"'Spinoff!' Is there any word more thrilling to the human soul?"
— Troy McClure, "The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase"
Spinoffs are when part of a successful show, usually characters, but sometimes a general concept (first you have the Law, then you have the Order), are taken and given a second show of their own.
From a producer's perspective, it's a chance to explore other aspects of a concept. Actors can find opportunities to grow in their craft, as well as rise in importance by moving from just being part of an ensemble to having a show built around them. For the networks, it's a chance to establish a show with a built-in audience, making it that much easier for them to sell advertising.
Lots of spinoffs go on to be
successful shows in their own right. Others crash and burn (
Joanie Loves Chachi, for example), suggesting that there is no such thing as a sure thing. Nevertheless, networks keep trying them.
There are several main types of spinoffs.
- Where a character leaves a show and the two run concurrently. Characters Cross Over from time to time.\\ Examples:
- Where a show comes to an end and a character from it is given his or her own new show. Provides an opportunity to Retool the character as well.
Examples:
- Where a character is brought on to an existing show simply in order to be spunoff, hopefully making some of the original audience into viewers of the new show (See Poorly Disguised Pilot).
Examples:
- The main character is revisited elsewhere in his narrative.
Examples:
- Reimaginings - the concept is carried into a new show with the same basic premise but other factors and characters are completely new.
Examples:
- Segment spin-offs - a recurring segment from the show becomes the main attraction.
Examples:
- A type of Defictionalization - a Show Within A Show gets made into a real show of its own.
Examples:
- The storyline on one show comes to an end, only to be continued in a new show with a different name.\\ Examples:
- Official Fanzine Show - a trope nearly exclusive to Reality TV, usually offering Behind The Scenes info or coverage that wouldn't fit into the main programme, often (but not always) broadcast immediately after the main show, on a sister channel
Examples:
Another type of spinoff which is more common than it used to be is the one where few or no characters from the original series appear, and the main connection to the original is that it takes place in the same world or type of setting as the original. Examples include most
Star Trek series,
Stargate Atlantis, and as a non-sci-fi example, the various
CSI and
Law And Order spinoffs.
- A concrete anime example is ToHeart2, which takes place in the same school as the original To Heart, only that it is set three years after. Some nods and cameo's reinforce this.
- When spin-offs share a setting, there's also often a temptation to eventually include characters from the earlier series. eg. Worf ending up on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Samantha Carter ending up on Stargate Atlantis.
See also
Distaff Counterpart. When a TV series is successful enough to produce a film
Spin Off, this is
The Movie. When the same principle is applied to
Video Games, the result is a
Gaiden Game.
