While a love for characters from the original show will usually be a major reason to check out a TVspin-off, some series went out of their way to avoid bringing back classic characters. This can be understandable, as despite originating from an already established show, spin-offs also have to forge their own identity if they want to be successful. Although small recurring roles or guest appearances from classic characters can be expected, several spin-offs were notable for their total lack of certainclassic characters.
Thebest spin-offs of all timecan match or even exceed the quality of the original show, and although series likeTorchwoodwere made better through theirreferences and callbacks to their origins, there’s also a lot to be said for purposely keeping certain characters at arm’s distance.Spin-offs are notoriously difficult to get right, and some short-lived series did themselves a disservice by avoiding bringing back classic characters and ended up canceled before any had time to even reprise their roles.
10Torchwood (2006 - 2011)
The Doctor never appeared in Torchwood
The sci-fiDoctor Whospin-offTorchwoodwas one of the greatest pieces of extended media in the entire franchise, partly due to its decision to keep the titular Time Lord out of the show altogether. Instead,Torchwoodcarved out its own identity as it followed the immortal con man Captain Jack Harkness and a team of alien hunters. While Captain Jack first appeared in the 2005Doctor Whorevival series, the Doctor never popped up in the spin-off series, excluding his disembodied hand that Jack acquired in theDoctor WhoChristmas special “The Christmas Invasion.”
It actually made sense that the Doctor wasn’t a recurring guest star, as his tendency to steal the spotlight would have hinderedTorchwood’schance at forging a unique identity. While the Doctor was mentioned in a few episodes ofTorchwood, he actually went as far as appearing in other spin-off shows, like two episodes ofThe Sarah Jane Adventuresand one episode ofClass. However, currentDoctor WhoshowrunnerRussell T. Davies has hinted he’s open to the possibility of aTorchwoodrevival, so the door is not 100% closed on a future appearance from the Doctor.
As the first sequel series following the conclusion ofThe Walking Dead, this Negan-led series, subtitledDead City, saw Maggie and Negan traveling into a post-apocalyptic Manhattan cut off from the mainland. On a quest to find Maggie’s kidnapped son, Hershel, they must face off against new foes and undead walkers in a version of New York City overtaken by anarchy, danger, and terror. However, this premise ignores thatNegan headed off with his pregnant wife Annie to start a family at the end ofThe Walking Dead.
The Walking Dead: Dead Citynot only avoided bringing back Annie but also swiftly moved past the topic in the premiere episode, leaving viewers endlessly curious about her character’s status. While many assumed the worst and figured that Annie and the child had died in the events between the two series, it was later revealed that Negan sent them to Missouri for their own protection. This in-universe explanation felt flimsy, and it was clear the writers ofDead Cityjust preferred making a series that could focus on Negan without the narrative pressure of also making him a family man.
8The Lone Gunmen (2001)
While Fox Mulder made a brief appearance, Dana Scully never appeared on The Lone Gunmen
The Lone Gunmenwas a spin-off ofThe X-Filesco-created by futureBreaking Badcreator Vince Gilligan along with Chris Carter, John Shiban, and Frank Spotnitz. It focuses on the titular trio, The Lone Gunmen, comprised of Melvin Frohike, John Fitzgerald Byers, and Richard Langly, private investigators who run a conspiracy theory magazine. While this trio was occasionally seen helping Fox Mulder onThe X-Files, this short-lived spin-off did not rely on Mulder and Scully as regular recurring characters.
Instead,The Lone Gunmenexplored a different side to the supernatural mythos ofThe X-Filesuniverseand was packed with eccentric characters, intelligent stories, and unique adventures. While David Duchovny did briefly appear uncredited as Mulder in one episode, the show never featured Dana Scully and did not rely on that duo’s appeal to reel in viewers. Sadly,The Lone Gunmenended on a cliffhanger after just one season, although this was partially resolved in a ninth season episode ofThe X-Filesentitled “Jump the Shark.”
7Fuller House (2016 - 2020)
While plenty of classic Full House characters returned, two names were notably absent from Fuller House
Fuller Houserevived the popular sitcom of the 1980s and 1990s for the 21st century and featured the return of most of the classic characters. However,Fuller Housealso notably avoided bringing back two major names, as Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were nowhere to be seen. Whilethis identical duo starred as Michelle Tanner across the original show’s run, in the intervening years, the pair traded their acting careers for their own luxury fashion label, and they opted to not come back for the revival series.
The absence of the Olsen twins was sorely felt inFuller House,as audiences would have loved to see Michelle among the main cast. However, the in-universe explanation for Michelle’s absence was a funny, tongue-in-cheek reference to the Olsen sisters, as Danny mentioned that Michelle now works as a fashion designer in New York. The lighthearted explanation was an enjoyable way to pay tribute to the siblings' later career while also avoiding bringing them back for this spin-off sequel series.
6Pearson (2019)
The New York legal drama of Suits was replaced by gritty Chicago politics in Pearson
While manySuitsviewers have been excitedly tuning into the new spin-off seriesSuits LA, many might not know that this was not the first spin-off series in the franchise. The short-lived seriesPearsonaired in 2019, which followed the exploits of Jessica Pearson after she left New York to enter the dirty world of Chicago politics. WhilePearsondid feature brief special guest appearances from Harvey Specter and Louis Litt, for the most part the show forged its own path away from Pearson Hardman.
While Jessica Pearson was one of the most enjoyable parts ofSuitsensemble casts, the lack of any other classic characters on the main cast meant this spin-off was lacking.Without any sign of major figures such as Mike Rossor the hilarious contributions of Donna Paulsen, viewers didn’t connect withPearson, and it was canceled after one season. With Harvey’s actor, Gabriel Macht, now appearing as a recurring character onSuits LA,it seems the franchise has learned its lesson.
5Daria (1997 - 2002)
The MTV animated seriesDariahas its origins in Mike Judge’s classic cartoonBeavis and Butt-Head. While the foul-mouthed duo were shown as classmates with Daria onBeavis and Butt-Head, this spin-off series saw Daria and her family move from Highland, Texas, to a suburb called Lawndale in an unnamed state. With a completely new setting, it made sense for Daria to no longer interact with Beavis or Butt-Head, and the show had a different style with more feminist undertones.
WhileDariashared stylistic similarities toBeavis and Butt-Head, the story of Daria Morgendorffer was much more of a slice-of-life teen comedy than the media commentary of Judge’s series. Instead of being a commentary on popular culture,Dariajuxtaposed the cynical worldview of its main character with the conservative values of her suburban life. While it might have been fun to see Beavis and Butt-Head pop up at least once, they would have likely felt out of place within the world ofDaria.
4AfterMASH (1983 - 1985)
Several major names not return for the MAS*H sequel spin-off AfterMASH
While it’s true thatMASHwas one of the most successful sitcoms of the 1970s, several notable personnel from the 4077 were missing from the spin-off sequelAfterMASH. Taking place after the end of the Korean War,AfterMASHchronicled the postwar adventures of Colonel Sherman T. Potter (Harry Morgan), Sergeant Maxwell Klinger (Jamie Farr) and Father John Mulcahy (William Christopher) from the original series.
However, major characters like Hawkeye, BJ, Trapper, and Henry Blake were nowhere to be seen inAfterMASH. While the overwhelming success of the previous show was enough to secure viewers' initial interest, too many of the most important characters were missing, and the show was canceled after just two seasons. While there were plans for Alan Alda to reprise his role as Hawkeye in a future season ofAfterMASH, the show concluded before this ever happened.
3Joey (2004 - 2006)
None of the main cast of Friends joined Matt LaBlanc on Joey
The reasonFriendsbecame such an astounding success and an integral part of pop culture during the 1990s was down to its incredible ensemble cast. With amazing chemistry and a witty sense of humor,Friendswas always going to be a tough act to follow, and the truth was the spin-off seriesJoeywas just not able to live up to the hype. While Matt LaBlanc’s characterization of the eternal bachelor Joey Tribbiani worked well in the ensemble, when this spin-off series recontextualized him as a main protagonist, things just felt off.
With a woefully short two-season run,Joeyhas been remembered as one of the most disappointing spin-offs of all time, and a major reason it failed was because it totally avoided bringing back any main characters. Without any guest appearances from Chandler, Monica, Ross, Rachel, or Phoebe,Joeywas a shell of its former self, and it destroyed LaBlanc’s character in the process. While guest appearances from previous cast members likely wouldn’t have been enough to save the show, the fact that they never even tried was a testament to how much of a letdownJoeywas.
2Frasier (2023 - 2024)
Niles Crane was notably absent from the revival of Frasier
The originalFrasierwas a prime example of a spin-off done right, which also avoided bringing back classic characters fromCheers,except for some very minor guest appearances. However, the 2023 version ofFrasierhad a major gap in its cast that stopped it from living up to the lofty expectations set by the show’s glory days. While Kelsey Grammer was as charming as ever as the psychiatrist Frasier Crane, the absence of David Hyde Pierce as his brother Niles meant the show always felt like it lacked an essential ingredient.
The truth was that the absence of Niles onFrasierwas not due to a lack of trying from the creators, asPierce was actively involved in discussions to be a part of the show early on(viaThe Wrap.) However, Pierce felt there was not enough for his character to do in the revival and eventually decided to decline the opportunity to join the cast.Frasieroccasionally referenced Niles, and its viewers hoped he would one day show up in a guest role, although the recent cancelation of the series seems to have closed the door on that opportunity.
1The Conners (2018 - Present)
Roseanne Conner has been purposely excluded from The Conners
It’s hard to think of any spin-off show other thanThe Connersthat was purposely created to actively exclude a classic character from appearing.The Connershas its origins in behind-the-scenes controversies as it stemmed from the brief 2018 revival of the classic sitcomRoseanne. While this show featured Roseanne Barr returning to star as Roseanne Conner, a series of controversial and racially insensitive posts on social media meantthe show was retooled after one season without Roseanne under the titleThe Conners.
Despite previously being the title character and the central focus of the entire show, the eleventh season ofRoseanneinstead became the first season ofThe Conners. The opening episode ofThe Connersactually killed Roseanne off, and the character was revealed to have died of an opioid overdose. This has essentially closed the door on Roseanne ever appearing in a guest role inThe Conners,and over the past several seasons, the show has managed to find success without Barr’s involvement.
