Some TV present spin-offs are simple to identify. Everybody is aware of that CBS’s Younger Sheldon is a spin-off of The Large Bang Concept and that The WB’s Angel stems from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Different spin-offs, nevertheless, are more durable to acknowledge.
the reveals on this checklist, however you won’t know that they’re spin-offs or the place the supply materials originated. Just a few are impressed by a visitor character, whereas others take particular tales from anthology reveals and construct a sequence round that one idea.
In the event you’re desirous about tv historical past, take a look at the origins of those 10 well-known reveals most individuals do not know had been spinoffs.
10
‘Elsbeth’ (2024 – Current)
Primarily based on: ‘The Good Spouse’ (2009 – 2016)
The Good Battle is a reasonably apparent spin-off of CBS’s The Good Spouse, however do you know that Elsbeth can also be part of that universe? Carrie Preston (True Blood) stars within the title position because the unconventional however proficient lawyer Elsbeth Tascioni. Elsbeth’s introduction, nevertheless, was initially in Season 1, Episode 20 of The Good Spouse with Preston as a visitor star. The character returned in 13 extra episodes throughout the present’s seven-season run. In 2013, Preston received a Primetime Emmy for Excellent Visitor Actress in a Drama Collection for the position.
When The Good Battle got here round, Elsbeth appeared in 5 episodes earlier than getting her personal sequence. All three reveals, created by Robert King and Michelle King, have acquired important approval for incisive writing and implausible performances. The unusual however charming Elsbeth was a fan favourite for a very long time, and now, Elsbeth has thrived as a sequence. It’s at the moment licensed recent on Rotten Tomatoes with a 92% ranking from critics.
9
‘Melrose Place’ (1992 – 1999)
Primarily based on: ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ (1990 – 2000)
Created by Darren Star (Emily in Paris), Beverly Hills, 90210 is a Fox sequence that ran for 10 seasons. The present started with the Walsh household’s transfer from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Beverly Hills, California. The Walsh youngsters, Brandon (Jason Priestley) and Brenda (Shannen Doherty), begin to make mates at West Beverly Hills Excessive Faculty, and from there the sequence takes off right into a whirlwind of teenybopper drama.
On the finish of Beverly Hills, 90210‘s second season, Jake Hanson (Grant Present) was launched as a personality who would carry over when Melrose Place was developed as a spin-off. Set within the Melrose Place house advanced the place Jake lives, Melrose Place follows the lives of a number of younger adults dwelling in Los Angeles. The present garnered blended evaluations firstly, however finally discovered its footing and continued for seven seasons.
8
‘The Simpsons’ (1989 – Current)
Primarily based on: ‘The Tracey Ullman Present’ (1987 – 1990)
The Simpsons is not simply the longest-running animated primetime tv present. It is the longest-running sitcom of all time with 36 seasons and counting. Set within the city of Springfield, the present is a satirical depiction of the Simpson household as they reside their lives in Center America. It’s a cultural touchstone that has impressed video video games, merchandise, a theme park experience, and a whole lot of social discourse. It has received 37 Primetime Emmy Awards over the previous 36 years with over 50 nominations.
Contemplating how culturally related The Simpsons stays to today, it may be laborious to consider that the hit sequence began out as a brief produced for a sketch comedy present. The primary animated brief appeared on Fox’s The Tracey Ullman Present in 1987. It was known as “The Simpsons: Goodnight” and was about Marge and Homer Simpson placing their three youngsters to mattress. The Tracey Ullman Present would finally make 48 Simpsons shorts over three seasons. In 1989, The Simpsons was developed as its personal 30-minute animated sequence.
7
‘Household Issues’ (1989 – 1898)
Primarily based on: ‘Excellent Strangers’ (1986 – 1993)
Household Issues began as an ABC sitcom that ran for 9 seasons, beginning on ABC, with the ultimate season airing on CBS. The present follows the Winslows, a Black middle-class household dwelling in Chicago, Illinois. That is the present that famously launched Steve Urkel (Jaleel White) as their pesky neighbor. Urkel appeared midway by means of the primary season and was solely supposed to be a minor character, however the public liked him, and he rapidly turned a member of the principle solid.
William Bickley and Michael Warren created Household Issues as a spin-off to the ABC sitcom Excellent Strangers. On the floor, Excellent Strangers appears to be an unlikely place for Household Issues to start. The sequence, which ran for eight seasons, facilities on the friction between the cynical Larry Appleton (Mark Linn-Baker) and his well-meaning European cousin, Balki Bartokomous (Bronson Pinchot), who involves reside with him. Harriette Winslow (Jo Marie Payton) appeared in 33 episodes of Excellent Strangers because the elevator operator at Larry’s workplace. The community liked the character and determined to base a brand new present on Harriet and her household.
6
‘Wings’ (1990 – 1997)
Primarily based on: ‘Cheers’ (1982 – 1993)
Loads of Frasier followers know that the present is a spin-off primarily based on the NBC basic sitcom, Cheers. Nevertheless, it wasn’t the one spin-off. Three years earlier than the premiere of Frasier, NBC made Wings. The sequence is centered on brothers Joe (Tim Daly) and Brian (Steven Weber) Hackett, who run a small commuter airport in Nantucket. Wings lasted for eight seasons and landed three Primetime Emmy Award nominations.
In contrast to most spin-offs, there isn’t a clear thoroughline from Cheers to Wings. The reveals merely exist in the identical universe, and sometimes characters from Cheers may move by means of the Wings airport. Cheers characters Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger), Norm Peterson (George Wendt), Rebecca Howe (Kirstie Alley), Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer), and Dr. Lilith Sternin-Crane (Bebe Neuwirth) all make appearances on Wings.
5
‘Saved by the Bell’ (1989 – 1992)
Primarily based on: ‘Good Morning, Miss Bliss’ (1988 – 1989)
Earlier than NBC had Saved by the Bell, there was Good Morning, Miss Bliss. Hayley Mills (The Mum or dad Lure) starred within the title position as an eighth-grade instructor at John F. Kennedy Junior Excessive Faculty in Indianapolis, Indiana. The present targeted on Miss Bliss’s relationship along with her college students, however solely ran for 13 episodes earlier than it was canceled. The present was reformatted as Saved by the Bell and moved to Bayside Excessive Faculty in Los Angeles, California.
Though there was a revamp, Saved by the Bell nonetheless counts as a spin-off. College students Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), Samuel “Screech” Powers (Dustin Diamond), and Lisa Turtle (Lark Voorhies) all made it over to the brand new present. So did the varsity’s principal, Mr. Belding (Dennis Haskins). Saved by the Bell solely had 4 seasons, nevertheless it stays a nostalgic favourite for many who grew up within the late Eighties and early Nineteen Nineties. Reruns performed for years on TBS, introducing new generations of youngsters to the sequence.
4
‘The Jeffersons’ (1975 – 1985)
Primarily based on: ‘All within the Household’ (1971 – 1979)
The Jeffersons stars Sherman Hemsley (The Contemporary Prince of Bel-Air) and Isabel Sanford (Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner) as George and Louise Jefferson, a Black couple who transfer into Manhattan from Queens following the success of George’s dry-cleaning enterprise. The present ran for 11 seasons on CBS, incomes 14 Primetime Emmy nominations. In 1981, Isabel Sanford received Excellent Lead Actress in a Comedy Collection for enjoying Louise Jefferson and have become the primary Black lady to win on this class.
George and Louise Jefferson began out as characters on All within the Household, the place they lived subsequent door to Archie (Carroll O’Connor) and Edith (Jean Stapleton) Bunker in Queens. The Jeffersons seem all through All within the Household‘s first 9 seasons. Their son, Lionel, is even within the sequence premiere. All within the Household ran for 11 seasons complete and finally impressed seven spin-offs. The Jeffersons stays probably the most well-known of them as we speak.
3
‘The Andy Griffith Present’ (1960 – 1968)
Primarily based on: ‘The Danny Thomas Present’ (1953 – 1964)
The Andy Griffith Present stars Andy Griffith as Andy Taylor, sheriff of the quiet city of Mayberry, North Carolina. He’s a widower with a younger son named Opie (Ron Howard). It is a easy set-up, however one that basically labored. The Andy Griffith Present ran for eight seasons on CBS, profitable six Primetime Emmy Awards alongside the way in which. Andy Taylor’s first look, nevertheless, was in an episode of The Danny Thomas Present.
The Danny Thomas Present, which ran for 11 seasons, stars Danny Thomas as nightclub proprietor Danny Williams. In Season 7, Andy is launched in an episode known as “Danny Meets Andy Griffith.” This was 4 years earlier than The Danny Thomas Present ended, however that didn’t cease CBS from creating The Andy Griffith Present as an impartial sequence.
2
‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ (1995 – 2001)
Primarily based on: ‘Hercules: The Legendary Journeys’ (1995 – 1999)
Lucy Lawless’s (Spartacus) iconic character of Xena initially appeared in Season 1, Episode 6 of Pacific Renaissance Footage’ Hercules: The Legendary Journeys starring Kevin Sorbo (Andromeda). Xena was developed as a recurring character that might die after three episodes, however Lawless’s overwhelming reputation within the position gave producers a brand new concept. The character wasn’t killed off, showing in eight episodes complete.
When Common Tv requested producers to develop a spin-off for Hercules, they determined that Xena would make an outstanding star. Xena: Warrior Princess finally ran for six seasons. In 1997, Lawless was nominated for a Saturn Award for Greatest Style TV Actress. The present earned seven Primetime Emmy Awards, profitable as soon as in 2000 for music composition. Lawless loves the legacy Xena: Warrior Princess has left within the popular culture sphere, significantly with regards to ethnic range and the LGBTQ neighborhood. “Lots of people took messages of self-empowerment,” stated Lawless throughout a 2019 panel, including that the present “sparked constructive change in so many individuals’s lives.”
1
‘The Twilight Zone’ (1959 – 1964)
Primarily based on: ‘Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse’ (1958 – 1960)
Right this moment, The Twilight Zone is named an iconic sci-fi/horror anthology sequence created and hosted by screenwriter Rod Serling. It aired for 5 seasons on CBS, and varied episodes have been cited as inspiration for a lot of up to date style reveals and flicks. The Twilight Zone was nominated for eight Primetime Emmy Awards, with Rod Serling profitable within the Excellent Writing class twice.
Between 1951 and 1957, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz had an anthology sequence known as Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse. The present aired on CBS, that includes totally different dramatic, comedic, or musical performances. Serling wrote an episode for the present known as “The Time Ingredient” in 1958 and constructive evaluations gave Serling the chance to pitch The Twilight Zone to the community. The next yr, Serling had his personal sequence.