Over the years, there have been a number of great TV shows that spawned spin-offs that fans not only loved, but would go on to see as much, or even more success, as the original shows.Considering there have been video games, movies, and even themed slots based on series. It is easy to see why there are so many that are fan favorites, as well as why their spin-offs became so successful. Here are a few of the best.
Frasier
If you weren’t an avid fan of the Cheers series, you might be surprised to find out that Frasier is a spin-off of the show. Frasier Crane started off as a love interest of one of the main Cheers characters, before becoming a regular in the fourth season and stayed until the show ended.
Frasier showed the life and times of Doctor Crane as a psychiatrist, as well as a radio host. While the creators of Cheers didn’t want to create a spin-off to avoid it failing and ruining the reputation of Cheers, Frasier ended up being a massive success. It is also reported that Kelsey Grammer will reprise his role as Doctor Crane in an upcoming reboot of the series.
Better Call Saul
Better Call Saul is probably the most famous spin-off at the moment. It is a prequel and sequel to the highly successful Breaking Bad, and follows Saul Goodman, a lawyer and former scam artist who gets tied up in the criminal world.
Considering how wildly successful Breaking Bad was, it is no surprise that a spin-off came from it after it was made clear that Breaking Bad was definitely finished. The show follows Goodman turning his life around into a respectable lawyer, and takes place 6 years before the events of Breaking Bad
The Simpsons
Another show that many will be surprised to hear is a spin-off, is the Simpsons. The show started off in 1987 as a series of short films shown on the Tracey Ullman Show. two years after the first short, it debuted as a thirty minute long episode.
The Simpsons has gone on to become the most successful animated series of all time. It has 32 seasons, and has over 700 episodes. It is famous for its satire, depiction of current events, as well as the hugely successful characters and personalities of the show.
NCIS
NCIS is a bi-product of the Naval law series JAG. Premiering all the way in 2003, NCIS was just recently renewed for its 19 season, and has over 400 episodes to its name. NCIS has also spawned numerous spin-offs of its own.
The show follows the Navy Criminal Investigative service as they solve crimes involving military men and women. There have been three spin-offs of the show, namely NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans, and NCIS: Hawaii, Hawaii being the newest spin-off and the first to feature a female lead.
Star Trek: Next Generation
Star Trek is, arguably, one of the most successful and popular franchises in history. Considering most people are either Star Wars fans or Star Trek fans, the popularity of this show was guaranteed from the off.
Next Generation follows Captain Picard and his team, a hundred years after the exploits of Captain Kirk. introducing fans to very likeable characters such as Picard, Riker, Data and even Westley Crusher, the series spanned 7 seasons, with 178 episodes in total.
The Flash
A series that many say has become far more popular than its original one, is the Flash. First introduced to us on TV in the series Arrow, the show follows the title character, Barry Allen, and also takes place in the same universe as that of Arrow.
The Flash draws far bigger numbers than Arrow, and considering it started all the way back in 2014, and seven seasons later it is still going strong, it can be seen as one of the most successful superhero TV series of all time.
Xena: Warrior Princess
A spin-off of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena first premiered all the way back in 1995, and still has a cult following today. You follow the adventures of Xena and she travels through a fantasy version of ancient Greece, battling enemies along the way.
While Hercules saw its fair share of success, Xena was easily the more successful series between the two. In 2007, it ranked at number 9 in TV Guide’s Top Cult Shows ever, and Xena ranked at number 100 in Bravo’s Greatest TV characters of all time.
Daria
Nother show with a massive cult following to this day is Daria. She started off as a recurring character in Beavis and Butthead, and her show follows her analysing highschool with her barely changing monotone voice, wit and sarcasm.
Daria only lasted 5 seasons and had about 70 episodes, and once again to this day people want the show to come back. She ended up being the voice of Generation X, and many people will probably still be able to throw a quote or two of hers at you. These are only a handful of spin-offs that came from other highly successful shows, however, if you haven’t watched any of them before, you should 100% take the time to enjoy them, you won’t regret it.
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