Watching the present episode of Grey's Anatomy has me wondering if they are testing a possible spinoff. The two hour episode is spending a lot of time in another clinic where Addison has taken time off to visit with some friends, with the rest of the regular cast seeming like a background plot.
This made me think of times when TV shows have tried the idea of a possible spinoff by dedicating an episode to it, but it never gained any steam and nothing became of it.
Star Trek had the 'Asignment Earth' episode with Mister Seven. It was a tryout for a potential series, with the majority of screen time being centered around Mister Seven and his secretary.
The Nanny tried out a series concept in one episode which centered around a beauty shop, with the main cast pretty much absent other than at the beginning and end of the episode.
What TV shows do you know that tried out a series concept/spinoff with an episode dedicated to it, but nothing became of it?
My wife is a Grey's fan. They are trying to give Addison her own show which premieres sometime this month. I personally am only a fan of Grey's when it focuses on the medical aspect of the show and not the soap opera characters.
Quote from: Skaboi on May 03, 2007, 09:12:49 PM
I personally am only a fan of Grey's when it focuses on the medical aspect of the show and not the soap opera characters.
Yeah...right, McCheesy.(http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Tongue/mockery-022.gif)
:teddyr:
Didn't STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION set one episode at Starfleet Academy?
I watched that last night as well - and was thinking the same thing.
I can't remember the name exactly but there was an attempted spin-off of the X-Files called The Lone Gunnmen(?) or something along those lines (never followed X-Files except a glance here and there at that fantastic redhead :) ).
Ah...Pinky and the Brain was a spinoff of Animaniacs, if I remember correctly.
i dont watch Greys Anatomy myself but that guy who used to star on Wings was on Craig Ferguson earlier this week and there was a lot of hush hush hinting and talking about there being a spinoff in the works. he said he couldnt talk about it and seemed genuinely shocked and uncomfortable whenever ferguson would hint at the idea. like he was going to lose the job if he confirmed anything on tv. again never watched the show myself but thought id chime in with any useful information i could provide for its fans.
The Lone Gunmen did have their own short-lived series. Caught the "Three's Company" episode featuring the Ropers trying to buy a new house that sounds like it fits in this thread as the episode only featured the Ropers in new surroundings and not Jack and the Girls.
Quote from: JaseSF on May 04, 2007, 11:27:53 AM
The Lone Gunmen did have their own short-lived series. Caught the "Three's Company" episode featuring the Ropers trying to buy a new house that sounds like it fits in this thread as the episode only featured the Ropers in new surroundings and not Jack and the Girls.
I remember that - wasn't that one of a few spinoffs from Three's Company? The Ropers and then there was Three's A Crowd - both sunk like lead.
Yes you're right "The Ropers" did have their own show. Just checked IMDB to confirm it. It lasted one season and ran 28 episodes. All I recall is the one that ran on "Three's Company" which was pretty good really.
"Joey"
The entirely crap spin off from the possibly-sometimes-amusing-but-ultimately-not-really-that-funny (unless you're a girl) "Friends"
edit: apparently I misunderstood the question, nevermind.
Quote from: JaseSF on May 03, 2007, 09:38:36 PM
Didn't STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION set one episode at Starfleet Academy?
Yes, "
The First Duty," but it was never really intended as a possible spin-off idea. It was was more an opportunity to catch up with Wesley Crusher since former regular Wil Wheaton had agreed to return for a guest shot.
As for other shows,
Angel was a spin-off of
Buffy the Vampire Slayer. There was almost another spin-off focusing on the Giles character called
Ripper and there was even talk of of spinning off Willow into her own series as
Buffy concluded.
The updated
Doctor Who has spawned a number of spin-offs:
Torchwood,
The Sarah Jane Adventures and another
K-9 series. Of course there was that
K-9 and Company show back in the 70's that never went anywhere.
Quote from: Shadowfyre on May 04, 2007, 08:04:46 PMThe updated Doctor Who has spawned a number of spin-offs: Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures and another K-9 series. Of course there was that K-9 and Company show back in the 70's that never went anywhere.
Wasn't there also an attempt at a series called "The Stranger" starring one of the blonde haired doctors in a role virtually indistinguisable from that of the Doctor?
Isn't the term for episodes of shows like this "backdoor pilot"?
I thought the OP was looking for episodes of shows contained within a given series that were intended as pilots for spinoffs, not just spinoffs from popular shows either while the shows are running or after they end - like say Joey.
There was an episode of The Golden Girls that focused on a middled aged Hispanic couple with Rita Moreno as the wife. I think it was reworked into Empty Nest, since they used the same set for the house. Empty Nest eventually spun off Nurses, don't remember if they did it within the show itself. If the trend had continued, I thought they were going to give all of fictional Miami sitcoms.
The Rockford Files did this with an episode featuring Isaac Hayes and Louis Gossett Jr. I wish that one had gone forward, it was a fun episode, and those two had good chemistry doing the old "feuding partners who don't see eye to eye" thing. I think they wanted to spin off Tom Selleck's Lance White character at one time, but his appearences there did lead to Magnum PI being developed. Wasn't there an episode with Dennis Duggan as a computer whiz that seemed like a potential spinoff?
Why do I remember these things? I should have been studying foreign languaged rather than filling my head with this stuff. Or learning new job skills. Or something.
It seems like Diagnosis Murder did this on a few occasions. I recall two episodes which focused more on the guest characters than on the regular cast.
One paired a female paralegal (Leah Remini from King of Queens) and a lawyer. They were quite a humorous and clumbsy pair.
Another featured two female police detectives. One who had a tendency to bend, if not shatter, the rules; and one who begrudgingly went along, but not without thoroughly voicing her disagreement. This one could have been interesting as a separate series or summer replacement.
Speaking of Diagnosis Murder, I would like to protest Grey's Anatomy's use of the name Mark Sloan for McSteamy. It's annoying everytime they refer to him as Dr. Mark Sloan.
Anyone remember the episode of The Brady Bunch that focused on a neigbor couple that adopted three boys from an oprhanage - one white, one black and one Asian? That one seemed like a backdoor pilot.
Quote from: Shadowfyre on May 05, 2007, 05:08:37 PM
Anyone remember the episode of The Brady Bunch that focused on a neigbor couple that adopted three boys from an oprhanage - one white, one black and one Asian? That one seemed like a backdoor pilot.
I remember that episode. You are right, it does fit.
Quote from: Menard on May 05, 2007, 05:17:00 PM
Quote from: Shadowfyre on May 05, 2007, 05:08:37 PM
Anyone remember the episode of The Brady Bunch that focused on a neigbor couple that adopted three boys from an oprhanage - one white, one black and one Asian? That one seemed like a backdoor pilot.
I remember that episode. You are right, it does fit.
Is that where all the celebrities racing around the world to create their own Benetton ad families got the idea? :bouncegiggle:
The Jeffersons and Maude were spinoffs featuring characters from All in the Family. Good Times was a spinoff of Maude.
Quote from: Yaddo 42 on May 05, 2007, 04:30:32 PM
Isn't the term for episodes of shows like this "backdoor pilot"?
The Rockford Files did this with an episode featuring Isaac Hayes and Louis Gossett Jr. I wish that one had gone forward, it was a fun episode, and those two had good chemistry doing the old "feuding partners who don't see eye to eye" thing. I think they wanted to spin off Tom Selleck's Lance White character at one time, but his appearences there did lead to Magnum PI being developed. Wasn't there an episode with Dennis Duggan as a computer whiz that seemed like a potential spinoff?
Why do I remember these things? I should have been studying foreign languaged rather than filling my head with this stuff. Or learning new job skills. Or something.
His appearances did get Selleck the part of Magnum, but Magnum wasn't made by the same production company. Dennis Dugan did play his Rockford character in 5 episodes of Richie Brockelman Private Eye.
Beverly Hill Buntz was a spinoff of Hill Street Blues that featured Dennis Franz (Detective Norman Buntz) and Peter Jurasik's (Sid the snitch) characters. It was done as a 30 minute comedy and lasted 13 episodes.
QuoteThe Jeffersons and Maude were spinoffs featuring characters from All in the Family
Speaking of
All in the Family spinoffs, there was a very short-lived spinoff titled
Gloria with Sally Struthers and lil' Joey moving in with a veterinarian played by Burgess Meredith. I remember the perky theme song ended with Struthers chirping
"Don't worry, Joey! We're gonna be O.K.!" But they weren't, of course... :tongueout:
There were a couple of episodes toward the end of
Sanford and Son that focused on Aunt Ester, her husband Woody, and their newly adopted teenage son set in their hardware store that definitely felt like they were testing the waters for a spinoff. I hazily remember a spinoff for
Grady (I think he moved in with his daughter and her uptight husband) that lasted maybe an episode or two. Great gobblety gook!
QuoteWhy do I remember these things? I should have been studying foreign languaged rather than filling my head with this stuff. Or learning new job skills. Or something.
I can remember watching
Grady almost thirty years ago but I have trouble remembering my phone number. This is NOT a new thing for me: when I was in high school and missed more than a couple of days in a row I always had to go to the main office to get my locker combination again.
We are a rare breed, we are.
They were going to make a spinoff of the Jynx character from Die Another Day. Don't know what happened with that.
There was an episode of Murder She Wrote featuring Bill Maher and apparently Faith Ford, one of their characters was supposed to be the nephew or niece of JB Fletcher. They were a young couple trying to solve the possible murder/disappearance of an "Uncle Charlie" (I think). Very whimsical in tone, as opposed to the blandness of the regular episodes. Angela Landsbury was only in a few minutes of the show (maybe even by phone calls scenes, it has been a while), so I'm certain this was an attempted spinoff. For some reason I used to run across this one particular episode in reruns all the time when USA used to show MSW, I rarely watched that show.
Wasn't there a Facts of Life where Tootie (and maybe Natalie) visited a cousin or relative who was a newlywed, that one seemed like a spinoff attempt also.
And I seem to recall a Cosby Show episode with Tony Orlando running a community center that was a pilot. IMDB says it was but nothing became of it.
Raffine, I can actually recall the combination to the lock I had to buy for my junior high locker. Can't recall any other locker combination I've ever had. I haven't had that lock since I gave it to my sister over ten years ago, but I could open it on the first try if you put it in my hands this minute. Completely useless, just like being able to remember show promos for ABC shows from when I was a kid. TJ Hooker? Hardcastle and McCormick? 240 Robert? I can even recall watching at least two episodes of SuperTrain when I was little, so I can recall useless memories and info, AND I had no taste as a kid.
Edited because I'm too lazy to do it right the first time.......
speaking of The Cosby Show, I know that A Different World was a spinoff of that popular show with the middle huxtable girl going to college and the show following here as she went. i think she left the show after the first season too and did Angel Heart at some point. i heard bill cosby was really unhappy with her because the spinoff show was his idea and he pulled to get it made so she could be a big name and she just turned her back on it.
Married With Children had several of those. In one Kelly was dating some guy, and the spinoff was going to be about this guy and his girlfriend. Another had the neighbors, Marcy and Steve Rhodes, working at Trulaine University. Bud Bundy was a radio DJ there. I think there was a third spinoff episode as well. They all sucked really, REALLY bad.
As for backdoor pilots I remember in Starsky and Hutch,
the Detecctive Agency of Huggybear,
lots of Backdoors in Married with Children we had that college radio, matt leblanc with his father in two episodes
Gilmore girls, Chaz and his father
Macguyver also had some friends trying to solve crimes
And the whole last season of the Cosby show looked like it was made entirely from backdoor pilots, because the original cast only seemed to have cameos in this series inhibited by characters never before seen.
Recall a few episodes of the Cosby Show focused on Theo as a teacher,
Quote from: StackAttack on May 08, 2007, 09:29:04 AM
speaking of The Cosby Show, I know that A Different World was a spinoff of that popular show with the middle huxtable girl going to college and the show following here as she went. i think she left the show after the first season too and did Angel Heart at some point. i heard bill cosby was really unhappy with her because the spinoff show was his idea and he pulled to get it made so she could be a big name and she just turned her back on it.
I thought it was because she was starting to have a "bad girl" image (in lack of a better and less-corny word).
She's hot.
(http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/4175/22966lg385af0fk7.jpg)