Spun-off and Watered-down

[Seaviewer]

Yeah, I remember Booker. I did reasonably well here, I think, on Jump Street's coat tails.

 

[Monzo]

Party Of Five's spin-off Time Of Your Life didn't receive much love by viewers and critics. I was lucky enough to live in an area where all 19 episodes aired. Compared to PO5 this spin-off was weaker, but I liked it. Jennifer Love Hewitt's Sarah was still a sweetheart. All new characters didn't click with me. Only watched Time Of Your Life once when it originally aired and would like to revisit again.

 

[Seaviewer]

Party Of Five's spin-off Time Of Your Life didn't receive much love by viewers and critics. I was lucky enough to live in an area where all 19 episodes aired.

Not sure how many episodes they showed here bit I do remember watching it. It didn't last long enough to really explore its premise.

 

[Grant Jennings]

Not sure if anyone remembers it, but there was Booker, a 21 Jump Street spin off with Richard Grieco.

Stephen J Cannell and Fox were clearly aiming for this to be just a hit as the parent show. They gave it the 21 Jump Street 7pm slot and shunted the latter to Mondays.

Unfortunately it never achieved the same success - did people exactly watch 21 Jump Street for Grieco? And it was also up against 60 Minutes and Life Goes On, established programmes.

When Fox started getting concerned about the ratings at 7pm (you see if Booker was flopping, it pulls the rest of the Fox primetime line up down for the whole evening, which they didn't want), Booker was switched to the 10pm slot after The Tracey Ullman Show ended for good. But Booker wasn't a hit there, not helped by movies airing on the other 3 networks. Katie Rich also quit midway during the time switch, replaced by Lori Petty.

To no avail. After Booker ended, 21 Jump Street when it was shunted to Monday lasted one more season on Fox, although a further season was produced in syndication.

I remember Booker, I read somewhere at the time that one of the reasons they decided to spin the character off of 21 Jump Street was because Richard Greico looked too old to be someone who could go undercover as a high schooler. I enjoyed Greico's movie If Looks Could Kill, he seemed to evaporate after that.

 

[ClassyCo]

I think THE GOLDEN PALACE is a prime example of characters and ideas not making the transition very well. While I'd argue with the best of them that the show was a serviceable spin-off to THE GOLDEN GIRLS, I will also not try to defend the notion that GP was anywhere near the caliber of GG. As a show, THE GOLDEN GIRLS has simply got to be one of the best situation comedies in the history of television.​

 

[DallasFanForever]

I think THE GOLDEN PALACE is a prime example of characters and ideas not making the transition very well

I think without Bea Arthur it was dead in the water. The four of them had such terrific chemistry together that I think removing any of the four would’ve hurt. There was just too much history between them.

THE GOLDEN GIRLS has simply got to be one of the best situation comedies in the history of television.

No argument here! And I think that was the biggest problem Golden Palace faced. A decent enough spinoff perhaps but it wasn’t ever going to live up to the original show.

 

[AndyB2008]

Maybe not a spin off, but there was the 1988 revival of Mission Impossible on ABC filmed in Australia, with Peter Graves and Bob Johnson retained as regulars from the original Sixties cast.

Sadly, ABC doomed it from the beginning. The original time slot was Sundays at 8pm. Unfortunately it really was Mission Impossible because it had to compete with Murder She Wrote on CBS, MI's original network. About 9 episodes in, it was moved to Saturdays where it held it's own against 227 and Amen.

Unfortunately ABC, not learning from the MSW move, put the 2nd season of MI against The Cosby Show and A Different World on Thursday nights (Mr Belvedere and Living Dolls replaced MI on Saturday), and the ratings declined big time. Mr Belvedere and Living Dolls weren't setting the ratings alight either, so MI was moved back to Saturday. Unfortunately CBS scheduled the David Jacobs drama Paradise against it, and MI couldn't compete with it or the NBC sitcoms, hence it ended.

It underwent a retool halfway through for S1, when Terry Markwell was dumped and her character Casey Randall dying. Jane Badler took over.

 

[rayray]

Cosby spinoff A Different World - Mark 1 was a prime example of an undercooked series. (Cosby's boring daughter in a weirdly mixed race Historically Black College! Generic sitcom plots that reflect nothing of reality!) It wasn't until Lisa Bonet left, Debbie Allen took over as showrunner, that the series found its voice and was successful.

 

[pete lashmar]

I absolutely adored The Golden Girls, such a brilliant comedy series, but I agree with everyone, The Golden Palace was a massive error and should never have happened.

Talking about spin off, does Happy Days hold the record for the amount of spin offs from a parent show? Laverne & Shirely, Joanie loves Charchi, Mork & Mindy, Blansky's Beauties, Out of the Blue (does anyone actually remember these two???). Plus animated spin offs Fonz and the Happy Days gang & Laverne & Shirley with the Fonz.

I remember loving Mork & Mindy but the quality dropped pretty quickly, likewise for Laverne & Shirley. But Joanie loves Charchi was just dreadul full stop from what I can remember of it.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Fallon Carrington. That is all.

But THE COLBYS wasn't The Fallon Show, it wasn't even The Jeff Show. I see them as plot device characters for the new Colbys and in that regard it almost makes sense that spun-off Fallon was the way she was. As with the recast of Patricia Hamilton in S&D it helped and allowed the character to be what was suitable for the series at that particular time. Those TC stories couldn't have happened (at least not convincingly) if Fallon was still Pamela Sue Martin '81 because she was quintessentially DYNASTY.
Watching THE COLBYS as DYNASTY Extra Time (which it was) I think the spin-off looked watered up, and in more than one way.

But if you were going to watch KNOTS LANDING as DALLAS Extra Time (which it wasn't* ) then you'd be in for a very watered down experience.

*I think season 7 was their most Dallas-y season?

 

[Alexis]

But THE COLBYS wasn't The Fallon Show, it wasn't even The Jeff Show. I see them as plot device characters for the new Colbys and in that regard it almost makes sense that spun-off Fallon was the way she was. As with the recast of Patricia Hamilton in S&D it helped and allowed the character to be what was suitable for the series at that particular time. Those TC stories couldn't have happened (at least not convincingly) if Fallon was still Pamela Sue Martin '81 because she was quintessentially DYNASTY.
Watching THE COLBYS as DYNASTY Extra Time (which it was) I think the spin-off looked watered up, and in more than one way.

But if you were going to watch KNOTS LANDING as DALLAS Extra Time (which it wasn't* ) then you'd be in for a very watered down experience.

*I think season 7 was their most Dallas-y season?

It doesn't matter if THE COLBYS wasn't The Fallon Show. That's a silly way to put it. The character was diluted and watered down terribly. It doesn't matter if it suited the narrative of THE COLBYS. It was character assassination from which Fallon only recovered in season 9. Even when Fallon returned in season 8, she was a shadow of herself.
THE COLBYS was The Sable Show but that didn't mean Fallon had to turn into a whiney subservient housewife who seemingly suffered a lobotomy somewhere on the way from Denver to California.
If anything, having Fallon behave on THE COLBYS as she did on her first couple seasons of DYNASTY would have improved THE COLBYS drama. Sable would have had a worthy adversary as Frankie just wasn't it! But the producers and people high up, I don't mean Huson and Bast, but more the DYNASTY higher ups were punishing Fallon for the crimes of PSM. They did it later to Amanda too.

 

[Willie Oleson]

It doesn't matter if it suited the narrative of THE COLBYS

I think it does. I am more interested in a good soap than in one character that shoulda/coulda behave like this or that.
The way Dynasty fans keep making such a big deal out of it is simply disproportionate.

 

[AndyB2008]

Cosby spinoff A Different World - Mark 1 was a prime example of an undercooked series. (Cosby's boring daughter in a weirdly mixed race Historically Black College! Generic sitcom plots that reflect nothing of reality!) It wasn't until Lisa Bonet left, Debbie Allen took over as showrunner, that the series found its voice and was successful.

I think that's why ABC programmed Mission Impossible there, to try to attack A Different World, as they thought it was still weak and had no idea of Bill Cosby's changes.

A fatal miscalculation there. Well it was obvious from MSW at the start that going against a successful show like the Bill Cosby ones was a no no. Surprised Peter Graves never criticised the dumb scheduling decisions by ABC, given he was vocal about Tom Cruise, Paula Wagner and Brian DePalma ruining the Jim Phelps character.

I absolutely adored The Golden Girls, such a brilliant comedy series, but I agree with everyone, The Golden Palace was a massive error and should never have happened.

Talking about spin off, does Happy Days hold the record for the amount of spin offs from a parent show? Laverne & Shirely, Joanie loves Charchi, Mork & Mindy, Blansky's Beauties, Out of the Blue (does anyone actually remember these two???). Plus animated spin offs Fonz and the Happy Days gang & Laverne & Shirley with the Fonz.

I remember loving Mork & Mindy but the quality dropped pretty quickly, likewise for Laverne & Shirley. But Joanie loves Charchi was just dreadul full stop from what I can remember of it.

Out of The Blue starred Dixie Carter, Eileen Heckart (later of The 5 Mrs Buchanans, which came from Jamie Wooten and Marc Cherry, the same two who had a hand in The Golden Palace) and Tammy Lauren and was a bit like a comedy version of Highway to Heaven, but was doomed anyway because ABC put it up against 60 Minutes.

Blansky's Beauties aired on Saturdays against Mary Tyler Moore and Emergency so you can write the rest. The same year, Nancy Walker headlined her own show, The Nancy Walker Show, which ABC put on Thursday nights against Hawaii Five-O, thus being doomed (the lead out to TNWS was The Streets of San Francisco). Didn't help her lead in was Tony Randall, who also had to face H5-0 and was clashing with the show's writers (Tony's show went to CBS for one more season after ABC canned it, and put against The Bionic Woman!). Not long afterwards, she returned to Rhoda and stayed until the end.

M&M and L&S suffered because of moved timeslots and network meddling. And Joanie Loves Chachi got put against Magnum PI later, which tells you all you need to know.

 

[Alexis]

I think it does. I am more interested in a good soap than in one character that shoulda/coulda behave like this or that.
The way Dynasty fans keep making such a big deal out of it is simply disproportionate.

Well Willie we can always rely on you to champion an unpopular opinion.

 

[Willie Oleson]

I know, I know. Being a Dynasty & The Colbys fan can be such a lonely place - but I will survive. Bitches always do.

 

[AndyB2008]

Out of The Blue starred Dixie Carter, Eileen Heckart (later of The 5 Mrs Buchanans, which came from Jamie Wooten and Marc Cherry, the same two who had a hand in The Golden Palace) and Tammy Lauren and was a bit like a comedy version of Highway to Heaven, but was doomed anyway because ABC put it up against 60 Minutes.

Blansky's Beauties aired on Saturdays against Mary Tyler Moore and Emergency so you can write the rest. The same year, Nancy Walker headlined her own show, The Nancy Walker Show, which ABC put on Thursday nights against Hawaii Five-O, thus being doomed (the lead out to TNWS was The Streets of San Francisco). Didn't help her lead in was Tony Randall, who also had to face H5-0 and was clashing with the show's writers (Tony's show went to CBS for one more season after ABC canned it, and put against The Bionic Woman!). Not long afterwards, she returned to Rhoda and stayed until the end.

M&M and L&S suffered because of moved timeslots and network meddling. And Joanie Loves Chachi got put against Magnum PI later, which tells you all you need to know.

ABC's meddling is why @pete lashmar the David Bilborough murder in Cracker had to be written differently for the US version.

Based on the original logic, R Lee Ermey was to be killed off, as his Lt Fry was the David Bilborough character, and hence why Ermey was contracted short term to begin with. ABC (and/or Rob Pastorelli) baulked at it, so Fry's exit was written another way. Fry moved to a new position in the LAPD, and Josh Lucas's Monroe Macy (the American version of Ricky Tomlinson's Charlie Wise) replaced him.

The Bilborough death (originally intended for Ermey) was written instead for Angela Featherstone 's character Hannah Tyler, the US version of Geraldine Somerville's character Jane Panhaligon. In turn, the Robert Carlyle character became a woman to facilitate the change.

The reason I think mainly was Disney had just taken over ABC, and Ermey had just provided a voice for a role in Toy Story. Given that (something Christopher Eccleston didn't have), ABC couldn't be seen to upset the younger audience who remembered him from Toy Story and who may have seen the US Cracker.

 

[DallasFanForever]

Cosby spinoff A Different World - Mark 1 was a prime example of an undercooked series.

I never could get into it. I liked the idea of a Cosby spinoff starring Denise but something just always seemed to be missing with this show. I felt that way even after Lisa Bonet left the show as well.

 

[rayray]

I never could get into it. I liked the idea of a Cosby spinoff starring Denise but something just always seemed to be missing with this show. I felt that way even after Lisa Bonet left the show as well.

I l-u-u-u-u-ved it; we were in college at the time and the (Debbie-Allen helmed) show seemed to speak directly to me and my peer group, capturing college life in a sitcom-y but truthful enough way. We'd hold "dynasty" and "Cosby/Different World" viewing nights at my off-campus apartment and much fun was had by all. So my memories of the show are tinted by nostalgia, definitely.

 

[DallasFanForever]

I l-u-u-u-u-ved it; we were in college at the time and the (Debbie-Allen helmed) show seemed to speak directly to me and my peer group, capturing college life in a sitcom-y but truthful enough way. We'd hold "dynasty" and "Cosby/Different World" viewing nights at my off-campus apartment and much fun was had by all. So my memories of the show are tinted by nostalgia, definitely.

It was a very popular show. I won’t deny it. Most people I knew back then watched it. I guess I just preferred Denise better on the Cosby show interacting with the rest of the family as opposed to seeing her in college. And after she left ADW I think I watched it even less.

 

[colbyco]

The Golden Girls ended when Bea Arthur left. The three remaining girls were spun-off into Golden Palace, and their characters were altered too much to fit the new format/premise. Their main concern seemed to become their hotel--the staff, the guests, operations, etc. It did not ring true to me because none of them had ever expressed an interest in running a hotel (Blanche's extensive knowledge of cheap hotels notwithstanding). Blanche's outrageous excesses regarding her 'gentlemen callers' was toned down, and Rose had more brain power than she'd had in years (for better or worse). Sophia's role was diminished into dispensing one-liners and helping establish the supporting characters. It was logical that Blanche and Rose would have to become more serious and focused with the purchase of a business, but the abrupt changes were not handled well by the writers.

Sophia lost even more dimension and depth when, after the death of Palace after one season, she was added to the cast of Empty Nest, another GG spin-off. No real explanation was given as to what happened with the hotel--Sophia just showed up on the Westons' doorstep one day to visit and ended up taking on the role of dropping by, dispensing a few jokes/insults, then disappearing. Gone were the days of Sophia functioning as a matriarchal, advice-dispensing figure for the younger characters--the undercurrent of her visits seemed to be "the wacky neighbor" even though she was no longer living in the neighborhood. They casually mentioned in dialogue that she had moved back to Shady Pines. Yes, the same Shady Pines that was the bane of Sophia's existence (and the butt of endless jokes having to do with its horrible accommodations) back when Sophia lived with the Girls next door to the Westons.

- I think it could have survived without Dorothy but the supporting characters were awful and somehow the girls lost their good humor ...
maybe they needed a new 4th Golden Girl or a man to balance out the gap that Dorothy left ...

Not sure if anyone remembers it, but there was Booker, a 21 Jump Street spin off with Richard Grieco.

Stephen J Cannell and Fox were clearly aiming for this to be just a hit as the parent show. They gave it the 21 Jump Street 7pm slot and shunted the latter to Mondays.

Unfortunately it never achieved the same success - did people exactly watch 21 Jump Street for Grieco? And it was also up against 60 Minutes and Life Goes On, established programmes.

When Fox started getting concerned about the ratings at 7pm (you see if Booker was flopping, it pulls the rest of the Fox primetime line up down for the whole evening, which they didn't want), Booker was switched to the 10pm slot after The Tracey Ullman Show ended for good. But Booker wasn't a hit there, not helped by movies airing on the other 3 networks. Katie Rich also quit midway during the time switch, replaced by Lori Petty.

To no avail. After Booker ended, 21 Jump Street when it was shunted to Monday lasted one more season on Fox, although a further season was produced in syndication.

- liked Booker better than the mother show and my mother liked Booker very much

Cosby spinoff A Different World - Mark 1 was a prime example of an undercooked series. (Cosby's boring daughter in a weirdly mixed race Historically Black College! Generic sitcom plots that reflect nothing of reality!) It wasn't until Lisa Bonet left, Debbie Allen took over as showrunner, that the series found its voice and was successful.

- I liked it back then ... liked it even more than "Cosby Show" ...it aired in 1994 in Germany and it was the time of "BH 90210" so it just fit in this time ---