# \*\*\*\*\*Obscure Sitcom Spin-Offs\*\*\*\*\* **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 1, 2001, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sitcom-spin-offs/84715 "2001-10-01T03:43:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pezwookiee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@pezwookiee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pezwookiee)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sitcom-spin-offs/84715/21 "2001-10-02T01:06:44Z")
that link above has every answer to every sitcom spin-off question I could think of. It still didn’t show **The Art of Being Nick** , so i e-mailed the webmaster. He said it was only a pilot… like the **Lenny & Squiggy** show and a spin-off of **M_A_S\*H** titled and about **Radar**. I e-mailed him back and said I’d love to see a page dedicated to never-picked-up spin-off pilots. ---
**Author:** ![Skijumper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3e96dc/32.png) [@Skijumper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skijumper)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sitcom-spin-offs/84715/22 "2001-10-02T06:23:31Z")
Melrose Place gave us Models Inc. I vaguely remember seeing Carrie-Ann Moss in that. (And wasn’t Melrose a spin-off of 90210 too? I’m probably wrong there.) ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sitcom-spin-offs/84715/23 "2001-10-02T13:19:32Z")
Melrose was spun off of 90210, but IIRC (and I’m not sure), the Jake character was originally introduced into 90210 only to build anticipation for Melrose; that is, it was one of what I’ve termed a concocted spin-off. Love, American Style has spawned the largest number of spin-offs, but indirectly through Happy Days. All in the Family comes in second; many of the AIF spin-offs came directly out of it. Love, American Style begat Happy Days, which begat Joanie Loves Chachi, Happy Days Again, the Happy Days cartoon, and Laverne & Shirley,which begat the Laverne & Shirley cartoon (remember, with the pig?). Happy Days also begat Mork & Mindy, which itself begat its own cartoon show. I’m sure I’m missing some. All in the Family begat Gloria, Archie Bunker’s Place, 407 Hauser Street and Maude, which begat The Jeffersons, which begat Good Times. Phyllis did have her own show. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sitcom-spin-offs/84715/24 "2001-10-02T13:26:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cliffy \* > Happy Days also begat Mork & Mindy, which itself begat its own cartoon show. I’m sure I’m missing some. Out of the Blue was the angel show. Like Mork, it was a concocted spin off. > [@](#): > > All in the Family begat Gloria, Archie Bunker’s Place, 407 Hauser Street and Maude, which begat The Jeffersons, which begat Good Times. > –Cliffy I think Good Times came from Maude. Florida Evans was MAude’s maid. I forget what Maude’s connection was to AITF. The JEffersons were Archie’s upstairs neighbors before they moved to the DEE-luxe apartment, in the Sky-hi-hi. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sitcom-spin-offs/84715/25 "2001-10-02T13:33:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cliffy \* > **All in the Family begat Gloria, Archie Bunker’s Place, 407 Hauser Street and Maude, which begat The Jeffersons, which begat Good Times.** You’re thinking of **Maude**. I could be mistaken, but didn’t they try to give Bently his own series in '82? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sitcom-spin-offs/84715/26 "2001-10-02T13:39:08Z")
OK, let me clear this up. **Maude** was concocted as the Bunker’s cousin; she had two guest appearances, one in '71 and again in '72. Husband Walter was with her in '72. **Good Times** has no direct connection to **The Jeffersons** ---
**Author:** ![Tiburon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e36b37/32.png) [@Tiburon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tiburon)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sitcom-spin-offs/84715/27 "2001-10-02T13:57:21Z")
Mad About You …Friends. Phoebe’s sister was the waitress in Mad About You. Pretty successful spin off! Tibs. ---
**Author:** ![SterlingNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@SterlingNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SterlingNorth)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sitcom-spin-offs/84715/28 "2001-10-02T13:59:07Z")
I believe that “A Different World” is a spinoff of “The Cosby Show.” Of course I can’t be sure, because I don’t remember any of the Cosby characters showing up in “World” but a big deal has been made of William Huxtable (Cosby) going to Hillman College (the setting of “World”). And also most of the production crew of “Cosby Show” worked on “World”. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sitcom-spin-offs/84715/29 "2001-10-02T14:06:24Z")
**Cliffy** , wasn’t “Happy Days Again” just an alternate name for _Happy Days_ when it ran in syndication? Back in the early 80s I remember many shows were retitled when they went into syndication. For example, _Emergency_ became _Emergency One,_ _Barney Miller_ became _Twelfth Precinct_ and, AFAIR, _Happy Days_ became _Happy Days Again._ Also, alongside your (very useful, I think) concept of “concocted” spinoffs we should consider “retooled premises,” where a successful show changes its title and some of its characters (usually in a futile attempt to recover lost ratings). They’re not true spinoffs, they’re just continuations of the original show. Thus: _All in the Family_ became _Archie Bunker’s Place_ _The Andy Griffith Show_ became _Mayberry RFD_ _Valerie_ became _The Hogan Family_ And for the truly obscure: _Second Chance_ became _Boys Will Be Boys_ _Duet_ became _Open House_ ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sitcom-spin-offs/84715/30 "2001-10-02T14:11:53Z")
**Tiburon** : > [@](#): > > Mad About You …Friends. > > Phoebe’s sister was the waitress in Mad About You. > > Pretty successful spin off! Sorry **Tiburon** , that’s not a spinoff. _Friends_ had nothing to do with _Mad About You_ to begin with, beyond the fact that Lisa Kudrow’s exposure on the latter show landed her the part on the former. It wasn’t until _Friends_ had been on the air for some time that the producers decided to tie the two shows together by establishing Kudrow’s characters on the two shows as identical twins. **SterlingNorth** , _A Different World_ was indeed a spinoff of _Cosby._ Lisa Bonet, who played the second-oldest daughter on _Cosby_, was spun off into _A Different World_, which was created as a vehicle for her. But then Bonet had some kind of breakdown or falling-out with Cosby or something like that, so she was written out of her own show and then it became about all the other characters instead. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sitcom-spin-offs/84715/31 "2001-10-02T14:43:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fiver \* > **It wasn’t until _Friends_ had been on the air for some time that the producers decided to tie the two shows together by establishing Kudrow’s characters on the two shows as identical twins.** [Nipick] Actually, it wasn’t “for some time.” In the very first season of _Friends_, Joey and Chandler meet Ursula at Riff’s and Joey ends up dating her for a while. [/Nitpick] ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sitcom-spin-offs/84715/32 "2001-10-02T14:45:21Z")
So “for some time” equals “part of the first season.” Where’s your nitpick? ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sitcom-spin-offs/84715/33 "2001-10-02T15:07:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fiver \* > \*\*So “for some time” equals “part of the first season.” Where’s your nitpick? \*\* I took “for some time” to mean several seasons in. ---
**Author:** ![Venkman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ec9cab/32.png) [@Venkman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Venkman)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sitcom-spin-offs/84715/34 "2001-10-02T15:31:22Z")
Add another to the “Happy Days” lineage. “Laverne and Shirley” very briefly became “Laverne and Friends” when Cindy Williams left the show. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sitcom-spin-offs/84715/35 "2001-10-02T15:50:57Z")
I thought Happy Days Again was a new show, but I appear to be incorrect. I thought it was a revisiting of the characters without Richie but with Ted McGinley, but it seems that was part of the original run. My bad. –Cliffy P.S. I thought the Jeffersons used to live in what was later the “Good Times” apartment before George made his pile; I’m pretty sure I saw an episode where they went back to visit. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sitcom-spin-offs/84715/36 "2001-10-02T16:02:44Z")
I thought the Jeffersons lived in the other half of the duplex in Queens where the Bunkers lived, before George made his pile. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sitcom-spin-offs/84715/37 "2001-10-02T16:19:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fiver \* > \*\*I thought the Jeffersons lived in the other half of the duplex in Queens where the Bunkers lived, before George made his pile. \*\* Yep, that’s where they lived. There was an episode where Archie assumed the black woman was there to clean the empty house, and was later horrified to find out she was his new neighbor. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sitcom-spin-offs/84715/38 "2001-10-02T16:27:04Z")
Well, Trapper John was not supposed to be a spinoff of the show Mash(yeah, right). Seriously, they went to court over it. Both the makers of the movie MASH and the show wanted to claim that the show was based off their work. The court ruled that Trapper John, M.D. is spun off the movie, not the show. Consequently, all royalties went to the makers of the movie. This does work better anyway, since Trapper in the show is more like the one in the movie. If you care, the court case was “Preminger vs. 20th Century Fox”. Also, the pilot movie about Radar was called W_A_L_T_E\*R and it sucked big time. But it was directed by Bill Bixby, so what the hey? After MASH came about right after MASH ended. The cast had voted as to whether or not to do a 12th season. Everyone voted against it accept Harry Morgan, Jamie Farr, and William Christopher. Consequently, they went on to the next show and were quickly dismissed. And everyone else on MASH went on to good long careers, not at all typecast in their roles on the show. Oh wait, no one did. They were all typecast. Nevermind. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sitcom-spin-offs/84715/39 "2001-10-02T16:53:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cliffy \* > \*\*P.S. I thought the Jeffersons used to live in what was later the “Good Times” apartment before George made his pile; I’m pretty sure I saw an episode where they went back to visit. \*\* Sorry, that’s not possible. According to the IMDb, **Good Times** started airing in '74; **The Jeffersons** in '75. And at no time did any member of one cast appear in the other show. ---
**Author:** ![Waldo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Waldo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waldo)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sitcom-spin-offs/84715/40 "2001-10-02T17:18:20Z")
Well, unless you mean that Alan Alda has been typecast as a “sensitive guy”, I think breaks down at least there. I think that’s just Alan. I saw him in a (almost) one man play in L.A. as Richard Feyman, the Nobel Prize winning physicist from Cal Tech, and it had the Hawkeye emotional moments. I bring this up because he stayed after and discussed the play with the audience and a real Cal Tech physicist. He had a lot to do with the play becoming an actual play and getting produced, so I assume he had a good bit of creative control too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sitcom-spin-offs/84715.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sitcom-spin-offs/84715.md?page=3)