It is more common today for a show to splinter off from its original to make a spin-off that takes place in the same universe as the original. The biggest examples are Grey’s Anatomy, NCIS, and the ever-expanding Law and Order universe, which has several versions. Shows do this to give a character their own show or to explore the same set-up in a different location with new characters. It’s a good way to expand the lore and stories that the writers have created.

For a handful of shows, these spin-offs can have the potential to overshadow the original or make people forget that the spin-off wasn’t the original. One show that was like this is George & Mildred. The British sitcom, which ran from 1976 to 1979, followed the lives of married couple George and Mildred Roper. The show was a huge success and even had its own feature-length film. It had an unfortunate ending, as before they were able to film the sixth and final series, Yootha Joyce, who played Mildred, died unexpectedly. What many forget is that this show was a spin-off from Man About The House. A sitcom in which George and Mildred were minor characters. It isn’t the only spin-off Man About The House produced. There was Robin’s Nest, which focused on Robin trip and his career as a cook. It ran six series and was a success, but not as much. George and Mildred were two characters with amazing on-screen chemistry. Their comedic timing was spot on, and they were the best part of Man About The House. Giving them their own show was the best choice. They never had a bad episode. They ruled the screen. That’s why if you go through the TV today, you’ll most likely find a rerun of George & Mildred over Man About The House or Robins Nest.

Sometimes a spin-off outlasts its original show. An example is Law and Order SVU. A police procedural set in the NYPD’s Manhattan Special Victims Unit branch. It launched in 1999 and has been running strong ever since, with the new Season 26 coming out on 3rd October. The stories it focuses on are much darker than the original Law and Order. It has an ensemble of colourful characters and is led by the truly amazing Captain Olivia Benson. The true crime element might be what gives SVU the edge over the other spin-offs and original shows. It makes you care about the victims and how all the traumatic cases take their toll on the officers. OG has been cancelled and revived, but SVU takes the lead with more seasons than the original, with Law and Order only having 23 seasons.

What makes these spin-offs so successful is the fact they took characters or a concept that made the original show a success and expanded on it to make it a whole show. It is rare that it happens, but when it does, you know that show will be top-notch.

On the other hand, there’s shows that have spin-offs that don’t last as long or aren’t as successful as the original. This has happened with Greys Anatomy. The long-running medical drama, which has been going since 2005, has produced two spin-off shows. Private Practice and Station 19. Both shows have had successful runs, but Private Practice ran from 2007 to 2013, and Station 19 first aired in 2018 and will end this year. They focused on a character we knew from Greys in a different environment, and it worked. Especially Private Practice, which should have gone on longer. Unfortunately, Greys is back to being the solo show in that universe.