From 'Frasier' to 'The Simpsons', we'd argue that several spin-offs have surpassed their predecessors. If you go back through the history of the small-screen, we’d argue that several spin-offs have surpassed their predecessors. Here’s our pick.
Xena: Warrior Princess
Just like the aforementioned Frasier, Xena was only supposed to have a brief tenure on television. In fact, the original intention was for her to appear as a villain in just three episodes of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys’ first season. It didn’t take long for its creators to see the massive potential in the character, though.
Not only did they turn her into a hero over this three episode arc, but work immediately began on the spin-off series, Xena: Warrior Princess, which debuted less than a year after Hercules’ pilot. The six seasons and 134 episodes of Xena went on to make much more of a cultural impact, too. Thanks to the help of its devout fanbase, star Lucy Lawless became an icon, it was followed by its own comic-book series, and was a huge influence in the direction of other television series, especially when it came to the depiction of female characters.