# Spin-offs: Good, bad, never happened **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 8, 2002, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-offs-good-bad-never-happened/122881 "2002-08-08T00:41:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-offs-good-bad-never-happened/122881/21 "2002-08-08T19:23:09Z")
There was also a black-out night on NBC, Mad About You, Friends, Seinfeld, and some other show all had a NY black-out caused by Helen Hunt on Mad About You. Happy Days also had a brief failed spinoff about a guardian angel. Can’t remember the name of that one. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-offs-good-bad-never-happened/122881/22 "2002-08-08T19:26:50Z")
“Top of the Heap”, which introduced us to Matt LeBlanc, was a bad spinoff of “Married…with Children”. “Simpsons” was a spinoff of “Tracey Ullman”. “The Tortelli’s” spun off from “Cheers”. ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-offs-good-bad-never-happened/122881/23 "2002-08-08T19:27:14Z")
> [@](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Telemark \* > > \*\*Mary Tyler Moore > > Phillis > > Lou Grant > > Rhoda > > There’s one more and I can’t think of it. > > \*\* > > According to IMDb, it was [“Phyllis” (1975)](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0072556) starring Cloris Leachman as Phyllis Lindstrom, her character on the MTM Show. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-offs-good-bad-never-happened/122881/24 "2002-08-08T19:33:49Z")
IIRC, The Andy Griffith Show was a spin-off of the Danny Thomas Show. In one episode DT got pulled over in a small southern town where AG was a fairly mean sheriff, a much different character than he later portrayed. Eventually, that spawned Gomer Pyle, right? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-offs-good-bad-never-happened/122881/25 "2002-08-08T19:50:42Z")
> [@](#): > > IIRC, The Andy Griffith Show was a spin-off of the Danny Thomas Show. In one episode DT got pulled over in a small southern town where AG was a fairly mean sheriff, a much different character than he later portrayed. > > Eventually, that spawned Gomer Pyle, right? Right, not to mention **Mayberry R.F.D.** ---
**Author:** ![Doubting\_Robert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e495f1/32.png) [@Doubting\_Robert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doubting_Robert)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-offs-good-bad-never-happened/122881/26 "2002-08-08T20:09:17Z")
“Honey West” was a spin-off from one episode of “Burke’s Law.” (“Burke’s Law” was later retitled “Amos Burke, Secret Agent.” Many years later, it returned under the original title.) ---
**Author:** ![Doubting\_Robert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e495f1/32.png) [@Doubting\_Robert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doubting_Robert)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-offs-good-bad-never-happened/122881/27 "2002-08-08T20:20:37Z")
According to a couple of user comments on the IMDb, the pilot for “Burke’s Law” was shown as an episode of “The Dick Powell Theatre” and starred Dick Powell. He died before the “Burke’s Law” series was picked up, and the part went to Gene Barry. And none of you kids remembers either show. ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-offs-good-bad-never-happened/122881/28 "2002-08-08T22:38:49Z")
> [@](#): > > There was also a black-out night on NBC, Mad About You, Friends, Seinfeld, and some other show all had a NY black-out caused by Helen Hunt on Mad About You. Actually, **Seinfeld** didn’t participate. I heard that Larry David wouldn’t stand for such nonsense. But the other three “Must See TV” shows did (the fourth one escapes me, too). ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-offs-good-bad-never-happened/122881/29 "2002-08-08T23:42:04Z")
I think we need to define our terms a bit. I’m not inclined to call a show a “spin off” if the main character in the new show had only _one_ appearance in the so-called “parent” show, and that appearance was just a gimmick to introduce the character to an established audience. Is _Frasier_ the most successful spin-off, in terms of ratings and revenue? Is _The Simpsons_? Trivia: _Lou Grant_ and _Trapper John M.D._ are the only hour-long drama spinoffs of half-hour comedies. ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-offs-good-bad-never-happened/122881/30 "2002-08-08T23:57:13Z")
Let’s see… Perfect Strangers begot Family Matters, and Urkel from there showed up on Full House and Step by Step, and some terrible sounding show starring Bronson Pinchott named [Meego](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0118397). ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-offs-good-bad-never-happened/122881/31 "2002-08-09T01:06:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bryan Ekers \* > **I think we need to define our terms a bit. I’m not inclined to call a show a “spin off” if the main character in the new show had only _one_ appearance in the so-called “parent” show, and that appearance was just a gimmick to introduce the character to an established audience.** Yeah, I shouldn’t have even used the word “spin-off”. I’m mostly interested in single episodes that were clearly meant to be a spin-off, but it never happened. That, and exactly what you describe above - i.e. Mork on _Happy Days_. I’m pretty familiar with all the other normal repeating character spin-off shows, i.e. _Three’s a Crowd_. ---
**Author:** ![ladybug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@ladybug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladybug)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-offs-good-bad-never-happened/122881/32 "2002-08-09T01:14:40Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by lothos2002 \* \*\* > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Telemark \* > How come no one has mentioned cartoons? \*\* I’m pretty sure _The Zeta Project_ is a spinoff of _Batman Beyond_. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Fool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Green\_Fool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Fool)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-offs-good-bad-never-happened/122881/33 "2002-08-09T01:23:31Z")
…got any grounds for that? Similar styles of animation and a future context aside… The two shows don’t really seem to be related. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-offs-good-bad-never-happened/122881/34 "2002-08-09T01:43:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Green Fool \* > \*\*…got any grounds for that? > > Similar styles of animation and a future context aside… The two shows don’t really seem to be related. \*\* It is a direct spinoff. There was an episode named “Zeta” which showed the origin of the character. However, it could be argued that the that episode was more of a launching point since the character had not appeared before that show. He did reappear in an episode entitled “Countdown.” ---
**Author:** ![Zap\_Rowsdower](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3da27b/32.png) [@Zap\_Rowsdower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zap_Rowsdower)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-offs-good-bad-never-happened/122881/35 "2002-08-09T02:09:03Z")
I believe there was a similar type episode in Chips. Where Ponch and John arrest a bad guy. This leads some spy group, for the rest of the show, to solve a bigger case the original arrestee was a part of. I do not recall if this show ever made it past this episode of Chips. The one scene I remember is one of the men had a puppet and used it to distract one of the bad guys. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-offs-good-bad-never-happened/122881/36 "2002-08-09T03:50:23Z")
Using the “one-episode intro” definition of a spinoff, _Animaniacs_ was spun off from _Tiny Toon Adventures_, which was itself, if not a spinoff, a direct descendant of the WB Loony Toons cartoons. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-offs-good-bad-never-happened/122881/37 "2002-08-09T05:05:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zap\_Rowsdower \* > The one scene I remember is one of the men had a puppet and used it to distract one of the bad guys. Nah, I saw that episode and it wasn’t a puppet. The bad guys were blinded when Erik Estrada smiled in daylight. ---
**Author:** ![mkmiller99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@mkmiller99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkmiller99)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-offs-good-bad-never-happened/122881/38 "2002-08-09T05:35:26Z")
How about: The Lone Gunmen - spun from The X-Files The Heights - spun from BH 90210 Melrose Place - spun from BH 90210 Didn’t the King of Queens spin from Everybody Loves Raymond? ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-offs-good-bad-never-happened/122881/39 "2002-08-09T06:01:38Z")
It’s a little hard to remember, but Mork and Mindy was a spinoff of Happy Days, making it a spinoff of a spinoff. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2002, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-offs-good-bad-never-happened/122881/40 "2002-08-10T00:09:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by photopat \* > \*\*Happy Days also had a brief failed spinoff about a guardian angel. Can’t remember the name of that one. \*\* If you’re thinking of **Out of the Blue** , which **Tars Tarkas** mentioned, I thought that was a spinoff of **Mork and Mindy**. I remember Mork being on the first episode, though I’m not sure what the connection was supposed to be. Little more detail on **Melrose Place** vis-a-vis **90210** : Grant Show played the same character on both. On **90210** , he was doing some kind of manual labor around Kelly’s house. She had a crush on him, and couldn’t believe that older guys were actually resistant to her charms! Reading this, I cannot dispel the memory of the **Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase**! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-offs-good-bad-never-happened/122881.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spin-offs-good-bad-never-happened/122881.md?page=3)