There’s an inherent danger with any spin-offs of popular television shows, as it can often be challenging to replicate a series that was popular for very specific reasons. Television shows are generally successful if they combine multiple cast members and storylines, but isolating just one of them can be more limited in storytelling. Television fans need to look no further than theFriendsoffshootJoeyor theBonestie-in seriesThe Finderto see how wrong spin-offs can go.
However,television spin-offs can succeed if they do enough to differentiate themselves from their predecessors in terms of narrative, tone, and dramatic intent. Theoretically, a great spin-off series should be able to please both longtime fans of the original work and those experiencing the story and characters for the first time. Here are the ten best television spin-offs of all time, ranked.
10‘Laverne & Shirley’ (1976-1983)
Spin-off of ‘Happy Days’ (1974-1984)
Laverne & Shirleywas a natural expansion of theHappy Daysuniverse that managed to more than surpass any expectations of whatPenny MarshallandCindy Williamscould do in their own series. WhileHappy Dayswas ostensibly a coming-of-age story aimed at adolescent viewers who could relate to the young characters,Laverne & Shirleywas an earnest celebration of female friendship. Considering that female representation both behind and in front of the screen was severely lacking when the series first debuted,Laverne & Shirleywas ahead of its time.
Laverne & Shirleyproved to be justas funny asHappy Days, yet never felt like it was negating the authentic, heartfelt naturethat 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.
Laverne & Shirley
9‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’ (1999-)
Spin-off of ‘Law & Order’ (1990-)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unitis the rare television spin-off series that managed to surpass its predecessor in terms of cultural influence. The originalLaw & Orderwas a groundbreaking drama series that lionized the procedural format long before the notion of “prestige television” became popularized in the early 21st century. However,Law & Order: Special Victims Unitwas arguably the grittier, more emotionally rich, and consistently shocking series that has managed to retain its consistency of quality for several decades.
The success ofLaw & Order: Special Victims Unitcan be largely attributed to the charisma of Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni, both of whom have done a great job at consistently developing their characters over the course of many seasons. Dips in quality were to be expected within any show that has run for this long, butLaw & Order: Special Victims Unitnever featured performances that were less than excellent.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
8‘The Jeffersons’ (1975-1985)
Spin-off of ‘All in the Family’ (1971-1979)
The Jeffersonsserved as one of the most successful spin-offs ofAll in the Family, but quickly proved to be far more daring and controversial than its predecessor.WhileAll in the Familywas a fairly standard depiction of “family values,” as was common withinsitcoms in the 1970s,The Jeffersonsexamined the reality of race relations in the United States. Although it never sacrificed its enduring sense of humor and strong ethical value,The Jeffersonswas willing to bridge difficult conversations about such controversial topics as mental health struggles, alcoholism and addiction, police brutality, and representation for the LGBTQIA community.
Few comedy shows have aged as well asThe Jeffersons, as like many of the shows produced byNorman Lear, it provided a perfect time capsule of a specific point in American history. Generations of underrepresented groups felt “seen” on television for the first time as a result ofThe Jeffersons.
The Jeffersons
7‘Maude’ (1972-1978)
Maudewas a star-making series forBea Arthur, who had a few guest appearances onAll in the Familybefore she was deemed popular enough to get her own spin-off series. LikeThe Jeffersons,Maudewas ahead of its time when it came to discussing controversial topics and pushing progressive themes; the series openly argued for women’s liberation and the advocacy of civil rights. Any series with such prominent political intentions may have risked irritating the audience, butMaudewas so remarkably funny that it never felt like it was homework.
Maudewas a quintessential series within the development of New York City as a prominent location in sitcoms, and featured standout appearances by many of the Big Apple’s most prominent landmarks. Subsequent comedy shows set in New York, such asFriends,Seinfeld, and30 Rock, were all derived from the influence thatMaudehad.
6‘Frasier’ (1993-2004)
Spin-off of ‘Cheers’ (1982-1993)
Frasierhad the unenviable task of trying to live up to the legacy ofCheers, but managed to become an all-time great comedy series in its own right.Kesley Grammer’s Dr. Frasier Crane was sent back to his home in Seattle and paired off with his brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce), who also worked as a psychiatrist. Longevity is a hard task when it comes to sitcoms, butFrasiermanaged to retain a consistent level of quality for nine seasons.
The legacy ofFrasiercontinues to grow strong, as a recent continuation of theseries featuring Grammer reprising the titular roleis set to return for a second season. TheFrasierreboot is among the rare comedy legacy programs that have acknowledged that the main characters have aged since the original, and subsequently adapted to modern views and the development of technology.
5‘The Colbert Report’ (2005-2014)
Spin-off of ‘The Daily Show With Jon Stewart’ (1999-)
The Colbert Reportwas a genre-bending revitalization of the talk show format that allowedStephen Colbertto have more freedom than he had ever been allowed onThe Daily Show With Jon Stewart. Colbert played a fictionalized version of himself that appeared to be a hardcore right-wing pundit intended to satirize media figures likeBill O’ReillyandTucker Carlson.
The Colbert Reportwas able to utilize satire to get viewers engaged with the political process, and often found a way to explain complex dynamics in a manner that was comprehensible for less savvy viewers. In addition to politics, Colbert was able to add commentary on popular culture, celebrities, and odd news stories. Unfortunately, Colbert’s more recent entry into traditional late night withThe Late Show With Stephen Colberthas proved to be disappointing, as it lacked the edge and creativity ofThe Colbert Report.
The Colbert Report
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4‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ (1987-1994)
Spin-off of ‘Star Trek: The Original Series’ (1966-1969)
Star Trek: The Next Generationexpanded theStar Trekmythology in a compelling way that guaranteed the saga’s success as one of the most prominent science fiction franchises of all time. The originalStar Trekseries, while groundbreaking in many ways, was canceled before it had the opportunity to realize its potential. However,Star Trek: The Next Generationwas given the chanceto develop a unique story over the course of seven seasons, adding a more thoughtful and introspective depiction of both Starfleet and the Federation.
Star Trek: The Next Generationadded some of the greatest science fiction characters ever, withPatrick Stewart’s Captain Jean-Luc Picard cited as the most beloved captain in the saga’s history. Stewart and the other remaining cast members reprised their roles in four spin-off films, as well as the Paramount Plus sequel seriesStar Trek: Picard.
Star Trek: The Next Generation
3‘Better Call Saul’ (2015-2022)
Better Call Saulproved to be the rare prequel series that deepened its predecessor, asVince Gilligan’s spin-off series explored the tragic circumstances that led Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) to become the malicious, dishonest lawyer that Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) meet in the middle of the second season ofBreaking Bad.
Better Call Saulproved to be a Shakespearean tragedy equal toBreaking Bad, utilizing a clever non-linear format to serve as both a flashback and a continuation. Odenkirk delivered a transformative performance as an imminently hateable character that viewers couldn’t help but root for at times; althoughBetter Call Saulfeatured some of the most shocking moments in the history of dramatic television, it also retained the pitch-black sense of humor that had madeBreaking Badsuch a phenomenon in the first place.
Better Call Saul
2‘Angel’ (1999-2004)
Spin-off of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ (1997-2003)
Angelwas a notable shift in tone compared toBuffy the Vampire Slayerwhich perfectly suited the darker demeanor of the titular character. The spin-off series follows the titular vampire Angel (David Boreanaz) in the aftermath of thethird season ofBuffy the Vampire Slayer, in which he traveled to Los Angeles to start his own independent detective agency to fight demons.
Angelwas a stark dark fantasy that was deeply indebted to its noir influences, yet the redemptive character arc added the same earnest sense of heart that had made young viewers fall in love withBuffy the Vampire Slayerin the first place.Although it would occasionally break format with some strange episodes that were more overtly comedic in nature, the serialized nature ofAngel’s narrative progression allowed it to reach more profound truths about the conflict between good and evil.
1‘The Simpsons’ (1989-)
Spin-off of ‘The Tracey Ullman Show’ (1987-1990)
The Simpsonsis a groundbreaking achievement in comedy, animation, and the television medium, so it’s almost easy to forget that the series originated as a series of shorts onThe Tracey Ullman Show. However,The Simpsonsquickly grew into a cultural phenomenon in its own right; by the mid-1990s, the series dominated popular culture with characters, locations, running gags, and catchphrases that were widely recognizable.
Amazingly,The Simpsonsis still going strong after three decades on the air. Although some hardcore fans may argue that the show’s first ten seasons were its “Golden Age,” modern episodes ofThe Simpsonsare still more creative, heartfelt, and gut-busting funny than a majority of what else is on the air. With tons of merchandise, tie-in material, and even a cinematic entry,The Simpsonsis one of the greatest achievements in the history of culture, even ifThe Tracey Ullman Showhas faded into obscurity.
