When a TV show hits it off well, the directors find alternatives to capitalize on the cash cows. These popular series are like a gold mine that they can’t stop digging. Spin-offs are quite the thing nowadays and these productions didn’t want to miss out on any opportunity. So they picked up a beloved character and pushed out a new show out of the existing one. Some of them even got a pilot episode, while some never saw the daylight. Here are the 10 TV series whose spinoffs got cancelled.
Gossip Girl
“Gossip Girl” won almost everyone’s heart immediately with its glamorous and sinister depiction of the Upper East Side. The stunning characters, scandalous plot and chic wardrobe helped the show earn a massive viewership. Its reboot is one of the most anticipated shows that is expected to air in 2021. But back then, GG had plans to dig deeper into the rebellious past of the sassy and poised Lilly Rhodes. “Valley Girls” would have featured Lily and Carol and centred on their shenanigans. The flashback episode in the second season of “Gossip Girl” was a backdoor pilot for the nixed spin-off.
How I Met Your Mother
This light-hearted sitcom was accepted by viewers with open arms from day one. Everybody loved the idea of watching how Ted Mosby’s hilarious and goofy life led to his future wife. As the show kept pushing out more and more seasons with no trace of the titular mother except her yellow umbrella, fans began to lose their interest. They finally introduced the mother in the final season for merely a few episodes, only to kill her later. After tormenting us with suspense for almost a decade, the creators had envisioned to make “How I Met Your Father”. But the network had enough of it and decided to kiss this drama goodbye.
Friends
It’s been about 16 years since the hit sitcom ended, but fans can’t stop revisiting it and buying its merchandise. It earned a massive viewership and is still making big bucks from the royalties. “Friends” attempted to make two spin-offs, out of which only one got to air. While “Joey” saw the titular character moving to LA to pursue his dreams, the second one, titled “Girlfriends”, featured Phoebe and Ross’ ex Charlie.
The Office
Any show that is akin to the beloved show, “The Office” would have probably received a warm welcome from the audience. “The Farm” was set up in the ninth season of the original show, episode 17, at Aunt Shirley’s funeral. It was supposed to star Dwight’s brother, played by Thomas Middletech from “Silicon Valley”, Rainn Wilson and Majandra Delfino.
Prison Break
The spectacular drama “Prison Break” wanted to continue its thriller-filled saga through the eyes of a lesser-known character Molly. Titled, “Prison Break: Cheryl Hill”, it would have centred on the women’s prison. But the project got nixed due to Molly’s lack of popularity and influence.
Star Trek
Screenwriter Gene Roddenberry had introduced a time-traveller in the second season finale. Its purpose was not to continue with the classic show, but to star in its spin-off. The title of this dream project was “Assignment: Earth”, but Gene couldn’t convince the producers to give a green signal.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Long before “WandaVision” or “Loki” hit Disney+, several Marvel series struggled to get legitimate recognition from MCU. While they often referred to the storyline in the movies, the same treatment wasn’t reciprocated. Before some of these shows got cancelled, a spin-off was set to hit the small screen. “Marvel’s Most Wanted” is an unaired show that starred Bobbi Morse and Lance Hunter.
Smallville
Aquaman is one of the oldest characters in DC Comics. But he has undergone a great deal of struggle to get accepted like Batman and Wonder Woman. The man in the green and orange outfit with bleached blonde hair, who could only ride fish, was a joke among fans for the longest period. It wasn’t until the stunning Jason Momoa came into the picture and made Aquaman cooler. Before him, the character was to be played by Alan Ritchson in the “Aqua” television series. This project stemmed from “Smallville”, season five, episode “Aqua”.
Gilmore Girls
The spin-off project of this classic hit was pretty close to getting executed. It was supposed to follow one of the existing characters, Jess Mariano, played by Milo Ventimiglia. He had taken his exit from the show and started preparing for “Windward Circle”. Once the productions began, the studio realized the expenses and decided not to move forward.
Doctor Who
Rose Tyler was given a befitting and emotional farewell in “Doctor Who”. But the showrunners weren’t done with her completely and wanted to revive the character in a special holiday series titled “Rose Tyler: Earth Defence”. But the producers turned down the proposal as they didn’t want to undermine the emotional parting.
