Sitcom spinoffs, sequels, and crossovers? Page 5

Fast Forward - Big Girls Blouse - Something Stupid - Kath and Kim

(I think that's the path those two characters took).

The Upchat Line -> The Upchat Connection

No Honestly -> Yes Honestly (difficult to make a character connection as there isn't one but it was the same writers using the same formula)

I'm done Laughing out loud

The Golden Girls - The Golden Palace

(I think I'm done, too!)

We could eek our brains out for a few more but I think the thread was very useful and should be formalised and linked within the comedy database :D

You could probably fill an entire page with examples of American spin-offs, but three series deserve special mention...

"All in the Family" gave birth to "Maude," which gave birth to "Good Times."
"All in the Family" also led to "The Jeffersons," which spun-off Flo into a short-lived series "Checking In."
"All in the Family" also spun-off one of its original characters in "Gloria."
There was also the "Archie Bunker's Place" series, which was more of a continuation than a spin-off, though.
And lastly, many years later the house where Archie lived was actually given a new series in "704 Hauser Street," where a new family with no prior connection to the Bunkers was now living. I guess this was supposed to be a "next generation"-type thing, but it never caught on. (It was indeed the exact interior set used in AITF, too, as producer Norman Lear had kept it in storage.)

"Happy Days" had several true spin-offs, including "Mork & MIndy," "Laverne & Shirley" and "Joanie Loves Chaichi."

"The Mary Tyler Moore Show" led into "Rhoda," "Phyllis" and "Lou Grant."

Going Straight was definitely a spin-off. The situation was different and only two of the four leads made the transition.

The only thing Trapper John MD took from M*A*S*H was the the name of the title character, who was played by a different actor, and as far as I can recall never even referred to his time in the 4077.

Slinger's Day and The Upchat Connection were really just the same shows with different actors in the leads, so you might just as well call the second series of Potter a spin-off.

Barney Miler spawned a spin-off, Fish, but since I never saw Fish, or indeed an episode of Barney Miller with Fish in it, I can't comment as to how closely the related the shows were.

And I do not think anyone has mentioned Doctor in the House - at Large - in Charge - at Sea - On the Go - Down Under - On Top.

Not sure if this counts as a sitcom, more a children's drama:

Grange HIll - Tucker's Luck

And what about The Gaffer, but I can't remember the other one?

Don't recall The Gaffer being a spin-off, but I could be wrong about that.

Oh, and I have thought of another, Benson from Soap.

Quote: Timbo @ June 12 2008, 6:13 PM BST

Slinger's Day and The Upchat Connection were really just the same shows with different actors in the leads, so you might just as well call the second series of Potter a spin-off.

These two shows exist as seperate entities in most books/websites on the subject and fall within the remit of Chips original criteria for the thread - I think it is right to link them in this way. Potter carried on with a different actor playing the same role in S3 so I don't see how it compares with the other two mentioned.

Tha Gaffer was definitely not a spin-off.

MASH was followed by 2-season AfterMash, with Klinger, Mulchahy and colonel Potter working in a hospital.

Doctor in the House-Doctor at Large-Doctor In Charge-Doctor at Sea-Doctor On the Go-Doctor Down Under-Doctor at the Top.

Chucklehounds-Chucklevision-To Me to You

The Likely Lads-Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads

Alice had a short-lived spinoff called Flo.

Has it been mentioned that Three's Company followed the same pattern as the origanl to an extent? The Ropers and Three's a Crowd came from it (all terrible).

The Happy Days pilot aired as an episode of Love, American Style.

Facts of Life was a spinoff of Different Strokes.

Regarding crossovers, sort of, here is the Tommy Westphall Hypothesis (be warned, you could get lost in there):

http://home.vicnet.net.au/~kwgow/crossovers.html

How about Ab Fab, which began life as a sketch on French and Saunders?

Quote: Timbo @ June 12 2008, 9:15 PM BST

How about Ab Fab, which began life as a sketch on French and Saunders?

Yup, forgot about that one - that fits the bill

Quote: Alan C @ June 12 2008, 2:48 PM BST

So on the basis of a very short appearance in the first episode of Nearest and Dearest you can tie Nearest and Dearest with Not on Your Nellie.

Go back and read it. Was just one of a number of things which I mentioned.

Quote: Alan C @ June 12 2008, 2:48 PM BST

Two writers who wrote a 10 minute special can now tie All Gas and Gaiters with Oh Brother as well as a poorly observed viewing of the two characters, IMHO...

Again.

Quote: Alan C @ June 12 2008, 3:07 PM BST

Your listing of a US show there chips reminded me that some episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond featured the character from the King of Queens

The whole of the ELR cast appeared in TKoQ also.

Quote: monkeybeard @ June 12 2008, 3:14 PM BST

And vice versa, Ray and family pop up in King of Queens now and again.

Wheeey, there we go.

Quote: Timbo @ June 12 2008, 6:13 PM BST

And I do not think anyone has mentioned Doctor in the House - at Large - in Charge - at Sea - On the Go - Down Under - On Top.

I did! :)

Up Pompeii! -> Further Up Pompeii, Whoops Baghdad, and numerous others (TV and film) which I'm far too lazy to mention at 2:05 am.