Classic TV Themes: Spinoff Showcase

A break from politics, and snarky commentary is in order. And if you thought I'd scraped the bottom of the barrel for the "classic" 70s and 80s nuggets lodged in my brain, you'd be wrong.

The ultimate safe-bet/surefire-fail paradox in TV programming is the spinoff. Usually, they make a big splash, only to fade away (see #1, #3 and especially #2), but sometimes they outlive their parent, in both longevity and in popularity (#4).

#1 - Mork & Mindy - Spun off from Happy Days. This is the extended version of season two's opening (rarely seen on TV today). Season two just about killed the show, after a stellar first year. They changed time slots and most of the cast. Hey, good going.

#2 - Joanie Loves Chachi - Also spun off (and back onto) Happy Days. Very popular at first, then *poof!* I guess it was especially successful in some Latin-American countries Korea, where "Chachi" is reportedly slang for "penis." This particular video has some especially snarky exposition, alleging that the clip will induce suicide. So be careful!

#3 - Rhoda - Spun off from The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Very popular, until Rhoda got married, then sank in the ratings. And poor Valerie Harper--an underrated comic talent--never really got that next big break.

#4 - The Facts of Life - Spun off from the abysmal Diff'rent Strokes, this show may have been slightly vapid, but hey, it had George Clooney for a while! And that hobbit guy's brother!

Relive the magic. . .