they take a character who, because on the parent show he or she is a supporting character, is more off-the-wall and all-around lighter than the lead character and they try to turn them into a lead character. In doing that, they lose many of the essential parts of why that character is so popular in the first place and why they thought giving him or her their own show would work in the first place. Look at what they did to "Rhoda." They married her off to Joe and she became so un-Rhoda. They tried to make Brenda into what Rhoda was when she was on MTM, but it wasn't the same. The show was still good to watch, but I think you had to adjust to Rhoda being more level-headed.

[Dr. Thong]

Originally Posted by JT

I think the problem with most spin-offs is that they take a character who, because on the parent show he or she is a supporting character, is more off-the-wall and all-around lighter than the lead character and they try to turn them into a lead character. In doing that, they lose many of the essential parts of why that character is so popular in the first place and why they thought giving him or her their own show would work in the first place.

I think you hit the nail on the head, JT. Everyone has made some good points here, but some characters are meant to be supporting characters. You also have to have a good supporting cast that has great chemistry if these spinoffs have any hope of succeeding.

Ultimately, the success of any show is due to connecting with the audience, whether it's a spinoff or not. If enough people get to see it and they like what they see, they'll stick with it.

Ironically, there are some spinoff actors who didn't want their characters spun off but had no choice. Many of them felt their character worked just fine on the parent show and had no desire to be on board with a potential failure.

At least Scott Baio and Erin Moran were allowed to come home to Happy Days after Joanie Does Chachi tanked, but other spinoff actors weren't so lucky.