Bad/Pointless Spinoffs

[tracy]

This was a sad spinoff of the much more popular "Three's Company"....sheesh!

[66Crush]

I forgot that Grady's grandson was was played by Haywood Nelson who played Dewayne on "What's Happening." Come to think of it that show had a spinoff "What's Happening Now." That was terrible, but I guess you'd have to call it a reboot instead of a spinoff.
Another "Sanford and Son" reboot was 1981's "Sanford." Fred returned to his junk business but without Lamont (I think Demond Wilson was doing "The New Odd Couple" at this point). Instead he had a big fat helper named Cal (who was played by a brilliant character actor who's name escapes me at the moment but he was the deputy in "Laser Blast"). It aired before right before "Buck Rogers" and lasted about half a season.

[Raffine]

I conpletely forgot about Sanford. For some reason I remembered the episodes featuring Cal instead of Lamont were part of the original series before The Sanford Arms. But you're right: they came after that spinoff.

Flo was a spinoff from Alice that I think lasted about three episodes. Doing a little checking - the thing actually lasted two full seasons!

In other spinoffs with lead characters named Florence The Jeffersons (an All in the Family spinoff) had a spinoff called Checking In featuring Marla Gibb's Florence as the head maid at a posh New York hotel. When it was cancelled after a couple of episodes George and Weezy let Florence come back to her old job, which was nice of them.

[FatFreddysCat]

Anyone remember "Hello, Larry" with McLean Stevenson?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAYPNF4aIf0

This was sort of a spin-off from "Diff'rent Strokes," meaning that the "Hello Larry" characters guest starred in a "Strokes" episode before the premiere of their own show. I think "Larry" (Stevenson) was an old Army buddy of Mr. Drummond's.

I was 8 or 9 years old at the time this premiered and I vaguely remember crushing on Kim Richards of "Witch Mountain" fame, who played Larry's daughter. Must've been something about those pig tails.

Of course, the highly successful "Facts of Life" was also a spinoff from "Diff'rent Strokes," as Mr. Drummond's housekeeper, Mrs. Garrett, went off to work as a "dorm mother" at Eastland Academy.

[tracy]

Flo....a spinoff of Alice which took a vaguely amusing character and stretched it out WAY too much.

[66Crush]

The late great Geoffry Lewis was in the cast of "Flo." He was fresh off "Every Which Way But Loose." Love that movie. I forgot about "Hello Larry." The only episode I remember was when this blind boy almost tricked Larry's daughter into having sex with him. Speaking of M.A.S.H. alumni, wasn't "Trapper John M.D." supposed to be a spinoff of "M.A.S.H?" Wasn't it reworked as a drama or something because Mclane Stephenson bowed out? I know "Lou Grant" failed because people were expecting a comedy from that character, instead of a drama.

[Raffine]

I know "Lou Grant" failed because people were expecting a comedy from that character, instead of a drama.

Lou Grant actually was pretty successful. It lasted for five seasons with respectible ratings. The show also won many Emmys, Golden Globes, and even won a Peabody Award.

Supposedly CBS cancelled the show because Asner's political opinions annoyed CBS sponsors.

[ulthar]

How about the oft forgotten spin-off of "21 Jump Street?"

"Booker"

Might be a candidate for the shows with only one season thread, too.

[retrorussell]

Blansky's Beauties (1977, one season, ABC)
Spin off of HAPPY DAYS, which I didn't really like that much to begin with.  Painful!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3RVnLWNYUY
Oh, and LOBO and ENOS were dumb spinoffs of the already-dumb BJ AND THE BEAR and DUKES OF HAZZARD.

[66Crush]

I forgot about "Sheriff Lobo. Even though I loved "Dukes of Hazzard," I have to admit "Enos" really jumped the shark. Car stunts are one thing, but a bumpkin deputy taking out Los Angeles toughest criminals was just hard to swallow.

[Raffine]

Another miserable spinoff/continuation was The Golden Palace, an attempt to continue The Golden Girls after Bea Arthur left the show.

It seems Rose, Blanche, and Sophia buy a formerly ritzy South Beach hotel and try to run it with the usual gang of sitcom idiots, including Cheech Marin (!) and Don Cheadle (!!!).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvhV0uDx_44

Empty Nest was another Golden Girls spinoff starring Richard Mulligan (Soap), Dinah Manoff (also Soap), and Kristy McNichol (not from Soap) as the girls' wacky neighbors. That why that big dog Dreyfus sometimes wanders through later Golden Girls episodes. Surprise! It lasted five seasons. Who'd a thought?

According to my exhaustive research Estelle Getty joined the Empty Nest gang as 'Sophia' after The Golden Palace was cancelled. McNichol left after a couple of seasons because she was on dope or something.

[Raffine]

Another one!

There was a sitcom/variety show spinoff from Hee Haw for a couple of seasons called The Hee Haw Honeys. Lulu Roman and the Hee Haw Honeys (including Misty Rowe and Kathie Lee Gilford!) ran a truck stop where a variety of country music guests would pop in and sing their lastest hits. Gaylord Sartain (the poor man's Jonathan Winters) was the bumbling busboy.



I remember my grandmother despised Lulu with a hot passion and refused to watch her in any forum. I think it was because Lulu was "on dope".

[tracy]

I know "Lou Grant" failed because people were expecting a comedy from that character, instead of a drama.

Lou Grant actually was pretty successful. It lasted for five seasons with respectible ratings. The show also won many Emmys, Golden Globes, and even won a Peabody Award.

Supposedly CBS cancelled the show because Asner's political opinions annoyed CBS sponsors.

That's correct...CBS hated Ed's politics. Me? I liked the show and never missed it.

[LilCerberus]

Ally, the half hour spinoff to Ally McBeal.
An extra 30 minutes of the exact same thing that was on the night before.
I can't think of a spinoff more pointless than that.

[tracy]

Fish....a spinoff of one of my favorite all time comedies,Barney Miller. Pretty sad,folks.