The Littlest-Known Successful TV Spin-Offs of All Time
Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 2:00 pm
1. The Andy Griffith Show -- In 1959, veteran TV producer Sheldon Leonard conceived a sitcom with Andy Griffith, then known as a successful Monologuist, as the Sheriff of the fictional small town of Mayberry, North Carolina (modeled after Andys real-life hometown of Mount Airy, North Carolina). In early 1960, Sheldon decided to introduce the character on an episode of The Danny Thomas Show titled Danny Meets Andy Griffith, telecast that year on February 15, where Danny Thomas is arrested for rolling through a stop-sign in Mayberry. The only holdovers from that pilot, besides Andy, were Ronny Howard as Opie and Frances Bavier (Aunt Bee), who portrayed a different character, the widowed Mrs. Perkins, than Aunt Bee.
2. Family Matters -- This hit 1980s sitcom spun off from Perfect Strangers, with Harriette Winslow (initially an employee at the local fictional Chicago Chronicle introduced in Season 2 of Perfect Strangers in September 1987) as the star character of the show, as portrayed by Jo Marie Payton; the series ranked regularly at #41 in the Nielsen ratings--until 12 episodes into the 1st season, when Jaleel White joined the cast as Urkel, who would become THE series most popular character.
3. The Joey Bishop Show -- This hit early 1960s sitcom, spun off from The Danny Thomas Show, starred rat-packer Joey Bishop as Joey Barnes, a Hollywood PR man introduced on The Danny Thomas Show episode Everything Happens to Me. Although the CBS Television Network passed over on the concept, as created for Joey by Danny Thomas, NBC picked up the series, where it debuted on September 20, 1961; although ratings were low in its rookie season (telecast Wednesday nights at 8 P.M.), a format change (with Joey becoming a New York talk-show host, a role which he would, in real life, reprise for 2 years on ABC, from 1967-1969) helped the show become a cult hit, airing Saturday nights at 8 P.M. on the NBC Television Network; the success was short-lived, however, as NBC, after 3 seasons (its last 2 in color) canceled the show in early 1964; the following Fall, the CBS Television Network picked up the series, where it was filmed in black-and-white once again, airing it Sunday nights at 9 P.M. right after The Ed Sullivan Show; the ratings quickly sank, and Joey Bishops sitcom days were over on March 30, 1965--this time for good.
4. Wings -- This hit 1990s sitcom, a spin-off of Cheers, debuted on April 19, 1990 on the NBC Television Network for a Spring 1990 trial run, before beginning its regular run on September 28, 1990. Although none of the characters were introduced on Cheers, several characters from Cheers made several appearances on the series--among them George Wendt & John Ratzenberger (as their Cheers characters Norm & Cliff, going on a fishing vacation in Nantucket, Massachusetts, only to EAT fish without catching any at the local Nantucket seafood establishment, Captain Andys); Kelsey Grammer (a year before spinning off into his own sitcom, Frasier) as Frasier Crane, going on a working vacation with then-wife Lilith Sternin (Bebe Neuwirth) for a seminar on low self-esteem; and Kirstie Alley in a cameo appearance as Rebecca Howe, in an episode focusing on Clint Black.
2. Family Matters -- This hit 1980s sitcom spun off from Perfect Strangers, with Harriette Winslow (initially an employee at the local fictional Chicago Chronicle introduced in Season 2 of Perfect Strangers in September 1987) as the star character of the show, as portrayed by Jo Marie Payton; the series ranked regularly at #41 in the Nielsen ratings--until 12 episodes into the 1st season, when Jaleel White joined the cast as Urkel, who would become THE series most popular character.
3. The Joey Bishop Show -- This hit early 1960s sitcom, spun off from The Danny Thomas Show, starred rat-packer Joey Bishop as Joey Barnes, a Hollywood PR man introduced on The Danny Thomas Show episode Everything Happens to Me. Although the CBS Television Network passed over on the concept, as created for Joey by Danny Thomas, NBC picked up the series, where it debuted on September 20, 1961; although ratings were low in its rookie season (telecast Wednesday nights at 8 P.M.), a format change (with Joey becoming a New York talk-show host, a role which he would, in real life, reprise for 2 years on ABC, from 1967-1969) helped the show become a cult hit, airing Saturday nights at 8 P.M. on the NBC Television Network; the success was short-lived, however, as NBC, after 3 seasons (its last 2 in color) canceled the show in early 1964; the following Fall, the CBS Television Network picked up the series, where it was filmed in black-and-white once again, airing it Sunday nights at 9 P.M. right after The Ed Sullivan Show; the ratings quickly sank, and Joey Bishops sitcom days were over on March 30, 1965--this time for good.
4. Wings -- This hit 1990s sitcom, a spin-off of Cheers, debuted on April 19, 1990 on the NBC Television Network for a Spring 1990 trial run, before beginning its regular run on September 28, 1990. Although none of the characters were introduced on Cheers, several characters from Cheers made several appearances on the series--among them George Wendt & John Ratzenberger (as their Cheers characters Norm & Cliff, going on a fishing vacation in Nantucket, Massachusetts, only to EAT fish without catching any at the local Nantucket seafood establishment, Captain Andys); Kelsey Grammer (a year before spinning off into his own sitcom, Frasier) as Frasier Crane, going on a working vacation with then-wife Lilith Sternin (Bebe Neuwirth) for a seminar on low self-esteem; and Kirstie Alley in a cameo appearance as Rebecca Howe, in an episode focusing on Clint Black.
