10 Longest-Running TV Spin-Offs, Ranked

Spin-offs never have it easy. Expanding the world of an already popular show is tricky stuff because audiences expect familiar characters and themes while also demanding something new. If a spin-off leans too heavily on the original, it feels like a lazy cash grab. If it strays too far, people start wondering why the connection exists at all. That’s why so many of them crash and burn after a season or two.

Not all spin-offs suffer the same fate, though. Every once in a while, a spin-off manages to pull off the impossible and outlasts the very show that inspired it. This is a list of the longest-running TV spin-offs that survived the shadow of their predecessors and built legacies of their own.

10

‘Better Call Saul’ (2015–2022)

Better Call Saul successfully filled the Breaking Bad-shaped hole in people’s hearts. It’s one of those rare shows that completely redefined the world of the original, and not in a bad way. The series serves as a prequel to Breaking Bad and follows struggling lawyer Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk), who is trying to leave behind his past as a small-time con artist. At first, Jimmy works as a public defender and takes on low-paying clients, but over time, his desperation forces him to make increasingly questionable decisions. Jimmy eventually turns into the notorious criminal lawyer Saul Goodman, and the show follows every step of this transformation.

The great thing about Better Call Saul is that it’s an intense character study, just like its predecessor. Saul’s complex relationships with Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn), Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks), and Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) drive the narrative and pull him deeper into the criminal underworld. At the same time, the show carefully lays the foundation for plot points that would later expand in Breaking Bad, which goes to show how intentional the writing is. Better Call Saul ran for six successful seasons and culminated in a finale that remains unforgettable even three years later.

9

‘Private Practice’ (2007–2013)

Private Practice was a spin-off of Grey’s Anatomy that followed the fan-favorite Dr. Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) after she decided to leave Seattle Grace and relocate to Los Angeles to join the collaborative private medical practice, Oceanside Wellness Group. There, the surgeon works alongside a team of specialists, including pediatrician Cooper Freedman (Paul Adelstein), psychiatrist Violet Turner (Amy Brenneman), fertility expert Naomi Bennett (Audra McDonald), and cardiothoracic surgeon Sam Bennett (Taye Diggs). Now, it’s important to remember that Private Practice is a very different show compared to its predecessor.

Instead of leaning on high-stakes surgical drama, the spin-off explores complex ethical cases involving fertility treatments, therapy, and family medicine. However, similar to Grey’s Anatomy, the doctors at Oceanside often face difficult moral choices, and their personal lives intersect with their professional responsibilities. The spin-off ran for six seasons and definitely managed to carve out an identity completely outside of Grey’s Anatomy. Not to mention that it gave Addison Montgomery the character arc and emotional closure she deserved.

8

‘Young Sheldon’ (2017–2024)

The success of Young Sheldon shows that even a sitcom as popular as The Big Bang Theory can expand its world without cheapening the original. The series stands as a prequel and follows Sheldon Cooper (Iain Armitage) as a nine-year-old genius growing up in East Texas during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The show picks up with Sheldon already being far more intelligent than everyone around him and beginning high school at an unusually young age. Alongside his journey as a young prodigy, the spin-off also focuses on Sheldon’s family as they try to keep up with him. The Cooper household includes Sheldon’s extremely religious mother, Mary (Zoe Perry), football-coach father George Sr. (Lance Barber), rebellious older brother Georgie (Montana Jordan), and twin sister Missy (Raegan Revord), all of whom struggle in different ways to understand Sheldon’s unique personality.

Instead of relying on rapid-fire jokes like the original, Young Sheldon takes a character-driven approach to comedy. Over seven seasons, the show evolves from a lighthearted coming-of-age sitcom to an extremely heartfelt exploration of relatable family dynamics as the Cooper family faces major life changes. By the time Sheldon finally leaves Texas for Caltech at the age of just 14, it’s heartbreaking for the audience to say goodbye, even when they know what the future holds for him.

7

‘Laverne and Shirley’ (1976–1983)

Everyone can agree that Laverne and Shirley is one of the most successful TV spin-offs of all time. The show grew from a supporting storyline on Happy Days and ran for eight hilarious and heartwarming seasons. The spin-off follows best friends and roommates Laverne DeFazio (Penny Marshall) and Shirley Feeney (Cindy Williams), who work as bottle cappers at the fictional Shotz Brewery in late-1950s Milwaukee. The series revolves around their chaotic everyday lives that include constant workplace mishaps, awkward romances, and their regular feuds with their neighbors, Lenn​​​​​​​y (Michael McKean) and Squiggy (David Lander).

Laverne and Shirley was one of the most accurate representations of girlhood long before it became an internet trend. The show featured two strong female leads at a time when sitcoms often reduced women to the butt of the joke. That’s not to say Laverne and Shirley didn’t feature their fair share of slapstick humor, but the show also captured the beauty of female friendships as the two roommates worked to build their lives on their own terms.

6

‘CSI: Miami’ (2002–2012)

CSI: Miami proved that the success of the original CSI: Crime Scene Investigation wasn’t a fluke. The show takes the franchise’s forensic-driven storytelling to Las Vegas and follows Lieutenant Horatio Caine (David Caruso) as he leads an elite team of investigators in the Miami-Dade Police Department’s Crime Scene Investigation unit. The series explores the dark underbelly of Miami. Just like the original, each episode follows the team as they carefully piece together evidence to solve cases ranging from organized crime to drug rings and murders.

The show is remembered for its distinct visual identity that featured bright visuals and oceanfront locations to authentically capture the energy of Miami. This combination of flashy storytelling and larger-than-life cases definitely calls for some suspension of disbelief, but that’s also part of the appeal here. CSI: Miami ran for 10 seasons and is still considered one of the most popular entries in the CSI franchise.

5

‘Frasier’ (1993–2004)

Fraiser is the third and arguably the most successful Cheers spin-off. The series follows psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer), who leaves Boston and returns to his hometown of Seattle to start a new chapter in his life. He begins hosting a call-in psychiatry radio show at station KACL while trying to sort out his own increasingly complicated personal life. However, his plans take a turn when his father and retired police detective, Martin (John Mahoney) move into his apartment along with his live-in physical therapist, Daphne Moon (Jane Leeves).

Fraiser also reconnects with his younger brother, Niles (David Hyde Pierce), and the constant clash between the brothers and their father becomes the heart of the show. No modern sitcom can even come close to Frasier in terms of its clever writing and focus on character development. Sure, the show is witty and hilarious, but at its core, it’s about family, relationships, and the effort it takes to understand others. Across its impressive 11-season run, Fraiser became one of the most celebrated sitcoms of its time and won 37 Primetime Emmy Awards.

4

‘The Jeffersons’ (1975–1985)

The Jeffersons isn’t just a great spin-off. It’s also one of the best sitcoms ever made. The show follows George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley) and his wife Louise “Weezy” (Isabel Sanford), who were originally introduced as neighbors on All in the Family. After George’s dry-cleaning business becomes successful, the couple moves into a luxury high-rise apartment in Manhattan, and the series centers on their brand-new life with a bunch of eccentric neighbors. The great thing about the spin-off is that it doesn’t drastically change its characters’ personalities.

George’s signature humor is carried on from the original show and remains the heart of The Jeffersons till the very end. Weezy, on the other hand, is more level-headed and keeps her husband grounded. However, beneath all the laughs and memorable running gags, The Jeffersons often tackles serious social issues, including racism and class mobility, which turned it into something much more meaningful than just another sitcom. The show had an impressive 11-season run and outgrew the shadow of its parent show, which is all one needs to know about its success.

3

‘NCIS’ (2003–Present)

People almost forget that NCIS began as a spin-off of the legal drama JAG, because it has completely outshone its predecessor. NCIS follows a team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service who handle high-profile cases connected to the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. The earlier seasons center on Supervisory Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), a former Marine sniper whose team includes Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), the brilliant forensic scientist Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette), medical examiner Dr. “Ducky” Mallard (David McCallum), and computer specialist Timothy McGee (Sean Murray).

Each episode begins with a mysterious death and sends the crew off on a high-stakes investigation as they race against time. Over time, the show expands beyond its episodic format and focuses on the relationships within the team. This mix of suspenseful cases and genuine character development is what makes NCIS stand out in the crowded landscape of television procedurals. The series is one of the longest-running and most successful dramas in TV history, and has been successful enough to spawn an entire franchise of its own.

2

‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’ (1999–Present)

Law & Order: Special Victims, also known as SVU, is proof that sometimes, a spin-off can become more popular than the show that created it. The series began as an expansion of Dick Wolf’s Law & Order universe. It follows an elite squad of detectives in the NYPD who investigate sex-based crimes. SVU initially centered on the partnership between the detectives Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) and Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay), who were both dealing with personal demons while trying to bring justice to victims. Though over the years, the show has included several unforgettable characters, including John Munch (Richard Belzer), Fin Tutuola (Ice-T), along with a rotating group of prosecutors, psychologists, and detectives who help bring justice to survivors.

SVU has gone on to become the longest-running primetime live-action drama in American TV history, with 27 seasons and counting. Many spin-offs struggle to justify their existence. However, SVU expanded its original franchise and drew inspiration from real crimes to tell stories that genuinely matter. This realism is why the show continues to resonate with the audience decades later.

1

‘The Simpsons’ (1989–Present)

Before it was TV’s longest-running scripted primetime series, The Simpsons was once just a collection of rough shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show. These bite-sized depictions of Homer’s trademark incompetence set the foundation for what would be the most iconic animated sitcom for adults ever. In Springfield, Homer is far from the only focus, as a variety of characters experience the everyday chaos that make up its approximation (and parody) of American culture.

Over decades, The Simpsons redefined what animation could be, paving the way for future series aimed at adults. Several viewers may have long forgotten or were never even aware of The Tracey Ullman Show, but The Simpsons is an instantly recognizable title around the world. It remains the gold standard for how far a spinoff can go.