Nowadays, it is not too uncommon for popularTV programs to inspire spinoff shows.These new series, though they do have self-contained stories of their own, typicallyfeature characters or settings that appeared in the previous showsthat inspired them. What is rarer, however, is when the spinoff manages to maintain the same level of quality as the original. Far too often, TV networks merely attempt to capitalize on the preexisting popularity of a character or setting, and fail to deliver entertaining stories of their own.
Fortunately,some ofthe best spinoffsdo manage to knock it out of the park, using preexisting characters but still managing to create inventive new storylines that captivate their viewers in new, exciting ways. These shows not only stand out as excellent programs on their own, but even manage to attract new viewers to the original series as well. While there will always be some dedicated viewers arguing which series is better, these spinoffs successfully manage to present the same level of quality as the shows they were based on.
Better Call Saul
Cast
Better Call Saul follows small-time lawyer Jimmy McGill as he navigates the legal world to make ends meet. The series, set six years before his encounter with Walter White, chronicles Jimmy’s evolution into Saul Goodman, with notable interactions alongside fixer Mike Ehrmantraut.
Being among the most popular and critically acclaimed television shows of all time, it came as no major surprise when Vince Gilligan decided to make a spin-off series based on characters fromBreaking Bad.The spin-off, dubbedBetter Call Saul, primarily follows Jimmy McGill as he gradually evolves into the ethically-questionable lawyer, Saul Goodman, who became a popular part ofBreaking Bad. Various other characters from the original series also play important roles inBetter Call Saul, including the fixer, Mike Ehrmantraut, and the notorious drug lord, Gus Fring.
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The danger of makingBetter Call Saullied in the inherent difficulty that would be involved in living up to the immense standards set by its predecessor.Impressively, the prequel series did manage to live up to this high bar. Although it shockingly failed to win any, the series was nominated for a remarkable 53 Emmy Awards across a wide range of categories. With all six seasons receiving a minimum of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, it is safe to say thatBetter Call Sauldid not disappoint the fans ofBreaking Bad.
Young Sheldon
A spinoff of the sitcom The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon follows the youth and coming-of-age of Sheldon Cooper during his childhood in Texas as he pursues science and academia. The show also follows his parents, siblings, and Mee-Maw, painting a picture of the world where Sheldon grew up.
Sitcoms are generally the most common type of TV to receive a spinoff, butYoung Sheldonmanaged to put a unique twist on the idea.Instead of focusing on one character’s life after the events ofThe Big Bang Theory,Young Sheldondecided to explore what life was like for the character of Sheldon many yearsbeforethe original series began. This creative spinoff serves as a prequel of sorts, highlighting the unconventional childhood of young genius Sheldon Cooper, exploring the lives of himself and his quirky family in Texas.
Young Sheldonstands out as one of the few spinoffs to then get a spinoff of its own.
Overall,Young Sheldonreceived reviews very comparable to those of its comedic predecessor, with praise given to the show’s charming cast and creative departure from the source material.In fact, the series was successful enough to inspire its own spinoff series,Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, which premiered on CBS in October 2024, and chronicles the lives of Sheldon’s older brother and his new wife.Young Sheldonstands out as one of the few spinoffs to then get a spinoff of its own.
Frasier
Fraiser is a comedy-drama sitcom that stars Kelsey Grammer as a psychiatrist who takes up the role of a radio show host in Seattle after his life in Boston is upheaved. A spin-off of the series Cheers, Fraiser follows the titular character adjusting to the single life while caring for his father (a retired police officer,) his brother, and other eccentric co-workers.
Sometimes, when a sitcom ends, not every character’s story is ready to come to a close.This was the case for the titular character of the acclaimed comedy series,Frasier. The character of Frasier Crane first appeared on the hugely popular sitcom,Cheers, debuting in the show’s third season, and gradually becoming increasingly prominent as the show went on. In September 1993, just a few months afterCheersended, Frasier was given his own spin-off show, chronicling his new life in Seattle with his father and brother.
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ThoughCheerscertainly set a high bar,Frasierconsistently managed to live up to it, thanks to its charming cast and intelligent, heartfelt approach to comedy.Both series ran for an impressive eleven seasons, and accumulated an ample supply of Primetime Emmy Awards.Frasierwas very popular while it was on the air, but has also gained a huge following in recent years (thanks to streaming), and was even given a revival on Paramount+ starting in 2023.
The Originals
Spinning off from the popular CW seriesThe Vampire Diaries, The Originals is a supernatural drama series that follows three vampiric siblings of the first vampire family known to exist. With the eldest sibling, Klaus being a hybrid of werewolf, witch, and now vampire, the three find themselves attempting to help with the delicate balance of powers in the New Orleans French Quarter as they deal with their own family troubles.
The CW drama series,The Vampire Diaries, inspired multiple spin-offs over the years, but none rivaled its quality quite as much asThe Originals.The Originalsfollows Joseph Morgan’s character, Klaus Mikaelson, a vampire-werewolf hybrid who returns to New Orleans, getting deeply tangled in the complicated supernatural world of the area. ThoughKlaus is the clear protagonist ofThe Originals, several other characters fromThe Vampire Diariesappear in the series as well, creating many interesting ties for fans of the parent series.
The Originalsdid not disappoint the dedicated fans ofThe Vampire Diaries, effectively expanding on the stories of its characters over the course of its five seasons.
In fact, three of the show’s seasons even managed to secure a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes.The exact same could also be said aboutThe Vampire Diaries(although that series ran for eight seasons in total). Though the supernatural world may not be for everyone, viewers who enjoy the universe created byThe Vampire Diarieswill likely love the continuation provided byThe Originals.
Laverne & Shirley
Laverne & Shirley is a sitcom that follows the lives of two single roommates, Laverne DeFazio (Penny Marshall) and Shirley Feeney (Cindy Williams), who work at Shotz Brewery in 1950s Milwaukee. The show chronicles their comedic misadventures and deep friendship as they navigate the ups and downs of their working-class existence.
With its widespread success and popularity, it wasn’t very surprising thatHappy Daysracked up an extensive list of spin-offs over the years.While some of these spinoffs were certainly very creative (Mork & Mindyespecially), none were nearly as successful asLaverne and Shirley. Although they only appeared in a handful ofHappy Daysepisodes, the characters of Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney were an immediate hit with audiences, inspiring the network to give them their own unique series.
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Laverne & Shirleyfollows the pair as they live together and work side-by-side in a Wisconsin brewery.While it was on the air, the serieswas one of the most watched shows on television. The series ran for eight full seasons, for an impressive total of 178 episodes. Audiences loved tuning in to follow the lovable, believable friendship between the main characters, and to see its hilarious use of physical comedy.
Daria
Daria is an animated television series that follows Daria Morgendorffer, a smart, sarcastic, and socially awkward teenager, as she navigates high school life in the fictional suburb of Lawndale. The show explores themes of societal expectations, intellectualism, and adolescence, all while highlighting Daria’s unique perspective and dry humor.
Mike Judge’s animated sitcom,Beavis and Butt-Head, may not be the type of program to sweep awards shows, but it is impossible to deny its widespread popularity and influence on American culture. Its massive popularity, particularly with young adult audiences, made it a prime candidate for a spinoff, paving the way forDaria.In the original series, Daria was a supporting character whose sarcastic intelligence provided a good balance to the show’s immature protagonists.Daria’s character resonated with audiences, eventually earning her a show of her own.
Like its predecessor,Dariais less about having an overarching narrative, and more about providing a realistic depiction of high school life for the average American teenager.Each episode follows Daria as she takes in all the eccentricities of the world around her, never failing to show off both her intelligence and natural humor.Dariaoffered the comedy and atmosphere that fans ofBeavis and Butt-Headloved, while presenting a new perspective through the eyes of a drastically different character.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is a television series that premiered in 1999. Set in the criminal justice system of New York City, it follows an elite team of detectives who investigate sexually-based offenses, focusing on their efforts to solve complex cases and seek justice for victims.
One of the longest-running spinoffs of all time is undoubtedlyLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit(orSVU, for short), clocking in at an impressive 26 seasons and over 550 episodes thus far.The series is a spinoff ofLaw & Order, the classic NBC police procedural which initially began in the early ’90s.SVUemploys a similar structure and style as its predecessor, with each episode showing the characters investigating a new crime, typically inspired by true events.
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Law & Order: Special Victims Unit has been nominated for (and won) many awards, and its best episodes are a big reason why.
Over the course of its 26-season run,SVUhas remained consistently popular, and has received much praise from critics.SVUeffectively managed to maintain the elements that drew people toLaw & Orderin the first place, while also expanding the series with fresh, new ideas to set itself apart.While many shows that last for so long often begin to experience a decline after a while,SVUhas actually been praised for its improvement in quality following its early seasons.
American Horror Stories
The creators of American Horror Story reunite to launch American Horror Stories, a horror anthology series created for FX and Hulu. Centering on a new, unique horror story each episode, AHS follows various new characters through each episode as they experience their own terrifying tales, often including the supernatural.
Given the similarity of their titles, it is obvious thatAmerican Horror StoriesandAmerican Horror Storyare connected in some capacity.However, in terms of the narratives they present, the two series are almost completely separate from each other.American Horror Storiesis a spinoff of Ryan Murphy’s original frightening series. Both series feature many of the same actors and have very similar tones, but one key detail sets them apart.
American Horror Storiesmay not have achieved the same level of popularity as its predecessor, but it nonetheless provides a satisfyingly spooky experience for fans of short-form horror.
WhileAmerican Horror Storyhighlighted a distinct narrative for each season,American Horror Storiestakes the idea a step further by making each episodeits own self-contained fright fest.The new series, which began in 2021, has everything fans loved about the original series, while also employing a structure that allows the program to branch out and explore even more realms of the horror world.American Horror Storiesmay not have achieved the same level of popularity as its predecessor, but it nonetheless provides a satisfyingly spooky experience for fans of short-form horror.
The vast majority of the time, when a TV program inspires a spinoff show, the two series are incredibly similar in tone.A rare exception to this isLou Grant, the acclaimed CBS series, which follows the titular newspaper editor as he adjusts to his new life and job in Los Angeles. Interestingly, this dramatic series was the spinoff of the popular comedy,The Mary Tyler Moore Show, in which Lou consistently appears as Mary’s grumpy-but-kindhearted boss.
Lou Grantsurprised audiences by showing how the same character could function effectively across different genres.For his portrayal of Lou in the two different series, Ed Asner even earned Emmy Awards for both Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.Lou Grantaccumulated 13 Emmy wins in total, solidifying it as a solid (albeit drastically different) follow-up toThe Mary Tyler Moore Show.
The Colbert Report
The Colbert Report is a satirical late night television program that aired on Comedy Central, featuring Stephen Colbert as a fictional conservative pundit. A spin-off of The Daily Show, it humorously critiques politics and media, particularly conservative news commentary, and popularized the term “truthiness.”
When creating a spin-off series, late-night comedy news programs certainly are not the most common source of inspiration. Regardless, Comedy Central found great success when it createdThe Colbert Report, an unusual spin-off of the network’s iconic comedy news program,The Daily Show.Hosted by Stephen Colbert(who embodies a fictitious, exaggerated persona),The Colbert Reportis a satirical news program, acting as a parody of various conservative political talk shows.
What began as a recurring segment onThe Daily Showquickly blossomed into a unique, hilarious program of its own. Putting a comedic spin on the daily news was nothing particularly new on its own, but having an entire program serve as a parody of an entire branch of the media was something very exciting for viewers. Even with its more overtly political perspective,The Colbert Reportattracted a wide audience, and became a staple of late-night television for many years.
