I liked Facts of Life better than Different Strokes.

This is the first example I thought of, where the spin off was at LEAST as good as.

Gomer Pyle USMC >> The Andy Griffith Show

The Facts of Life >> Diff'rent Strokes

Laverne & Shirley >> Happy Days

The Jeffersons >> All in the Family

Melrose Place >> Beverly Hills 90210

Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School >> Flavor of Love

The Real World/Road Rules Challenge >> The Real World and Road Rules

Hawaiian Eye >> 77 Sunset Strip

Gomer Pyle USMC >> The Andy Griffith Show

The Facts of Life >> Diff'rent Strokes

Laverne & Shirley >> Happy Days

The Jeffersons >> All in the Family

Melrose Place >> Beverly Hills 90210

Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School >> Flavor of Love

The Real World/Road Rules Challenge >> The Real World and Road Rules

Hawaiian Eye >> 77 Sunset Strip

I lurve The Jeffersons, those early seasons were the best, but I don't think it remained as consistently high in quality as AITF. Like Good Times, the networks let it lose its soul with a bunch of corny typical sitcom writing towards the end. Lost its bite. Even still, if someone asked me if I wanted to watch AITF or The Jeffersons, I would say the latter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v3J3uvoj4M

Edited August 20, 201213 yr by SFK

I agree as well

I agree too mainly because I like Mrs. Garrett (although she was on both shows)

That gif is hilarious

Edited August 20, 201213 yr by dragonflies

Miss Jay!

I suppose this might be more appropriate for the The Colbys thread, but The Colbys was touted as being bigger and better than its parent soap Dynasty, and I don't see that at all. Sure, the cast consisted of some Hollywood legends, but story, set, car, wardrobe wise? I would say it was less glitzy than Dynasty.

All in the family was the first very "fertil" show. it "gave birth" to Jeffersons, Maude, and sort of Archie Bunker's place. then Maude spun off Good Times. and i am willing to bet there were short lived spin off's too i just can't think of them. I'm thinking something having to do with the Jeffersons' maid Florence. she left for a while and they had thought of spinning her off or they did and it tanked quickly so they brought her back to Jeffersons. I really don't remember.

You know i almost forgot that Family Matters was a spin off of Perfect Strangers. I haven't seen the show in a very long time but wasn't Harriott just a semi-regular (if that) on Strangers. She was the elevator lady right? ironic that they spun her off, a minor character and then the show took off because of Urcle. it could have been renamed the Urcle show by the second se4ason because that's all people watched to see. and the mother was even replaced (badly) in the final season.

My favorite spin off is Knots Landing...a spin off of Dallas even though Knots Landing was in the minds of the producers first. The network said No way so they created Dallas. When Dallas became a huge hit, they came back to the producers and said something like, "That show about the cul-de-sac...if you put a Ewing in it, we'll take it." and that's how it became a spin-off. then of course after the dream season on Dallas, they producers decided to keep the two shows seperate with no more cross-overs. I love my Donna Mills!

Florence on The Jeffersons had a show called Checking in.

AITF and Archie Bunkers Place where the same show. The cast refers to ABP as AITF. ABP was just a retooling because so many of the cast had left of where getting ready to leave.

Anyway, AITF/ABP had a spin-off called Gloria that only ran for one season.

Here is the opening to Gloria:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBvNcSFzda4

I remember reading Donald Bogle's book on black TV and film and he complained about The Jeffersons no longer seeming black enough after the first few seasons. He also hated Louise and didn't enjoy the show as much without George's mother putting her down.

I think Maude is equal to AITF to an extent. Good Times was really dark when it came to most of the stories while The Jefferson's was too campy. Don't get me wrong I am a fan of ALL Norman Lear shows. But Maude, being the first AITF spin-off seemed to have the same style of humor. It wasn't as "Ground Breaking" as for topics except the abortion. I also think the Vivian/Maude/Walter/Arthur friendship is the perfect Ricky/Lucy/Fred/Ethel update.

Is Mama's family considered a spin off?

I remember reading Donald Bogle's book on black TV and film and he complained about The Jeffersons no longer seeming black enough after the first few seasons. He also hated Louise and didn't enjoy the show as much without George's mother putting her down.

I think he has a point. But what about this clip? A show could never get away with a character saying that nowadays. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWWBrAIv1J0

But I think eventually it turned into a middle of the road sitcom. It was never as topical or political as All in the Family or even Maude. It was much more of a traditional situation comedy built largely around family dynamics. It also had one of the weirdest casting decisions ever when they had a white actor playing Helen and Tom's only son.

The Jeffersons actually gets the edge for me because it ventured into more conventional sitcom plots in the second half of its run. I feel like the show changed, but it wasn't a bad change.

Good Times spun off from Maude which spun off from All in teh Fmaily

Another one would be Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine both spun off from Star Trek: Next Generation which it's self is a spin off from the original Star Trek series. I would also say I enjoyed all three "Next Generation" series more than original (but I like the movies with Original series cast better than I do the movies with the TNG crew, LOL)

Is Mama's family considered a spin off?

It is considered the same way The Simpsons came from "The Tracey Ullman Show"