This is a question about TV show spin-offs. For my purpose I want to be strict about what we mean by a spin-off. I would say a spin-off is strictly when a character or place is introduced in one series and then gets its own series. Gomer Pyle, USMC is a spin-off of The Andy Griffith Show because Gomer Pyle was a character on the Andy Griffith show before Gomer Pyle, USMC. I would not consider Star Trek: The Next Generation a spin-off of* Star Trek: TOS*. It is more a continuation or sequel to the original series. If Harry Mudd had gotten his own show, that would be a spin-off.
That said, if you want to include shows that are not strictly spin-offs in your answers, I think that it is still interesting but I might call you on it for not strictly satisfying the question.
The question is: what is the most number of spin-off generations of a TV show?
By generations I mean spin-offs of spin-offs. If Sgt Carter had gotten his own show, then that would be three generations: Andy Griffith Show --> Gomer Pyle, USMC --> Sgt Carter show . But if Barney Fife had gotten his own show, then Gomer Pyle, USMC and the Barney Fife show would be parallel “sibling” spin-offs and still part of only two generations of the Andy Griffith show.
There are many, many examples of two generations. I’m sure there must be examples of three generation shows (but I can’t think of any at the moment so please share!) But are there any instances of four generations?
Do any of the NCIS shows qualify under your premise? All of them were introduced as backdoor pilots on NCIS, and NCIS was, itself, introduced as a backdoor pilot on JAG.
An obvious triple is Love American Style>Happy Days>(Mork and Mindy, Laverne and Shirley) I don’t know if any M&M or L&S characters got their own show though.
All in the Family spun off Maude, which in turn spun off Good Times.
It also spun off The Jeffersons, and that show spun off the short-lived Checking In, with feisty maid Florence becoming an executive housekeeper of a hotel. So Checking In and Good Times are first cousins, but each “generation” is still only three steps.
Finally, AitF spun off Archie Bunker’s Place, which remained childless.
If Marvel’s Most Wanted had been picked up, it would have been a spin-off of Agents of SHIELD which was a spin off of The Avengers (which you could argue is a sequel to Iron Man).
The Kids of Degrassi Street spun off Degrassi Jr High, which in turn spun off Degrassi High, and which in turn spun off Degrassi Next Generation. That’s four.
Out of the Blue was the series about a guardian angel. Laverne and Shirley was also a spin-off of Happy Days, which itself was a spinoff of Love, American Style.
Then there was Joanie Loves Chiachi, also a spinoff of Happy Days, and wasn’t there a spinoff about the Fonz was well? (I had quit watching Garry Marshall’s stable of shows long before they reached that point.)
I guess the winner so far is either Happy Days or Love, American Style, depending on how you count it.
All in the Family begat Maude, The Jeffersons, and Archie Bunker’s Place, making it a close second maybe? Did I miss anything here?
Another All in the Family universe show was 704 Hauser: About the house the Bunkers lived in! The adult son of Mike and Gloria showed up in the first episode to provide continuity. It starred John Amos who was the dad for bit in the other spinoff Good Times. But not the same character. His last name in this show was the ridiculous and impossible name of “Cumberbatch”. No real person could ever have that name.
It lasted 6 episodes.
An upcoming spinoff will have a couple of characters from The Good Wife. Interestingly, it will be web only.
I think calling Happy Days a “spin-off” (as used in this context) of Love, American Style is a stretch. The latter was a series of unconnected one act plays, with the show’s title as the underlying theme. It’s not like the Happy Days characters appeared in more than one of these.
