The Worst TV Spin-Offs
What are the worst TV spin-offs in history? This list includes some truly terrible TV spin-off shows created when studio execs tried to capitalize on the glory and popularity of other popular shows. In theory, spinoffs allow faithful viewers of the original shows the chance to learn more about some of the beloved original characters. In practice, however, many of these bad spinoff shows were not only poorly executed, but also centered around characters that nobody really cared about in the first place. I mean, did anyone really care what happened when "Cheers" waitress Carla's ex-husband remarried? No one did. No one - and that's why "The Tortellis" only ran for half a season.
Be sure to add any memorable spin-off series that I missed - and check on this list of the best tv spin-offs to vote on the ones that actually did work. Also, feel free to rerank this list any way you like.
Why mess with a good thing? If a specific TV show ran for a long time and was extremely popular, why spin it off? You run the risk of winding up with a sucky show, one that's so bad it threatens to ruin the fond memories of the original program. Need proof? Let's discuss 'Joey': After 'Friends' ended, NBC decided that it just had to give Matt LeBlanc a spin-off sitcom. Sure, he's a talented guy, and everyone loved Joey on 'Friends,' (one of the greatest TV shows of all time) but could he carry a show solo? No. No, he could not. 'Joey' was, in a word, forgettable. NBC yanked it off the air midway through its second season. Bad, bad idea.
Other terrible TV spin-offs include the absolutely horrific hot mess 'Joanie Loves Chachi,' a spin-off of Garry Marshall's wildly successful sitcom 'Happy Days.' Look, it's cool that Joanie did, in fact, love Chachi, but a whole show surrounding just them? Ugh. Somehow, 'Joanie Loves Chachi' did last for 17 episodes before it was canceled.
Look, it's hard not to want more when you love a particular TV show that goes off the air, for whatever reason. Good things do end, however, and that does not mean you have to try and milk the popularity of a particular show for all it's worth. Sometimes, it is truly best to leave things alone. That's what this list is all about. Now, go vote!- Glenn Howerton, Tinsley Grimes, Geoff Pierson
- Premiered: January 23, 2002
- Genres: Comedy
A group of 20-somethings navigates through San Diego in the midst of the trends and politics of the 1980s. Stereotypically, the punks, the material girls, the yuppies and the Madonna wannabes all ...more - Matt LeBlanc, Paulo Costanzo, Drea de Matteo
- Premiered: September 9, 2004
- Genres: Sitcom, Comedy
Joey is an American sitcom, a spin-off from Friends, which stars Matt LeBlanc reprising his role as Joey Tribbiani. It premiered on the NBC television network, on September 9, 2004, in the former ...more - Scott Baio, Erin Moran, Al Molinaro
- Premiered: March 23, 1982
- Genres: Sitcom, Comedy
Joanie Loves Chachi is an American television spin-off of the American sitcom Happy Days that was originally broadcast on ABC from March 23, 1982 to May 24, 1983. It stars Erin Moran and Scott Baio ...more - Harry Morgan, Jamie Farr, William Christopher
- Premiered: September 26, 1983
- Genres: Comedy
Potter, Mulcahy and Klinger reunite after the Korean War on the staff at a Missouri hospital. - Maureen McCormick, Eve Plumb, Jerry Houser
- Premiered: February 6, 1981
- Genres: Comedy
Marcia and Jan Brady each get married, then share a house. - John Ritter, Jessica Walter, Robert Mandan
- Premiered: 1984
- Genres: Sitcom, Comedy
Three's a Crowd is an American television sitcom sequel to Three's Company. It is loosely based on the British TV series Robin's Nest, which was itself a spin-off of Man About the House, on which ...more