HuffPost: The 30 Best and Worst TV Spin-offs Ever

[JamesG]

The 30 Best and Worst TV Spin-offs Ever
The Huffington Post | by HuffPost TV Staff
08/13/2012



THE BEST:



"Laverne & Shirley"

Spin-off of: "Happy Days"


Starring Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams, "Laverne And Shirley" saw seven years of ratings success and the two best friends skipping arm in arm.

"Mork & Mindy" was another popular "Happy Days" spinoff, but didn't impact the world in quite the way "Laverne & Shirley" did.







"The Jeffersons"

Spin-off of: "All In The Family"


Arguably one of the best representations of race on TV, "The Jeffersons" was -- and still is -- a force to be reckoned with.

Just ask anybody about iconic sitcoms and "The Jeffersons" will be in the Top 5.







"Angel"

Spin-off of: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"


Taking Angel away from Buffy was risky, but it paid off as viewers were treated to a new side of the vampire with a soul and his stellar supporting cast.







"Law & Order: SVU"

Spin-off of: "Law & Order"


Of the many "Law & Order" spin-offs, "SVU" has been the most character-driven.

The series lets viewers fall in love with the stoic detectives as the characters get too involved with the gritty cases.







"Frasier"

Spin-off of: "Cheers"


One of the most successful spinoffs in TV history, we first met Frasier Crane in the bar where everybody knows your name.

Starring Kelsey Grammer, David Hyde Pierce, John Mahoney, Jane Leeves and Peri Gilpin, NBC's "Frasier" took home 37 primetime Emmys during its 11-year run.







"Xena: Warrior Princess"

Spin-off of: "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys"


Easily eclipsing "Hercules", "Xena" took fandom to a whole new level.

The series gave viewers two kick-butt women and all the subtext that was fit to film.







"Daria"

Spin-off of: "Beavis and Butt-head"


Originally conceived as a smart female foil for the juvenile Beavis and Butt-head, Daria became a comedic legend in her own right after moving to the fictional town of Lawndale to embark on solo adventures in 1997.

The show ran for five seasons, spawning two TV movies and making the name "Daria" synonymous with acerbic, misanthropic comediennes. (You're welcome, Aubrey Plaza.)







"Melrose Place"

Spin-off of: "Beverly Hills, 90210"


Hunky Mr. Fix-It Jake (Grant Show) could've just been another sexy distraction in TV's hottest zip code; but instead, we got to follow him to his West Hollywood apartment complex for this spinoff that served up juicy scandals for seven seasons.







"The Simpsons"

Spin-off of: "The Tracey Ullman Show"


The 23 (soon to be 24) seasons, 27 primetime Emmys, worldwide notoriety and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame are pretty indicative of the show's success -- it's currently the longest-running show ever on television.

Try to make it through one day without hearing a "Simpsons" reference. We challenge you.







"Knots Landing"

Spin-off of: "Dallas"


After the success of "Dallas", creator David Jacobs decided to try his hand at another primetime soap based on the lives of four married couples and a whole lot of drama.

The bet paid off -- the series ended up airing for 14 seasons!







"Rhoda"

Spin-off of: "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"


Sidekicks deserve their time to shine, too! Rhoda Morgenstern (Valerine Harper) got her own spinoff after playing Mary's outspoken, weight-conscious, fashionable Bronx-born neighbor and nearest and dearest friend for four seasons.

"Rhoda" went on to break TV records, earn Emmys and last for five seasons in the late '70s.







"NCIS"

Spin-off of: "JAG"


"NCIS" viewers were introduced to NCIS Special Agent Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and his colleague Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) in a two-part episode of Season 8 of CBS' "JAG".

"JAG" lasted two more seasons and "NCIS" is going into its 10th season as well, having already spawned another spinoff, "NCIS: LA".







"The Facts of Life"

Spin-off of: "Diff'rent Strokes"


Following Charlotte Rae's Mrs. Garrett, the one-time live-in housekeeper for the Drummonds, to her new gig at an all-girls boarding school, "The Facts of Life" took the good, took the bad, took them both and there we had one of TV's greatest spinoffs.







"Boston Legal"

Spin-off of: "The Practice"


David E. Kelley is at his best when there's a hint (or more) of absurdity in his legal dramedies.

This spin-off of the comparatively somber "The Practice" veered more into "Ally McBeal" territory -- and beyond -- with the addition of Denny Crane (William Shatner) as the perfect partner-in-crime for Alan Shore (James Spader).







"A Different World"

Spin-off of: "The Cosby Show"


Launched as a vehicle for Huxtable daughter Denise (Lisa Bonet) as she went off to college, the supporting players -- including Southern belle Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy) and sunglass-flipping Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison) -- carried the series for six seasons, long after Denise left.













THE WORST:



"Joey"

Spin-off of: "Friends"


Six friends equalled ratings dominance and an undeniable impact on television history, one friend equalled ... two subpar seasons and the temporary derailment of Matt LeBlanc's career.

(Thank God for "Episodes")







"Time Of Your Life"

Spin-off Of: "Party Of Five"


Starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, "Time Of Your Life" centered on her character Sarah's life as she struggled to hunt down information on her biological mother in New York City.

Despite the enticing premise, the show didn't even last one season -- seven episodes never aired at all.







"The Brady Brides"

Spin-off of: "The Brady Bunch"


"The Brady Bunch" has left a lasting impression on TV, but there's a reason why many of the spinoffs never stuck.

Lighting doesn't strike twice, and as much as viewers loved Jan and Marsha, they didn't like when the Brady girls started their own bunches.







"Law & Order: LA"

Spin-off of: "Law & Order"


They can't all be winners! "Criminal Intent" and "SVU" were very strong performers for the "L&O" franchise, but nothing tanked worse -- not even the awful "Trial By Jury" -- than this one, dubbed "LOLA".

A three-month hiatus and major cast shake-ups, all in the first season, proved that "LOLA" was DOA.







"The Tortellis"

Spin-off of: "Cheers"


It's safe to say "The Tortellis" was no "Frasier".

Starring Dan Hedaya, who played Carla's ex, and Jean Kasem as his new wife, the NBC spin-off aired from January to May 1987 and saw very low ratings.







"Baywatch Nights"

Spin-off of: "Baywatch"


Mitch Buchannon, private eye?

Who could've predicted that taking David Hasselhoff out of the red trunks and throwing in some science fiction wouldn't result in an instant hit?







"Saved by the Bell: The College Years"

Spin-off of: "Saved by the Bell"


Shorter-lived than the other critically panned "SBTB" spinoff, "The New Class" (which inexplicably ran for seven seasons), "The College Years" followed all of our favorite Bayside High students (except Jessie and Lisa) to college, where they rehashed the original show's storylines for 19 episodes.

Fans did finally get some closure for Zack and Kelly's off-and-on romance though -- the iconic couple decided to elope to Las Vegas before the show was canceled.







"Models Inc."

Spin-off of: "Melrose Place"


The third time was not the charm for the "Beverly Hills, 90210" universe.

Despite the presence of "Dallas" star Linda Gray and the promise of sexy models in sexy situations, no one tuned in to watch, and the show was canceled after the first season.







"The Lone Gunmen"

Spin-off of: "The X-Files"


Sometimes, when you take periphery characters and try to build an entire show around them, it works ("Angel"), and other times it just flops. Conspiracy show "The Lone Gunmen" falls into the latter category.

Despite positive critical reviews, the ratings plummeted after a semi-solid pilot (which eerily foreshadowed the events of 9/11), and the show was canned after 13 episodes.







"Star Trek: Voyager"

Spin-off of: "Star Trek"


For the first time ever in the "Star Trek" franchise, a female captain (Kate Mulgrew as Kathryn Janeway) helmed a Starfleet vessel. Some speculate that this hurt the show, driving away the typically male "Trek" fans.

Critically, it's viewed as one of the least-popular series of the "Trek" universe, though it still managed to last seven seasons.







"The Finder"

Spin-off of: "Bones"


Introduced as a backdoor pilot during Season 6 of "Bones", it was the spin-off no one had asked for with a character nobody cared about.

Charismatic Geoff Stults proved he could find many things during the show's 13 episodes, but ratings success wasn't one of them.







"Port Charles"

Spin-off of: "General Hospital"


Despite the fact that the "General Hospital" spin-off lasted more than six years, "Port Charles" -- which took "GH" characters Lucy Coe, Kevin Collins, Scott Baldwin and Karen Wexler -- broke all the TV soap rules, and not for the better.

It dropped the open-ended writing style of other daytime dramas and spent way too much time in the hospital.







"Caprica"

Spin-off of: "Battlestar Galactica"


Where "Battlestar Galactica" was genius in terms of its dark writing and terrific acting, "Caprica" was a tough slog through a mire of extraneous, uncharismatic characters and endless probing dialogue.

"BSG" fans dropped off as they grew tired of waiting for something to happen, and the show was ultimately canceled due to low ratings; it only lasted a season-and-a-half before it was unceremoniously yanked.







"Joanie Loves Chachi"

Spin-off of: "Happy Days"


Though everyone loved Joanie (Erin Moran) and Chachi (Scott Baio) on "Happy Days", very few loved them on "Joanie Loves Chachi". The series followed the TV couple as they moved to Chicago and tried to make it in the music industry.

But the musical factor was far from harmonious and without Richie, Fonzi and the rest of the "Happy Days" gang, it just wasn't the same.







"The Golden Palace"

Spin-off of: "The Golden Girls"


After Dorothy (Bea Arthur) married and the gals sold their home in the "Golden Girls" finale, this spin-off picked up with Rose (Betty White), Sophia (Estelle Getty) and Blanche (Rue McClanahan) buying a run-down Miami hotel to run.

A thin premise, at best -- even the jazzed up theme song and presence of a young Don Cheadle couldn't get this dud a second season.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0..._1766373.html?

[factsoflife]

Port Charles! I beg to differ, first off, it was a very well-written series that found creative ways to reinvent the soap opera. Next it was hardly focused on the hospital AT ALL towards the end of it's run. I wouldn't say it's a perfect show but I think it's far from one of the worst spin-off's of all-time!

I actually think that PC was starting to find it's creative footing when it got cancelled.

[JamesG]

Originally Posted by factsoflife

Port Charles! I beg to differ, first off, it was a very well-written series that found creative ways to reinvent the soap opera. Next it was hardly focused on the hospital AT ALL towards the end of it's run. I wouldn't say it's a perfect show but I think it's far from one of the worst spin-off's of all-time!

I actually think that PC was starting to find it's creative footing when it got cancelled.

I wonder how PC would do today since it aired before supernatural/vampire shows/movies became the mainstream.

PC introduced me to Kelly Monaco, one of the hottest women on daytime, so I can't bash it.

[factsoflife]

Originally Posted by JamesG

I wonder how PC would do today since it aired before supernatural/vampire shows/movies became the mainstream.

PC introduced me to Kelly Monaco, one of the hottest women on daytime, so I can't bash it.

I agree with you. I think PC would be doing very well today if it was still airing. It had just started to find itself when ABC foolishly cancelled it. Who knew in 2003 that by 2012 ABC would be down to 1 soap!

[mets82]

I never watched Port Charles, but I agree about Kelly Monaco. She is goregous!! WOW!!

Joanie Loves Chacai, Ive never really seen. I guess I know why considering that it wasnt a good show.

I thought Saved by the Bell, The College Years, got a raw deal. I didnt think the show was that bad. I mean if you liked Saved by the Bell, it was basically the samething with the same premise.

I thought The Golden Palace was good as well. I know Dorothy was a big part of the cast but Rose, Blanche and Sofia were no slouches. They were funny and I liked Don Cheadle and Cheech Marin.

[UMFaninMD]

About Port Charles---I think a lot of soap fans interestingly don't want supernatural elements in their daytime shows, but they can accept it more on primetime shows, unless it's supernatural from the get go, like Dark Shadows. But the vampire chapter was extremely popular and people still talk about it, so they must have done something right.

[factsoflife]

Originally Posted by UMFaninMD

About Port Charles---I think a lot of soap fans interestingly don't want supernatural elements in their daytime shows, but they can accept it more on primetime shows, unless it's supernatural from the get go, like Dark Shadows. But the vampire chapter was extremely popular and people still talk about it, so they must have done something right.

I think that Port Charles was simply a victim of new management. It was created and developed under Angela Shapiro's reign as ABC Daytime President, and when Brian Frons gained control he obviously decided to can PC, despite the fact it was doing it's best work yet. I suppose the fact that ratings never really stabilized didn't help either.

It also had a terrible timeslot, where many affiliates didn't even air it.

[TVFactFan]

Surprised MAUDE didn't make the Good Spinoff.



Fun Fact

"Joanie Loves Chachi was the highest rated spinoff in TV History after the 1981-82 season.

[yankeesrj12]

Originally Posted by JamesG

[B]"Law & Order: LA"

Spin-off of: "Law & Order"


They can't all be winners! "Criminal Intent" and "SVU" were very strong performers for the "L&O" franchise, but nothing tanked worse -- not even the awful "Trial By Jury" -- than this one, dubbed "LOLA".

A three-month hiatus and major cast shake-ups, all in the first season, proved that "LOLA" was DOA.

After the show was re-tooled, I thought it was a great series. Too bad viewers never gave it a second chance. Sigh...

[Buffyboy323]

Agree with as the best:
Laverne & Shirley
The Jeffersons
Angel
Law & Order: SVU
Frasier
Xena: Warrior Princess
Daria
Melrose Place
The Simpsons
The Facts of Life

Disagree with as the worst:
Saved by the Bell: The College Years
Star Trek: Voyager

[Schmoopie]

Wow I didn't realize that they had tried to do a different spin off of Cheers! But I'm SO glad that they stuck with Frasier b/c IMO That is by far the BEST! However, I do agree with most of the others on that best spin off list!

[andress_jade]

I do agree about a lot of those best spinoffs. Of course Frasier has to be on that list, not only because I love the show but because it was dubbed the most successful spinoff of all time.
Frasier lasted 11 years, longer than any other spinoff. Frasier was just an amazing show, with an amazing cast and genius writing. I am proud to be a fan.

[loaferman]

Originally Posted by UMFaninMD

About Port Charles---I think a lot of soap fans interestingly don't want supernatural elements in their daytime shows, but they can accept it more on primetime shows, unless it's supernatural from the get go, like Dark Shadows. But the vampire chapter was extremely popular and people still talk about it, so they must have done something right.

I think you have a valid point. However, Dark Shadows was not supernatural from the get go, gothic maybe. It was months before they even so much as hinted at a ghost and the vampire was a desperation move with cancellation looming. Everyone thought it was an insane move but said why not since they felt it was virtually cancelled anyway.

[70s show watcher]

i dont agreee about joey or the brady brides i actuilly liked both of those

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by 70s show watcher

i dont agreee about joey or the brady brides i actuilly liked both of those

I liked the HOT BLONDE in Joey