Spin-offs are a popular but unpredictable approach in the entertainment industry. Studios often capitalise on the success of original TV shows or movies to create new content that explores different aspects or characters from the original.
While they can bring fresh stories, expand universes and give us more of our favourite characters, some spin-offs fail to live up to the original. The team at Slingo have analysed some of the most well-known spin-offs in entertainment and compared them to the originals to see which were improvements and which were disappointments. Each spin-off was given a score out of 10, as were the originals, and the difference between these scores was calculated.
Which spin-off TV shows improved on the original the most?
1. Spin-off show: NCIS (7.14 out of 10)
Parent show: JAG (2.49 out of 10)
Difference: 4.65
JAG initially aired as a legal drama focusing on the U.S. Navy's Judge Advocate General's office. It paved the way for NCIS, which turned out to be a more gripping series centred around a team investigating Navy-related crimes. Today, NCIS is one of the most-watched shows in the United States and has spawned many spin-offs of its own. It has a much broader appeal than JAG, scoring higher on every factor other than one, its average review score with critics.
2. Spin-off show: FBI: Most Wanted (4.41 out of 10)
Parent show: FBI (1.34 out of 10)
Difference: 3.07
Created by Law & Order creator Dick Wolf, FBI is a show that explores the inner workings of the New York office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Its spin-off, FBI: Most Wanted, focuses on the fugitive task force tasked with tracking and capturing notorious criminals on the FBI's Most Wanted list. The spin-off has managed to carve out a niche by focusing on the high-stakes nature of fugitive pursuits. Interestingly, despite having the second-largest improvement over its parent show, FBI: Most Wanted still had a relatively low overall score.
3. Spin-off show: Vanderpump Rules (5.35 out of 10)
Parent show: The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (2.33 out of 10)
Difference: 3.02
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is part of the larger Real Housewives franchise, known for its dramatic glimpses into the lives of affluent women. Vanderpump Rules, on the other hand, follows the lives of the staff at SUR, a restaurant owned by cast member Lisa Vanderpump. The shift in focus from luxurious lifestyles to personal and professional dramas among the restaurant staff has struck a chord with a younger audience, with the spin-off scoring 3.02 more than the original.
Which spin-off TV shows are worse compared to their originals?
1. Spin-off show: How I Met Your Father (2.08 out of 10)
Parent show: How I Met Your Mother (6.98 out of 10
Difference: -4.90
How I Met Your Mother was a beloved sitcom of the 2000s and 2010s, but its recent spin-off, How I Met Your Father, suffered significantly in comparison. The spin-off scores worse than the original on every metric, including viewer and critical reception. How I Met Your Father has found the original’s chemistry, charm, and unique storytelling challenging to replicate for a modern audience, and it was cancelled last year after two seasons.
2. Spin-off show: The Cleveland Show (1.96 out of 10)
Parent show: Family Guy (6.69 out of 10
Difference: -4.73
In second is The Cleveland Show, a spin-off of the hugely popular animated show Family Guy. The only area where The Cleveland Show comes close to matching its predecessor is critic reviews, with an average score of 55, compared to 58 for Family Guy. Despite maintaining some of the humour and style of Family Guy, The Cleveland Show struggled to establish its own identity, resulting in lower ratings and a shorter run.
3. Spin-off show: Joey (3.02 out of 10)
Parent show: Friends (7.59 out of 10
Difference: -4.57
A spin-off from a popular show like Friends would always struggle to live up to expectations, which was the case with Joey. Even though it focused on one of the show's most beloved characters, the dynamic wasn't the same without the rest of the gang. Joey ran for just two seasons, with average scores of 6.0 on IMDb and 58 on Metacritic.
Which spin-off movies improved on the original the most?
1. Spin-off movie: Logan (9.34 out of 10)
Original movie: X-Men (4.08 out of 10)
Difference: 5.26
The X-Men franchise has long been a staple in the superhero genre, but Logan truly broke the mould. Departing from the typical superhero formula, Logan presented a gritty, emotional story about an ageing Wolverine. With a higher IMDb and Metacritic rating and significantly more annual searches, it achieved critical acclaim and offered a fresh perspective on the fan favourite character,
2. Spin-off movie: Deadpool (9.08 out of 10)
Original movie: X-Men (4.08 out of 10)
Difference: 5.00
Years before appearing in his own film, the Deadpool character flopped when introduced in the X-Men franchise. However, this much more faithful spin-off redefined what a superhero film could be with its irreverent humour and breaking of the fourth wall.
3. Spin-off movie: Split (8.27 out of 10)
Original movie: Unbreakable (3.68 out of 10)
Difference: 4.59
M. Night Shyamalan's Unbreakable was a unique take on the superhero genre, blending it with the intensity of a thriller. Its spin-off, Split, took the narrative in a darker, more psychological direction, with critics praising James McAvoy's performance as a man with multiple personalities. It significantly outperformed its predecessor in terms of reviews and search interest.
Which spin-off movies are worse compared to their originals?
1. Spin-off movie: Lightyear (3.67 out of 10)
Original movie: Toy Story (9.54 out of 10
Difference: -5.87
Toy Story set a high standard with its groundbreaking animation and emotional depth, making it one of the most loved films in animation history. The spin-off Lightyear, which explores Buzz Lightyear's backstory, did not quite capture the same magic and charm of the original series. Critics and audiences gave it much lower scores than Toy Story, which remains a classic.
2. Spin-off movie: The Curse of La Llorona (1.89 out of 10)
Original movie: The Conjuring (6.07 out of 10
Difference: -4.18
The Conjuring was acclaimed for its intense horror and gripping true-story elements, so the bar was set high for the many subsequent films in its universe. The Curse of La Llorona failed to reach the same level of critical and audience acclaim, as many found its story less compelling and its scares less effective than The Conjuring, making it a weaker entry in the franchise.
3. Spin-off movie: Annabelle Comes Home (2.40 out of 10)
Original movie: The Conjuring (6.07 out of 10
Difference: -3.67
Another spin-off from The Conjuring universe, Annabelle Comes Home, focuses on the infamous cursed doll. The film had mediocre review scores and search interest and seemingly didn’t match the suspense and horror of the original Conjuring movie. Fans and critics often felt that the spin-off relied too much on jump scares and did not deliver the same psychological terror and narrative strength that made The Conjuring a standout in the horror genre.
Methodology
First, we built a list of well-known TV and movie spin-offs using sources such as the following:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_television_spin-offs
- https://www.imdb.com/list/ls059270112/
- https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/best-tv-spin-offs
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Film_spin-offs
- https://www.imdb.com/list/ls057818267/
- https://www.yardbarker.com/entertainment/articles/the_most_
successful_spinoffs_of_famous_movie_franchises/s1__26561069
Each spin-off was then analysed on the following factors, and a normalised score out of ten for each was given before these were averaged.
- IMDb average rating
- Number of IMDb ratings
- Average Metacritic rating
- Annual searches between June 2023 and May 2024, sourced using Google Ads Keyword Planner.
The same was then done for the original TV show or movie. The difference between the two scores was then calculated, and they were ranked based on the difference.
Note that spin-off scores are calculated relative to the other spin-offs, and the same with the originals. So, for example, while a spin-off show could perform better than its original in some factors, it may still have a lower overall score if it performs poorly compared to the other spin-offs.
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