These days most spin-off of TV shows seem to consist of the same idea moved to a new location and with other characters.
Examples are CSI, CSI:Miami, and CSI: New York.
You've got Law and Order, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Law and Order: SVU, and isn't there Law and Order: L A?
I could go on and on.
There is the NCIS which was a spin-off from JAG and now has it's own spin-off in the form of one in LA.
Criminal Minds and it's failed attempt.
But, I want to revisit the old style spin-offs.
Shows from when I was growing up.
Spin-offs where one character would be in an episode or show and just go off on his own.
You don't see that much anymore.
Back in the 70s and 80s it happened quite a bit.
Top Things Tuesday- TV Shows and their spin-offs:
1.All in the Family
This was a show in the 70s about a bigot, Archie Bunker, and his family.
Spin-offs included-
The Jeffersons
Maude
Archie Bunker's Place- spin-offs came from this one too like Gloria, who was Archie's daughter.
2. Alice
Alice was a single mother that became a waitress at Mel's, a diner.
Flo was the spin-off. Flo liked to say "Kiss my grits!" a lot.
3. Soap
This show was so wacky. There was alien abduction, demonic possession, infidelity, amnesia, mob stories, cults, homosexuality. Very rare and controversial in the 70s.
Benson was the spin-off. The butler was sent to go to work for the governor, who was Jessica's cousin.
4. 21 Jump Street
Johnny Depp's break out show. It was about a group of NARCs. They were all so young and pretty.
The spin-off to this show was Booker. Booker was one of the cops and he got his own show as a PI.
5. Happy Days
I don't know anyone my age that didn't watch Happy Days. It took place in the 50s in Milwaukee. Fonz, the Cunninghams, Arnold(after him came Al). It was a family show.
Mork and Mindy was a spin-off. As was Laverne and Shirley and Joanie Loves Chachi.
6. The Tracy Ullman Show
This was a sketch variety show on Fox.
It was on a couple years, I believe. It also is where The Simpson's came from. Every week, there were little shorts of the Simpsons and soon it became what we know today.
Just thinking about how long ago that was makes me feel not so young anymore.
7. Married With Children
Al Bundy sold shoes. His wife, Peggy, loved to sit on her butt all day and they had two kids-Bud and Kelly.
Top of the Heap was the not-so-successful spin-off about a single father and his cute, but dumb teenage son.
8. MASH
I think we have all heard of MASH. Many of us have even watched it. In case you haven't, it was a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in Korea during the war.
Aftermash was about 4 of the guys that came back and worked together in a hospital.
Trapper John, MD was a spin-off of sorts. It was about Trapper years later. The character Trapper was from MASH but that's about it.
9. Three's Company
This show was about 3 single people sharing an apartment. One guy, two girls and then there was the nosy landlord.
Later the Roper's moved to a condo and got their own spin-off- The Roper's
Another spin-off was Three's a Crowd which was Jack living with his girlfriend and her father always butting in.
10. The Cosby Show
This show was about a rich black family- The Huxtables. It starred Bill Cosby
The couple had good jobs and several kids.
The spin-off for this was A Different World. It was about the daughter Denise going off to college.
Strangely, though, she left the show and it still kept going without her. I say strange, since it started out a spin-off starring her.
And weren't 'The Beverly Hillbillies,' 'Green Acres,' and 'Petticoat Junction' all related?
ReplyDeleteAs were 'The Andy Griffith Show,' 'Gomer Pyle, USMC,' and 'Mayberry RFD'?
This was pretty cool, Ruth.
And you probably know the origin of the term "Jump the shark", huh?
Al, Yes, I know "Jump the shark". HA
ReplyDeleteI didn't remember about "The Beverly Hillbillies", "Green Acres", and "Petticoat Junction" being related. "Gomer Pyle, USMC", "Andy Griffith", and "Mayberry RFD" I do.
I effing loved All in the Family! Man. I should watch the reruns on the weird channels I skim past.
ReplyDeleteSara, I haven't seen that show in sooo many years. We don't have any channels that show it.
ReplyDeleteI had forgotten Mork and Mindy came from Happy Days. I liked watching A Different World the first few years. I don't like the CSI shows but I do like "Bones" because it is so funny and romantic too.
ReplyDeleteBelle, I used to watch "Bones" once in a while. I didn't realize it was still on.
ReplyDeleteI am still amazed at what you do remember. The three "rural" shows I mentioned all seem to have revolved around "Drucker's General Sore" and "Hooterville" somehow.
ReplyDeleteStarted watching Married With Children when we lived in Central America, and was hooked on it until it ended. I also loved Momma's Family with Vicki Lawrence. It started on the Carol Buernette show, then became its own show. It was my most favorite of them all.
ReplyDeleteOops...I think it's spelled Mama's Family.
ReplyDeleteAl, Everyone is good at remembering certain things. Honeyman is always wondering how the hell I remember where I saw this actor or what their name is.
ReplyDeleteYvonne, I remember Mama's Family and The Carol Burnette Show. That is a good one. You know what is funny? A few years ago, I was working with a friend of mine and she started telling me about this funny show she started watching- The Carol Burnette Show. She thought it was new, had no idea she was watching old reruns.
Oh my God, you just reminded me of John Ritter. What a guy and what a show. I remember watching almost all of the shows you listed. some of them are even popular with our kids, specially Three is company. I did not realize that married with children was as early as that. Great post.
ReplyDeleteMunir, Time does have a way of getting away from us. It doesn't even seem all that long ago that John Ritter died, but it has been awhile.
ReplyDeleteWhat about Cheers and the frasier spin off?
ReplyDeleteDeidree, That's a good one. I always liked Frasier better than Cheers.
ReplyDeleteAnd didn't Pebbles and Bam Bam have a spin-off from the Flintstones (believe it or not, I'm not kidding)?
ReplyDeleteAl, I know you're not. Yes, they did!
ReplyDelete