10 Greatest TV Sitcom Spinoffs of All Time

The concept of a spinoff has long appealed to both television producers and television viewers. For the creators, it’s a way to extract all the juice out of a popular show. For viewers, offshoots present them with the opportunity to keep enjoying more adventures in the fictional worlds they have invested in.

The idea has been popular since the early ‘40s, before cable television was introduced. The first spinoff aired in 1941 when the character Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve from the radio comedy show Fibber McGee and Molly was granted his own program, The Great Gildersleeve.

Since then, many different genres have utilized the spinoff concept, with sitcoms being the most frequent users. However, offshoots tend to fail more than they succeed. How I Met Your Father and That ‘80s Show are great examples from the 21st century.

Here are the 10 best sitcom spinoffs that are 100% watch-worthy.

‘Laverne & Shirley’ (1976 – 1983)

Parent Show: ‘Happy Days’ (1974 – 1984)

Laverne & Shirley centers on BFFs and roommates Laverne DeFazio (Penny Marshall) and Shirley Feeney (Cindy Williams), who were first introduced in the original series as acquaintances of Fonzie (Henry Winkler). The two single women work as bottle-cappers at Milwaukee’s Shotz. As they juggle career and romance, they also deal with their trouble-making, quirky neighbors, Lenny (Michael McKean) and Squiggy (David Lander).

As Robust as the Parent Show

A witty and warm sitcom, Laverne & Shirley re-shapes the world of the original series into a delightful mischief-fest. Thanks to the endless gags and a buttery score, the détente between rival characters keeps developing quickly, followed by marvelous banter. During its run, it was nominated for six Golden Globe Awards, and according to the Television Academy, it had become the most-watched American show by its third season. Truly a gem worth revisiting.

‘Gomer Pyle – USMC’ (1964 – 1969)

Parent Show: ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ (1960 – 1968)

The name ‘Gomer Pyle’ rings a bell for fans of military boot camp movies. The name belonged to one of the central characters of Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, but it actually originated from this sitcom. As is the case in the Vietnam War movie, the protagonist of Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. (portrayed by Jim Nabors) is shown to be naïve, clumsy, and too weak to be in the military.

The Military Isn’t for Him… But He’ll Stay

Unlike Kubrick’s film, the sitcom avoids dark plots, primarily focusing on Pyle’s clumsiness to generate as many slapstick moments as possible. The character’s catchphrases, stemming from his tendency to be awestruck at the slightest things, will also have you on the floor. Whether it’s “Golly” or “shame, shame, shame!”, he keeps up with the ridiculousness. The spinoff never ranked lower than tenth in the Nielsen ratings, and concluded its run as the second-highest-rated series in America (behind only Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In).

‘The Facts of Life’ (1979 – 1989)

Parent Show: ‘Diff’rent Strokes’ (1978 – 1985)

Everyone dreams of career progress, and such was the reason given for maid Edna Garrett’s move from Diff’rent Strokes to her own show, The Facts of Life. After being a loyal servant to the Drummond household for years, Garett (Charlotte Rae) accepts an offer to become a housemother at an all-girls private boarding school. A school setting for a sitcom? That was new, yet the spinoff ended up lasting longer than the parent show.

School Is in Session

Rather than just aim for laughs, The Facts of Life provided plenty of basic life lessons, making it popular with the under-18 demographic. There is an episode with an anti-drug message and another with tips on how to avoid pedophiles. The cameos are golden, too, including one from First Lady Nancy Reagan. Much credit goes to Kim Fields, who executes one of her more interesting roles as a gossip-loving girl. The talented Rae also sheds all the glamour she had in the parent show to play a rather meek mother-figure.

‘Mork & Mindy’ (1978 – 1982)

Parent Show: ‘Happy Days’ (1974 – 1984)

Featuring one of Robin Williams’ greatest early performances, Mork & Mindy stunned the world by fusing science fiction elements into the rather realistic sitcom genre. Williams plays a friendly alien from Planet Ork, who arrives on Earth to study, and is soon drawn to a woman named Mindy, after she agrees to offer him food and shelter. It’s quickly evident that both of them carry considerable emotional baggage. How will they cope?

A Heartwarming Inter-Species Bond

Nominated for two Emmys during its run, the show strikes a perfect balance between extraterrestrial hijinks, romance, and comedy, with season finales sure to raise a smile. Allegorically handling the touchy subject of immigration with considerable finesse, Mork & Mindy surges to screwball heights, with numerous eccentric supporting characters as ideal foils.

‘Young Sheldon’ (2017 – 2024)

Original Show: ‘The Big Bang Theory’ (2007 – 2019)

What were Sheldon Cooper’s early years like? Events in Young Sheldon take place from the late ‘80s to the mid-’90s, following the child prodigy (portrayed by Iain Armitage) as he grows up in East Texas. Jim Parsons, who played the adult Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory, serves as the show’s narrator.

Less Science, More Family

Armitage demonstrates great maturity in the role, handling all the emotionally charged and sensitive material with aplomb. He constantly surprises viewers with his ace comic timing, an approach that earned him a couple of accolades. Most rewarding is seeing a return to form for Lance Barber (better known for It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), who warms your heart for his portrayal of Sheldon’s dad with some personal issues of his own. For an intelligent, moving, original sitcom, sign up for Young Sheldon.

‘Maude’ (1972 – 1978)

Parent Show: ‘All in the Family’ (1971 – 1979)

Unlike many other ‘70s sitcoms whose plots were mostly boilerplate, Maude’s titular character (portrayed by Bea Arthur) is a champion for feminism and civil rights. Living in suburban Tuckahoe, New York, with her fourth husband, the household appliance store owner Walter Findlay (Bill Macy), she is depicted as overbearing but well-intentioned. The character made two appearances in the original show as Edith Bunker’s favorite cousin.

It’s Still All in the Family

Charismatic performances and moderate pacing combine to make Maude a rousing and educational piece of entertainment in the grand sitcom tradition. The jokes and the music certainly help, but above all, it’s the talented cast that hooks you. They all seem to be enjoying themselves so much; the viewers just have to get in on it. Beyond that, the show is technically daring, featuring a few “two-handler” episodes where the only characters are Maude and her husband. One episode even features Maude alone on screen, speaking to an unseen psychiatrist.

‘Family Matters’ (1989 – 1997)

Parent Show: ‘Perfect Strangers’ (1986 – 1993)

In the late ‘80s, Jo Marie Payton was quickly gaining popularity as an elevator operator in Perfect Strangers, and when Reginald VelJohnson joined the show, straight off his Die Hard fame, the producers decided to create a spinoff titled Family Matters, focusing on the two and their family. Interestingly, nerdy neighbor Steve Urkel (Jaleel White) would end up being the breakout character.

The World’s Most Likeable Neighbor

VelJohnson registers as the kind cop who is all about family, and Payton is incredible, too, but it’s indeed a young Jaleel White who steals the show with his outrageous actions. The role deservedly made him a star, and he has never looked back ever since. Viewers could never get enough of the awesomeness, so the show remained on air for years, becoming the third-longest-running live-action American sitcom with a predominantly black cast.

‘Frasier’ (1993 – 2004)

Parent Show: ‘Cheers’ (1982 – 1993)

It was always wise to make a spinoff of one of the best-written TV shows of all time. Frasier takes us away from the bar setting of its parent show, focusing on the personal and professional life of the psychiatrist Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer). So good is the spinoff that Paramount revived it in 2023.

A Healthy Work-Life Balance

Created and produced by sitcom legends Peter Casey, David Angell, and David Lee, this calm, affectionately told comedy follows the vicissitudes of personal affairs and friendships over a long period of time. Whether it’s love or classism, the show handles all major themes with cordiality and the spirit of camaraderie. Most importantly, the importance of a healthy work-life balance is constantly emphasized.

‘The Jeffersons’ (1975 – 1985)

Parent Show: ‘All in the Family’ (1971 – 1979)

At the height of its popularity, All in the Family was simply too perfect, yet the creators added an extra spice in the form of the Jefferson family. After several episodes, it became obvious that the moneyed and outspoken dry-cleaning chain owner George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley) was too good to appear only in a supporting role, so The Jeffersons was born.

Subverting a Major Sitcom Trope

Popular Black sitcoms are known to rely on the middle-class family trope, but The Jeffersons reminded the world that minorities can be wealthy, too. George and his wife never have a dull moment. Hemsel, specifically, has just the right touch needed for a widely watched series like this, handling potentially burdensome issues with total naturalness. The spinoff also impresses by consistently exploring weighty issues like gun control, alcoholism, racism, and suicide.

‘The Paper’ (2025)

Parent Show: ‘The Office’ (2005 – 2013)

The Paper takes us to Toledo, Ohio, where the same documentary crew that covered the daily activities of Dunder Mifflin employees 20 years earlier focuses its efforts on the Toledo Truth-Teller, an iconic but declining Midwestern newspaper trying to make a comeback by using volunteer reporters. At the center of the events is the editor-in-chief, Ned Sampson (Domhnall Gleeson).

The New Office

It’s still early days, yet The Paper has already proven to be irresistible entertainment. Here, Greg Daniels proves he is still a meticulous, graceful creator and showrunner, while Gleeson ably fills Steve Carell’s shoes. How many seasons will it get? We just have to wait and see, but so far, so good. Hopefully, the show will also make a proper transition from newspapers to the digital world to avoid being stuck in the old days.