MomSkoop
TV history is littered with spin-offs that crashed and burned faster than you can say ‘cancel my subscription.’ While shows like Frasier and Better Call Saul proved spin-offs can sometimes outshine their predecessors, many more flopped spectacularly. These forgotten offshoots tried to capture lightning in a bottle twice but ended up with empty ratings instead. Let’s remember these short-lived shows that studios probably wish we’d forget!
1. Joey (Friends Spin-Off)
Matt LeBlanc’s lovable character Joey Tribbiani moved to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career in this doomed Friends continuation. NBC had high hopes, even giving it the coveted Thursday night timeslot.
Without the ensemble chemistry that made Friends special, Joey felt like watching your favorite band with only the drummer showing up. The writing lacked the sharp wit of its predecessor, and viewers quickly lost interest.
Lasting just two seasons before getting axed in 2006, Joey proved that not all beloved characters can carry their own show. The series remains a cautionary tale in television development.
2. AfterMASH
Following the massive success of M*A*S*H, CBS quickly greenlit this spin-off featuring Colonel Potter, Klinger, and Father Mulcahy working at a veterans’ hospital after the Korean War. Initially drawing decent ratings, the show rapidly declined as viewers realized the magic was missing.
Without Alan Alda’s Hawkeye and the wartime setting that gave the original its dramatic tension, AfterMASH felt pointless. The writing couldn’t recapture the delicate balance of comedy and tragedy that made M*A*S*H a cultural phenomenon.
Time Magazine later dubbed it one of the 100 worst ideas of the century. Ouch!
3. The Bradys
Remember The Brady Bunch? In 1990, CBS tried reviving the family-friendly sitcom as an hour-long drama called The Bradys. Yes, you read that correctly – a drama!
The formerly cheerful clan now faced serious adult problems: Bobby became paralyzed in a racing accident, Marcia battled alcoholism, and Jan struggled with infertility. Talk about a mood shift! Viewers who tuned in expecting nostalgic laughs instead got Brady-themed soap opera.
Audiences rejected this gloomy version of their beloved family, and the show was canceled after just six episodes. Some things are better left in their original, sunnier form.
4. Joanie Loves Chachi
ABC thought they struck gold by spinning off two popular Happy Days characters into their own musical romantic comedy. Erin Moran and Scott Baio relocated their characters to Chicago to pursue music careers, with predictably underwhelming results.
The chemistry that worked as a subplot on Happy Days couldn’t sustain an entire series. Each episode featured awkward musical numbers that felt forced and interrupted the already thin storylines.
After just 17 episodes spread across two abbreviated seasons, the network pulled the plug. Joanie and Chachi eventually returned to Happy Days, where they belonged all along. Their failed musical adventure remains a textbook example of network executives misreading audience interest.
5. Golden Palace
After Bea Arthur left The Golden Girls, the remaining three ladies decided to buy and operate a Miami hotel in this ill-fated continuation. Adding Don Cheadle and Cheech Marin to the cast couldn’t save this sinking ship.
The hotel setting forced the characters into contrived situations that lacked the intimate kitchen table conversations fans loved. Without Dorothy’s sarcastic remarks balancing Rose’s naivety and Blanche’s flirtatiousness, the dynamic felt fundamentally broken.
CBS canceled Golden Palace after one season in 1993. Even die-hard Golden Girls fans often forget this spin-off existed – probably for the best!
6. Baywatch Nights
What happens when you take Baywatch’s Mitch Buchannon and make him a private detective? Apparently, a show so bad it had to pivot to supernatural horror in its second season to try staying afloat!
David Hasselhoff’s character moonlighted as a PI after his lifeguard shifts, solving beachside crimes in season one. When that concept tanked, producers bizarrely transformed it into an X-Files clone where Mitch investigated paranormal phenomena like sea monsters and vampires.
This desperate genre switch couldn’t save the show from cancellation in 1997. The dramatic shift from crime procedural to monster-of-the-week remains one of television’s most puzzling creative decisions.
7. Beverly Hills Buntz
NBC tried spinning off detective Norman Buntz from their acclaimed drama Hill Street Blues into this comedy-drama hybrid. Dennis Franz’s character relocated to Beverly Hills as a private investigator, bringing along a petty criminal sidekick.
The tone whiplash from gritty police drama to lighter fare confused audiences. Franz’s performance remained strong, but the writing couldn’t decide if it wanted to be funny or serious, ultimately failing at both.
Despite the star power and pedigree, viewers stayed away in droves. The show lasted just nine episodes in 1987 before NBC pulled the plug. Today it’s barely a footnote in television history, even among Hill Street Blues fans.
8. Law & Order: Trial by Jury
Even the mighty Law & Order franchise has its failures. This fourth series in the brand focused exclusively on the trial process, following both prosecution and defense teams preparing their cases.
Starring Bebe Neuwirth and featuring Jerry Orbach in his final role, the show had star power but lacked the investigation elements that made other L&O series compelling. By focusing solely on legal proceedings, it lost the cat-and-mouse dynamic viewers enjoyed.
NBC canceled the show after just one abbreviated season in 2005. When a franchise has spawned over seven spin-offs, they can’t all be winners – Trial by Jury proved even successful formulas have their limits.
9. The Tortellis
Before Frasier became the gold standard of spin-offs, Cheers attempted another offshoot featuring Carla’s ex-husband Nick Tortelli and his ditzy blonde wife Loretta. The couple moved to Las Vegas to run a TV repair shop and clothing store, surrounded by quirky family members.
Unlike Frasier, which expanded on an interesting character, The Tortellis centered on peripheral characters that worked better in small doses. The sleazy Nick lacked the charm needed to anchor a series.
NBC canceled the show after just 13 episodes in 1987. When Cheers fans reminisce about their favorite characters, the Tortellis rarely make the list – explaining why this spin-off fizzled so quickly.
10. Young Americans
Spun off from Dawson’s Creek, this teen drama centered on Will Krudski attending an elite boarding school. The show began as a summer replacement series and featured early performances from Kate Bosworth and Ian Somerhalder before they became stars.
Despite the beautiful cast and picturesque setting, the show suffered from derivative storylines and shallow characters. The privileged prep school setting felt disconnected from the more relatable Dawson’s Creek world.
The WB canceled Young Americans after just eight episodes in 2000. Its main legacy remains its theme song – “Bad Day” by Fuel – which received more airplay than the actual show.
11. Ravenswood
ABC Family tried expanding the Pretty Little Liars universe with this supernatural spin-off set in a town cursed for generations. Tyler Blackburn’s character Caleb Rivers moved to this creepy town filled with ghosts and mysteries.
While Pretty Little Liars thrived on teenage secrets and scandals, Ravenswood awkwardly shifted to paranormal horror. The tonal mismatch confused the audience, who wanted more relationship drama and fewer haunted houses.
The network canceled the show after a single 10-episode season in 2014. Caleb eventually returned to Pretty Little Liars, with the events of Ravenswood rarely mentioned again – as if the network wanted to forget this misstep as much as viewers did.