My List of the Top 10 Spin-Offs

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

First, an apology to those who got this post early. I upgraded some things last night and wasn't used to some new shortcuts when I began this post this morning. 

This is an area where I have a lot of interest. I'm not really sure where it started, but I've always been curious about spin-offs. The idea that certain characters from a main show become popular enough that they get their own storylines without a crutch is just cool. And, over the years, there have been tons and tons of spin-offs. And, as per my usual, I'm pretty sure that some of my selections will shock readers. I tend to like things that are a bit off, and tend to loathe things that others adore (you will notice that Animaniacs did not make my list, for instance).

10. A Different World, from The Cosby Show. I actually like this show quite a bit, and it did great. But it was created to be a vehicle for Denise Huxtable, who only lasted a single season on the show, which is why I gave it the #10 spot. In case you've never seen it, it's about college kids at (mostly black) fictional school Hillman, and the troubles they deal with.

9. The Simpsons, from The Tracy Ullman Show. This one fell low on the list because a lot of people don't know that The Simpsons is a spin-off. And, I must add that I've never seen The Tracy Ullman Show, aside from the clips of the original Simpsons family that have come up over the past twenty years. Still, the show about an overweight guy and his somewhat average family is certainly a household name! 

8. Quack Pack, from DuckTales. As a child who was in her early elementary years during the height of The Disney Afternoon, I loved DuckTales as much as anyone. And, while I was partial to Webby storylines, Huey, Dewey, and Louie were great characters. So, when I found Quack Pack in middle school, I was delighted to see the threesome appear as teenagers. Only 39 episodes exist, but I think that the essence of the characters continued from childhood into adolescence, making for a very believable show.    

7. Melrose Place, from Beverly Hills, 90210. I didn't know that Melrose Place was a spin-off when I began watching in 1996. It was one of the only shows that my mom ever watched in original run, so that was my draw to it. In fact, I didn't know it was a spin-off until I was in graduate school and working my way through 90210 for the first time. The connection took place in the second season, as Kelly was interested in a guy named Jake, who lived in the eponymous apartment complex. On the whole, Melrose Place was way too mature for a young teenager, but I watched the final few seasons anyway... though it didn't entice me enough to ever go back and catch up on the entire series!    

6. Joey, from Friends. Yes, it failed miserably. People couldn't stand it, and nobody understood why Joey didn't talk about his friends... plus, no guest appearances in 46 episodes! Now, if you're a long-time reader, you may remember that I had a love-hate relationship with Friends until I was almost done with college. I ended up seeing the entire series and enjoying it, and worked my way through Joey in less than a week. I found the show to be amusing, though it was full of issues as the writers struggled to find an audience.

5. All Grown Up, from Rugrats. Rugrats was such a captivating show, as I believe that I have mentioned a few times. It's one show that I can say both of my siblings and I enjoyed together (which was a problem when we got the Playstation game - it was only 1 player!). All Grown Up ran for 55 episodes, and featured the kids aged ten years from the original show. This is another case where I think that the characters were very believable - the traits and personalities really matched what you might think the kids would grow up into. The show didn't really end with any closure, but was a good addition to the Rugrats franchise.

4. The Jeffersons, from All in the Family. A true classic spun from another well-loved show. The Jeffersons is downright hilarious, and my brother and I have many great memories of watching it together on Nick at Nite. Although George wasn't on All in the Family until it had been on a while (Sherman Hemsley was on Broadway at the time), his family was an interesting dynamic on the show, which took place in working-class Queens. The family later moved to a luxury high-rise in Manhattan, during one of the greatest lead-ins in television history - one week you move from the characters on one show, the next you move into a new place on a new show!

3. Daria, from Beavis & Butthead. I LOVED Daria. I thought that it was such a good, funny, clever show. Daria was a recurring character on Beavis & Butthead, a show which I am proud to say I've never seen. But, for a recurring character to go on to have a five-season success and two tv-movies says something. Daria's witty and pessimistic outlook on life amused me to no end, and I just thought that Quinn was the cutest thing ever. I've been waiting for the complete series to go on sale again, because I really must have it!

2. Family Matters, from Perfect Strangers. I loved Perfect Strangers when it ran originally.  I wasn't allowed to watch a lot of night-time television, but I vaguely remember catching it my grandparents' house or something a few times. I can't say that I remembered Harriet Winslow from that show, and therefore wasn't aware that Family Matters was a spin-off when it began (which I did watch by the third season or so). One might argue that Family Matters was far more popular (and much longer-running) than Perfect Strangers, though they were both very different shows. Harriet's character was clearly the same as it was in Perfect Strangers, and Family Matters became a memorable sitcom across the country.

1. Frasier, from Cheers. One of my favorite shows since I began watching it, Frasier is a very long-running show spun from a long-running show. I've seen several dozen episodes of Cheers, and the overall feel of the show is vastly different from that of Frasier. And, although some people gripe about how different Frasier's character is between the two shows, I think that it was addressed throughout Frasier, and the Cheers characters still got along with Frasier for the most part. The storylines in Frasier were also very different (and many ran much longer) from those in Cheers, but both shows' successes certainly define the greatness that Kelsey Grammer embodied.

To end this post, I though I might point out to one of the craziest chains of spin-offs that I've ever come across... Sabrina's Secret Life was a spin-off of Sabrina, the Animated Series, which was a spin-off of the 1996 version of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch which was a spin-off of Sabrina and the Groovie Goolies which was a spin-off of The Archie Comedy Hour which was a sequel to The Archie Show. ...yeah.

Top 10 Snowy Episodes

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Well, since I'm sitting here snowed in in Pennsylvania, my husband actually suggested today's topic. But, for some reason, most of the episodes that I thought of with blizzards and snowstorms are Christmas episodes. It took me a while, but I finally found some that fit! Here are my favorite ten episodes in other snowy conditions!

10. Family Matters: "Just One Date." Steve has officially asked out Laura 1,000 times. He's at the point of desperation, and he decides to camp out on the Winslow roof... during a blizzard. Both parts are on Youtube, but here's the more relevant half (all you've missed is Steve's declaration that he's camping out):


9. Daria: "Antisocial Climbers." As per the usual with this show, they tried an atypical teaching method: field trip to the wilderness. Well, the boys pay more attention to Quinn than the supplies, and the principal cares more about publicity than safety. After everyone is trapped in a cabin, we find out that Daria's parents are also trapped in a different cabin. Both parts are on Youtube, here's the second half:


8. 3rd Rock from the Sun: "Frozen Dick." Dick and Mary are supposed to fly to Chicago for work. Dick freaks out and they have to drive. Then he freaks out because it starts snowing, and wrecks the car. So, he and Mary are snowed in at a truck stop. This is the first time the main four see snow on Earth, so they all respond really differently. All three parts are on youtube, here's the middle section:


7. The Simpsons: "Skinner's Sense of Snow." Skinner keeps the school open, and students still go, but not the teachers. So Skinner and Willie show the kids a bad movie, and end up getting trapped inside. Skinner becomes a drill sergeant in making the kids do what he wants. Homer and Flanders try to rescue the kids, but end up frozen in their car, passed out. Skinner eventually gets trapped by the kids, and sends out a hamster for help. it's a strange episode, not gonna lie. Simpsons episodes are not on youtube, but I found it on another site. The first 4 minutes aren't snowy.

6. Everybody Loves Raymond: "Snow Day." Ray, Debra, and Amy are stuck at Frank and Marie's during a snowstorm. They're all having a good time until Debra accidentally insults Frank, and that's when Marie decides to tell the truth about how she feels about Debra. I could only find it in other languages, haha.

5. The Mary Tyler Moore Show: "The Snow Must Go On." It's election night and Mary is stuck broadcasting her first show: the results. However, the results aren't coming in, and the show must stay on until the results are in. This one's on hulu.

4. Family Ties: "Birth of a Keaton." Everyone goes to the station to help with an annual telethon. However, things take a turn for the worse when Elyse goes into labor on-air. Steven, a plumber, and Skippy try to make it to the hospital, but eventually Elyse just pleads on TV for them to come back to the station. This is only part 1, sadly. The good stuff's in part 2.

3. King of Queens: "Ice Cubed." Carrie goes out to buy an ipod, isn't charged correctly, and ends up stuck at a church waiting out the storm with an ethical dilemma on her hands. Meanwhile, Doug is delivering packages in the storm, and gets invited in by a couple who are about to invite her father to live with them... just like Arthur. Part 1 and Part 2.

2. How I Met Your Mother: "Three Days of Snow." Ted and Barney are in charge of MacLaren's during a storm, and end up partying with a college marching band. Marshall and Lily deal with keeping traditions alive when he makes Robin drive him to the airport in a snowstorm while she goes all over trying to find a microbrew for him. In the end, the marching band shows up at the airport as well. It's all a bit more complicated, but I can't find a video of any of it anyway. :(

1. Friends: "The One With Phoebe's Wedding." Phoebe and Mike are getting married during a snowstorm. The officiant can't make it, so Joey fills in. Therefore, Chandler fills in for Joey in walking Phoebe down the aisle. Ross is stuck holding a stinky dog. Meanwhile, many other things go wrong, but tyrant Monica saves the day. It's all on Youtube, but here's the part that deals with the snowstorm:


Honorable Mention: The Simpsons: "Mr. Plow." Some may argue that this definitely deserved to be in the top ten, but I didn't want to repeat any shows, and I like "Skinner's Sense of Snow" much better than this one, although it is the more memorable and iconic of the two episodes. You can find it here.