History SpiritualSuccessor / LiveACtionTV

* ''Series/AllThat'' was a spiritual successor to Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}'s other sketch comedy series of the early [[TheNineties Nineties]], ''{{Series/Roundhouse}},'' which was an updated version of the network's fondly remembered ''Series/YouCantDoThatOnTelevision,'' which itself, was inspired by network [[VarietyShow variety shows]] such as ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' and ''Series/RowanAndMartinsLaughIn'' (see a few entries below). In a similar vein, ''Series/{{MADtv}}'' was a spiritual successor to ''Series/InLivingColor,'' being Fox's competitor to ''Saturday Night Live'' with there being only a year between the two. ''In Living Color'' is known for giving rise to the careers of Creator/JimCarrey, Creator/JamieFoxx, Music/JenniferLopez, and Shawn and Marlon Wayans, while ''[=MADtv=]'' did the same for Creator/OrlandoJones, Creator/{{Phil LaMarr}}, Creator/NicoleSullivan, Alex Borstein, Creator/BobbyLee, and current SNL featured player Creator/TaranKillam. As well as both of their rap theme songs were performed by Music/HeavyD.

* ''Series/AmericanHorrorStory'' is the closest thing that Millennials have to their very own version of ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959''. Though it's sold as a straight horror anthology, it's tackled almost as many flavors of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror as the original ''Twilight Zone'', so far doing [[Series/AmericanHorrorStoryMurderHouse ghosts, the Antichrist,]] [[Series/AmericanHorrorStoryAsylum aliens, Satan, the Angel of Death, Nazi doctors, mutants,]] [[Series/AmericanHorrorStoryCoven witchcraft, Voodoo, zombies,]] [[Series/AmericanHorrorStoryFreakShow sideshow freaks,]] [[Series/AmericanHorrorStoryHotel vampires, famous serial killers,]] [[Series/AmericanHorrorStoryRoanoke the Roanoke colony,]] and [[Series/AmericanHorrorStoryCult religious cults]]. Like ''The Twilight Zone'', it's praised for bringing together a talented cast of character actors who all play multiple roles, for showcasing strong writing that can make audiences ''think'' as often as it can scare them, and for emphasizing [[{{Anvilicious}} explicit morality plays]] delivered via unexpected {{plot twist}}s. Probably the biggest difference is that ''American Horror Story'' delivers its stories via multi-part serials that span entire seasons rather than standalone episodic stories, reflecting television audiences' growing preference for long-spanning story arcs in TheNewTens.

** [[Recap/BlackMirrorSanJunipero "San Junipero"]], upon TheReveal, can be said to be an unofficial TV adaptation of [[spoiler:''Literature/ReadyPlayerOne'', with both works revolving around virtual worlds rooted in the iconography of TheEighties. (In ''Ready Player One'', it was 1980's geek culture, while "San Junipero" is based more on the broader pop culture of the time.)]]

* ''Series/ChoujinkiMetalder'' was produced by Creator/{{Toei}} to be a [[TheEighties 1980s]] version of ''[[Series/{{Kikaider}} Jinzou Ningen Kikaider]]''. Both involved robotic superheroes with a two-tone color scheme on their body (blue on the left side and red on the right), both end their names with "der" ("Kikaider" literally means "Machineder"), their human forms are modeled after the likeness of their creator's dead son (Jiro's likeness came from Taro's, while Ryusei Tsurugi's was from Tatsuo Koga), and they're both assisted by a rival cyborg in black who formerly worked for the enemy (Hakaider and Topgunder).

* ''Series/CougarTown'' to ''Series/{{Scrubs}}''. Both have the same creator and share many of the same writers and actors, and are very similar in tone and humor. They even [[CharacterOverlap share at least one character]]. One episode {{lampshade|Hanging}}d it in the opening title. "Welcome to Cougartown. No, it's not just Scrubs in Florida with a lot of wine." ''Series/{{Community}}'' also feels like one. "Mundane" setting, every character is strange at the very least, lots of improbable [[BunnyEarsLawyer Bunny Ears Lawyers]] at anything, loads of characters all known for a quirk or a gimmick (POP POP!), and a lot of "unique" episodes which do something different.

** The two-parter "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E8TheImpossiblePlanet The Impossible Planet]]" / "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E9TheSatanPit The Satan Pit]]" together form a better ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' (and particularly ''[[VideoGame/{{Doom3}} Doom 3]]'') movie than [[Film/{{Doom}} the one that actually came out]].

* ''Series/DontForgetTheLyrics'' is almost a carbon copy of ''Series/AreYouSmarterThanAFifthGrader'', using song lyrics instead of elementary school knowledge.

* ''Series/FakingIt'' could be considered the spiritual successor to both MTV's own ''Series/{{Awkward}}'', with it's neurotic teens, goofy adult characters and humor heavy on the DeadpanSnarker variety, as well as a more satirical ''Series/SouthOfNowhere'', with it's exploration of a teen girl discovering her sexuality and coming to terms with her attraction to her female best friend (although with ''Faking It'' it's a case (probably) of IncompatibleOrientation where as ''South of Nowhere'' [[spoiler: it ends up being mutual]]).

* ''Series/FateTheWinxSaga'' looks more like Live-Action ''[[WebAnimation/{{RWBY}} RWBY]]'' than Live-Action ''[[WesternAnimation/WinxClub Winx Club]]''. a team of girls training in special academy designed to fight monsters? Check. Not to mention the fact that Magics in ''fate'' work more like Semblances than what we see on ''Winx club''.

** The 2003 movie ''Camp'' was, essentially, ''Glee'' with a smaller budget and way more [[SubvertedTrope subversion]]. It takes place in a musical theater summer camp, all of the numbers are ShowWithinAShow, and the lead character is a [[PetHomosexual Pet Heterosexual ]] in a CastFullOfGay.

** The first season's CruelTwistEnding makes the season's events one to [[spoiler:[[UsefulNotes/{{Existentialism}} Existentialist]] philosopher Creator/JeanPaulSartre's famous play ''Theatre/NoExit''. All of the main characters were selected to torture each other by making each other's lives an [[IronicHell Ironic]] SelfInflictedHell through their conflicting egos and clashing personalities, all while [[ThisIsntHeaven believing they'd been sent to the "Good Place"]] (which is depicted as a MundaneAfterlife paralleling Hell being portrayed in ''No Exit'' as an [[HellHotel ordinary hotel room]]). The parallels go further, with two-thirds of the series' main characters being blatant {{Exp|y}}ies of the cast of ''No Exit'' - [[UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist Eleanor Shellstrop]] is Inès Serrano[[note]]a nasty antisocial lady who hits on their female companion, freely admits that she was a terrible person in life, and [[OnlySaneMan is the first to realize how and why they're all being tortured]][[/note]], [[TheDitherer Chidi Anagonye]] is Joseph Garcin[[note]]Garcin feigns being an honest man mistakenly punished, and Chidi has no reason to believe, as a moral philosopher, that he would end up in the Bad Place; both men are also cowardly French-speakers caught between the two women in their stories[[/note]], [[BrokenAce Tahani Al-Jamil]] is Estelle Rigault[[note]]a haughty socialite who never seems to fully realize [[InnocentlyInsensitive how grating she can be]][[/note]], and [[BitchInSheepsClothing Michael]] is the Valet[[note]]a humble, unassuming afterlife employee administering a torture chamber[[/note]].]] The series' showrunner Creator/MichaelSchur even explicitly [[https://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/the-good-place/275396/the-1944-existentialist-play-that-inspired-the-good-place described the play]] as a major inspiration for the show.

* Gossip Girl is the spiritual successor to The OC as both had the same creator and similar premises of focusing on rich kids.

* ''Series/TopGear'' was a show on the BBC about three very British VitriolicBestBuds messing around with some cars. ''Series/TheGrandTour'' is a show about the same three very British VitriolicBestBuds messing around with some cars... but now they're on Amazon.

* ''Series/{{Grimm}}'' is this to ''{{Series/Buffy the Vampire Slayer}}''. Many characters in Grimm have prior equivalents in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and there are features such as the trailer library/Sunnydale HS library and Rosalee's Spice Shop/The Magic Box.

* ''Series/HappyDays'' owes a lot to ''Film/AmericanGraffiti'' - it's [[Creator/RonHoward star]], introductory theme song, setting and nostalgia, even if it took the bittersweet themes of ''American Graffiti'' and made them more straightforwardly sweet.

** There are those who consider this show a jazzier version of the ''Comicbook/XMen''. Others consider it the television version of ''ComicBook/DP7''.

* A few months after new episodes of ''Series/IntoTheDark'' were suspended due to [[UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic COVID-19]], a similar streaming anthology series, ''Welcome to the [[Creator/BlumhouseProductions Blumhouse]]'', made its debut on Creator/PrimeVideo. The new series is essentially ''Into the Dark'' without the loose holiday theming, right down to the same studio being behind it.

* ''Series/LifeWithBoys'', although a CanadianSeries broadcast on Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} with a low concept, can be considered a SpiritualSuccessor to the glory years of 2006-2007-era Creator/DisneyChannel [[KidCom kidcoms]] like ''Series/HannahMontana'', ''Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody'' and ''Series/ThatsSoRaven'' in feel and in comedy, as it was created by ''Hannah'' creator Michael Poryes, features plenty of [[ZanyScheme zany schemes]], cool losers and SiblingRivalry (though that can be said of many [[KidCom KidComs]]), and co-stars ''Series/CoryInTheHouse'' alum Madison Pettis. Star Torri Webster seems to have a very Music/MileyCyrus-like charisma and energy, and Creator/EmilyOsment got to guest-star as herself in one episode.

** ''Llan-ar-goll-en'' also isn't without its comparisons to ''Series/LazyTown'', as both are [[CultClassic cult classics]] from relatively obscure countries (Iceland and Wales) with a similar style of MediumBlending (one uses puppets while the other uses animated animals, both interacting with humans), and a great usage of EccentricTownsfolk.

* ''Series/MadMen'' is one to ''Series/TheSopranos'', no doubt in part due to the former's creator being an executive producer and writer for the latter. Despite ''The Sopranos'' being a CriminalProcedural focusing on TheMafia and ''Mad Men'' being a [[PeriodPiece period drama]] focusing on an advertising agency, both are dialogue-heavy character-driven dramas that make use of BlackComedy, nuance, and moral ambiguity. Furthermore, both tackle many introspective topics such as mental illness, addiction, and morality as well as societal issues such as racism and sexism by using DeliberateValuesDissonance. Even more emphasized when considering both Don Draper and Tony Soprano are [[BrokenAce Broken Aces]] in their respective lines of work, are serial adulterers married to a blonde StepfordSmiler, and have unresolved childhood trauma from the actions of their parents among other similar traits.

* ''Series/TheParentHood'' is TheNineties' spiritual successor to ''Series/TheCosbyShow''.

* ''Series/PartyDown'' captured the tone of ''Series/TheOfficeUK'' ([[CringeComedy Cringey]] [[WorkCom Workplace Comedy]] set in a hopeless corner of the world) more than [[Series/TheOfficeUS the American version]] did.

* ''Series/ThePrisoner1967'' may be considered a SpiritualSuccessor to ''Series/DangerMan''. Creator/PatrickMcGoohan plays the same type of secret agent character in both. Some fans (and George Markstein, one of the co-creators of the series) go farther, arguing that Number Six ''is'' John Drake, which would make it a true sequel series rather than a SpiritualSuccessor. However, [=McGoohan=] (the other co-creator) denies this, and character differences between Number Six and John Drake call it into question as well. For more details, see the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_Six_%28The_Prisoner%29#John_Drake.3F "John Drake?" section]] of [[Website/TVTropes The Other Wiki]]'s article on Number Six.

* ''Series/Route66'' was easily recognizable as a sanitized ''Literature/OnTheRoad'' retooled into a framework for an {{Anthology}} series, right down to two lead characters who were obvious {{Expies}} of Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty. Creator/JackKerouac even considered taking legal action against the show.
* Since both shows involve a protagonist played by Creator/MelissaJoanHart who is quirky with an interest in journalism and a rather unique first name, more than a few people have described ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'' as "[[Series/ClarissaExplainsItAll Clarissa]] gains magical powers." ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'' could also be considered a spiritual successor to that of ''Series/{{Bewitched}}'' as also with another female-strong Witchcraft-themed show that Sabrina would later share the same network, ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}''.

* ''Series/SeventhHeaven'' to ''Series/LittleHouseOnThePrairie''. Both shows were set in a [[SmallTowns town]] where [[CloseKnitCommunity everyone knew each other]]. The main characters' parents were [[GoodParents always right and wise]]. They [[CousinOliver added]] tons of [[FosterKid foster children]] and teens to the cast after the original kids got too old to be cute or have [[TeenDrama teenager problems]]. Laura and Lucy are very similar, [[SpiritedYoungLady spirited]] and [[MiddleChildSyndrome a bit jealous]] of their [[TheGloriousWarOfSisterlyRivalry more beautiful]] older sisters, who both end up [[MiseryBuildsCharacter suffering great tragedies]]. The [[TheBabyOfTheBunch youngest children]] are just there to be there, like [[LivingProp living props]].

* ''Series/SproutHouse'' is this to ''[[Series/TheSunnySideUpShow Sunny Side Up]]'', but pre-recorded since the crew didn't like how live broadcasts of ''Sunny Side Up'' were handled (although it was had [[LiveEpisode]]s on occasions). It borrows much from its predecessor, including birthday, craft and recipe, and celebrity segments. On ''The Sunny Side Up Show'' itself, the "theme jar" (seen in the first links of "blockisodes") is this to the Goodnight bell and basket from the first five season of ''Series/TheGoodNightShow'', as both had stickers which were hints to the day's theme.

* ''Series/SupermanAndLois'', featuring a grown-up Clark Kent's return to Smallville and a blend of small-town drama with superhero action, shares a lot of narrative DNA with ''Series/Smallville''. Fitting, since the people who were in their teens or twenties when Smallville came out would now be the same age as Clark and Lois in this show. Moreover, Clark's kids Jonathan and Jordan deal with coming of age high school drama tinged with super powered strangeness that's practically a modern day retelling of Smallville.

* ''Series/That70sShow'' was a show in the 90s that reminisced the 70s, which is what ''Series/HappyDays'' did in the actual 70s to the 50s. Both were also set in Wisconsin, right outside of UsefulNotes/{{Milwaukee}}.[[note]]Even though That 70's Show suffered from a bit of WhereTheHellIsSpringfield, most references placed Point Place near Kenosha, a Milwaukee suburb.[[/note]]

* ''Series/Whodunnit2013'' is one to classic early 2000s reality shows like ''Series/TheMole'' and ''Series/MurderInSmallTownX'', although those programs played things much more straight compared to ''Whodunnit?'' And in turn, ''Webvideo/EscapeTheNight'' is this to ''Whodunnit''. Its a ClosedCircle [[TenLittleMurderVictims Murder mystery]] (although they don't solves mysteries as they more solve RoomEscapeGame puzzles and vote each other off to die.) Hell, it even features a similar grey-hared host!

* Six years after ''Series/YoureOnlyYoungTwice1971'' aired, another Creator/{{ITV}} retirement home sitcom called You're Only Young Twice was produced, with five times as many episodes as the first series!

** Similarly, the {{Dorama}} ''Series/TokusatsuGaGaGa'' also fits being one to Akibaranager as well. Kano's fangirling over tokusatsu and tendencies to go into delusions to overcome struggles in life would fit right at home at Akibaranger.

** The show is the closest anyone has come to doing a sitcom InTheStyleOf Creator/JeanShepherd. The influence of ''Film/AChristmasStory'' is very obvious (and they naturally did a tribute episode to it), but it also manages to replicate Shepherd's deconstruction of the NostalgiaFilter, broadly-drawn characters and use of pop culture to evoke a certain era.

* ''Series/LastWeekTonight'' can be this to ''Series/ThatWasTheWeekThatWas'' because the facts that both shows were hosted by British comedians, and focused on news of the week.

* Some people consider ''Series/{{Castle}}'' to essentially be what ''Series/MurderSheWrote'' would look like if it were remade in the post-9/11 world.

* ''Series/LifeWithBoys'', although a CanadianSeries broadcast on Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} with a low concept, can be considered a SpiritualSuccessor to the glory years of 2006-2007-era Creator/DisneyChannel [[KidCom kidcoms]] like ''Series/HannahMontana'', ''Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody'' and ''Series/ThatsSoRaven'' in feel and in comedy, as it was created by ''Hannah'' creator Michael Poryes, features plenty of [[ZanyScheme zany schemes]], [[CoolLoser cool losers]] and SiblingRivalry (though that can be said of many [[KidCom KidComs]]), and co-stars ''Series/CoryInTheHouse'' alum Madison Pettis. Star Torri Webster seems to have a very Music/MileyCyrus-like charisma and energy, and Creator/EmilyOsment got to guest-star as herself in one episode.

* Since both shows involve a protagonist played by Creator/MelissaJoanHart who is a quirky CoolLoser with an interest in journalism and a rather unique first name, more than a few people have described ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'' as "[[Series/ClarissaExplainsItAll Clarissa]] gains magical powers." ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'' could also be considered a spiritual successor to that of ''Series/{{Bewitched}}'' as also with another female-strong Witchcraft-themed show that Sabrina would later share the same network, ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}''.

* ''SpiritualSuccessor/StrangerThings''

!!Shows with their own pages:
[[index]]
* ''SpiritualSuccessor/StrangerThings''
[[/index]]
!!Individual examples:

* ''Series/StrangerThings'' to ''Film/Super8''.

* OWN's ''Series/OurAmericaWithLisaLing'' (originally ''Inside With Lisa Ling'') ran for several seasons. A few years afterwards, Creator/{{CNN}} began ''This is Life With Lisa Ling'', which is the exact same show except under a different label.

* ''Series/DontForgetTheLyrics'' is almost a carbon copy of ''Series/AreYouSmarterThanAFifthGrader''.

* ''Series/Route66'' was easily recognizable as a sanitized ''Literature/OnTheRoad'' retooled into a framework for an {{Anthology}} series, right down to having the two lead characters be {{Expies}} of Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty. Creator/JackKerouac even considered taking legal action against the show.

* ''Series/Route66'' was easily recognizable as a sanitized ''Literature/OnTheRoad'' retooled into a framework for an {{Anthology}}, right down to having the two lead characters be {{Expies}} of Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty. Creator/JackKerouac even considered taking legal action against the show.

* ''Series/RealTimeWithBillMaher'' could be considered the spiritual successor to ''Politically Incorrect''.

* ''Series/QueenForSevenDays'''s star Park Min-young described the series as "''Series/LoveInTheMoonlight'' five years later".

* YTV's ''Undercover High'' is a spiritual successor to ''Prank Patrol'', with both series focusing on elaborate pranks being set up on new unsuspecting targets in each episode. The main differences are that the action happens in high schools, and no ninjas are involved.

* ''Series/APrinceAmongMen'' is this to ''Series/TheBrittasEmpire'', being both work coms starring Creator/ChrisBarrie in a {{Jerkass}} leader role to a bunch of misfits. The major differences are that Barrie plays an ex-footballer here instead of a leisure centre manager, and that Prince was much more of a jerk than Brittas.