Listed below are scripted prime time series that are spin-offs from other prime-time series. A spin-off occurred when one or more characters from a series, usually supporting characters, subsequently appeared on another series. In most, but not all, cases the supporting characters from the original series became the stars of the spin-off series, and ceased to appear in the original series (assuming that the original series was still in production). In some cases, particularly when the spin-off was set in a period several years apart from the original series or was actually produced many years after the original series had ceased production, the common characters were portrayed by different actors in the spin-off than had portrayed them in the original.
A variation on the idea of a spin-off is sometimes used by the producers of a successful show when they want to launch another, essentially unrelated series. Characters who appeared only infrequently on the established show—not regulars—become the stars of the new show, which otherwise has nothing to do with the earlier series. Often, in fact, their appearance is nothing more than a promotion for the upcoming series; for example, Robin Williams appeared just once on Happy Days as the alien Mork before beginning his own series, Mork & Mindy. These “semi-spin-offs” based on occasional characters and one-time guests are indicated by an asterisk (*).
The all-time spin-off champion is All in the Family , which has spawned no fewer than five other series, three of them highly successful and two of them spin-offs from spin-offs (Gloria, Maude, The Jeffersons, Good Times , and Checking In). Happy Days is close behind with four spin-offs (Joanie Loves Chachi, Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy , and Out of the Blue) , although three of these were based on non-regular characters. Shows with three spin-offs include The Danny Thomas Show (it spun off The Andy Griffith Show , which, in turn, spun off Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. and Mayberry, R.F.D.), The Mary Tyler Moore Show , and Sanford and Son.
In the listing below, the spin-off series appears first, with the series from which it was spun off listed second.
The Adventures of Champion from The Gene Autry Show
AfterMASH from M*A*S*H
*The Andy Griffith Show from The Danny Thomas Show
Angel from Buffy, the Vampire Slayer
Baywatch Nights from Baywatch
Benson from Soap
Beverly Hills Buntz from Hill Street Blues
Billy from Head of the Class
The Bionic Woman from The Six Million Dollar Man
Booker from 21 Jump Street
Boston Legal from The Practice
The Brady Brides from The Brady Bunch
Bret Maverick from Maverick
*Buddies from Home Improvement
*CSI: Miami from CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
*CSI: New York from CSI: Miami
Checking In from The Jeffersons
The Colbys from Dynasty
Conviction from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Cory in the House from That's So Raven
Crusade from Babylon 5
*Cuts from One on One
Daria from The Beavis & Butt-head Show
*Diagnosis Murder from Jake and the Fatman
A Different World from The Cosby Show
*Dirty Sally from Gunsmoke
*Empty Nest from The Golden Girls
Enos from The Dukes of Hazzard
The Facts of Life from Diff'rent Strokes
Family Matters from Perfect Strangers
Fish from Barney Miller
Flo from Alice
*The Game from Girlfriends
*Getting Together from The Partridge Family
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. from The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Gloria from All in the Family
The Golden Palace from The Golden Girls
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. from The Andy Griffith Show
Good Times from Maude
Grady from Sanford and Son
Green Acres from Petticoat Junction
Highlander: The Raven from Highlander
*Honey West from Burke's Law
Hotel Malibu from Second Chances
I Am Weasel from Cow and Chicken
The Jeffersons from All in the Family
Jesse Hawkes from High Mountain Rangers
Joanie Loves Chachi from Happy Days
Joey from Friends
*The Joey Bishop Show from The Danny Thomas Show
*Just the Ten of Us from Growing Pains
Knots Landing from Dallas
*Laverne & Shirley from Happy Days
*The Law and Harry McGraw from Murder, She Wrote
Law & Order: Criminal Intent from Law & Order
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit from Law & Order
Law & Order: Trial by Jury from Law & Order
*Law of the Plainsman from The Rifleman
*Living Dolls from Who's the Boss?
The Lone Gunmen from The X-Files
Lou Grant from The Mary Tyler Moore Show
A Man Called Hawk from Spenser
*Maude from All in the Family
Mayberry R.F.D. from The Andy Griffith Show
*Melrose Place from Beverly Hills 90210
The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo from B.J. & the Bear
*Models, Inc. from Melrose Place
*Mork & Mindy from Happy Days
*NCIS from JAG
Open House from Duet
*Out of the Blue from Happy Days
The Parkers from Moesha
Pete and Gladys from December Bride
Phyllis from The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Ponderosa from Bonanza
The Prisoner from Secret Agent
*Promised Land from Touched by an Angel
Redigo from Empire
Rhoda from The Mary Tyler Moore Show
*Richie Brockelman, Private Eye from The Rockford Files
The Ropers from Three's Company
*Roxie from Kate & Allie
The Sandy Duncan Show from Funny Face
Sanford from Sanford and Son
The Sanford Arms from Sanford and Son
*Sarge from Ironside
The $64,000 Challenge from The $64,000 Question
Sons of Thunder from Walker, Texas Ranger
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine from Star Trek: The Next Generation
Stargate Atlantis from Stargate SG-1
Surfside Six from Bourbon Street Beat
Tabitha from Bewitched
Three's a Crowd from Three's Company
*Top of the Heap from Married … with Children
*The Tortellis from Cheers
Trapper John, M.D. from M*A*S*H
Vinnie & Bobby from Top of the Heap
*Wanted: Dead or Alive from Trackdown
Women of the House from Designing Women
*Young Americans from Dawson's Creek
Young Maverick from Maverick
*Xena: Warrior Princess from Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Zorro and Son from Zorro