Oh, those TV spin-offs!

Some television shows were (and are) so successful, they spawned several spin-offs, some just as successful as the original, while some just faded faster than me working on three hours of sleep.

One television show than spawned a plethora of spin-offs was the classic ‘70’s and ‘80s television show, “All in the Family.”

Archie and Edith Bunker’s neighbors George and Louise “Weezey” Jefferson moved onto Houser Street, but they soon found themselves “movin’ on up, movin’ on up, to a deluxe apartment in the sky-y-y.” “The Jeffersons” was so successful it ran from 1975 to 1985.

But the Jeffersons weren’t the only ones to get their own show. “All in the Family” also begat “Maude.” The outspoken, liberated Maude, played by Bea Arthur, originally appeared on “All in the Family” as Edith’s cousin. Florida Evans, played by Esther Rolle, originally appeared on “Maude” as her housekeeper. But, Florida and her husband, James, were spun off into their own widely-popular sit-com, “Good Times.” Florida and James lived in “the ghetto” with their three children, Thelma, Michael and J.J. (who made “Dyn-O-Mite” a catch phrase of the 1970s. Viewers of “Good Times” will also remember a young Janet Jackson appearing on the show in later seasons.

“All in the Family” also gave birth to “Gloria,” a short-lived comedy that starred Sally Struthers as Archie and Edith’s daughter, now on her own with her son, Joey, after divorcing her husband, Michael Stivic (better known as “Meathead.”)

Tell me what you think:

• Do you think spin-offs are usually as good as the original?
• What’s your favorite spin-off, and why?
• What’s your favorite TV show catchphrase or commonly used saying? (Some examples: How YOU doin’?..or Nanu Nanu…or Sit on it…you get the idea.)