Top 20 Worst TV Spin-Offs
#20: “CSI: Cyber” (2015-16)
Top 10 Worst TV Spin-Offs
Spinoff of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (2000-15) “CSI: Cyber” tried to take the franchise out of the morgue and into the world of digital crimes. However, they hit a firewall of criticism. The show was steeped in computer jargon that the show had to stop to expand upon. Viewers also thought that watching characters stare curiously at laptops while spouting exposition was much less fascinating than examining bodies in morgues. Although “Cyber” tried to reinvigorate the show in season 2 by adding the reliable Ted Danson, his talents simply weren’t enough to bring people in every week. Between its low critical reception, rocky viewership and its short run it’s far and away the least successful CSI spinoff.
#19: “AfterMASH” (1983-85)
Spinoff of “M*A*S*H” (1972-83) In “AfterMASH”, three characters from the original series left behind the Korean War setting of the beloved parent series and started working in a veteran’s hospital. Although the new program tried to capture the blend of drama and comedy that made the original work, it fell flat. The characters that were brought back didn’t have enough chemistry to match the classic ensemble. Additionally, the choice to bring back the laugh track made for moments that ranged from uncomfortable to unwatchable. While “AfterMASH” had a few redeeming moments, fans flocked to other shows with relatively fresher concepts. A sharp decline in ratings for season 2 led to the show being canceled right in the middle of its run and discharged from tv.
#18: “The Walking Dead: World Beyond” (2020-21)
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Spinoff of “The Walking Dead” (2010-22) Set in the same zombie filled world as the original post apocalyptic hit, The World Beyond followed the misadventures of four teens who had to make a cross country journey. It also promised to expand upon the world of “The Walking Dead” and solve franchise mysteries. Unfortunately, the show put more emphasis on teen drama than the exciting possibilities of its premise. While the lead actors gave solid performances, their characters just weren’t as compelling as franchise icons like Rick Grimes and Daryl Dixon. But the real nail in the coffin was that the main story moved slower than a decaying zombie. Ultimately, the World Beyond just didn’t have enough life in it to make fans love it.
#17: “Checking In” (1981)
Spinoff of “The Jeffersons” After Florence the maid became a breakout supporting character on “The Jeffersons”, executives decided to give her a chance to lead her own series. On “Checking In”, she moved on up to leading the quirky staff of an upscale hotel. Florence was just as funny and quippy as ever. Unfortunately, the characters around her didn’t measure up. And despite having an entire hotel to play with, characters were stuck in drab offices for long stretches of time. The network canned the show after just four episodes. Fortunately, Florence was able to get her old job back on the “Jeffersons”...after the executives made it clear her hotel and show had burned down.
#16: “Galactica 1980” (1980)
Spinoff of “Battlestar Galactica” (1978-79) When the original “Battlestar Galactica” series was canceled soon into its run, fans pushed for ABC to give the show a second chance. But viewers quickly wished they hadn’t. In order to make the spin-off of “Galactica 1980” cheap, the network cut or replaced fan favorite characters. Although the parent series focused on a civilization fleeing an enemy in space, the new show grounded the events on earth. The fish out of water premise couldn’t capture the dramatic weight of the franchise’s previous adventures. And viewers weren’t happy to see the characters they loved tossed aside or completely forgotten about. After wading into an asteroid field full of negative feedback, “Galactica 1980” was canceled after its tenth episode.
#15: “Mrs. Columbo” (1979-80)
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Spinoff of “Columbo”(1968-78; 1989-2003) Since the hardboiled Columbo was such a hit with fans, the executives made the logical choice to greenlight a series that follows his wife while he lives offscreen. Coincidentally, she has a talent to solve mysteries that rivals her husband’s. Neither fans nor “Columbo” actor Peter Falk were happy with this premise. Those who could look past its problematic setup found a middling mystery show that lacked the main personality that originally pulled people in. Overall, Mrs. Columbo was so divorced from its predecessor’s concept that they might as well have renamed it. The franchise would later throw salt on the wounds of the failed show by heavily indicating the spinoff wasn’t canon.
#14: “Living Dolls” (1989)
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Spinoff of “Who’s the Boss?” (1984-92) How do you squander the talents of celebrated actresses like Halle Berry and Leah Remini? Simply put them in a low quality spin-off. In “Living Dolls”, both actresses played young women who lived in a house with fellow aspiring models and a stern yet caring mother figure. The jokes about the industry failed to land. At times, the show even made fun of harmful aspects of societal pressures models face. But the aspect that really drove people away is the fact that the show is barely connected to the original. A couple of characters just happen to know people from “Who’s the Boss?”. This fragile connection between shows wasn’t enough to convince people to give the new spin-off a second look.
#13: “Once Upon A Time In Wonderland” (2013-14)
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Spinoff of “Once Upon a Time” (2011-18) Two years after Disney created a well-recieved series that reimagined numerous characters from across its roster, it decided to limit its scope to focus on Alice. Her Wonderland show was meant to be a bit darker and more focused on the heroine’s story. However, Alice’s spin-off wasn’t strong enough on its own to survive. Although Disney characters could still crossover, the narrowed spotlight on her made guest appearances less frequent. The plot was also bogged down by a romantic plot that took ages to get going. And it didn’t help that the CGI wasn’t as sharp as it contemporary shows. Since “Once Upon A Time” was also running at the same time, viewers didn’t have enough incentive to keep visiting Wonderland.
#12: “The Blacklist: Redemption” (2017)
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Spinoff of “The Blacklist” (2013-) We understood why NBC wanted to expand the universe of this popular thriller after the runaway success of the original. However, it’s a little bit harder to see why they made “Redemption” so similar to its parent show. Both shows center on a dynamic between a special agent and a parental figure. Additionally, the characters in “Redemption” also chase down high caliber criminals while uncovering a larger plot. To make matters worse, the leads of the spinoff just weren’t as compelling as the cast of the parent show. “Redemption’s” biggest sin was that it wasn’t distinct enough from a better version of itself that was still on air. There just wasn’t enough reason for audiences to watch two of the same product.
#11: “Booker” (1989-90)
Spinoff of “21 Jump Street” (1987-91) During his time on “21 Jump Street”, Dennis Booker went undercover with fellow officers to bust criminals. After the character quit the force and was spun out to his own show, he traded in a police badge for a job at a big insurance company. The writers intended to use this framing device to allow Booker to investigate a wide variety of cases. However, the premise wasn’t strong enough to justify the random series of adventures he went on. Critics found the cases to be either dull or derivative of other great works. After a rocky season, Booker was forced into retirement.
#10: “Joey” (2004-06)
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Spinoff of “Friends” (1994-2004) NBC desperately wanted to keep the “Friends” magic going with a spinoff centered around the dimwitted, yet, loveable actor Joey. Portrayed by Matt Leblanc, the character was still charming and funny. But the cast and writing around him wasn’t nearly as strong. Characters like his sharp sister Gina and best friend Zach felt like pale imitations of icons like Monica and Ross. Additionally, while Joey’s acting pursuits made for great b-plots on “Friends”, his career plotline wasn’t as gripping when it's the main focus. Although curious fans checked in to the series for a while, the ratings eventually fell throughout the second season until it was canned. “Joey” went from a promising show to a punchline about how easily spinoffs can go off the rails.
#9: “Highlander: The Raven” (1998-99)
Spinoff of “Highlander: The Series” (1992-98) If you didn’t know that the cult classic “Highlander” film even had an original tv show, then it’s safe to assume that you’ve never heard of the failed female led spinoff. In the pilot of “Highlander: The Raven”, main character Amanda uses her immortality for personal gain. But she’s inspired to turn her never ending life around after an officer dies to save her. Despite having a strong hook, viewers found the writing for the characters to be extremely weak. Amanda and her will they won’t they partner Nick failed to come across as fully formed and three dimensional people. While the heroine may live forever, the show’s legacy will likely be lost to time.
#8: “Sanford Arms” (1977)
Spinoff of “Sanford & Sons” (1972-77) Once the two leads of “Sanford & Sons” moved on from the network, NBC tried to proceed without them with a spinoff. In the new show, an original character named Phil tries to make a home rental business work while living in the house that the previous main characters had. The premise served as a great metaphor for what fans found wrong with the series. Instead of trying to step out of the shadow of the original program, “Sanford Arms” doubled down. The presence of the original show’s supporting characters just reminded people of the leads that were missing. And the humor wasn’t enough to charm fans. Eight episodes into the run, “Sanford Arms” was closed for business.
#7: “Models Inc.” (1994-95)
Spinoff of “Melrose Place” (1992-99) Someday, a model-centered spinoff of a popular show may thrive for six seasons and a movie. Until then, mishaps like “Models Inc.” show us why this very specific formula is flawed. This drama was meant to combine the day-to-day struggles of the characters with a murder mystery. Despite starting off in a relatively realistic place, the show got more absurd as the season went on. There were plotlines between everything from hired killers to mysterious dopplegangers of dead characters. Outside of its absurd plotlines, it didn’t handle serious issues with the nuance they deserved. When combined with lackluster performances from the cast, there was little reason for viewers to tune into “Melrose Place” spinoff.
#6: “Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders” (2016-17)
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Spinoff of “Criminal Minds” (2005-20; 2022-23) The premise of this show alone was enough to turn legions of viewers away from the spin-off. While “Criminal Minds” mainly focused on serial criminals in America, “Beyond Borders” attempted to see if the concept could work abroad. Since the main characters of the spinoff solved cases where Americans were victims, the villains were largely non-American. This caused the show to come off as largely xenophobic. After people dove into the series, they found the episodes to be littered with cheap cultural stereotypes and generalizations. Even if the premise wasn’t problematic, the characters failed to pull in viewers either. This show was quickly shuttered after being hit with backlash for nearly every aspect of its existence.
#5: “Joanie Loves Chachi” (1982-83)
Spinoff of “Happy Days” (1974-84) While the success of “Happy Days” led to seven spinoffs of varying quality, “Joanie Loves Chachi” was the most infamous of them all. This sitcom revolved around a couple who tried to achieve music stardom in a new city. Although their bandmates and friends were supposed to be eccentric, the majority of them just came off as annoying. And while Joanie and Chachi were great in the “Happy Days” ensemble, they just weren’t as dynamic as co-leads. The writing also took a notable dive after the first handful of episodes. Shortly after ratings dipped, this duo of lovebirds/songbirds were sent back to Milwaukee to help wrap up “Happy Days”.
#4: “Baywatch Nights” (1995-97)
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Spinoff of “Baywatch” (1991-2001) It was hard enough to buy that Mitch from the lifeguard show “Baywatch” was going to lead a show where he was a private investigator. When audiences struggled to accept the concept, the spinoff changed tones completely and became a spooky mystery show. “Baywatch Nights” brought paranormal elements to the beaches of Los Angeles and beyond. Although it desperately wanted to be “X-Files”, the mysteries weren’t intriguing enough. But more importantly, the show’s tone had changed so much that Mitch felt like a fish out of water on his own show. Audiences agreed that the lifeguard should stick to saving people during the day instead of floundering during the “Baywatch Nights”.
#3: “The Brady Brides” (1981)
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Spinoff of “The Brady Bunch” (1969-74) Shortly after Marcia and Jan Brady marry their respective husbands, the four of them decide to save money by moving in together. Since the sisters were agreeable and pretty much on the same page, their scenes were pretty predictable and flat. The show tried to play Jan’s straight-laced husband against Marcia’s free spirited spouse to generate most of the comedy. However, the writers didn’t do enough with that tried and true formula to make it feel fresh. The laughs they managed to get from their live studio audience didn’t mirror the viewer’s enthusiasm at home. Unfortunately for the Brady sisters, their attempt to spin off into their own series stalled after 10 episodes.
#2: “Mr. T and Tina” (1976)
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Spinoff of “Welcome Back, Kotter” (1975-79) This infamous program fell so hard into obscurity that we could barely find any footage of it. The series followed Pat Morita as an inventor named Taro Takahashi who leaves Japan to live in Chicago. Although the writers made 8 versions of the pilot, early test audiences still weren’t jazzed about it. Critics felt like Takahashi was written into plots that promoted negative stereotypes about Japanese people. His co-lead Susan Blanchard’s character was so disliked that her role was cut back between pilots. In the end, ABC only managed to put five episodes out before pulling the plug.. Who knew that a combo of bad writing and a character who audiences saw in a single episode of “Welcome Back, Kotter” wouldn’t lead to success?
#1: “The Tortellis” (1987)
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Spinoff of “Cheers” (1982-93) At the start of this pilot, Nick Tortelli dreams he’s being damned to hell for cheating on his wife Loretta in real life. Surprisingly, things don’t get better from there. Nick has so few redeeming qualities that we aren’t rooting for him to succeed in love or business. His co lead Loretta is also written to be such an airhead that she feels more like a cartoon than a fully formed character. Throw in a convoluted plot where Nick, his wife, and son end up living in their sister-in-law’s house in Vegas and you’ve got all the ingredients for a disastrous spinoff. Fans felt the Tortellis were just too obnoxious to watch. This family just had no luck with audiences outside of the “Cheers” bar.
