List of media spin-offs


In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, film, or any narrative work, derived from already existing works that focus on more details and different aspects from the original work.

In television

Name changes or retoolings

Supporting character getting own show (during run)

Angel was a spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, based on the character of Angel. The series ran for five seasons.Private Practice was a spin-off of Grey's Anatomy, recounting the life of Dr. Addison Montgomery. The spin-off itself, introducing the show's cast, was set up during a season three episode of Grey's Anatomy. The series ran for six seasons.All in the Family is responsible for several spin-offs. Maude and The Jeffersons both featured characters that began on All in the Family. Good Times was later spun off from Maude, making it the first spin-off of a spin-off.The Mary Tyler Moore Show spun off Rhoda, Phyllis and Lou Grant based on supporting characters, as well as several unsuccessful series pilots and one TV movie.Hercules: The Legendary Journeys begat two spin-offs: Young Hercules, which relates the adventures of Hercules during his teenage years, and Xena: Warrior Princess which eventually outlasted its parent program.The Dukes of Hazzard spun off TV series Enos starring Deputy Enos Strate. He was invited to Los Angeles to join a special police team after he had caught two infamous criminals in Hazzard. The series was canceled after one season and the character returned to The Dukes of Hazzard.

Supporting character getting own show (after original series ended)

Shows from segments/episodes of anthology series

TV franchises

Spin-offs of Internet properties

In film

In video games

Spin-offs frequently occur in video games.

In comics

Supporting characters in comic books, who then got their own titles, include:The Action Chick is a spin-off of The Ongoing Adventures of Rocket Llama by Alex Langley.Agente Alien is a spin-off of Gli Aristocratici by Alfredo Castelli and Ferdinando Tacconi.Batwoman and Batgirl are female spin-offs of the popular Batman series. The comic series Anarky was also a spin-off of Batman.Bea is a spin-off of Dennis the Menace and Gnasher, centered around Dennis' baby sister.Bessie Bunter, in essence a female version of Billy Bunter by Frank Richards got so popular by herself that she got her own comic strip, aimed a girls' audience.Bidule is a spin-off of Cubitus by Dupa, featuring baby characters of the main cast. It is drawn by Michel Rodrigue.Bristow originated from Frank Dickens' earlier comic Oddbod.The Bunty Boys by Herbert Sydney Foxwell originated from The Bruin Boys. The original comic featured anthropomorphized animals, but the spin-off made them human characters.Buster Capp was a spin-off of Andy Capp, despite not being drawn by Reg Smythe, but Bill Titcombe and Hugh McNeill. It centered around the so-called son of Andy.Blueberry spawned out of the original comics series "Fort Navajo" in 1963, but after a few stories breakout character "Blueberry" got his own spin-off and the series continued under this title. The older "Fort Navajo" stories are available under the name "Blueberry" too. Other spin-offs, such as "La Jeunesse de Blueberry" and "Marshall Blueberry", were created too.Corinne et Jeannot by Jean Tabary, a spin-off of Tabary's earlier series Totoche.Cowboy Henk originated in a one-shot comic by Kamagurka named Meneerke Plagiaat.Cuddly and Dudley by Jim Turnbull, a spin-off of Dudley D. Watkins' Biffo the Bear, revolving around Bimbo's niece.Dorothea by William St. John Glenn was a spin-off of his earlier comic Oscar.Dr. Lion's Boys is a spin-off of Jungle Jinks by Mabel F. Taylor, a series originally created by Arthur White.Erwin de Noorman is a spin-off series of Hans G. Kresse's popular comic strip Eric de Noorman, built around the protagonist's son.Fatty Fudge is a spin-off of Minnie the Minx.Fat Freddy's Cat is a spin-off of The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers.Het Generaaltje is a spin-off by Vick Debergh, based on Peter de Smet's comic strip De Generaal.De Grappen van Lambik was a spin-off gag-a-day series built around the popular break-out character Lambik from the Suske en Wiske series.Grimly Feendish is a spin-off of Leo Baxendale's earlier Eagle Eye, Junior Spy.

In novels

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a spin-off of his earlier novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

20th century

21st century

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and the companion books The Tales of Beedle the bard and Quidditch Through the Ages are all spin-offs of the Harry Potter series.