Top 10 British TV Characters That Deserve Their Own Spin Off

The relationship between this woman and our titular hero is the very definition of “it’s complicated”. Played by Ruth Wilson, Alice Morgan proves a dangerously psychotic villain turned pseudo anti-hero in possession of a brilliant mind, as her mysterious and Machiavellian motives often see her working on both sides of the law. All in, she’s a compassionless killer, but also Luther’s unconventional aide. And, after fleeing at the end of series three, we need to know what happened next. Of course, Alice claims she got married and murdered her husband… There’s a series in that, surely??

Watch any clip of Douglas Reynholm, played impeccably by Matt Berry, and try not to be entertained. It’s scientifically impossible. The lazy and stupid son of deceased business tycoon Denholm Reynholm (another classic character played by Chris Morris), he’s introduced when he intentionally steals the show at his own father’s funeral. From there, Douglas’ lavish spending, rampant irresponsibility and sexual deviancy constantly puts his company at risk… So much so, that he ends up a fugitive, hiding in the IT department, after giving alcohol to minors on “Secret Millionaire”. His own show would be anything but dull.

More so than probably any other sitcom character, Jay fancies himself as quite the ladies’ man, spewing a series of self-aggrandising lies but all-too-often proving himself to be socially inept. However, over the course of the series and films his character is given slightly more depth, not only as a result of the ridicule he suffers from his family, but also by having him travel to Australia to work as a toilet attendant. So, after gradually demonstrating a surprising level of sensitivity and tenacity, Jay needs a follow-up story to see how he’s coping with adulthood.

Another loud-mouthed teen, only this time, with the added benefit of superpowers. After a freak storm showers various people with special abilities, Robert Sheehan’s Nathan is granted the gift of Immortality. Naturally he uses this to improve his sex life and fuel 24-hour partying, as well as helping others... sometimes. In his last appearance, we see Nathan dragged to a prison cell after using his powers to scam casinos in Vegas. So there just has to be a prison escape story in there somewhere. The immortal inmate will rise again!

Starring in arguably the greatest gangster TV series since “The Sopranos” and played by the ever-intense Tom Hardy, this compelling character enters the action in season two. With his extremely violent, explosive temper and unexpected behaviour, Jewish gangster Alfie almost instantly became a fan favourite. And as there’s no such thing as too much Tom Hardy, some kind of prequel could prove a perfect choice. The show would chart Alfie’s misadventures and rise to power in London - or whichever city he wants to conquer, because no one tells him what to do!

Musician, drug aficionado and collector of snakes, Super Hans, played by Matt King, is Jeremy’s best friend (...after Mark) and is definitely an unpredictable man. An enthusiast of rave culture, he has also: joined a religious cult, fathered twins in Germany, been barred from entering some EU countries, assisted in a kidnapping, and... did we mention his snakes? In the very last episode, his fiancé, Molly, leaves him and so he plans to move to Macedonia and open a moped rental. That probably won’t pan out... but we still want to see what Super Hans did next.

There are plenty of potentials for a stellar spin-off here. The Hound or Arya, especially. But in amongst the sheer wealth of characters and backstory, we had to go with Eddard “Ned” Stark. Sean Bean’s Seven Kingdoms character was killed off fairly early, but his past activities have continued to cause ripples throughout the main series. Not to mention his family’s past is constantly beset by tragedy, drama, death and intrigue. “Game of Thrones” gives us glimpses into the young Ned’s life, particularly surrounding Robert’s Rebellion, but there’s clearly so much more we’ve yet to see.

Time for a change of pace, because what happened next to one of British tele’s favourite ever couples? After waiting so long to see their emotional “will they, won’t they” relationship come to fruition, how did loved-up life play out for Martin Freeman’s Tim and Lucy Davis’ Dawn? Now middle-aged, there could be a mid-life crisis on the cards, or potential for a family sitcom. Or maybe we could get Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s take on the rom-com genre, for a feature-length, mockumentary movie in the style of “David Brent: Life on the Road”. Here’s hoping!

Again, there’s room for multiple spin offs with this show. Would you say no to more from the Ponds? Or even Sally Sparrow? But this is the big one. The Doctor’s first companion following the show’s revival, Billie Piper’s Rose proved a massive hit. So much more than just a damsel in distress, Rose was as resourceful and enthusiastic as the iconic Time Lord. And as the show developed, their relationship grew. But just as romance seemed set, she winds up in an alternate world, before supposedly settling down with a duplicate Doctor. It’s a parallel universe we need to see more of.

Before we get to our number one pick, here are some honourable mentions.

Smithy and Nessa
“Gavin & Stacey” (2007-10)

River Song
“Doctor Who” (1963-89; 2005-)

Daisy Mason
“Downton Abbey” (2010-15)

We all know Moriarty as Sherlock Holmes’ arch-nemesis and as one of the greatest literary villains. However, we perhaps weren’t expecting Andrew Scott’s portrayal to be such a softly spoken, cheeky and malevolent scene stealer. And, as the character usually chooses to scheme from the shadows, most fans want much more of him. A spin-off series shifting the focus from Sherlock to Jim could not only serve as a fresh start for the franchise, but could also breed TV’s greatest ever anti-hero. Did we miss him when he was gone? You bet we did. Would we watch him if he went it alone? Too right we would!