History Main / FromSpecialToSeries

* ''[[Series/WonderWoman1975 Wonder Woman]]'': The series began as a TV Movie, "The New, Original Wonder Woman", airing on November 7, 1975. The next two specials aired in April of 1976. The remaining WWII episodes were on the regular 1976-77 season from October to February. The 14 WWII episodes are retroactively considered the first season although they were aired over the course of two years. This foot dragging and budget concerns led to the move from ABC to CBS and updating it to present day (TheSeventies).

* ''WesternAnimation/HereComesGarfield'' and the other WesternAnimation/{{Garfield|Specials}} eventually led to Garfield getting ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends''.

* The 1992 TV special ''[[Literature/TheSteadfastTinSoldier The Tin Soldier]]'' spawned a series called ''Series/TheToyCastle'' in 2000.

* ''WesternAnimation/ACharlieBrownChristmas'', ''WesternAnimation/ItsTheGreatPumpkinCharlieBrown'' and the other ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' specials in that sequence eventually led to ''The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show''. Of course, this one is a case where the myriad of specials are more famous than the show they launched.
* WesternAnimation/{{Garfield|Specials}} had several specials under his belt before ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends''.

* WesternAnimation/{{Garfield}} had several specials under his belt before ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends''.

Series that began life as one-off prime-time specials, sometimes related to holidays. Shows that already have a full series order count as well, if the first episode to air was a holiday special. This seems to particularly be the case with adaptations. Seemed to be very popular in TheEighties.

Series that began life as prime-time specials, sometimes related to holidays. Shows that already have a full series order count as well, if the first episode to air was a holiday special. This seems to particularly be the case with adaptations. Seemed to be very popular in TheEighties.

[[folder: Anime ]]

* The ''Franchise/OnePiece'' Christmas special (''End-Of-Year Special Project! The Detective Memoirs of Chief Straw Hat Luffy'') wasn't the first episode of the anime, but it was originally supposed to be a one-off two-part filler episode where the cast lives in 19th century Japan. It proved so popular, however, that this setting would be returned to for several other filler episodes, both during the holiday season and throughout the year.

** The same goes for the [[ComicBook/TheTransformers comic]], which started out as a four-issue limited series. It was, and is, common for Marvel to test out a new book that way. Of course, TF became kind of a big deal, as [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} you might have noticed]]. The book's final issue gives us the caption, "#80 in a 4-issue limited series." (Except it was much more than 80 when you consider what Marvel UK added.) Eventually, Creator/IDWPublishing produced a 20-issue {{Revival}} called ''Transformers: Regeneration One''. Naturally, it finishes with "#100 in a 4-issue limited series."

* This is very much the purpose behind ''ComedyLab''.