In a message dated 6/28/2010 11:01:21 A.M. Central Daylight Time, wbmutbb-requ...@wbmutbb.com writes:
I was just thinking about how Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. was a spinoff of TAGS and wondering if anybody out there knows if this was the first time a spinoff of a sitcom was made. Putting on my bucket (like Gomer did in the spinoff pilot)... "The Andy Griffith Show" itself was technically a spinoff of "Make Room for Daddy" (known at that point as "The Danny Thomas Show"), even though Andy and Opie were only one shot characters. But some people argue that shouldn't count (I say it does). Anyway, there was a notable spinoff that premiered on CBS in 1960, same time as Andy: "Pete and Gladys," a spinoff of "December Bride." Pete, played by Harry Morgan (best remembered as Colonel Potter from "M*A*S*H"), was the next door neighbor on "Bride" and often mentioned his unseen wife Gladys, but on the show she was actually played by an actress as a Gracie Allen-type. Some might argue that "The Lucy Desi Comedy Hour" was a spinoff of "I Love Lucy," but I'm not so sure I would agree with that. A few series got their starts as one shot episodes of "Desilu Playhouse," including "The Untouchables" and "The Twilight Zone." In old time radio, what's considered the first spinoff as we would know one, happened to be a radio show that's been much discussed here on the Digest lately: "The Great Gildersleeve." Gildy was the next door neighbor on "Fibber McGee and Molly" before he moved away to another small town and got his own series in 1941. "The Beulah Show" was another spinoff featuring a character introduced on "Fibber McGee and Molly." Many consider "A Day in the Life of Dennis Day" and "The Phil Harris/Alice Faye Show" to be spinoffs of "The Jack Benny Show." Dixon _______________________________________________ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
