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A “backdoor pilot” doesn’t refer to some TWA navigator with an unusual fetish; it is a term used in the TV industry to describe the use of an established TV show to test the waters for a proposed new series. Confused? Here are some examples:
1. The Multi-cultural Brady Bunch Spin-off that Never Was
During the final season of The Brady Bunch, the Brady family generously relinquished most of a 30 minute episode in order to introduce their neighbors, Ken and Kathy Kelly (portrayed by Ken Berry and Brooke Bundy). The Kellys had adopted three boys – Matt, Dwayne, and Steve – in what must be the minimum amount of time required by California law. Sounds like a rather blah premise until you consider the “groundbreaking” 1970s twist: one of the boys was white, one was African-American, and one was Asian-American. Sherwood Schwartz hoped that Kelly’s Kids would be picked up as a series, but the network passed.
5 More after the jump!
2. The Original (and more bitter) Empty Nest
Fans of The Golden Girls often rate the episode entitled “Empty Nests” as one of their least favorites. This episode featured only peripheral appearances by the four principals, and instead introduced us to previously-never-seen neighbors Rita Moreno and Paul Dooley, who were going through a marital crisis shortly after their college-aged daughter moved out. Empty Nest eventually did become a series, but only after some serious re-tooling. The producers decided that the original premise would have dissolved into constant bickering between Dooley and Moreno’s characters, so they were dumped in favor of a widowed Richard Mulligan, whose adult daughters had moved back home. (Sort of made the nest not-so-empty, but why quibble over the little details?)
3. Tony Orlando goes Quiet
Once upon a time (specifically, the mid-1970s) Tony Orlando’s career was on fire; along with Dawn – backing vocalists Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent Wilson – he hit number one on the Billboard pop charts three times. For three years, the trio also hosted a popular TV variety show that attracted the biggest names in show business. Around that same time, Bill Cosby was focusing on stand-up comedy, and often worked as an opening act for Orlando’s Las Vegas shows. Flash forward to 1985, when The Cosby Show ruled the prime time airwaves, and Orlando couldn’t even get a job on the oldies concert tour circuit. The Cos graciously tried to help out his old pal with an episode of The Cosby Show titled “Mr. Quiet,” in which Orlando appeared as the head of the local community center. Later, Tony admitted that the reason this proposed pilot wasn’t picked up as a series was, simply, because his performance “stunk.”
4. Three Strikes for Who’s the Boss
There’s an old show biz adage that says “if you throw enough [censored] against the wall, sooner or later something will stick.” The creators of Who’s the Boss doggedly tried to make lightning strike twice (and thrice) with limited success. In one instance, Leah Remini – Samantha’s best friend from Brooklyn who’d never been mentioned in previous shows – came to visit. She ended up with a modeling contract by the end of the episode, courtesy of agency owner Michael Learned. (Living Dolls, the resultant series, lasted only 16 episodes and is probably remembered best as the launching pad for future Academy Award winner Halle Berry.) Another episode pitted Fran Drescher and Donna Dixon against one another as spokesmodels for a line of pre-packaged Italian food. Charmed Lives, the sitcom ABC created from this equation, lasted a mere three episodes.
5. The Nanny gets a Makeover
Speaking of Fran Drescher, she hosted her own back door pilot in the “Chatterbox” episode of her sitcom, The Nanny. Tracy Nelson portrayed an aspiring actress trying to make ends meet. She was hired as a shampoo girl at the Chatterbox (Fran’s favorite salon) owned by Patrick Cassidy, a single dad who seemed to need help raising his son. The show was little more than The Nanny set in a beauty parlor. CBS rejected the new series, deciding that imitation is not always the sincerest form of flattery.
6. A Taste of Really Strong Medicine
The Whoopi Goldberg-produced Strong Medicine was one of the Lifetime network’s most successful original series. They had managed to land a string of three former major network stars to star in the hospital drama: Janine Turner, Patricia Richardson and Rick Schroder. No wonder they got a bit cocky by Season Five and used one episode to launch First Response, an Emergency! clone about the trials and tribulations of paramedics on the job. First Response centered around Dr. Vanessa Burke, the head of the Rittenhouse Hospital trauma center, who happened to be an African-American orphan adopted by a white family. The family’s natural daughter (Katie) was a former drug addict/juvenile offender who had allegedly turned her life around and was now an EMT (hired only because her adoptive big sister gave her a break). Viewers needed a blowtorch to cut through all the plot contrivances presented in this pilot, so it’s no wonder the show was never picked up.
As you’re watching the syndicated reruns of your favorite shows, keep an eye out for an episode that features very little on-screen time of the main stars. It just may have been the producers slipping a backdoor pilot in for your consideration. Let us know of any you’ve noticed that we haven’t mentioned.
Comments (63)
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Let’s not forget about the episode of grey’s anatomy last season that was just a pilot for the private practice show. What a let down when you’re expecting an episode of your favorite show only to be hoodwinked!
posted by Kricket on 11-21-2007 at 10:01 am
Would Grey’s Anatomy –> Private Practice fall under this definition?
posted by chara on 11-21-2007 at 10:06 am
And how about the “Assignment: Earth” episode of Star Trek (Original Series), which featured Robert Lansing as an Earth-descendant alien visitor Gary Seven, here to save us (1960s Earth) from ourselves. Many of us remember our first glimpse of Terri Garr as his ditzy secretary who was also jealous of Seven’s shapeshifting “cat”, Isis.
posted by Sorcerer Mickey on 11-21-2007 at 10:08 am
The scary thing is I remember most of these Backdoor Pilots. They were so OBVIOUS…made you scratch your head and say…was that an episode of ______ ?
posted by Beth on 11-21-2007 at 10:26 am
How about “Young Americans”, the spin-off of “Dawsons Creek”? It only lasted about 8 episodes, I think… which was too bad, since the show wasnt that bad.
posted by Sarah on 11-21-2007 at 10:32 am
I believe there was an episode of Cosby that featured John Ritter and his wife Amy. I think she was having a baby and Dr. Huxtable made a brief appearance. Does anyone remember any other details?
posted by Paul R on 11-21-2007 at 10:37 am
A couple years ago, there was a CSI episode where Brass’ daughter was in trouble, and he had to go to LA and enlist the help of the local ragtag CSI unit. I think Law & Order has proved that four iterations of the same show is just a bit too much for the public appetite, thanks.
posted by ianrey on 11-21-2007 at 10:49 am
I think the CSI series did this, didn´t they? They had a killer drive from Vegas to Miami and both teams worked together on the case (although I am not sure if it was the pilot or if CSI: Miami already existed prior to this episode). I think they did it for CSI: New York also.
posted by GTT on 11-21-2007 at 10:53 am
Yes CSI begat CSI: Miami with two of Vegas’ finest going to Miami and CSI: Miami begat CSI: NY as Caruso returned to those “blue” streets. One expected to glimpse Dennis Franz at any moment.
6 Million Dollar Man begat Bionic Woman
JAG begat NCIS
Hercules begat Xena
Different Strokes begat The Facts of Life
Or are the last two just spinoffs (established character gets their own show ala The Jeffersons from All in the Family)?
posted by Pragmatic Cynic on 11-21-2007 at 11:18 am
Mork and Mindy came from Happy Days.
The Jeffersons came from All in the Family.
posted by Andy on 11-21-2007 at 11:29 am
During the sixth and final partial season of “Highlander: The Series” they were obviously searching for a female character to lead a spin-off. I think there were 6 episodes dedicated to auditioning potential female leads, including one episode with none of the regular cast. They did eventually produce one season of “Highlander: The Raven” featuring Amanda, a popular re-occuring character.
posted by Rebecca on 11-21-2007 at 11:30 am
Does anyone remember that episode of Married With Children that mostly focused on Matt LeBlanc (Joey from Friends) and his tv dad???
I guess a spin-off never happened.
I remember that Cosby episode with John Ritter! Sorry, but I don’t remember many of the details.
posted by Sweet Pea on 11-21-2007 at 11:31 am
I think some of these (on the responses) are only special apearances in order to boost the ratings of one or both of the shows.
Like having “Profiler” cast on “The Pretender”, “Buffy” on “Angel” (and vice-versa post season 3). And i think the lead from “Milleniun” also did something like this.
But none of these were bad “backdoor pilots” like Kara was reporting on her post.
posted by xixita on 11-21-2007 at 11:40 am
Sweet Pea: I totally remember that episode of Married with Children with Matt LeBlanc! I think there was a show because I remember the song “Putting on the Ritz” was the theme or maybe the title. Now that was quality television.
posted by Becca on 11-21-2007 at 12:36 pm
There’s a difference between a backdoor pilot and a spinoff. The examples cited in the comments of Mork and Mindy and The Jeffersons were not backdoor pilots, because there was no original intent to turn them into new series; the Jeffersons were just supporting characters on “All In The Family,” while Mork was just a one-shot guest star. A backdoor pilot is when new characters are introduced solely for the purpose of selling the network on a new TV show.
You’ve missed one of the first, and most successful, backdoor pilots: Danny Thomas and Sheldon Leonard, who were producing Thomas’s show “Make Room For Daddy,” had an idea for a new show but couldn’t get the network to fund a pilot. So they produced an episode of their existing show where Danny Thomas is driving through the South and gets stopped for speeding by the folksy sheriff in a little town called Mayberry, N.C. The sheriff, of course, was played by a young actor named Andy Griffith.
posted by John Carney on 11-21-2007 at 12:42 pm
At the end of season 4 or 5 of Gilmore Girls an entire episode was dedicated to Rory’s (recent) ex-boyfriend Jess’s search and uncomfortable reunion with his deadbeat dad. The show moved to California for this episode and was set up to give Milo Ventimiglio his own series. It never panned out and he’s now a Hero and probably much happier with it.
posted by Fran on 11-21-2007 at 1:44 pm
I now remember that “Married…with Children” BDP with Matt LeBlanc – it resulted in the short-lived Fox series “Top of the Heap.”
posted by Kara on 11-21-2007 at 2:46 pm
Becca, the spinoff with Matt LeBlanc was called “Top of the Heap.” It featured Matt, his dad, and an over-sexed, flat-chested neighbor (that really was the extent of her character). It lasted, like half a season in ‘90 or ‘91. I loved it, ’cause it was the crassest, most vulgar example of Fox programming at the time. I was also 12, so all the sex talk was a big draw.
posted by Mudi-B on 11-21-2007 at 2:50 pm
The Matt Lablanc show that came out of “Married With Children” was called “Top of the Heap”. It also starred Joseph Bologna as the father. It only lasted a few months in 1991. As I remember, it wasn’t too bad. But then, I drank more in those days.
posted by Jim on 11-21-2007 at 2:55 pm
Thanks for the post! I watched Golden Girls and the Nanny on re-runs on Lifetime while in college. I remember those episodes didn’t make any sense since they didn’t feature the regular cast. It seems that spinoffs (ie: CSI, Xena, and some of the others mentioned above) are more likely to succeed rather than backdoor pilots.
posted by G on 11-21-2007 at 3:58 pm
Great post!
Regarding Kelly’s Kids: Appearances can be deceiving. My multicultural kids are only one year apart in age, but they were adopted 2.5 years apart. Not all adoptions happen during infancy.
posted by Miss Cellania on 11-21-2007 at 4:26 pm
Although it was a true spin-off, when Diff’rent Strokes shows in syndication there are entire episodes devoted to the happenings at the Facts of Life School.
Regarding that John Ritter episode of the Cosby Show, I was never under the impression that it was intending to launch a series. However, I’m pretty sure that the episodes focusing on Theo and the kids and the community center towards the end of the series run were an attempt at spinning Malcom Jamal Warner off on his own.
posted by thembi on 11-21-2007 at 5:18 pm
There was an episode in Season 7 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer where they introduced Dawn to an appropriately multicultural group of misfits (obviously a new Scooby gang.) It was bizarre enough that I looked it up online. I guess they were toying with having the group become a spin-off after the series ended, but it petered out.
posted by Natalie on 11-21-2007 at 9:58 pm
I recall Dennis Hopper appearing on a _CSI:(I forget the city)_ and I was all ready to see _CSI:New Orleans_ the next fall. I think _E-Ring_ put the stop to that.
posted by Randy MacDonald on 11-22-2007 at 2:11 pm
In item 2 (”Golden Girls”, “Empty Nest” episode), “principles” should be “principals”, i.e. principal, or main, actors. Not principles: rules or standards.
posted by Cheryl Caesar on 11-28-2007 at 1:58 am
Very near the end of the run of “Green Acres” there was a backdoor pilot for a show that centered around a young girl (supposedly a friend of the Douglas’s) who went to work at a Hawaiian hotel – almost the entire episode took place in the Hotel lobby. It went nowhere, but as a Green Acres episode, it sucked!
posted by Greg Steinmayer on 11-28-2007 at 8:23 am
that’s so raven –> Hannah Montana type idea = Hannah Montana
that episode of That’s So Raven was SO BORING!!
posted by anonymous on 11-28-2007 at 10:17 am
Going back to spin-offs for just a second, Norman Lear has to be the king.
Here’s my favorite genealogy:
“All In The Family” begast
“Maude” begats
“Good Times”
(Florida was a maid for Maude.)
posted by Kathleen on 11-28-2007 at 10:42 am
Didn’t “X-Files” do at least a couple of shows that featured “The Lone Gunmen” characters? I can’t remember — did those guys ever have a spin-off of their own?
posted by Jean on 11-28-2007 at 12:19 pm
RE: Lone Gunmen. Yeah, they did a LG series that was cancelled after a few episodes. It was fun but didn’t have the same oomph as their appearances on X-Files.
posted by Raymond on 11-28-2007 at 3:40 pm
Wow, Cheryl…was that really neccesary? I don’t think the main purpose of the comments section is to edit the authors writing. Isn’t it more to comment on the topic itself?
LOVED the Buffy/Angle crossovers… don’t think they were a back door pilot, though.
posted by be nice on 11-28-2007 at 4:35 pm
What about the episode of MacGyver about the private detectives called the Coltons.
posted by angus on 11-28-2007 at 4:39 pm
Wasn’t there a spin-off from MASH? I cannot remember any details. Anyone remember?
posted by Kris on 11-28-2007 at 10:58 pm
Kris (#33): MASH had two spin-offs, RADAR and AfterMASH, neither of which were very successful.
Mudi-B (#18): The “flat-chested neighbor” you mentioned on Top of the Heap was played by Joey Lauren Adams, who is very familiar to Kevin Smith fans–I’m very glad to see she rose above such a horrid show and proved she could do more.
Regarding the Diff’rent Storkes/Facts of Life conversation above, as I recall FofL WAS a backdoor pilot; I remember Kimberly visiting Eastland on one episode and introducing the large cast of girls…and Blair for some reason was a guitar-strumming hippie rather than the spoiled rich b*tch she later developed into.
posted by Dave on 11-29-2007 at 12:04 am
Anyone remember the Growing Pains episode devoted to the firing of beloved (though previously nonexistent) Coach Lubbock?
And then, Just the Ten of Us–a sitcom about the hijinks that ensue when Coach Lubbock moves his very large, very Catholic family out to California and enrolls his teenage daughters in an all-boys’ high school–appeared on the prime-time line-up.
posted by Lesley on 11-29-2007 at 9:52 am
I sadly remember another Who’s The Boss episode that must have been a proposed spin-off, with Mona running a hotel.
And noone has mentioned The Ropers yet. Sorry to remind you.
posted by rugburn on 11-29-2007 at 10:31 am
Party of Five – Jennifer Love Hewitt moves to New York….
posted by Emma on 11-30-2007 at 11:39 am
There was an episdoe of Starsky & Hutch in the second or third season that featured Huggy and his friend trying to start a private eye business. I think it was one of, if not the lowest rated episodes so needless to say the show never got picked up.
posted by Remy on 11-30-2007 at 2:11 pm
“Mr. Ed” had a (very) early back-door pilot attempt, too. Wilbur & Ed et al visited a rustic holiday lodge run by William Bendix (a few years before he died).
“Married….with Children” also had two other attempts which didn’t go to series (like the Matt LeBlanc one did). One was about the radio station at the college Bud attended. The other was about a group of Kelly’s friends who shared an apartment.
posted by Staley on 11-30-2007 at 4:40 pm
Please don’t forget the episode of “Perfect Strangers” that featured Harriet, the elevator operator at the newspaper Cousin Larry worked. Of course, Harriet was let go and had to return home to tell her husband, Officer Carl Winslow. And so, the legend of Urkel quietly began.
posted by Chunkalunk on 12-1-2007 at 9:12 pm
I loved Just the Ten of Us. It’s a shame it didn’t last long.
posted by Lisa on 12-12-2007 at 5:15 pm
Gene Roddenberry tried such a ‘backdoor pilot’ during the run of the original Star Trek series in the episode “Assignment Earth”, which had more to do with a human-affairs meddling twentieth-century Earth-bound alien and his secretary (played by a young Teri Garr) than with the crew of a twenty-three century starship.
It might have had potential, but given the lousy ratings of its parent production, you gotta ask yourself, “what where they thinking?”
posted by faboofour on 12-19-2007 at 6:54 pm
My first thought when you mentioned backdoor pilot was the Doctor Who TV Movie, with the Eighth Doctor and a more “American” style. Needless to say, it didn’t turn out so hot, because American audiences weren’t feeling it.
posted by Emma on 2-21-2008 at 5:04 pm
In addition to backdoors and spinoffs, there were ‘crossovers’, Petticoat Junction and Greenacres both in Hooterville [nice inside joke that pssed the censors in '60s], with Sam Drucker’s store, and even Granny from Beverly Hillbillys, and the Clampetts going to Hooterville for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
posted by dleet on 2-22-2008 at 3:30 am
Though not a backdoor pilot, how about Trapper John, MD being a spinoff of the original movie MASH (legally, not a spinoff of the M*A*S*H television show).
posted by sol87 on 2-24-2008 at 10:12 am
I remember a back-door pilot on Emergency! It was called “905 Wild” and featured a very young Mark Harmon rescuing animals.
I remember a scene where Dr. Brackett and Dr. Early worked on a goat in Rampart’s ER! They had the time because Rampart wasn’t busy that night….
The network never picked up the series.
posted by Mel Geloneck on 3-8-2008 at 6:52 pm
Don’t forget “Diff’rent Strokes’” other backdoor pilot-spinoff: “Hello, Larry.” McLean Stevenson as a divorced dad who is a radio talk show host. Also starred “Afterschool Special” fixture and “Escape to Witch Mountain” star Kim Richards.
posted by Dave on 3-17-2008 at 6:06 pm
Hi Kris,
There was another spin off from MASH – Trapper John MD. Loved that show.
Tom
posted by Tom on 4-30-2008 at 8:28 pm
The Married with Children spinoff starring Matt LeBlanc and Alex Rocco DID happen! It was called Top of the Heap and only lasted a few episodes. I think MWC did a couple of back door spin offs…
posted by jamchat on 7-28-2008 at 12:36 am
Angel had an interesting “back door pilot” – for itself. The finale of season 4 was basically a new pilot to see if the network would pick the show up for another year with a drastically different premise and set of plotlines. Two characters were removed (Cordelia and Connor) and one of those was actually erased from everyone’s memory. The gang got a new headquarters, new evils to fight, new staff to interact with, and even a new dynamic (especially between Angel and Wes) since the problems Connor started never happened. And as season 5 showed, it also effectively cut him off from his “Buffy” roots, since the Slayer and her gang no longer trusted Angel and his.
Recaptcha: built beckham
posted by auslander on 9-25-2008 at 2:28 pm
“three’s company” set up “the ropers” (as mentioned above) AND “three’s a crowd” with jack meeting vicky and her controlling father mr. bradford in the last episode of “three’s company.”
posted by asif on 1-26-2009 at 5:51 pm
I think my earliest TV memory was wondering “Why are we spending all this time with Horshack’s family, and where the hell are the rest of the sweathogs?” (This was a syndicated afternoon repeat, though, I’m not THAT old.)
Also, what about the episode of Simon & Simon where they teamed up with an American Ninja!
posted by Andy on 2-22-2009 at 3:50 pm
Happy Days also had a pilot for “Out of the Blue” about angel helping a household. He helped Fonzie in some battle with the devil, as I recall.
And Green Hornet was brought in the 60s Batman series to start off the Green Hornet series.
posted by Thom Zahler on 7-6-2009 at 8:14 am
Scrolled through the comments and did not see mention of “Joey” the spinoff from “Friends.” What a horrible show. Think it only lasted a season.
posted by Lori on 7-6-2009 at 9:26 am
How about the episode of the Simpsons where Jon Lovitz guest-starred as the movie critic for the Springfield Film Festival? This went on to become “The Critic” which barely lasted a season, if I recall.
Great Simpsons episode though. “Scooby-Doo can doo-doo, but Jimmy Carter is smarter!”
posted by Bert on 7-6-2009 at 10:47 am
There was one on CHIPs about a group of cops who were all martial arts experts. They all became ninjas and had to stop a mad scientist. I was hping it would become a series. You cant beat ninja cops in LA.
posted by sargelegg on 7-6-2009 at 11:43 am
There was one episode of JAG where they had the future NCIS team investigate a murder. Lo and behold, NCIS started as a primetime show the next season.
posted by band_nerd on 7-6-2009 at 12:23 pm
HAHAHA, thank you band_nerd! I can’t believe it took the entire list for someone to mention the JAG/NCIS connection! I was/am addicted to both shows and distinctly remember the two part episode where Gibbs investigated Rab for the death of the (w)itchy lawyer no one liked (but was his wife in real life).
posted by Hastings on 7-6-2009 at 1:11 pm
And more recently NCIS spawns their own spinoff thru a backdoor pilot that teamed them up with another NCIS unit.
posted by PartiallyDeflected on 7-6-2009 at 1:13 pm
The Joey Lawrence character from Blossom came from a previous series, Gimme a Break. Starred a loud no nonsense lady named Nell as a housekeeper for Joey and his younger brothers.
The Cosby show did a spin off of college kids called “its a different world”…
posted by jlm on 7-6-2009 at 1:33 pm
Soo many getting things wrong on the internet…I must…correct…them…
This article is about “Backdoor Pilots”, NOT spin-offs of existing characters/plotlines…Example: there was no episode of “Friends” which centered on Joey contemplating moving to California without any of the other friends involved, “Joey” was simply a spin-off.
“The Critic” was already on the air as a stand-alone series when Jon Lovitz’s character guest starred on the Simpons…this was simply a cross-over (in hopes to bring more viewers to “the Critic” I am sure”)
“Las Vegas” had an episode where most of the cast met up with their New Orleans counterparts and fought cheaters/crime/etc in the bayou…I thought it was odd that they introduced so many new characters and were in a different city…that might have been a backdoor pilot that never caught on
posted by Wow on 7-6-2009 at 2:16 pm
I remember reading in a book about the 1966 Batman show, that the episode with Batgirl was originally shot as a pilot, but by that time Batmania was coming to an end and they eventually just worked her into the show. Can anyone confirm this?
posted by Matt B. on 7-6-2009 at 2:47 pm
Wow— was it really necessary to mention that you had to correct people’s errors?
And who really cares if a conversation about spin-offs is sparked by an article about back door plots. It’s all basically the same thing, one TV show leading to another, or one character appears on another show.
Must people be so critical of other people’s comments. It’s not like we are publishing a paper in the New York Journal of Medicine here.
posted by Dark Wonder on 8-19-2009 at 11:00 pm