In this modern age of extended cinematic universes, cross-over episodes, and series spin-offs, it’s apparent that fans love nothing more than to see the stories and characters they love explored in deeper detail from different perspectives. Just this year we’ve seen Better Call Saul reach its blockbuster climax, House of the Dragon has delved into the history of House Targaryen, and The Rings of Power has taken us back to the wonder of Middle Earth.
From 'House of The Dragon' to 'Joey': 5 TV Spin-Offs That Worked and 5 That Didn't
While it’s terrific to see our favorite franchises re-imbued with new stories to tell, the art of the spin-off series isn’t exactly a new trend in the realms of television entertainment. From legendary '70s sitcoms to modern crime dramas, some of the greatest TV shows ever produced have stemmed from an original series. A select few of them have even gone on to enjoy longer tenures on television than the parent series they were based upon.
‘Better Call Saul’ (2015-2022)
As far as TV drama goes, Breaking Bad exists at the absolute pinnacle with five legendary seasons which are still widely viewed as being among some of the best television ever produced. So it struck many as a surprise when Better Call Saul was announced as a spin-off following the career of Walt (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse’s (Aaron Paul) lawyer, Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk).
It's fair to say the initial naysayers of the spin-off have been emphatically silenced, with Better Call Saul proving to be a resounding success which added depth to, and built upon the legacy of Breaking Bad. It’s acclaimed sixth and final season saw it surpass Breaking Bad’s five-season run, an accomplishment even the most optimistic fan would have struggled to predict when the series started in 2015.
Spin-Offs We'd Love to See in the 'Better Call Saul'-'Breaking Bad' Universe
‘The Facts of Life’ (1979-1988)
Receiving a backdoor pilot in the finale of Diff’rent Strokes’ first season, The Facts of Life ran alongside its original series following the Drummond’s maid, Edna Garrett (Charlotte Rae), through her work at Eastland School. Working as a housemother and dietitian at the all-girls boarding school, Mrs. Garrett was always there to help the teenagers overcome the hardships of adolescence.
With witty dialogue, great character dynamics, and a moral lesson at the heart of every episode, the show struck a chord with the American public. It became one of NBC’s most successful series of the era with its nine seasons surpassing Diff’rent Strokes’ eight-season streak.
‘Family Matters’ (1989-1997)
Stemming from Perfect Strangers, Family Matters followed the Winslows, a middle-class African-American family living in Chicago. The spin-off wasn’t greeted with great initial success, but midway through the first season it introduced the nerdy neighbor Steve Urkel (Jaleel White) who proved to be a hit with audiences.
The side-character was only supposed to appear in the one episode but was so popular he quickly became a major focus of the series. Running until 1997, Family Matters outlasted all other live-action primetime network sitcoms from the '80s, and its nine seasons surpassed its parent series’ tally of eight.
‘The Flash’ (2014-2023)
Premiering in 2012, Arrow was a hit superhero TV show in a time when the market was at its most competitive, but despite its eight-season run its legacy will be best remembered through its many spin-off series. Chief among them was The Flash which eclipsed Arrow’s success as it followed DC’s iconic speedster superhero on his ventures in Central City.
With its light atmosphere and a focus on found family, The Flash is a worthy offering of superhero fun which was as accessible as it was enjoyable. It will enter its ninth and final season in 2023, surpassing even Arrow as the longest-running series in The CW’s ‘Arrowverse’.
The CW's 'The Flash' Seasons, Ranked From Worst to Best
'Benson' (1979-1986)
A scathing parody of the daytime soap operas of the era, Soap followed the antics of a wealthy American family with a strong emphasis on crude humor. While the whole cast offered plenty of laughs, it was the wise-cracking butler – Benson (Robert Guillaume) – who was the fan favorite, and his exit after the second season led to his own spin-off series, Benson, where he worked for the state Governor.
Effectively running the state on his own, Benson’s intelligence and humor translated well to his own series. While Soap was canceled after four seasons, Benson carried on well into the '80s with the series ending on a cliffhanger at the climax of its seventh season.
‘The Jeffersons’ (1975-1985)
An iconic sitcom for many reasons, The Jeffersons focused on the titular African-American family who moved from working class Queens to a wealthy neighborhood. It was the most successful offshoot of All in the Family which is a significant achievement given the parent series spawned a record seven spin-off series in total.
Premiering in 1975, The Jeffersons was a daring sitcom for its time, not only for its focus on a Black family but also for its willingness to tackle social issues of the era and for being the first series to prominently feature an interracial relationship. Producing 11 seasons in its 10-year stint, it outperformed its original series by two seasons but was abruptly canceled in 1985 without ever getting a chance to properly farewell its millions of fans around America.
‘Happy Days’ (1975-1984)
Spanning five seasons, Love, American Style was a rom-com anthology series which ran from 1969 to 1974, with each episode telling a different tale of American love. One such episode, ‘Love and the Television Set’ (later retitled ‘Love and the Happy Days’), featured a young red-haired man by the name of Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard) and functioned as a de facto pilot for Happy Days.
Premiering under its own name in 1975, Happy Days thrived as a feel-good throwback to the idealized family utopia of the 1950s. Fonzie (Henry Winkler) and the gang were welcomed into households all over America every Friday night throughout its 11-season run in the '70s and '80s and remains one of the most iconic TV shows of all time.
‘NCIS’ (2003-)
Running from 1996-2005, JAG was a legal drama which had a focus on military cases. In its eighth season, it introduced what would become NCIS, a police procedural show which, like JAG, maintains a specific focus on crimes linked to the military and military personnel.
Its unique angle ensured it was able to offer something different from the typical cop show, but still existed within a structure which fans found familiar and understandable. Thanks to its colorful array of leading characters, NCIS is now into its 20th season, and has even spawned several spin-offs of its own.
‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’ (1999-)
Given that Law & Order was a wildly successful show in its own right, spanning some 20 seasons before being canceled in 2010, it’s almost unthinkable that it would have a spin-off which surpasses it. But that’s just what Law & Order: Special Victims Unit did, becoming the longest-running live-action television series in U.S. history at the start of its 21st season in 2019.
Now up to 24 seasons, it continues to effortlessly hook viewers in with its brilliant detective duo solving some of the more heinous crimes seen on a police procedural series. Though, this spin-off will need to keep going to maintain its record with Law & Order back up and running after being renewed by NBC.
‘The Simpsons’ (1989-)
Finding popularity on The Tracey Ullman Show as a series of animated shorts, The Simpsons was an established name by the time Fox made it a show in 1989. It may not have been the biggest surprise that it surpassed The Tracey Ullman Show’s four-season run, but it is a shock that it’s still going strong today with its 34th season airing through 2022-23.
Casting a satirical lens at middle-class America and the nuclear family, The Simpsons has resonated with hundreds of millions of people around the world since its premiere over 30 years ago. As the show’s gone on, it’s also developed a penchant for pop-culture parody, and a funny knack for predicting the future, both of which have kept fans coming back for more.