TV Shows and Spin-offs, Part Three

In this third installment, the two television series discussed will be The Beverly Hillbillies and Law and Order. The first hub examined The Andy Griffith Show and All in the Family. The second hub examined Star Trek and Dragnet.

The Beverly HIllbillies and Law and Order are not of the same genre yet they are similar in many ways.  They each intertwine casts and sets of their respective "sister" shows from time to time.

The fourth hub discusses NCIS and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, both very popular crime dramas highlighting the investigative portion of solving the crime.

The Beverly Hillbillies had two "sister" shows rather than spin-offs. One of these "sister" shows is Green Acres. This "sister" comedy enjoyed a moderate run on television from 1965 to 1971. One of the concepts shared by both The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres involved a "fish out of water" situation.

The backwards country bumpkins of The Beverly Hillbillies suddenly become wealthy and move to the plush surroundings of Beverly Hills, California. The sophisticated New York attorney and his spoiled Hungarian wife of Green Acres follow his dream of owning a farm by moving to the small town of Hooterville. Both shows followed the exploits of each family as they tried to fit in with their new environment.

The second "sister" show is Petticoat Junction can be considered a spin-off of Green Acres. This show is also set in Hooterville. Three sisters live here with their uncle who happens to own a hotel. The town revolves around a train named "The Cannon Ball'. This series also included three characters from Green Acres.

There have been several actors to appear in all three shows. Bea Benaderet played Jethro's mother, Pearl, in The Beverly Hillbillies as well as playing Kate Bradley in both Green Acres and Petticoat Junction. One actor in particular to portray the same character in all three shows is Frank Cady who played general store owner, Sam Drucker. There are probably more actors to crossover series lines who cannot be mentioned here.

All three of these "country comedies" were Filmways presentations. They were also created or co-created by the same individuals.

Arguably the most popular crime drama of the past twenty years has several "sister" shows which are probably considered spin-offs. Stories involving the characters played by the same actors cross into the other shows.

Law and Order: Special Victims Unit involves NYPD detectives who specialize in sex-related crimes. Dan Florek left the original series to appear as a regular in this one.

Law and Order: Criminal Intent is perhaps an exact opposite of the original series. The original series gives the view of the criminal justice system from the authorities point of view. Criminal Intent gives the view of the criminal justice system from the criminal's point of view. Chris Noth left the original series to appear in this one.

Law and Order: Trial by Jury was the shortest-lived show related to the flagship series. This series detailed the judicial system beginning with the suspect's arraignment and ending with the attorneys preparing witnesses for the trial. Some of the details depicted include investigating the case and the attorneys actually building the case for or against the defendant. Jerry Orbach had left the original series to appear in this one and had filmed a couple of episodes before his death in 2004. Perhaps his death contributed to the quick demise of this series.

The most recent "birth" in the Law and Order family is Law and Order: Los Angeles. From what I understand, this series is just a west coast version of the original series with a different set of characters. Time will tell if this series will be as successful as its oldest two siblings.

© 2010 Tammy L