Intelevision , it seems like there ’s never too much of a good thing . If you have a pop series or popular theatrical role , spread the joy around . A spin - off is a fresh show based on characters or situations from an established series . One approach is to put a supporting character into a raw berth . For instance , Angel , the vampire - with - a - individual who battled evil alongside " Buffy the Vampire Slayer , " take his crusade to Los Angeles . In another tactic , the new airplane pilot is introduce as an episode on a well - knownsitcom . That ’s how the space foreign Mork ( " Mork & Mindy " ) come to land ; he show up on " Happy Days . "
Sometimes twist - offs are less than successful . " The Brady Brides , " an outgrowth of " The Brady Bunch , " revolve about on sisters Marcia and Jan when they hook up with and share a house . The audience was n’t impressed , and the show was history after 10 episodes . Spin - offs can make it big , however , and some even dominate the original show . The nerve !
10: “The Andy Griffith Show”
A quaint southerly town . A vocalizing sheriff . A surrogate who keeps his only bullet train in his shirt pocket . From 1960 to 1968 , the " Andy Griffith Show , " a CBS spin - off of " The Danny Thomas Show , " chronicle the everyday lives of the residents of Mayberry , North Carolina . episode focus on relatable experiences in both home and body of work , such as Sheriff Andy ’s social life as asingle fatherand his 2nd - in - program line ’s struggle to gain professional esteem . In just its first season , the series rose to fourth place in the Nielsen evaluation [ source : Michalski ] .
Central to the show is widower Andy , his young son ( played by futureAcademy awarding - gain director Ron Howard ) , and their Aunt Bee . Andy is wise and calm in dividing line to his best friend and deputy , the excitable and bumbling Barney Fife , played by comic Don Knotts . In 1964 there was a twirl - off of the spin - off : " Gomer Pyle , U.S.M.C. , " starring Jim Nabors . southerly charm meet military discipline .
9: “The Jeffersons”
In 1975 , George Jefferson was eager to move out of Queens . You would be , too , if your neighbor was Archie Bunker . This CBS spin - off of " All in the Family " feature an African - American duo , George and Louise , who rose from their lowly commencement and move into an expensive high rise . The husband was as distrustful of other slipstream as Archie Bunker . Prejudicewas a salient issue . The show was the first to feature an mixed duad – the Jeffersons ' neighbour Tom and Helen Willis – as part of the regular cast . The comedy handled other serious issues , as well , including sexism , form battle and kinfolk dynamics .
" The Jeffersons " was n’t the only tailspin - off from " All in the Family " ( itself an Americanized variation of a British show called " Till Death Us Do Part ) . " Maude , " " Gloria , " " Archie Bunker ’s Place , " and " Good Times " – the latter of which was technically a " Maude " spin - off – had the same pedigree . However , the tailspin - off about urban transplanting was one of the most successful . During its 11 - year run , " The Jeffersons " receive 14 Emmy nominating speech and had two wins , include one for Isabel Sanford as outstanding actress in a comedy [ source : Television Academy – Jeffersons ] . Way to go , Weezy .
8: “Laverne & Shirley”
" Schlemiel ! Schlimazel ! Hasenpfeffer comprise ! " Each week , these nonsensically used Yiddish and German words set the lighthearted feel for this 1976 ABC " Happy Days " spin - off . For the original show , Laverne ( Penny Marshall ) and Shirley ( Cindy Williams ) were " at large " girls on a escort with Richie and the Fonz . However , on their own series , they were just two turn girls labor at the Shotz Brewery in fifties Milwaukee .
" Laverne & Shirley " specialized in panoptic physical clowning , which often add up in the mannequin of the roommates ' upstairs neighbor Lenny and Squiggy . Michael McKean and David Lander , who created the iconic characters , were originally hired as author on the serial . The slapstick humor worked : In its second year , the show became the most see in America , even topping " Happy Days " [ source : Sher ] . When Williams will in 1982 , the serial channel on " Shirley - less " for one more year .
7: “The Simpsons”
It must be tough to be an animated character on a live action show . What ’s a cartoon to do ? Get your own series , of course ! " The Simpsons " begin life as a reoccurring segment on Fox ’s " The Tracy Ullman Show " in 1987 . The animated family shortly bewilder its own timeslot , and , in 2014 , the show observe its twenty-fifth day of remembrance . Though Matt Groening ’s characters are mere cartoons , they ’re relatable , handle canonic and important human issues , including family , government , religion , pop culture , and social relationships . Its relevance , in increase to its original humor , serve make the seriestelevision ’s longest - running sitcom[source : Michalski ] .
" The Simpsons " is popular with celebrity guests , drawing personalities as diverse asStephen Hawkingand Lady Gaga , who act themselves . Benedict Cumberbatch show up as Severus Snape , and Elizabeth Taylor appeared to voice Baby Lisa ’s first word . The most memorable eccentric , though , might be the head of the family himself : Homer Simpson . Over and over again , Homer has displayed his unique cerebration physical process : " I believe that youngster are our future . Unless we discontinue them now " [ source : Seddon ] .
6: “Melrose Place”
love life . Sex . retaliation . Money . Sex . Crime . sexual activity . That ’s a spate of adult bodily process spinning off from " Beverly Hills , 90201 , " a series about mellow schoolers . " Melrose Place , " which premiered in 1992 , followed the passion and work lives of adult living in an L.A. flat coordination compound . Even with all those adult pursuits , the series have off to a tedious offset , andratingswere low . However , once Heather Locklear was added to the cast as Amanda , a sinewy , remorseless and aphrodisiac character , citizenry tuned in .
Other character include Kimberly Shaw ( Marcia Cross ) as an increasingly psychotic physician ; Peter Burns ( Jack Wagner ) , a calculative doc attracted to Amanda ; and Billy Campbell ( Andrew Shue ) , a relatively normal , nice hombre . The show is perfect melodrama , with sensational story line of business that included drugs , blackmail , adultery , murder , a bombing , rape , and abortion . looker followed the deeds and misdeeds of the resident of Melrose Place until 1999 .
5: “Frasier”
In 1993 , psychiatrist Frasier Crane ( Kelsey Grammer ) move from a Boston pub where everyone knew his name clear across the land to showery Seattle . His raw spear : host a tuner call - in advice show . Surprise celebrity Edgar Guest , including Helen Mirren , John Cusack , Cindy Crawford and John McEnroe , vocalise the far-out callers . Frasier had reservation about his transition : " Lincoln had a bright futurity when he pick up his tickets at the box office " [ source : Hallmark ] . An added complication : Frasier ’s disabled , low-spirited - collar father moved in , as did his sassy piddling dog Eddie . The pompous , fussy therapist often got his deserts . fortuitously , he found companionship , consolation and rivalry with his equally snobbish brother , Niles ( David Hyde Pierce ) .
Strong consultation support kept the series carry until 2004 . Along the way , it won more Emmy – 31 – than its parent show " Cheers " had . In fact , as of 2014 , " Frasier " has won moreEmmysthan any other serial , with the elision of " Saturday Night Live , " which has aired longer [ source : Michalski ] . Guess the time to come was smart , after all .
4: “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”
You never can have too manywarrantsand subpoena ad testificandum . In 1999 , the Jehovah of the legal play " Law & Order " spin off a raw show that focus on sex - related crime and social subject . Like its parent , the new series often pull matter from the material world , admit sex slavery , minor abuse , child pornography , fame vehemence , domesticated violence , espousal , parenting problems and misogyny .
" Law & Order : SVU " has had an interesting mix of characters over its multi - year outpouring , such as detective Olivia Benson ( Mariska Hargitay ) , a child conceived from her mother ’s assault ; captain Donald Cragen ( Dann Florek ) , the first supervisory program on the original " Law & Order ; " investigator John Munch ( Richard Belzer ) , who transfer from Baltimore PD ( and TV ’s " Homicide : biography on the Streets " ) ; anddetectiveOdafin Tutoloa ( Ice - T ) , a former undercover copper . An telling raiment of guest stars also is drawn to the show . Robin Williams , Carol Burnett , Ellen Burstyn , Angela Lansbury and Marlee Matlin have popped up over the years . Also noteworthy : As of 2014 , " SUV " has had 23 Emmy nominations and six wins [ origin : Television Academy – Law ] . Crime never paid so well .
3: “NCIS”
Is it average ? In 2003 , " NCIS " was create from " JAG , " a series that had a prospicient , successful run . The CBS spin - off , however , run on to eclipse that acquisition . Though " JAG " ran from 1995 to 2005 , " NCIS " is still going strong in the mid-2010s . In fact , agree to CBS , " NCIS " had the audacity to be the most - find out American show for five years in a row . To add insult to hurt , in 2013 , it was ranked No . 1 in the reality .
What makes this serial about the Naval Criminal Investigate Service so watchable ? An intriguing mix of professional investigates alarming and sometimes odd criminal activities . The diverse squad includes a formerhomicidedetective , a Marine gunnery sergeant , a scientist with Gothic flair , and an MIT - educated computer specialiser . necessitate to cross a terrorist plot ? They ’re on it . Stolensubmarine ? Call in the team . An intelligence operation leak ? Have no fear – The Navy and Marine Corps have never been so safe . " NCIS " has gone on to spin off its own franchisees " NCIS : New Orleans " and " NCIS : Los Angeles . "
2: “The Colbert Report”
A puff ( or boost ) todemocracywas dealt in 2005 , when Stephen Colbert was promoted from " The Daily Show " supporting cast of characters to innkeeper of his own series . Also along for the ride : Stephen Colbert , fictitious button-down talking head . The character provides the platform to mock uttermost , scattered , and hypocritical positions . alternatively of disaffect or lower his interview , Colbert brings them along for the ride with memorable lines , such as , " If woman are breadwinners and men bring home the bacon , why do people complain about get no boodle ? I ’m confused . Also hungry " [ source : Specktor ] .
The political takeoff occasionally venture out of the studio and into the genuine world . In 2008 , Colbert had a short stretch as a presidential prospect . He ’s testified before Congress , started a topnotch PAC , and earned his own Ben & Jerry ’s ice pick smell , Americone Dream . Colbert the character has done well for Colbert the actor . As of 2014 , the show has 37 Emmy nominating speech and six wins , include outstanding diversity series [ reservoir : Television Academy – Colbert ] . The 2015 Emmy Awards will be the last prison term Colbert can sum to his memory cache , as he sign off for the last time on Dec. 18 , 2014 .
1: “Private Practice”
When your passion life get out of hand , what ’s a missy to do ? draw up stake and move to Los Angeles , of course of study . At least that was the 2007 program of Dr. Addison Montgomery ( Kate Walsh ) when she left " Grey ’s Anatomy " and entered " Private Practice . " In this ABC spin - off , the neonatal operating surgeon move from drizzly Seattle to cheery California , where she worked with other specialists at the Seaside Wellness Center . Dr. Montgomery ’s fellow worker included a pediatrician , fertility rate expert , sexologist , psychiatrist , alternative medicine physician , andneurosurgeon . The secret animation of the MD were just as wide-ranging , with secret affairs , Modern romances , detention issues , and pregnancy dilemmas .
The series occasionally took on controversial topics . For instance , in an Emmy - nominate episode about physician - assisted self-destruction , two medico confront a moral and honorable struggle when another physician appeals for help to cease his life . In 2013 , when the medium audience had dropped to 6.1 million – down from 11.5 million in time of year one – the meshwork closed down the drill [ source : Goldberg ] .
