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A Spinoff of a Spinoff? (1 Viewer)

Ethan Riley

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And Rue McClanahan:
Was in Maude: Spinoff from AITF
&
The Golden Palace: Spinoff (reboot of Golden Girls)

golden-palace-ad.jpg
You think that's confusing? You forget that Rue McClanahan AND Betty White were in Mama's Family, which was a spin-off of the Carol Burnett Show...
 

Tony Bensley

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Rarity, but Honeymooners and The Simpsons followed a similar path among others
True, with THE HONEYMOONERS likely being the very first variety show spinoff (If not the first spinoff, period!), with THE SIMPSONS being the first animated sitcom to spinoff from a variety show, and also the most successful spinoff (Can't argue with 27 seasons, and counting!) of all time!

CHEERS! :)
 

B-ROLL

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True, with THE HONEYMOONERS likely being the very first variety show spinoff (If not the first spinoff, period!), with THE SIMPSONS being the first animated sitcom to spinoff from a variety show, and also the most successful spinoff (Can't argue with 27 seasons, and counting!) of all time!

CHEERS! :)

The Flintstones (nee Flagstones) were based on the Honeymooners ;) !
 

Bill Waits

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Yeah, I'm not sure the "shared universe" shows are really spinoffs. Like the Law & Order series, CSI's, or all the Chicago PD/Fire/Med series.

By definition, a spinoff shares the same "shared universe" as the parent show, otherwise, how can it be a spinoff? I will admit that in some earlier spinoffs, the spinoffs would receive updated and perhaps different/altered backstories, so that it would fit within the confines of the show it spun off on, but they would share the same universe.
 

Tony Bensley

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Backdoor pilots (TAGS, Joey Bishop Show, both from Danny Thomas) are not spinoffs. The character has to be a regular or semi-regular, i.e., Rhoda, Phyllis, Lou Grant, etc.

Thus, rather than being part of the "A Spinoff of a Spinoff", THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW was a platform for multiple spinoffs, with GOMER PYLE: USMC (Starring Jim Nabors as Gomer Pyle, a semi-regular TAGS character) and MAYBERRY, RFD, which featured multiple TAGS regulars, although main star Ken Berry's character could arguably be considered sort of a backdoor character, though he did appear in 4 episodes from TAGS final season.

CHEERS! :)
 
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jcroy

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By definition, a spinoff shares the same "shared universe" as the parent show, otherwise, how can it be a spinoff? I will admit that in some earlier spinoffs, the spinoffs would receive updated and perhaps different/altered backstories, so that it would fit within the confines of the show it spun off on, but they would share the same universe.

(On a more general converse tangent).

There exists definitive cases of shows in a "shared universe", where some of the shows are not spinoffs at all and did not use any "backdoor pilots".

One case I can think of offhand would be the shows "Without a Trace" and "Cold Case" existing in the same shared universe as the CSI Franchise.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSI_(franchise)#With_other_series



Cold Case crossed over with CSI: New York in the CSI:NY season 3 episode "Cold Reveal"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_Case#CSI:_NY_crossover

Without a Trace crossed over with CSI in the CSI season 8 episode "Who and What" and Without a Trace season 6 episode "Where and Why".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Without_a_Trace#Crossover_with_CSI:_Crime_Scene_Investigation


I would be hard pressed to think of Cold Case and Without a Trace as being "spinoffs" of the CSI franchise.
 

B-ROLL

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(On a more general converse tangent).

There exists definitive cases of shows in a "shared universe", where some of the shows are not spinoffs at all and did not use any "backdoor pilots".

One case I can think of offhand would be the shows "Without a Trace" and "Cold Case" existing in the same shared universe as the CSI Franchise.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSI_(franchise)#With_other_series



Cold Case crossed over with CSI: New York in the CSI:NY season 3 episode "Cold Reveal"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_Case#CSI:_NY_crossover

Without a Trace crossed over with CSI in the CSI season 8 episode "Who and What" and Without a Trace season 6 episode "Where and Why".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Without_a_Trace#Crossover_with_CSI:_Crime_Scene_Investigation


I would be hard pressed to think of Cold Case and Without a Trace as being "spinoffs" of the CSI franchise.

Not to Hetty's turn on Scorpion which is not a sequel as well ;)
 

Malcolm R

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There was a "Bones"/"Sleepy Hollow" crossover this past season. Does that make "SH" a spinoff of "Bones"? :P
 

Bill Waits

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(On a more general converse tangent).

There exists definitive cases of shows in a "shared universe", where some of the shows are not spinoffs at all and did not use any "backdoor pilots".

One case I can think of offhand would be the shows "Without a Trace" and "Cold Case" existing in the same shared universe as the CSI Franchise.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSI_(franchise)#With_other_series



Cold Case crossed over with CSI: New York in the CSI:NY season 3 episode "Cold Reveal"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_Case#CSI:_NY_crossover

Without a Trace crossed over with CSI in the CSI season 8 episode "Who and What" and Without a Trace season 6 episode "Where and Why".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Without_a_Trace#Crossover_with_CSI:_Crime_Scene_Investigation


I would be hard pressed to think of Cold Case and Without a Trace as being "spinoffs" of the CSI franchise.

That is correct, and I apologize for not making the point clear. All entities that share the same universe are not necessarily spin-offs (Cold Case/CSI, Green Acres/Petticoat Junction, Law&Order/Homicide), but all spin-offs do share the same universe.
 

dana martin

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don't even get started on shared universe, that is a whole different thing, because one character ties a good 10 shows, maybe more together,........ John Munch
 

bretmaverick2

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OH, PLEASE make the shared universe thing it's own thread!! Tons to be written about there!!
 

Avilos

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By most definitions Mork's appearance on "Happy Days" could be seen as a Backdoor Pilot for "Mork & Mindy". But the character was created shows otherwise.

Mork was created to be a one time character. HD producer Gary Marshall's son loved Star Wars so much he asked for an alien to appear on the show. Mork is what he can up with. It was only the brilliant casting of Robin Williams in the role that lead Mork being so popular to create his own series.

Seeing Mork's original HD episode in reruns would give the false impression it was a Backdoor Pilot. Sometime later a new scene of Mork reporting to Orson was added to better bridge to the new show. Originally the episode ended with Richtie thinking Mork really just a dream.
 

MartinP.

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Since some posts have spun off other questions, how about these two:

Name a drama series that was a spin off of a comedy series.

Name a series that had a game show spin off.
 

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