Pulling off a spin-off doesn't always work out. With poor storylines and drawn-out characters, it can become a recipe for disaster. However, some spin-off series, from sitcoms to dramas, have over the decades succeeded tremendously.
Curious to see which shows made the list? Have a look at the gallery.
Showtime announced three spin-offs for the show 'Dexter' in February 2023. 'Dexter: Origins' dramatizes young Dexter Morgan as he transitions into becoming a serial killer. 'Dexter: New Blood' focuses on Dexter's son Harrison as he wrestles with his own urges. And finally a third spin-off reexamines the original series' prolific serial killers, like the Trinity Killer, originally played by John Lithgow.
Showtime takes the financial drama 'Billions' international with 'Billions: London,' and 'Billions: Miami,' as well as the cleverly titled 'Millions' and 'Trillions'.
That '70s Show' was a beloved series that aired from 1998-2006 and launched the careers of A-listers like Laura Prepon, Mila Kunis, and Ashton Kutcher. In 2023, Netflix released their long-awaited spinoff series 'That 90s Show," which, you guessed it, is set in the '90s. The show centers around Leia Forman, the daughter of Eric and Donna, as she heads to Wisconsin to spend the summer with her grandparents. Per Netflix, Leia bonds "with a new generation of Point Place kids under the watchful eye of Kitty and the stern glare of Red," and both Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith will reprise their roles in the series as the matriarch and patriarch of the family. Laura Prepon and Topher Grace also make appearances.
Fans were nervous for 'Game of Thrones' spinoffs, particularly after HBO shot and canceled a separate prequel series, but after 'House of Dragon' premiered, they breathed a sigh of relief. This dragon-filled prequel series follows the rise-and-fall tale of the Targaryen family, and it's set nearly 200 years before the events of 'GoT.' Created by George R.R. Martin and Ryan Condal, who also serves as showrunner with director Miguel Sapochnik, the prequel pays close homage to the original series, and may even right the wrongs that made the final season of 'GoT' so controversial.
Robin Williams, who played Mork, an extraterrestrial, first appeared in a dream on ‘Happy Days,’ in what became a hugely popular episode. In the spin-off, Mork comes to Earth and winds up being taken in by Mindy, played by Pam Dawber. They become roommates and eventually a couple.
After the success of ‘Beverly Hills, 90210,’ some characters joined the spin-off ‘Melrose Place.’ The show followed a group of young adults living in an apartment complex called Melrose Place in Los Angeles, and had many cast changes during its run.
The Star Trek universe continues to expand to this day, but it was ‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’ that was a critical turning point, as the series became less focused on the galactic voyages and centered more on the political conflicts surrounding the Deep Space Nine space station.
The highly popular 1980s sitcom ‘Perfect Strangers’ originated the character Harriette Winslow (Jo Marie Payton), who becomes a central character on ‘Family Matters. However, it was Steve Urkel (Jaleel White) who was largely responsible for the show's success.
This sci-fi adventure features Jaime Sommers (Lindsay Wagner), who takes on special high-risk government missions using her superhuman bionic powers. It was born from the show ‘The Six Million Dollar Man.’
Staring Mariska Hargitay, this prime-time drama has aired more seasons than any other, including its predecessor ‘Law & Order.’
This series was the third spin-off from ‘The Mary Taylor Moore Show’ and follows newspaper editor Lou Grant (Ed Asner, tackling hard-hitting topics from his Los Angeles newsroom.
‘A Different World’ is a spin-off of the ‘The Cosby Show,’ and originally centered around Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet) and the student life at a fictional historically black college. The series was quite groundbreaking at the time, as it tackled topics like HIV/AIDS and race.
‘Benson’ is the spin-off of ‘Soap’ in which the character Benson DuBois (Robert Guillaume) first appears as the household butler. In the spin-off, the quick-witted Benson becomes promoted to lieutenant governor in the highly dysfunctional Tate family.
Having premiered in 1989, ‘The Simpsons’ actually started out as a series of shorts for ‘The Tracy Ullman Show.'
The show follows Angel, the famous vampire ex from ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’ whose human soul was restored as a punishment for a murder he committed. His restored soul torments him with guilt for all the suffering he caused as a vampire.
where Florida Evans (Esther Rolle) was the Findlays’ housekeeper.
Maude Findlay (Bea Arthur) first appeared in ‘All in the Family’ as the liberal cousin who advocated for civil rights and gender equality. This instantly became a different and interesting storyline for what became the successful sitcom ‘Maude.’
One of the longest running sitcoms in history, the (yet another) ‘All in the Family’ spin-off featured a notable African-American cast and the first interracial married couple on TV.
The legal comedy-drama was a spin-off of ‘The Practice,’ and starred notable actors James Spader, Candice Bergen, and William Shatner. It ran for five seasons.
The show was a spin-off of the television series ‘Hercules: The Legendary Journeys,’ where Xena was a recurring character. She later got her own show, becoming the unapologetic warrior princess we love to this day.
Laverne DeFazio (Penny Marshall) and Shirley Feeney (Cindy Williams) were friends of Fonzie on ‘Happy Days,’ who later got their own show as two single roommates living in Milwaukee.
Considered one of the best sitcoms of all time, this show, starring Andy Taylor, was developed from ‘The Danny Thomas Show.’
'The ‘Diff’rent Strokes’ spin-off follows the housekeeper Edna Garrett moving on as a housemother at the fictional Eastland Academy, and the young women studying there, growing up, and learning everything about life.
The first spin-off of ‘Arrow,’ the show stars Grant Gustin as the speedy superhero.
‘Legends of Tomorrow’ assembles villains from its predecessors ‘Arrow’ and ‘Flash.’ The show reveals a unique and entertaining look into the lives of the misfits.
This sci-fi series follows a small group of alien-hunters based on the fictional Torchwood Institute. It’s a spin-off of the notable ‘Doctor Who,’ and explores themes like existentialism and human corruptibility.
Sources: (IndieWire) (Rolling Stone) (TV Insider) (CBR)
See also: Movies that inspired TV shows
The best television spin-offs ever
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TV Shows
Pulling off a spin-off doesn't always work out. With poor storylines and drawn-out characters, it can become a recipe for disaster. However, some spin-off series, from sitcoms to dramas, have over the decades succeeded tremendously.
Curious to see which shows made the list? Have a look at the gallery.