Spin-off creation should be a betting sport because producers are really playing the odds when they shuffle a performer from a successful show into an untested one. That's why for every The Jeffersons, Laverne & Shirley, and Frasier, there's a Checking In, Joanie Loves Chachi and . . . wait for it . . . Joey. The odds are even greater against a spin-off when using a character that wasn't well established in the original show. The challenge this is to build them up as quickly as possible to give them something the viewers will like.
Because these factors exist, a huge pile of failed spin-offs have come and gone off of our television screens over the years. Our friends at Celebrity Hack have compiled a list of the 10 biggest spin-off bombs in the history of television. According to the site, of course . . . your list may differ greatly.
As normal, Hello, Larry is ranked as the number one spin-off bomb. This wasn't really a spin-off, it was just a show that took place in the Diff'rent Strokes universe. Others mentioned in the list are Joanie Love Chachi, AfterMASH, Enos and the embarrassingly bad The Bradys, which was ranked number six. I disagree with Celebrity Hack on this one as The Bradys should've been put ahead of Larry on the list. In fact The Brady Bunch Hour, which is perhaps the worst spin-off EVER, should have been number one.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-23-2007 @ 12:00PM
Josh said...
Joey wasn't a huge bomb. It lasted 1.5 seasons. It was actually a hilarious show. If I remember correctly, they really f'ed up the time slot for it in the second season, though.
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3-23-2007 @ 12:48PM
LC said...
Besides Hello Larry, I don't see how that 80's Show is on the list as it was never spun off from that 70's Show. Are decade themes a qualifier now?
I didn't watch it and I am sure it was bad, but I think Hello Larry takes more heat, not because of the show, but because Stevenson left a hugely successful show and starred in one that tanked. At least David Caruso found a hit after a decade of obscurity.
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3-23-2007 @ 2:48PM
Richard Ott said...
I think today's spin-offs are pretty average, but
there are some that should've lasted much longer.
The Itchy & Scratchy Show for instance, would've
made a great spin-off to The Simpsons in say, 1992,
back when tons of cartoons could be seen on TV.
Me, personally, I hate The Simpsons, but I could've
lived with The Itchy & Scratchy Show. Right now, I'm
watching 2 spin-offs. Go Diego Go, and Blue's Room.
Blue's Clues did a promo spot for Dora The Explorer
where Steve introduced us to Diego's sister, but I
thought Dora The Explorer was too cute for my taste,
so I waited until Go Diego Go came on, and I found
that series was just right for me, because I'm a boy,
and Diego's a boy, while Dora's a girl. Blue's Room
is the official Blue's Clues Spin-off, unlike Dora,
who Steve touted as a spin-off series back then, so
I'm glad I waited for the right oppertunity to see
a true spin-off. I hope Blue's Room continues for
a long time, despite its live-action incarnation,
and the Blue's Clues legacy lives on in reruns.
RICK.
RICK.
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3-23-2007 @ 12:59PM
David said...
Joey sucks. It was a spinoff of a huge hit show and lost viewers in no time. The only reason it got a second season was because NBC is a crap channel that has nothnig better to show.
And Joey was much worse than That 80s Show.
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3-23-2007 @ 1:36PM
Sean said...
"Joey sucks. It was a spinoff of a huge hit show and lost viewers in no time."
And, as we all know, popularity = quality.
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3-23-2007 @ 1:59PM
Andrew said...
You can only make so many "Joey is stupid" jokes in 30 minutes. That's why it failed.
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3-24-2007 @ 1:02PM
Stevie said...
funny, when i saw the title of this article, i immediately thought of 'the tortellis' - which turned out to be #2!
i'm curious to know how successful "phyllis" was (tho not curious enough to do any research). i hated that freakin show, but it apparently had enough episodes to run in syndication all afternoon for my entire childhood. blech.
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