14 Great TV Spin-Offs That Are Totally Worth Your Time

One of the easiest ways to alienate TV fans is to announce a new show that is not a totally new idea but rather a remake or, worse, a spin-off. Spin-offs are most frequent in sitcoms, but lately, they've also spread into the realms of dramas, with series such as "The Walking Dead" and "Game of Thrones" attempting to give new perspectives on their pre-established story worlds. Fans are generally sluggish to warm up to them, whether because they miss the true essence of the original show entirely or because there are simply too many of them, making them hard to track and diluting the original series' appeal. 

Truth be told, the creators of spin-offs aren't always motivated by the story but rather by the executives' want to create more content with audience familiarity. Judy Berman wrote for TIME bemoaning streamers' creation of a new era of TV she dubbed peak redundancy. She noted that franchises entering the TV space create "too many shows that feel interchangeable." If spin-offs are done poorly, they fall into this category, producing lazy shows that can't match the originals' brilliance.

The good news, however, is that every once in a while, a masterpiece like "Better Call Saul" comes along that matches the original and gives it new life — and even arguably surpasses it. Here are some more fantastic TV spin-offs that are well worth your time.

When The Daily Telegraph ranked the best female cartoon characters, Daria Morgendorffer was the first name on their list. "Daria" was an MTV spin-off of the highly successful Mike Judge animated comedy "Beavis and Butthead," but it distinguished itself by perfectly depicting late-90s culture. Tracy Grandstaff voiced Daria on the show and cynically delivered all of Daria's legendary snarky quips brilliantly. Throughout its run, the show managed to capture the counterculture of the era that gave rise to films like "Fight Club" and "The Big Lebowski."

Initially, the plan was to introduce Daria to "Beavis and Butthead" and use her as a contrast to demonstrate that the series was not endorsing the misogyny exhibited by the main characters. However, as the show's run neared its natural end, MTV realized that with Daria, they had the potential to appeal to a more feminine demographic, so they enlisted the help of "Beavis and Butthead" staffers Glenn Eichler and Susie Lewis to develop the spin-off.

This resulted in the longest-running animated TV show on MTV. Although it was never a ratings juggernaut like its fellow high school dramas, it certainly left an indelible mark. Co-creator Eicher told Variety, "I've had a lot of people say to me, you know — that show really got me through high school." The show's relatability and ness to capture the zeitgeist place it among the best spin-offs of all time.

As the old adage goes, the devil is in the details, which was definitely the case when The CW created what became "The Vampire Diaries Universe." When "The Vampire Diaries" co-creator was first considering developing the program, he was concerned it was too similar to "The Twilight Saga," but as he began reading the novels on which the show is based, he saw that it was more about the town than simply the high school.

"The Vampire Diaries" then aired an episode in the fourth season focusing on the three Mikaelson siblings and their history as the first vampires ever to exist. The episode was suitably titled "The Originals," and it ended up acting as a backdoor pilot for the show of the same name. By that point, it felt like the show's obvious next step because the story universe had been evolving for the previous four seasons and several guest characters' backstories appeared intriguing enough to merit their own complete series.

The show eventually became a fan favorite. Fans of "The Originals" continue to convene on platforms like Reddit and have heated debates over whether it's superior to the original series. By the time the show ended, it had gained the lead Joseph Morgan award show recognition, inspired a book series, and even had its own spin-off web series, "The Originals: Awakening." The CW's approach to spin-offs of broadening the plot arc is tried and true, and it works wonderfully.

"Norman Lear, when you look back at it. A genius!" That's how ABC News correspondent Deborah Roberts described the creator of "All in the Family" and its spin-off "The Jeffersons." "All in the Family" was a highly topical show for the 1970s. Archie Bunker constantly exposed his illogical prejudices to his family and neighbors, only to be publicly chastised at every step. He would frequently make a joke about a marginalized group, such as women or Black people, only to be met by a much funnier rebuttal.

"All in the Family" was a ratings powerhouse. It provided every member of the American public of that era a distinct opinion to cling to while also being a catalyst for change. However, when he created "The Jeffersons," Lear managed to transcend that. The Jeffersons were the Bunkers' neighbors, and what better way to demonstrate that Black people in America are equal to white people than to produce a series about them?

"The Jeffersons" frequently addressed serious issues such as race relations in America, even delving into racial slurs and how they affect the Black community. Furthermore, the show's writing was relatable to Black people because, as Maria Gibbs confirmed, the writers were prepared to take notes from the cast if the dialogue wasn't crisp enough. The American TV series "The Jeffersons" went on to become one of the finest ever, not only among spin-offs but among all American TV shows.

David E. Kelley, a television producer in the 1990s, had the Midas touch: every show he created was a smash, from "Ally McBeal" to "The Practice" and many more. But he never appeared to grow as contemplative and gloomy as he did on "The Practice." The tone was frequently depressing, and the role of morality in the American justice system was often questioned in some of the most interesting ways imaginable. It undoubtedly garnered the series Emmy acclaim, but eventually turned off some viewers, and the series' ratings plunged. They were forced to work on a smaller budget and fire their primary cast, but it wasn't enough to salvage the show, and "The Practice" was eventually canceled.

Without the program's core actors, James Spader stepped in to portray a new character named Alan Shore. His performance was so intriguing and received critical acclaim that the Associated Press even published an article suggesting it had salvaged the show. Although this proved incorrect, Kelley capitalized on the opportunity. He developed yet another Boston-based legal drama, this time with a lighter tone and focused on James Spader's performance. "Boston Legal" was the title of the show.

The tone adjustment in the spin-off was precisely what the audience needed. As a result, Kelley could cover all of his desired themes while maintaining his ratings and Emmy nominations.

"Big Mouth," one of Netflix's most popular animated series, follows a group of early adolescent friends as they traverse puberty. The show's comedy might be inappropriate at times, but no one can argue that it ever loses its sharpness. And no characters are as amusing as the hormone monsters, whose function on the show is to help the youngsters transition into their early sex lives.

So it was a no-brainer when Netflix ordered "Human Resources," a spin-off that follows the hormone monsters' workplace. The show even goes so far as to sell itself to the audience in the first episode. "This show is like 'The Office' meets 'Big Mouth,' says one of the characters. But, beyond the title, which becomes more intelligent the more you think about it, and the readily digestible premise, what truly distinguishes the program is how it is more resonant to the human experience than even the original.

The show has one of the most impressive casts on television, with Hollywood A-listers such as Helen Mirren, Hugh Jackman, and Lupita Nyong'o featuring in a few episodes. Attracting stars of this caliber is a testament to the show's writing. Despite the fact that the series explores a concept that has already been covered in films such as "Inside Out." What makes it worth the watch is how it expands on the concept by allowing the audience to relate more to the 'professional creatures' workplace difficulties.

"Power Book II: Ghost" follows from the initial episode "Power," which concluded with Tariq killing his villainous drug lord father, Ghost, and somehow getting away with it. When "Power" premiered initially, it was not a critical darling. Still, it was championed by its large internet audience and growing ratings, and gradually the critical consensus turned back in its favor.

Suddenly, what was supposed to be a show for a smaller audience was saddled with expectations. Expectations frequently drive showrunners to play it safe and offer the viewers precisely what they want, which unfortunately is generally what leads to the show's early death because no one wants predictability. Fortunately, "Power Book II: Ghost" avoided all of these traps by doing one thing: embracing change.

"Power Book II: Ghost" highlights Tariq's hardships as a young man attempting to care for his family, manage his education, and navigate the drug trade. Tariq was an insufferable brat in the last show, but he comes across as a man who grew up too fast in the new show. And it is the creators' willingness to continually accept change that has allowed them to successfully expand the "Power" universe with several spin-offs.

When it comes to spin-offs of excellent shows, however, none had a more difficult challenge than "Fraiser." The program was planned to be a sequel to "Cheers," which had aired for 11 seasons and was consistently ranked among the top 10 most viewed shows in America. The program featured a cyclical setup in which the ensemble characters enter a pub and engage in intense debates about life. It was straightforward and effective.

"Fraiser" was developed due to Kelsey Grammer's (who portrayed Fraiser Crane) strong relationship with the creators of "Cheers," who vowed to collaborate once the show finished. They had previously dreamed of concepts other than spin-offs, but the studio rejected them. As the show's world began to take shape, Grammer decided to sign on.

A lot changed about Frasier from the subsequent show: he was now divorced and had returned to his hometown. The format was also different from "Cheers," with "Frasier" being more of a workplace comedy. Everything worked. And because he worked as a radio psychiatrist, the show had the ability to have a long enough roster of celebrity voice appearances to match even "Entourage."