20 TV spin-offs better than the original show

The television version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer was iconic in its own right. However, when it came to the overall better series — from storylines to intriguing characters to general drama — it was tough to beat Angel (1999-2004). Angel star David Boreanaz had already earned a sizable following from his days playing the character on Buffy, so it was only natural he would get his own show. It should be agreed that Angel is the most complex, enthralling character within the Buffy universe. 

Among shows in consideration for the unofficial title of greatest spin-off, Boston Legal should be in the running. Coming from The Practice (1997-2004), Boston Legal (2004-08) followed Alan Shore (James Spader), the talented, often-morally suspect lawyer and his colleagues. Though Shore's been known to boast a win-at-all-costs attitude, he's a champion of the underdog. Boston Legal was nominated for more than 25 Primetime Emmy Awards.

The Daily Show continues to trudge on, but one of the best things to come of the Comedy Central favorite was The Colbert Report. With former TDS correspondent Stephen Colbert at the helm, The Colbert Report (2005-14) was funnier, edgier and more sarcastic than its originator, all while consistently maintaining the satirical nature of the show. Of course, it also turned host Stephen Colbert into an even bigger star, who eventually earned his current late-night network gig.  

Yes, Beavis and Butt-Head remains an iconic show, and one of the most popular in MTV history. However, there's not much substance there. That's why it can be seriously argued that this spin-off involving a fringe character is time better spent. Bitter and jaded, animated Daria Morgendorffer, (superbly voiced by the versatile Tracy Grandstaff) is a cynical, intelligent teenager who navigates her high school years with best friend Jane Lane. Her pessimism, sarcasm, and underrated dry wit is why she's quite relatable to a good portion of teens who choose to shun conformity.

In Canada, where it all started, the Degrassi franchise of teen drama television began with The Kids of Degrassi Street (1979-86), followed by Degrassi Junior High (1987-89) and Degrassi High (1989-91). Then there was the long-running Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001-15), which was likely the most hard-hitting, intense and addictive of those series that came before or after. Teen Emma (Miriam McDonald), whose mom Spike had her as a teenager, was a bridge between the old-school Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High to a new fan base with Degrassi: The Next Generation. Not to mention, TNG also starred a youngster by the name of Aubrey Graham — aka Drake.

For those unfamiliar with this Carrie Preston character from The Good Wife (2009-16) and The Good Fight (2017-22), Elsbeth Tascioni delivered some memorable, though often brief, appearances on both shows a quirky, comically inquisitive attorney. Two years after The Good Fight ended, Elsbeth got her own show, though this time she turned her legal knowledge into a career as a de facto detective — now living in New York. The first season was a hit, and the series could very well end up being bigger the other two shows. 

Diff'rent Strokes was obviously a likeable sitcom and made Gary Coleman a lovable child star. However, when it came substance and consistent laughs, The Facts of Life remains one of the best '80s sitcoms. Edna Garrett (Charlotte Rae) went from housekeeper for the Diff'rent Strokes' Drummond Family to housemother, then dietitian at Eastland, an all-girls boarding school in Peekskill, N.Y. The series ran from 1979-88, and tackled such topics as drug use, teen sex, suıcide and adoption, among many other important themes, while presenting its female cast as positive, young role models. Not to mention it had one of the great theme songs of all time.

Who would think wise-cracking, comedically blunt Harriet Winslow (Jo Marie Payton), the unheralded elevator operator at the newspaper where Balki (Bronson Pinchot) and Cousin Larry (Mark Linn-Baker) worked in Perfect Strangers would get her own sitcom? Well, Family Matters slotted nicely into ABC's "TGIF" lineup of comedies, and successfully ran from 1989-98. Payton opened the door for this sitcom about a middle-class Black family in Chicago, but it was veteran actor Reginald VelJohnson, as Harriet's husband, and Jaleel White's iconic Steve Urkel who truly made the show a lasting hit.

In terms of popularity, CW's Arrow did quite well for itself, enjoying an eight-year run (2012-20). However, arguably the best thing that came of the superhero drama was The Flash getting its own series. This tale of the famed DC Comics everyman Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) the crime-scene investigator who gains super-human speed powers following a lab explosion, ran from 2014-2023, and was consistently praised for highlighting one of the more underrated superheroes of all time. 

Most fans of this classic 1970s series probably didn't realize it was a spin-off of the popular half-hour cop drama Adam-12. And, in the annals of fireman and EMS portrayals on television, Emergency! arguably remains the most beloved for Baby Boomers and a certain portion of Gen X. It was groundbreaking in the sense that the series, which aired from 1972-77, highlighted the day-to-day workings of two Los Angeles County firefighters — John Gage (Randolph Mantooth) and Roy DeSoto (Kevin Tighe) — who were also paramedics

So, Good Times was a spin-off of Maude, starring Bea Arthur, which was itself a spin-off of All in the Family. Now, for the sake of this highlight, the point is that Good Times (1974-79), which featured the first two-parent Black household to be featured on network television, was a more entertaining and important series than Maude. And, in light of the recent passing of co-star John Amos, the relevance of Good Times will be at the forefront again for, perhaps, a new generation of fans to enjoy. And, we got to hear Jimmy Walker say "Dy-no-mite!" almost every episode. 

Sitcom fans of a certain age know that the pilot for Happy Days (1974-84) was an episode of the popular ABC anthology series Love, American Style from 1972. It was eventually turned into a series, and the rest is television and pop culture history, as even the most casual fan of network TV knows about the Fonz, Richie, Potsie, Ralph Malph, Mr. and Mrs. C and "Arnold's." The show, its characters and even Fonzie's leather jacket are part of Americana. And, to think it all started on a show most people can't remember.

A spin-off of Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, The Hills was arguably more popular while following the lives of younger adults in Los Angeles. It was another reality show that made no-namers like Lauren Conrad, Heidi Montag, Audrina Patridge and Spencer Pratt into household names within the realm of cable pop culture for doing absolutely nothing but looking good. Of course, at the time, this was the type of television that America was eating up, and we're still feeling the ramifications to this day. 

In our intro, we noted that, while good, Frasier and Better Call Saul were not better than their original shows of origin. However, when it comes to The Jeffersons compared with its All in the Family originator, there is certainly an argument to be for the former. The Jeffersons ran for 11 seasons (1975-85), two years longer than All in the Family. And, while Archie Bunker and Co. were edgy and innovative, The Jeffersons was groundbreaking in that it portrayed a wealthy black family, and how they dealt with serious racial and societal issues. Not to mention, it also featured an interracial couple and one of the great supporting characters of all time in their maid Florence (Marla Gibbs). 

While we love the original recipe Law & Order, which got it all started, the edgier, gritty and more emotionally intense SVU (Special Victims Unit) is one of the great procedural television dramas of all time. Since it debuted in 1999, SVU continues to deliver, thanks in part to a stellar cast led by Mariska Hargitay as venerable detective Olivia Benson, who has seen, done and experienced things that would make a normal person want to run away and hide forever. Her chemistry, for years, with partner Elliot Stabler (Chris Meloni) made for one of the great detective duos of all time. 

What started as a two-episode arc, featuring special agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) during Season 8 of JAG, has turned into a more than 20-year run that produced spin-offs of its own. There is just something about this military police procedural that not only keeps fans coming back season after season, but wanting more avenues to enjoy the NCIS brand.

It must be good if Steven Spielberg found himself amid the collaboration. Pinky and the Brain was born out of the popular Animaniacs cartoon in 1993, which still enjoys a cult following to this day. These genetically enhanced laboratory mice are smart, sarcastic and quite sly, but always so entertaining. The show ran from 1995-98, but the characters have lived on in various Tiny Toons projects.

It might be sacrilege to claim another Star Trek-related programming on the big or small screen was better than the original William Shatner-Leonard Nimoy classic. However, when it comes to modern-day popularity, it's difficult to top the passion and support fans have for The Next Generation. Originally running from 1987-94, the slicked-up, more intense and dramatic TNG reached a new generation of fans — and then some — while also bringing a healthy dose of the old guard who embraced Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) and Data (Brent Spiner).

A short vignette from a 1987 episode of The Tracey Ullman Show turned into a primetime animated juggernaut of a series that's still running after debuting in 1989. Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie and an unforgettable cast of supporting characters continue to draw laughs at a consistently high rate. It's unknown when The Simpsons' run of television dominance — which put Fox on the map — will come to an end, but no show on this list will ever come close in terms of longevity. 

It's easy to see why Xena (Lucy Lawless) was a more popular, likeable and stronger hero character than Kevin Sorbo's Hercules. Yes, Lawless' character was spun off from Hercules, but went on to run for six seasons (1995-2001), notably in first-run syndication. Sure, Xena is perhaps the ultimate guilty pleasure, and can be quirky at times, but she's a bona fide action star that viewers couldn't seem to get enough of.