History Main / FromSpecialToSeries

* ''Series/TheSarahJaneAdventures'' began with a New Year's special.

* ''AllGrownUp'' was originally a special, but was popular enough that they made it a successor series to ''{{Rugrats}}''.
* ''TheAdventuresOfPeteAndPete'' started out as a series of shorts during commercial periods, followed by full-length specials, then the regular series.

* ''TheSarahJaneAdventures'' began with a New Year's special.

* ''Series/AmericasFunniestHomeVideos'' began as an hour-long special hosted by BobSaget and Kellie Martin in November 1989; it was brought back as a weekly series two months later with Saget in tow, and has aired ever since with two host changes since then (with the minor exception of a period from the fall of 1998 to the summer of 2001, when in an inversion of this trope, it was reduced to a series of specials).

* ''MyLittlePony''
* ''TheSimpsons'': "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" aka "The Simpsons Christmas Special" was always intended to be just one more episode of the show, but the fact that Fox chose[[hottip:* :(or, since the original animation for the first few episodes was coming back so poorly the entire series had to be slipped, but the Christmas episode, #8, had to air around Christmas)]] to air it as the first episode is probably due to the influence of this trope.

* ''AmericasFunniestHomeVideos'' began as an hour-long special hosted by BobSaget and Kellie Martin in November 1989; it was brought back as a weekly series two months later with Saget in tow, and has aired ever since with two host changes since then (with the minor exception of a period from the fall of 1998 to the summer of 2001, when in an inversion of this trope, it was reduced to a series of specials).

* ''BoSelecta'', or at least lead character Avid Merrion, started as filler shorts during adbreaks for one season of ''BigBrother Live''.

* ''TransformersGeneration1'': The [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers original cartoon]] started out as a five-part serial.

* The Australian show ''GoodNewsWeek'' was canceled back in 2000. In 2008, a reunion special was planned, but the Writer's Union Strike of America caused Channel Ten to revive it fully.

* ''TheSimpsons'': "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" aka "The Simpsons Christmas Special" was always intended to be just one more episode of the show, but the fact that Fox chose to air it as the first episode is probably due to the influence of this trope.

* TLC likes to test show concepts this way. That's how we got ''JonAndKatePlusEight'', ''Series/NineteenKidsAndCounting'',
and ''TableForTwelve'', among others.

* TLC likes to test show concepts this way. That's how we got ''Series/KatePlusEight'', ''Series/NineteenKidsAndCounting'',

* TLC likes to test show concepts this way. That's how we got ''Series/JonAndKatePlusEight'', ''Series/NineteenKidsAndCounting'',

** Recently, Chopperman was given his own series. It began as a tiny short, then turned into some successful merchandise, and now it stands on its own two feet.

* ''AmericasFunniestHomeVideos'' began as an hour-long special hosted by BobSaget and Kellie Martin in November 1989; it was brought back as a weekly series two months later with Saget in tow, and has aired ever since with two host changes since then (with the minor exception of a period from the fall of 1998 to the summer of 2001, when the show was reduced to a series of specials).

* ''TransformersGeneration1'': The [[Series/TheTransformers original cartoon]] started out as a five-part serial.

* ''TheRaccoons'' originally had four specials.

* ''GIJoe'' had ''two'' of these.

* ''TransformersGeneration1'': The original cartoon started out as a five-part serial.

* ''TransformersGeneration1'': The original cartoon started out this way.

* ''TheSimpsons'': "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" aka "The Simpsons Christmas Special" was always intended to be just one more episode of the show, but the fact that Fox chose to air it first is probably due to the influence of this trope.

* ''TheSimpsons'': "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" aka "The Simpsons Christmas Special" was always intended to be just one more episode of the show, but the fact that Fox chose to air it as the pilot is probably due to the influence of this trope.

* ''ACharlieBrownChristmas'', ''[[ItsTheGreatPumpkinCharlieBrown It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown]],'' and the other {{Peanuts}} specials in that sequence eventually led to ''The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show''. This one is a case where the specials are currently more famous than the show they launched.
* Garfield had several specials under his belt before GarfieldAndFriends.
* GIJoe had ''two'' of these.
* MyLittlePony
* TheSimpsons - "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" aka "The Simpsons Christmas Special" was always intended to be just one more episode of the show, but the fact that they chose to air it as the pilot is probably due to the influence of this trope.
* Similar to the Simpsons example, the 2008 GeorgeOfTheJungle started with a Christmas special.
* AllGrownUp was originally a special, but was popular enough that they made a series.

* ''StrawberryShortcake'' was originally just a series of specials. When she was revived in the 21st century she got a proper TV series.

* BoSelecta- or at least, lead character Avid Merrion, started as filler shorts during adbreaks for one season of BigBrother Live.
* This is very much the purpose behind ComedyLab

** Recently, Chopperman has gotten his own series. It began as a tiny short, then turned into some successful merchandise, and now it stands on its own two feet.
* The show ''GoodNewsWeek'' was canceled back in 2000. In 2008, a reunion special was planned, but the Writer's Union Strike of America caused Channel Ten to revive it fully.
* Another Aussie example, [[HeyHeyItsSaturday Hey, Hey, It's Saturday]] was a variety show that was on air for nearly 30 years, starting as a childrens program and eventually becoming a prime time variety show, in 1999 the show was wrapped up, but in 2009, 2 one off reunion specials were aired on consecutive Wednesdays. These specials were a runaway hit and this resulted in the show now being back on air every Wednesday.
* ''{{Madeline}}'' (the animated series) started as a series of TV specials in the late `80s-early `90s. In 1993, she got her own TV series until 2001.
* TransformersGeneration1: The original cartoon started out this way.

* ''StrawberryShortcake'' was orignally just a series of specials. When she was revived in the 21st century she got a proper tv series.

* The show ''GoodNewsWeek'' was cancelled back in 2000. In 2008, a reunion special was planned, but the Writer's Union Strike of America caused Channel Ten to revive it fully.
* Another Aussie example, [[HeyHeyItsSaturday Hey, Hey, It's Saturday]] was a variety show that was on air for nearly 30 years, starting as a childrens program and eventually becoming a prime time varitey show, in 1999 the show was wrapped up, but in 2009, 2 one off reunion specials were aired on consecutive wednesdays. These specials were a runaway hit and this resulted in the show now being back on air every wednesday.

* The new GeorgeOfTheJungle series started out as a ChristmasSpecial on Cartoonetwork I believe.