TV spin-offs take a character or plot structure from an existing show to create a new one. Successful examples include Frasier and Law & Order spin-offs, while unsuccessful ones include Joey. Some spin-offs are engineered, with a character briefly introduced in an existing show before becoming the main character in the spin-off.
A television spin-off is a television show that takes a character from another show, or similar plot structures and the same fictional universe, to create a new program. True spinoffs tend to run on the previous premise, and a number of good examples of TV spinoffs, especially in sitcoms, have arisen from previous shows. For example, one of the most successful spin-off sitcoms was the Frasier show, which took the character Frasier Crane from the immensely popular show Cheers.
The new show has to be as good or better than its original show to be successful. Frasier was just that. Instead of simply relying on the character of Frasier, played by Kelsey Grammar, the new show boasted an incredible cast. In particular, David Hyde Pierce’s performance as Frasier’s brother Niles became a major reason to watch this spin-off. The interaction between Frasier and Niles was excellent, making for numerous comedic moments.
Sometimes a hugely successful show can launch an actual TV spinoff that isn’t a hit. The hugely popular sitcom Friends inspired the sitcom Joey. Unfortunately, Joey wasn’t written or directed as tightly as Friends and quickly lost most of the original show’s audience.
Other shows that have contributed to a successful TV spin-off or more include the following:
All in The Family ha ispirato i Jefferson e Maude
The Mary Tyler Moore Show launched Lou Grant, Phyllis and Rhoda.
Beverly Hills 90210 has turned into Melrose Place.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer originated the Angel series.
The list of spinoffs is quite extensive, with some making the distinction between an actual spinoff like Frasier and an engineered TV spinoff like Melrose Place. In an engineered spin-off, a character is briefly introduced into an existing show for one or more episodes. The character then becomes the main part of the television spin-off.
This was the case with Melrose Place, where the character of Jake first appeared in a few episodes of 90210. This spin-off is thought to have been designed because the producers of the original show always planned for the new character to start a new show. On the CSI show Horatio Caine, played by David Caruso, only appeared in one episode of the original show, before anchoring CSI, Miami. The creators of CSI really didn’t need another engineered TV spinoff for their upcoming series CSI New York.
In fact, some shows become so popular that they give rise to other shows with the same thematic elements. When there are more than two shows, such as the CSI Group, these can also be called a franchise, as well as a spin-off. One of the biggest franchises currently is the Law & Order series, which has had six spin-offs. Two have been quite successful. Both Law & Order Special Victims Unit and Law & Order Criminal Intent have quite loyal followings and sometimes even surpass the popularity of the original program.
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