Hidden Gems: Failed 80s Spinoffs That Were Actually Great!

Join me (Kevin) from Retro Renaissance as I uncover the best-kept secrets of the 80s TV world! Discover the unexpectedly amazing shows that emerged from failed spinoffs like "Enos," "AfterMASH," "Booker," and more. Get ready for laughs and nostalgia as we delve into these retro treasures.
Links:
ENOS / @andrewmillsap3634
AFTERMASH / @jeffvv42
Booker / @losawretro1234
FLO / @beratpekuz5299
Toretellis / @tvclassicsgamingpremi...
Day by Day / @theretrodepot
Just the Ten of Us / @lubbockbabesfan81
Checking In / @andrewmillsap3634
The Law and Harry McGraw / @dcmediadump
Living Dolls / @andrewmillsap3634
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:20 Enos
03:25 AFTERMash
08:08 Booker
10:21 Flo
14:37 The Toretellis
17:46 Day by Day
20:12 Just the Ten of Us
22:43 Checking In
34:44 The Law and Harry McGraw
27:09 Living Dolls

[@jb888888888]

Carla wasn't a "recurring" character on _Cheers._ She was a regular. One of only four characters who was in every episode.

[@SY-ok2dq]

Exactly! It was Frazier who was a recurring character on Cheers.

[@richardmark9161]

WoW I was about to point this out as well.

[@zt1053]

@@SY-ok2dq He started out recurring, but by season five he was a regular cast member

[@SY-ok2dq]

@@zt1053 Yes, but that's 4 seasons where he wasn't a regular - and many shows don't even make it to 3 seasons before getting cancelled. As I vaguely recall, he was a minor recurring character in the beginning (unlike "recurring" characters who are in say, 60~70% of episodes but are not listed as regular cast members). I think his character was only meant to be in a handful of episodes but they liked him so much they extended the run.

[@zt1053]

@@SY-ok2dq his character was big because he was Sam’s rival for Dianne. I think many viewers sympathized with him when Diane left him at the alter

[@georgesouthwick7000]

Glad to see that Jerry Orbach landed the role of Detective Lenny Briscoe on Law and Order, which gave so many viewers the opportunity to appreciate his talent.

[@AnnieBoBannie421]

He was the absolute best ♥️

[@alanmackie7012]

We loved Harry after staggering home from the pub at midnight. Had no idea it was a spin-off.

[@thedragonlee76]

He voiced cartoon characters in commercials, and most people had no idea that he did and he didn't talk about it.

[@eDDyL666]

He played a villain on the movie F/X

[@t.h.8475]

Lenny was my favorite character.

[@laudanum669]

Besides the MASH spinoff of "AfterMASH' there was "W*A*L*T*E*R" in which (Radar) Gary Burghoff stars as rookie cop Walter O'Reilly. The show only aired once as it was cancelled immediately. Then there was "Trapper John M. D." that show however was quite successful running for seven seasons.

[@rexgrl3]

The Ten of Us: the best scene was at the beginning where they enter their new home and Heather Langenkamp describes the house, "Like something out of a Nightmare on Elm Street." (She played the iconic role of Nancy in the original movies).

[@stevegallo8483]

I loved Just the Ten of Us. It was a great show.

[@juliemcarthur3004]

Yes

[@haletosis1380]

Agreed. Way better than it's parent show

[@larslan1975]

Better than Growing Pains,for sure!

[@rudolphgonzalezjr.6640]

He didn't leave the school because a run with a girl, it was he didn't get paid enough?

[@mistad333]

I liked it to. Came on TGIF right?

[@angelsinger4574]

A few bits of trivia: The actress who played Klinger’s wife Soon-Li on “M*A*S*H” and “After Mash” was Rosalind Chao. She would later go on to portray Keiko O’Brien on both “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.” The actor who played Earl on “Flo” was Geoffrey Lewis, the father of actress Juliette Lewis. He also starred in no less than seven films with Clint Eastwood. “Day by Day” featured a pre-“Melrose Place” Courtney Thorne-Smith. “Checking In” co-starred Larry Linville, most famous for his role as Major Burns on “M*A*S*H.” “The Law & Harry McGraw” would not be Jerry Orbach’s last role as a crime solver. He would go on to star for many seasons of “Law & Order.” He was also Baby’s father in “Dirty Dancing.” Orbach was also the original Billy Flynn in “Chicago” on Broadway! You can find his performance of “All I Care About Is Love” on KZbin and I highly recommend it.

[@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc]

Larry Linville was once the son-in-law of actor Will Geer, who played Grandpa Walton on The Waltons.

[@bostonrailfan2427]

…no mention of his role as Lumierre in Beauty and the Beast?

[@mikekannely2286]

I KNEW I recognized Klinger's wife in those clips.... Thanks!

[@probochronicles3991]

Don't forget he was the voice of Lumier in Disney's animated Beauty and the Beast

[@probochronicles3991]

Larry Linville had one other, lesser-known role in Herbie the Love Bug, something I just recently discovered. It was a very short spin-off series from the Love Bug movies with Dean Jones as Jim Douglas....

[@KristianWontroba]

Wouldn’t say Booker’s hair was a mullet. Great video! 😊

[@justylex]

Lol, definitely not a mullet. Actually quite short at the back (a mullet would be long), and long on top….actually the exact opposite of a mullet.

[@vincentalmojera5412]

Grieco definitely did not sport a mullet in either 21 Jump Street or Booker

[@jofoster829]

I'm not alone! This beautiful head of hair is totally not a mullet.

[@juniorjames7076]

All the girls in my high school were crazy about Grieco, they thought he was the next Johnny Depp. I was surprised that show fizzed out. VERY Very 1990s!! Damn, the '90s really had a......distinct look.

[@Robd07]

Booker was cool! If i learned one lesson in life...Say No to Drugs! Greico really had the looks and threw it all away!

[@Bill-Rocker]

Sonny (Enos) one of the nicest guys you would ever meet. He was the same on tv as real life. He signed an autograph for me and told me part of his life story as if I were family.

[@jagjr44]

Booker was AWESOME! It also included early roles for Lori Petty, Don Cheadle, Maura Tierney, and Mariska Hargitay, to name a few :)

[@seaprincesshnb]

NGL, he lost me during this shows description. Booker NEVER had a mullet. Penhall absolutely had a mullet.

[@melcraig9855]

I enjoyed Booker too!! 😁🙌

[@jagjr44]

@@melcraig9855 I have it on DVD :)

[@melcraig9855]

@@jagjr44 that’s awesome 😁🙌

[@lamontscott1032]

Booker should of got at least 2 more seasons... good job FOX 🙄😑

[@davidwilsonsr4611]

I was in traction for almost 3 months from a stupid motorcycle accident and in the hospital when "Flo" was airing. I watched the premiere and I was hooked. I enjoy each character and their and Flo's comedic timing. I'm pretty sure I've watched all 29 episodes. Of course, in all fairness, I was on a lot of strong medications during that period of my life. 😮😂

[@jb888888888]

When Polly Holiday left _Alice to star in _Flo_ she was replaced on _Alice_ by Diane Ladd as Belle. Ladd had played Flo in the film _Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore._

[@kobrakitsch877]

Good trivia call. Polly Holliday as Flo received EMMY nominations while Diane Ladd earned an OSCAR nomination for portraying her.

[@alanvallazza9781]

Diane didn't get along with Linda Lavin and quit.

[@juniorjames7076]

I was only a kid at the time, but to me Alice got real boring after Flo left and my family lost interest in watching. I remember my aunt was a huge Flo stan! We tuned it to watch Flo and Mel fight!!!

[@kobrakitsch877]

@@alanvallazza9781 That's very interesting. It explains why Diane Ladd as Belle stayed only during the 1980-1981 season and was later replaced by Celia Weston as Jolene for the remaining 4 seasons of the show.

[@marlandkennedy7747]

I hated Enos but liked flo. I stopped watching the show after she left.

[@Sugar-Coat_It_Nail_Art_by_Sam]

Great video, one thing Michael Learned was friends with Judith Light's character: Angela Bower Samantha "Micelli's" mom wasn't alive.

[@ImmortalBroken]

Thank you, I was going to say this! And Leah's character Charlie was Samantha's friend from Brooklyn. I was obsessed with Living Dolls when it was on!

[@wandamontgomery6030]

That's what I thought

[@peaceknot]

Yes! Came looking for this ocmment.

[@JCole78]

I was hoping someone else caught it.

[@aaacomp1]

Yeah it was weird for him to say it was her mom. He even called her Minelli, not Micelli.

[@justylex]

The coach in Growing Pains wasn’t a friend of the Seavers. He was a teacher/coach at Mike and Carol’s high school.

[@mackdeen7021]

And supposedly lost his job “because of a run in with a female student”…. ????? 😮. 🤔

[@villain5873]

I loved "Just the ten of us"❤. I even loved the backdoor pilot on "Growing pains".

[@chand101099]

I believe if After/Mash had taken place on a military base hospital the show had gone on longer, we Mash fans were used to seeing our beloved characters in a military surrounding and in uniform....

[@radrobd123]

I don't think so. The problem with AFTERMash is that is lacked the primary characters MASH fans wanted to see - Hawkeye, BJ, Hot Lips. Klinger was a supporting character and nobody wanted to see the priest get his own show.

[@juniorjames7076]

@@radrobd123 I think by then those actors playing Hawkeye, etc were big name movie stars acting in films. They couldn't afford them. Frankly, I'm surprised Jamie Farr didn't do more film roles. He was a breakout on that show.

[@bradyguy7701]

I agree. AfterMASH should have taken place at a military hospital during wartime...with Potter as a Colonel...Klinger as a Corporal...and Father Mulcahy as...well...a priest. Add a couple of sardonic surgeons and you might have a hit show! I'd watch that...

[@user-rg7uh9se4c]

You may be right, Chand. The switch to civilian threads and settings wrecked the characters.

[@user-rg7uh9se4c]

Neither Mash nor its TV sequel here ever mentioned Kim ll Sung. The North Korean mass-murderer/communist/leader who totally started the entire Korean War.

[@xnvaznx]

As a kid, M*A*S*H was one of my favorite shows and still is today. It struck a good balance of comedy and drama.

[@0nehalo59]

Booker was an awesome spinoff! It was cool when Booker had a 2part crossover episode with 21 Jumpstreet when he united with the old 21Jumpstreet to get Tom Hanson out of prison for a murder he never committed! Booker should've lasted longer!

[@denisenoles3159]

The storylines were awful. Glad you enjoyed it though.

[@babygirlzmommy]

That was episode 1 of Season 4 of 21 Jumpstreet. The one where he Reunited with some of them was the 2 part ( started on Booker and ended on 21 Jumpstreet) where the Jump street Guys Minus Hanson cause he'd be recognized join a moter bike group to take down the guy who was one of the main reasons Hanson ended up in Jail it was Episode 1 of season 8 of Booker Deals and Wheels and season 4 epsidoe 10 of Jump street 😮 Wheels and Deals pr 2

[@ItsFreakinHarding.]

Yeah I loved the show 21 Jump Street and Booker as well. I wish Booker would have lasted longer but like someone else said on here some of the story lines were pretty bad. And Richard Grieco did not have a freaking mullet, he just had REALLY big, great hair... with a ton of product in it!

[@barbarameyer649]

MASH was one of the greatest tv shows ever.

[@poolplayergus]

100%

[@karatalley1987]

I totally agree.

[@nicktaylor2657]

Enos and Flo are prime examples of popular characters in shows that just aren't strong enough to carry a series Good when interacting with the other cast but take that away not enough 😊

[@angelsinger4574]

Not everyone is George & Weezy, I’m afraid.

[@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc]

Enos wasn't funny on his own.

[@matthewtramp1148]

Flo did well in the first season. Polly Holiday earned an Emmy nomination. In the 2nd season, CBS moved the series to a different time slot, which caused the decline in ratings

[@juniorjames7076]

They put Marla Gibbs' (Florence) snappy character in a show surrounded by lame, bland characters that she could not bounce off. Like later in 227, Marla is better sparring with other witty, punchy, smart aleck, and (honestly) BLACK characters. WTH? Maybe they were trying to create another Benson?

[@dhenderson1810]

"Joey" is another example of this.

[@joeydepalmer4457]

I actually liked After Mash, though I did not see it tell about 5 to 10 years ago for the first time. It reminded me how hard it was for me to leave the army for civi street back in the early 1990s and still some times have.

[@zanizone3617]

I loved Enos. And I also loved how in the Dukes of Hazzard reunion movie they acknowledged it by making Enos a badass, as he was in his own show, and not the doofus he was in Hazzard.

[@johnharris3362]

I remember in the first episode of Enos he has a suspect in the backseat of his Chevelle getting the ride of his life when Enos gets close to going over a cliff when Enos tellhim he'd rather go back to Hazzard dead then shamed.

[@hurgar7596]

Never heard about living Dolls when it came out. But the fact it had 2 iconic TV moms in it surprised me. Michael Learned was the mom on the Waltons and Marion Ross was the mom on Happy Days.

[@franklincourten8281]

Michael Learned wasn’t REALLY Samantha Micelli’s mother. Her father Tony was a widower in the series “Who’s the Boss?” Michael Learned’s character was a “house mother” for the models, I think?

[@CrookedIproductions]

Michael Learned's character was a college friend of Angela's, I believe.

[@Scottj2011]

​@@CrookedIproductionsYes you are exactly right 👍

[@pablosonic892]

I was a kid and loved MASH. Different generations and we from the same era.

[@JoeyArmstrong2800]

"Baywatch Nights" takes the cake for the best spinoff ever. It's so ridiculously entertaining.

[@DCMarvelMultiverse]

Allison Pregler's channel has an episode by episode series of both Baywatch and BN. Hilarious.

[@seanm6215]

​@@DCMarvelMultiversepretty funny and she's pretty far into it to. Lots of eps.

[@nicktaylor2657]

It is missing the one thing it had going in Baywatch Good looking lifeguards running in slow motion 😊

[@williammitchell4417]

Sorry Hoff no KITT.

[@bostonrailfan2427]

NCIS, Laverne and Shirley, The Jeffersons, Frasier would like to dispute that claim…

[@roshieifra]

I never understood mash when I was a kid, but watching it as an adult, it was great. There were some really bittersweet, amazing episodes.

[@jimbobjones9330]

Yep. Huge fan of it since I was in my late 20s or so. Thought it was boring as sin when I was a kid.

[@matthewtramp1148]

Just the 10 of us was canceled because Miller-Boyett productions Who were dominating the sitcoms on ABC were promised a slot for one of their new shows on TGIF night. ABC did not have any other time slots to put just the 10 of us on for another season and that’s why the shows was canceled.

[@bostonrailfan2427]

they regretted it too, the replacements were huge flops

[@matthewtramp1148]

You are correct, the tv series was called Going Places with Heather Locklear and Allen Ruck.

[@bostonrailfan2427]

@@matthewtramp1148 there was another IIRC, either of which doomed the show…but that one in particular was the one that took its slot.

[@glam2gobeauty811]

Wow I forgot about Miller-Boyett

[@RockinEd]

​@@glam2gobeauty811 They filled the gap that Norman Lear did at CBS.

[@newwavepop]

Enos is the first spinoff i remember ever being aware of when i was a kid and i was really excited for it, i remember watching the premier and liking it but after that i only remember seeing a few more episodes and it was gone. i had the same feelings as you about MASH, my Father LOVED it and always watched it and i thought it was boring as hell and always left the room. as a kid i never even realized it was about Korea "which my Father served in" and i had always assumed it was about Vietnam. i never even knew there was a spinoff. i was a huge 21 Jumpstreet fan in high school and Booker was another show i did like and then it was gone. i LOVED Alice as well, i was growing up in Oklahoma and as a kid and my father worked at a Truck Stop out in the country beside the highway and i grew up around that place. i even got to meet George "Goober" Lindsay who is in that Flo clip there once when i was a kid, but that show always had an extra special place for me because the characters really reminded me of the people i grew up around who worked at and hung out at the Truck Stop. Flo is another one i remember but it just vanished so fast.

[@MackyFermion]

Oooh new Retro Renaissance, what a treat! Thanks for sharing your time with us!

[@Dawnsdelightsart]

I will always love mash, was a kid and was a great time watching with my grandma.

[@robertbroughton1443]

I remember my favorite line from the law, and Harry McGraw was when he asked the lady lawyer to have his prescription filled, and she looked at the label, then stated you're supposed to take 1 pill every 10 hours, and his retort was "I thought it said to take 10 pills every 1 hour, no wonder I'm feeling so good". That was classic.

[@pacotoyful]

I loved Just the ten of us! That was a great show!

[@0011peace]

seeing the name at first i though maybe it was a spin off of 8 is enough

[@vektacular]

I use to love Mel’s Diner and Flo saying kiss my grits…..damn the world was so much more fun back then.

[@vinylmisfit2165]

Little more Trivia here - essentially, the 3 you see in AFTERMash (Jamie Farr, William Christopher and Henry Morgan) are the 3 who voted to continue the show after the 11th season, the rest of the cast voted against doing more which is why they got this spin off. If there was a third series there was talks of Alan Alda (Hawkeye) guest starring, shame we didn’t get to see that in the end. I’m a little biased as I’m a huge MASH fan but I really enjoyed watching this spin off, it’s a shame it just didn’t get the viewing figures it needed to continue but I completely understand why.

[@HuntingViolets]

Yes, I liked it.

[@synthonaplinth5980]

Marion Ross was such a great 'mother' actress that no show wanted to change her name. :)

[@michaelsasylum]

Just The Ten of Us was a well liked show in my family. One of the few shows we all would watch together.

[@markroberts2277]

AfterMash was a success in its first season ,until CBS moved it to Tuesday nights opposite The A Team, which killed it in ratings.

[@scifigirl74]

You unlock a memory with Just the 10 of us. I really enjoyed that show when it aired.

[@wednesdaywork2311]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="733">12:13</a> I actually remember this episode. Since they had been using the toilets for years already, they got to keep using them legally without having to pay. They had "squatter's rights".

[@mauriceortiz8817]

There was a 70s pilot episode on Welcome Back Kotter which would have been an amazing spin-off for Lawrence Hilton Jacobs and George Carlin and Fred Grandy, which took place inna radio station. It preceded WKRP in Cincinnati. Ahead of it's time, I suppose.

[@juniorjames7076]

Damn, that sounds like a helleva cast!??!! George Carlin? They probably conflicted with the corporate suits at the time. Carlin was the edgiest comedian at that time and I'm sure he would have wanted to push boundaries on that show. They probably toned it down and created what would become WKRP in Cincinnati.

[@mauriceortiz8817]

@@juniorjames7076 yeah, George was a master at stand up. He's like the Shake a Spear of comedy

[@justken1900]

I thought that was just an episode of Kotter. That would have been a great show.

[@keithfulkerson]

@@justken1900 there's a term, "backdoor pilot", that refers to having an episode of a show serve as a pilot for another show.

[@dhenderson1810]

​@@keithfulkersonThey had another episode which was about Horshack and his relatives, which was planned to be a back-door pilot for an Arnold Horshack series.

[@drewmonroe3747]

Great subject here. Thanks for explaining the 'back-story' on these shows. After MASH and Flow were well written gems. Hope you do more of these :) 📺 Have subscribed ☑

[@rhonettem.1974]

I have not thought of some of these shows in years! Thank you for the format of this channel!

[@NickMichalak]

Just The Ten of Us was also notable in featuring three actress alumni from the Nightmare On Elm Street franchise - Heather Langenkamp, Brooke Thiess, & JoAnn Willette.

[@evelynbeveraggi8724]

Cute show, spin- off from my favorite, growing pains.

[@davidpumpkinsjr.5108]

The mascot for St. Augustine's was the Hippos. That's a clever joke that not many people would catch.

[@annenelson5656]

Good one! Too subtle for most people especially non-Catholics.

[@johnpierce2095]

i wanted a after mash more like a hour long tv special showing how they all went home and reunited with loved ones,

[@cjp1599]

An hour of Col Potter would be unbearable.

[@mammajamma4397]

I LOVED Just the Ten of Us as a kid! I recognized the girl from Nigtmare on Elm Street because I had seen just the ten of us first. I didn't realize it was only on for 3 seasons. BUT ALSO...coach dad being "fired from his high school coaching job after a run-in with a female student" definitely should not have been used as the plot kick-off for a family comedy. The 80s, man....

[@justylex]

Booker was awesome. I actually liked it better than 21 Jump Street (and I loved Jump street!). Richard Grieco was so gorgeous back then.

[@lizardog]

His skin looked like it didn't have any pores at all, smooth as porcelain.

[@gaspikefan]

I watched and enjoyed Booker back in the day! One note, though... I don't think Booker ever sported a mullet (as mentioned in this video). Grieco had a lot of hair up top at the time, but never the "party in the back" that would make it a mullet.

[@justylex]

@@gaspikefan definately not a mullet….and as a Canadian with a hockey player older brother, I know full well what a mullet looks like😂

[@moonbatt]

When I was a kid, I pronounced Enos as Anus and didn’t understand why my parents were so determined to correct me. 😂

[@dempseydog4333]

Who cares?

[@dannyfoster1623]

I only had a chance to see just a few of After Mash episodes but loved each one.

[@markelijio6012]

After MASH lasted for two seasons between September 1983 and December 1984 on CBS.

[@j.p.6932]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1072">17:52</a> I totally remember this (vaguely). Wasn’t the guy who played Greg in the Brady Bunch movie (95) have a dream episode where’s he’s the 4th Brady brother?

[@michaelr3578]

Checking In, with Marla Gibbs, was a spinoff of the Jeffersons, which itself was a spinoff of All in the Family.

[@r.j.powers381]

I reached a point where I never started watching a show until its second season. Inevitably any show I liked during the new season would go off the air after a few shows. Must have been my bad taste as a kid. Saturday morning cartoons were more reliable. But this is a fun video. 👍👍👍👍

[@JesseTiede]

Yeah, I was always diametrically opposed to the critics! If they said a show, or movie was crap, it turned out to be one of my favorites! And, when they said one was soooooooo good, well, the show generally had me puking by the second scene, and never got any better...

[@AGhostintheHouse]

I get what you are saying, most of my high school classmates loved Square Pegs and all of a sudden it was off the air.

[@rang123yea5]

The Booker theme song "Hot in the City" was written by Billy Idol for the show, and it was awesome.

[@tonyborelli.]

i think the song existed before the show

[@Scotty-Z70]

i LOVE LOVE LOVED the show ENOS. I wish it was full seasoned and more of it

[@MrKaywyn]

Very interesting. I really love those opening credits sequences.

[@andrewaeymour]

100% agree, I almost watched everyone of these. Thank you for this

[@cvill03]

Getting my life together, finding out certain shows had spin-offs

[@TheReally4rob]

Michael Learned wasn't Samantha's mom in Whos the Boss/Living Dolls. I think she was friend of the future step-mother Angela.

[@matthewtramp1148]

The characters name was Trish, she and Angela were sorority sisters in college. Leah Remini’s character was a friend of Samantha’s back in Brooklyn.

[@zt1053]

This guy really didn't do his research.

[@redbarron1010]

Wow I never heard of AfterMash. Really enjoyed this video 👍 my favorite spin off was Soap. Loved that show. 😊

[@mrScififan2]

Thank you for this wonderful video. In some alternate quantum reality, these shows are all huge hits!

[@redwillow79schippers94]

I loved Booker. Really too bad it was cancelled

[@lizardog]

If Looks Could Kill was a fun movie too.

[@spyderd8165]

I liked his show Marker which didn’t last

[@babygirlzmommy]

​@spyderd8165 I managed to find the whole Season on KZbin..

[@hatednyc]

😂 I used to change the channel when I heard that mash music as a kid, too. <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1173">19:33</a> Thora Birch!

[@SY-ok2dq]

I thought that was her too! Since I knew that she worked a lot as a child on films and TV, I thought it could be her.

[@markelijio6012]

She was now married to Michael Adler and has now been part of the Birch, Adler and Wexler families - Patricia Birch, Lou Adler, Page Hannah Adler, Gale Adler, Howard Adler, Haskell Wexler, Rita Taggart Wexler and Jeff Wexler.

[@TheeSlickShady]

Liked and subbed ❤ Excellent video and commentary 🏆 Thank you for this compilation; This is how to make great content for KZbin

[@AndyJay1985]

"Excuse me, Flo? *laughs hysterically*" - Lloyd Christmas

[@steveswangler6373]

Enos was not a “recurring” character in the Dukes of Hazzard, and Carla was not a recurring character in Cheers. Recurring characters appear sporadically, and don’t have their names in the opening credits. Nick Tortelli was a recurring character on Cheers. Carla was a supporting character.

[@bradyguy7701]

I'm not even sure I'd call Carla "supporting". She was in EVERY episode of the series and there were stories specifically about her and her family. Yes, Ted and Shelley were the "stars" (Kirstie never quite got up to Shelley's level...) but that was truly the essence of an "ensemble" show at its best. That's what made it work!

[@bradyguy7701]

Sonny Shroyer wasn't in the opening credits....he was usually listed as "WITH..." POST-theme song when the episode proper began...oddly enough, he was often listed AFTER "Ben Jones as Cooter"....Poor Sonny...

[@ENDTIMEsVideoLibrary]

You couldn't have said it better!! The beginning MASH Themesong definitely meant it was Time To Change the Channel for me as a kid too!! I didn't want ANY more MASH and was quite pleased when it went off the air as well as it's Spinoff!

[@chrischar9428]

Not a spinoff

[@ENDTIMEsVideoLibrary]

@@chrischar9428 Still hated it just as much!! It was just a Spinoff in my own mind if nothing else! That was good enough to turn the channel..

[@johnnybravado7141]

@@ENDTIMEsVideoLibrary Thank you Mr. No-taste.

[@Turnheadcough]

@@johnnybravado7141lame comment

[@johnnybravado7141]

@@Turnheadcough lame brain

[@JoseTwitterFan]

There was also Three's Company spin-off "The Ropers", especially midway through Season 2 when Louise Vallance joined the cast as Jenny Ballinger. Despite a late upward surge in the ratings, the show would ultimately be cancelled by ABC. She would go on to play Whazzat Kangaroo on "Zoobilee Zoo" and lend her voice to hundreds of cartoon shows since then.

[@evelynbeveraggi8724]

It wasn't a good spin- off, & neither was Threes a crowd, with just John Ritter. Three company was the best, with the Ropers, & my favorite Mr. Furly.

[@johnwanner1446]

After Mash was an excellent show. I would love to own that on DVD.

[@colinchampollion4420]

YUCK ~ After MASH😢

[@crazy1234573]

I loved Living Dolls and Just the ten of us. Fun fact about Just the ten of us, Bill Medley, of the righteous brothers and singer of (I've had) the time of my life from Dirty Dancing sang the theme song. I also caught a glimps of Double Trouble at the beginning....i would love more discussions of that show!!! I loved that show soooo much.

[@monicam1548]

Yes I love Double Trouble. Too bad the twins didn't have a career like their sister (Peggy on Married with Children).

[@crazy1234573]

@@monicam1548 ♥️♥️♥️♥️🤣🤣🤣 I know!!!! That would have been so cool.

[@RCHMNY1]

Double Trouble had a pre "Home Improvement" Patricia Richardson being a potential love interest for the dad

[@crazy1234573]

@RCHMNY1 I know, she worked at the dance studio and was friends with his wife before she died.

[@bradyguy7701]

@@markelijio6012 "were now acted as TV directors." Yikes. Is that sentence?? I need a nap...

[@chazarcola7639]

THE ROPERS was better than The Tortellis. JOANIE LOVES CHACHI has a cult fan base thanks to the parent show Happy Days.

[@chrisbenson906]

This one took me back. I remember watching this { Popcorn Float } Love it keep up the good work

[@e815usa]

Day by Day has the great Chuck Brady episode!

[@markelijio6012]

A wonderful episode with most of the cast/crew of the 1969-1974 TV series - The Brady Bunch.

[@jodihepler6202]

It really makes you wonder why they weren't a big hit when you see such an all-star cast. Like Living Dolls had so many famous actresses and upcoming actresses.

[@waltertrusevych9209]

and it was a decent show

[@crystalshaw8744]

And Leah Remini was good in that show and it was kinda funny.

[@tjppop2192]

Just the Ten of Us is literally the only one of these shows that I knew of which is odd because I was super into Dukes of Hazzard and Cheers. I wouldn’t put Just the Ten of Us in the failed category.

[@behindthescenesphotos5133]

Three seasons is a pretty decent run.

[@bradyguy7701]

@@behindthescenesphotos5133 Technically TWO...but who's counting. Not you....🙄🙄

[@markelijio6012]

@@behindthescenesphotos5133 As a real result, I believe in you. A year later, the series has aired on the USA Network from Fall 1990 to Spring 2005.

[@markelijio6012]

@@bradyguy7701 Have you ever take your vacation while you're away, sir?

[@markelijio6012]

@@behindthescenesphotos5133 Look, I believe in you. I do. Because I care.

[@hektorlinko]

I only remember Booker and Flo. Great video and love it all. P.S. I do remember when MASH came on and heard the theme song it was time for bed and my parents taking over the tv. lol

[@alexanderpostma7148]

Kate Mulgrew as 'Mrs. Colombo'

[@chrischar9428]

That's a whole nother mess

[@markelijio6012]

Aired on NBC Late Night for 12 seasons from 1979 to 1990.

[@chrischar9428]

@@markelijio6012 what did

[@indiefilmcafe]

Do one for Failed 90s spinoffs. I def think Models Inc was the 90s Living Dolls. Glad to see Just the ten of us got 3 seasons. That needs to be on Blu Ray

[@radrobd123]

Shows about models don't do well. In the 1980s, there was the soap Paper Dolls and the sitcom Living Dolls, both cancelled after 1/2 season. In the 90s, there was Models Inc., cancelled after one season. In the 2000s, there was The Beautiful Life: TBL, cancelled after a few episodes.

[@indiefilmcafe]

@@radrobd123 wowww you’re absolutely right. Note to self don’t write a tv show about models lol

[@markelijio6012]

I'm so glad to see "Just the Ten of Us" had ran for 3 seasons on ABC (1988-1990) and move to the USA Network which ran for a total of 15 seasons (1990-2005). Not bad.

[@DCMarvelMultiverse]

Booker was on at 10pm Sundays. Not a good bedtime for the teens and college kids.

[@chucktplatt]

I think they switched him to mondays but I’m not sure . But I did like his show along with Sunday nights PARKER LEWIS CANT LOSE !

[@sha11235]

Glad you mentioned Just the Ten of Us, which has been rediscovered on here by Retrofat Channel.

[@HHH-ye1ro]

Just the Ten of us was a big part of my sitcom viewing. Really enjoyed it.

[@tylerthompson1842]

I always feel bad for the struggles unknown actors hired for supporting roles. They get the gig, get their hopes up and it bombs. Obviously it workout well for some of them and it’s cool to see where their journey started. It’s a gamble especially a cash grab spinoff which reeks desperation. I’m sure they asked Johnny Depp first before Richard Greco and he turned it down.. smart move

[@ozzielee9058]

I remember liking "AfterMash." And, I only watched MASH sporadically. Excellent compilation & commentary. Thanks much.

[@Damsels2001]

You got me on Enos. I remember that show still till this day. Got me on another one Aftermash.

[@Bill23799]

A show that ran only one season for 22 episodes is almost the same as three seasons in today's figures.

[@indiefilmcafe]

Some of the shows he calls a failed spinoff lasted 3 seasons and I don’t feel like that’s failed

[@Robd07]

Crazy that shows back in the day were 20+ episodes a season

[@indiefilmcafe]

@@Robd07 some still are. The network shows like Law and order etc

[@Robd07]

@@indiefilmcafe ah thats right..CSI. those shows sure set up an actor for life. Look at Ice T

[@sociald4515]

​@@Robd07He's on Law and Order SVU.

[@monicamason3414]

I watched "Booker" as I was a Richard Grieco fan. I also liked "Just The Ten Of Us" & "Living Dolls".

[@julieletford5695]

Me too. I also liked Day by Day.

[@jhhone]

I love your videos. "Enos" may have faired better as a 30 minute sitcom. The one hour police procedural didn't fit with that character. Michael Learned had said if the show lasted she would have been fired and replaced with Marion Ross. She said they wanted her to be Charlotte Rae not the Eileen Ford type she played the character as. CBS later had Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore shows follow each other. "The Van Dyke Show" aired before "Annie Maguire" in the late 80s.

[@bradyguy7701]

That was an odd choice. Few dramas have spun off of sitcoms (Lou Grant, anyone??) especially with such a silly character like Enos... It was always going to be a tough sell. Imagine Gomer Pyle going to the big city and becoming a teacher...or a lawyer...

[@0011peace]

@@bradyguy7701 Trapper John, MD was drama that was spin off of Mash.

[@bradyguy7701]

@@0011peace Nope. Technically...and "legally"...not a spinoff. I've explained it a few times in other comments. Scroll down...

[@0011peace]

@@bradyguy7701 in a lter episode they did give the mash number and it was 4077 go for teh mash which wasn't the numnber for the movie so they lied in court. The Movie was 8055. So sing the TV show mash number was proof they lied.

[@jgarrison1309]

This is a terrific drinking game... take a shot every time the narrator says the word "navigate".

[@p.d.l7023]

I loved Just the 10 of Us for 2 reasons: I'm a mark for Heather L. and I was a fan of Kirkenbower from seeing him open for Gallagher.

[@censusgary]

“Flo” was, among other things, one of countless examples of how bad Hollywood is at doing TV series set in Texas. I’ve got to think the writers (and the accent coaches!) have never been to Texas. A major exception was “King of the Hill.” That animated show was an accurate portrayal of the culture and dialect of Garland, Texas, and was very well-written.

[@behindthescenesphotos5133]

And on Frasier, Roz was supposed to be from Wisconsin despite her Texas accent which is never addressed.

[@jgrab1]

The creators of Thirtysomething never visited Philadelphia until the show's second season. They said they were surprised how slovenly Philadelphia people dressed compared to the characters in the show (who looked far too "LA"). They didn't quite state it that bluntly, but that's what they meant.

[@MrJacMac1968]

Same with Mollys younger sister on Mike and Molly who was supposed to be from Chicago but had a Deep South accent

[@j.r.cilliangreen4083]

I loved Just the Ten of Us!

[@oscargonzalez8156]

Wow! Thanks! I REMEMBER most of these!!! (AfterMash, Flo, Tortellis, Day by Day, Just the 10 of Us, Checking In & Living Dolls). I was laughing about your comment about MASH because I did THE SAME THING when I would hear the MASH song (I would immediately change the channel). How ironic I became a US ARMY Infantryman from '91-'95. In DAY by DAY, I watched it primarily because I liked Family Ties. I also liked the man taking care of kids (it was something different). Who knew that I'd be teaching Second Grade now for the past 24 years! :O)

[@ElizabethPerez-zx7we]

Just the Ten of us was awesome!!!!

[@carrieannmcleod5219]

I wonder why I don't remember seeing any promotions for the show because I would have watched After Mash if I had known about it since I loved Mash and all the characters.

[@babygirlzmommy]

I remember watching it recently.. online... I just can't remember where.. but pretty sure it's out there

[@davidhooie4692]

I loved Enos! I wish it was available to purchase or stream somewhere!

[@Loveanlight444]

I haven't checked yet but the alot of older shows end up on daily motion, you might be able to find it there 🙂

[@lauried61]

I remember all of the orginals but will have to look for the MASH show.thank you

[@NickMichalak]

Honestly, Booker was great! Perfect fusion of charm, action, drama, and humor with an excellent, stylish lead. Grieco never really was able to break through like Depp, but showed he was marketable and exciting to watch. Unfortunately, the DVD set was incomplete as music licensing was a problem for the b.b. King episode, and the original Billy Idol theme song still remains missing from the show even on Peacock. At least Peacock reinstated the episode "Someone Stole Lucille."

[@babygirlzmommy]

I have Someone Stole Lucille on my dvd set..

[@skiprockjr.6881]

I was a fan of Booker. Great theme song, Billy Idol's "Hot In The City".

[@rony41165]

I wonder how the djow would have fared if johnny depp was tge star instead of grieco. He was offered the spin off but turned it down

[@skiprockjr.6881]

@@rony41165 I think it would've been doomed to fail regardless. 21 Jump Street had run its course by that time. If Looks Could Kill is free on YT here. I'm gonna watch it right now.

[@markelijio6012]

New World Entertainment didn't hit it big again until "The Commish," "Silk Stalkings" and "Renegade" - three of TV's long running hit programs for the Disney based television studio.

[@ajc5903]

Well this was a nostalgia overload😢😊

[@rizinggodfist3049]

Nicely done narration and spin-off history timelines Kevin 👍🏾👏🏾... Most of these I didn't even know existed...I stumbled on your channel by accident because I'm a nostalgia junkie too...Although most spin-off shows could have been a good addition however they also should have had better written theme music & better supporting cast members in my opinion... Most people remember the jingle of a show/product before they actually try the product... the 70's, 80's & 90's had the best and greatest marketing executive geniuses of all time

[@nashshaffer6235]

I liked Mash and After Mash. I liked seeing how they adjusted to civilian life Just the 10 of us and Checking in should have gotten a chance