# Sketches that became series? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [October 5, 2022, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketches-that-became-series/972738 "2022-10-05T01:55:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketches-that-became-series/972738/1 "2022-10-05T01:55:23Z")
_The Honeymooners_ started out as sketches on Jackie Gleason’s various variety shows. _The Simpsons_ were short bits of animated filler for _The Tracey Ullman Show_. The Carol Burnett Show begat _Mama’s Family_. And after that, I draw a blank. Certainly after more than 70 years of network television, there have to be more than three shows that started out as regular features, but not the main focus, on another show. Any others? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketches-that-became-series/972738/2 "2022-10-05T01:57:10Z")
“Love and the Happy Days” (originally “Love and the Television Set”) from _Love American Style_ became _Happy Days_ ---
**Author:** ![rippingtons\_fan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rippingtons_fan/32/11767_2.png) [@rippingtons\_fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rippingtons_fan)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketches-that-became-series/972738/3 "2022-10-05T01:59:31Z")
Wasn’t _The Andy Griffith Show_ a spin-off from a sketch on _The Danny Thomas Show_? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketches-that-became-series/972738/4 "2022-10-05T02:01:59Z")
But neither of those were continuing sketches, were they? They were just one-shot appearances. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketches-that-became-series/972738/5 "2022-10-05T02:09:22Z")
Ted Lasso started out as a series of promos for NBC sports. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketches-that-became-series/972738/6 "2022-10-05T02:21:23Z")
I know that several Saturday Night Live sketches were turned into movies so I figured that some must have been turned into series but the only one I could find was a recent [streaming series based on MacGruber](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacGruber_(TV_series)). ---
**Author:** ![Beesnest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@Beesnest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beesnest)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketches-that-became-series/972738/7 "2022-10-05T02:22:22Z")
They tried to make a series out of the Geico caveman . Fell flat. Would you consider Chris Rock standup skits to transfer to his tv program ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketches-that-became-series/972738/8 "2022-10-05T02:23:28Z")
Frasier. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketches-that-became-series/972738/9 "2022-10-05T02:25:12Z")
The _Great White North_ recurring sketch on _SCTV_, with the characters Bob & Doug McKenzie, led to a spinoff animated series, _[Bob & Doug](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_%26_Doug_(TV_series))_, in 2009 (nearly 30 years after the original sketches). Rick Moranis (who had retired from acting) chose to not participate in the production of the spinoff, so Dave Coulier provided the voice of Bob McKenzie. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketches-that-became-series/972738/10 "2022-10-05T02:28:08Z")
SCTV’s Ed Grimley also got his own [spinoff animated series](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Completely_Mental_Misadventures_of_Ed_Grimley). ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketches-that-became-series/972738/11 "2022-10-05T02:30:44Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > Frasier. Frasier wasn’t a sketch. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketches-that-became-series/972738/12 "2022-10-05T02:35:14Z")
As for cartoons like _The Simpsons_, would _South Park_ count? _Aeon Flux_? ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketches-that-became-series/972738/13 "2022-10-05T02:38:39Z")
The animated show **Jeff & Some Aliens** originated as a series of sketches on the (animated) sketch series **TripTank**. > **[Jeff & Some Aliens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_%26_Some_Aliens)** > > Jeff & Some Aliens is an American adult animated sitcom created by Sean Donnelly and Alessandro Minoli. It is based on sketches from TripTank. The series stars Brett Gelman and Alessandro Minoli. The series aired on Comedy Central from January 11, 2017, to March 15, 2017. > The plot surrounds three aliens who travel to Earth to find the most average person to test and understand humans. Most episodes revolve around Jeff having a problem that the aliens can fix with a strange device. > On December 1... ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketches-that-became-series/972738/14 "2022-10-05T02:38:42Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > would _South Park_ count? _Aeon Flux_? Aeon Flux would, I think, as it was originally a recurring segment on MTV’s animation anthology show, Liquid Television, before becoming a standalone series. South Park, OTOH, was never part of an anthology/variety show, though it originally come out of a couple of standalone short films. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketches-that-became-series/972738/15 "2022-10-05T02:39:27Z")
Am I the only one who remembers [Mama’s Family](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mama's_Family), a spin-off of a sketch series on _The Carol Burnett Show_. _Mama’s Family_ lasted six seasons. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketches-that-became-series/972738/16 "2022-10-05T02:42:23Z")
That was right in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketches-that-became-series/972738/17 "2022-10-05T02:42:24Z")
_Pinky and the Brain_ started out as sketches on _Animaniacs_. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketches-that-became-series/972738/18 "2022-10-05T02:42:27Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Am I the only one who remembers [Mama’s Family](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mama's_Family), a spin-off of a sketch series on _The Carol Burnett Show_. _Mama’s Family_ lasted six seasons. The OP did. . . ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketches-that-became-series/972738/19 "2022-10-05T02:47:31Z")
Australian comedy series [Kath & Kim](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kath_%26_Kim) fits. The characters of Kath, Kim and Sharon first featured in their current forms as a weekly segment of the Australian comedy series Big Girl’s Blouse (1994–95), having appeared in a more embryonic incarnation earlier in the decade on the sketch comedy show Fast Forward (1989–92). ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketches-that-became-series/972738/20 "2022-10-05T02:47:33Z")
Yep. I blew right by it. Oops. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sketches-that-became-series/972738.md?page=2)