The spin-off to The Good Wife, its follow-up centers around Diane Lockhart after she moves on to start a different firm. Its streaming nature means the series is uninhibited and presents the more provocative sides of the characters and legal matters. Its popularity has increased in the last few years ever since Jason Momoa made it big, who stars here as Ronon Dex, one of the most reliable members of the crew. Ronan is also among the most likable characters Jason Momoa has played, which gives another reason to check out the show.
While Family Guy fans might appreciate some of the humor, The Cleveland Show didn’t quite stand out from its predecessor. Although it had a few standout episodes and added some diversity to the animated sitcom scene, it wasn’t able to live up to the zany, over-the-top charm of Family Guy. There was a time when “The Flash” was the best superhero show on television, as Marvel Studios and Marvel Television caused logistical headaches for each other. Gustin’s Scarlet Speedster was a breath of fresh air compared to overly grim DC superhero takes at the time and quickly built its own fan base.
#7: “The Facts of Life” (1979-
Breaking Bad introduced audiences to Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk), a scam artist-turned-lawyer who helps guide Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), who make and sell meth. The spinoff focuses on Saul’s law career both before and after the events of Breaking Bad. Better Call Saul blew up in popularity late in its run, after many fans of Breaking Bad were said to have been disappointed that the show was too different from the story of the rise of a drug kingpin they had loved.
There are simply too many unexplored eras touched on in George R.R. Martin’s original work not to take a deeper dip into given the chance. House of the Dragon is a prequel, rather than a linear spin-off, and takes the ancestry of the original’s benchmark character, Daenerys Targaryen, as their narrative cue by setting it 170 years before Game of Thrones. The series does what any good Game of Thrones series should, giving us sex, violence and more platinum wigs than we could mount a production of Legally Blonde with. Reality shows often get left out of the spin-off conversation, but they’re offering up some of the most expansive extended universes out there (The Real Housewives franchise alone has 27 spin-offs!). But the best of the bunch, and possibly the most transformational to the landscape of early 2000s tabloid media, was The Hills.
There is just something about this military police procedural that not only keeps fans coming back season after season, but wanting more avenues to enjoy the NCIS brand. Unlike the original series, The Good Fight doesn’t shy away from making its main characters unlikable and the courtroom battles can get very dastardly. The series generally has a lower count of episodes, which has had the effect of creating a dedicated fanbase that waits excitedly for new stories to arrive. A Game of Thrones spin-off was always an inevitability and it was always going to be a record-breaking hit.
Laverne & Shirley proved to be just as funny as Happy Days, yet never felt like it was negating the authentic, heartfelt nature that had helped to make the original series so popular. Considering that the two shows aired around the same time, television comedy buffs had a real treat when new episodes of both sagas aired. What started as a two-episode arc, featuring special agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) during Season 8 of JAG, has turned into a more than 20-year run that produced spin-offs of its own.
Spin-off of ‘The Tracey Ullman Show’ (1987-
The diverse cast of characters adds richness to the storytelling, each contributing unique quirks. “Futurama” has left a lasting impact, celebrated for its creativity and wit. “The Originals,” a spin-off of “The Vampire Diaries,” centers on the Mikaelson family of vampires. Set in New Orleans, the series explores themes of power, family, and survival.
The Best Episodes Of ‘Frasier,’ Ranked
Each episode offers a mix of comedy and poignant moments, reflecting real-life challenges. The show’s impact is significant, influencing perceptions and promoting dialogue. Its legacy endures, celebrated for its cultural relevance and storytelling brilliance. Though a constant presence as part of her show for three seasons, Tracey Ullman herself was reportedly not a fan of “The Simpsons” shorts.
Featuring a new fictitious guest each week, always played by Matthew Holness, Man to Man showcased the pair’s natural ability to send up the smoke-filled, faux-glitzy atmosphere of 80s late-night television. Shows don’t get much cultier than the short-lived parodic chat show Man to Man with Dean Learner. Fronted by the always superb Richard Ayoade, Man to Man was hosted by the eponymous Dean, the publicist for fictitious horror author and master of the fantastique Garth Marenghi.
Unfortunately, the spin-off ended abruptly in natura quiz 1985 without giving the actors or their fans any chance to say a proper goodbye; but we will faithfully remember their contributions to pop-culture. Here’s one example of a spinoff that became much more successful than the series it came from. Based on the short-lived show “Good Morning, Miss Bliss,” about a junior high school teacher and her students, the premise was thankfully revised into the sitcom that became a viewing staple for every teenager in the ‘90s. After following Zack, Kelly, Slater, Jessie, Lisa and Screech through high school, the show ended on the last day of school, leaving room for its sequel to follow our favorite friends to college. Easily one of the most successful and beloved spin-offs to be spawned on America’s fair shores, it’s sometimes easy to forget that Dr. Crane was once merely a bit-part player in the larger ensemble of the beloved sitcom classic Cheers. Usually heralded as the thinking man’s sitcom, Frasier’s dry wit and middle-class cosiness have seen it endure for the best part of thirty years, both in the States and across the globe.
The series follows a team of agents investigating crimes linked to the Navy and Marine Corps. It blends elements of drama, action, and humor, creating a compelling procedural. The landscape is littered with great spin-offs (and, frankly, a good deal of wretched ones as well), so while we wait to see where Vince Gilligan and Bob Odenkirk’s show falls on the spectrum, we’re looking back at the 20 best TV spin-offs of all time. Whether it was taking a supporting character and elevating him of her to star status, or simply continuing to mine a show’s universe for more adventures, these are the ones that set the bar for how to do it right.
The series follows Cleveland as he moves back to his hometown, marries his high school sweetheart, and finds himself dealing with a new family dynamic. A spinoff of JAG, NCIS emerged in the early 2000s as another tech-heavy procedural series at a time when CSI ruled the broadcast airwaves. Since then, it has grown into one of the most enduringly popular broadcast series of the 21st century, made Mark Harmon a sex symbol all over again, and launched two spinoff series of its own. As its 17th season looms, NCIS has long-since outgrown the show that spawned it and has grown into a syndication staple.
What’s fascinating is how some of these series expanded on the world and characters fans already loved, sometimes even taking the storytelling in fresh directions. They proved that there’s a lot more to a successful TV franchise than just repeating the same formula. Let’s take a look at some of the best spin-offs that didn’t just meet expectations, but blew them out of the water. After failing to find an interested network under myriad working titles, the pilot that would become “Happy Days” aired as a segment on “Love, American Style” in 1971.
