Today, we look at five TV shows that air in syndication as a whole other show (complete with the theme song of the other show).
In Drawing Crazy Patterns, I spotlight at least five things from pop culture that fit under a specific theme (basically, stuff that happens frequently enough to be worth pointing it out). Note that these lists are inherently not exhaustive. They are a list of five examples (occasionally I’ll be nice and toss in a sixth). So no instance is “missing” if it is not listed. It’s just not one of the five examples that I chose. You can always feel free to suggest ANOTHER example that fits the theme, if you’d like, but nothing is “missing” from this list.
TWO EPISODES OF THE ROPERS AIR AS THREE’S COMPANY EPISODES
This is the most fascinating one of the bunch, as these are the only instances where the spinoff show, The Ropers, actually DOES have its own syndication package, but two episodes were still looped into the Three’s Company syndication package, as well (the pilot of The Ropers, perhaps to explain to viewers of the syndication package where they went and then the one episode of The Ropers where the Three’s Company cast had a prominent role, as they help Stanley throw a surprise party for Helen).
Chrissy teaching Stanley how to disco dance is quite something…
THE SHORT-LIVED RICHIE BROCKELEMAN, PRIVATE EYE AIRED AS ROCKFORD FILES EPISODES
Future major film director, Dennis Dugan, was spun off from The Rockford Files into his own series as the very young private eye, Richie Brockelman…
Richie Brockelman, Private Eye did not last that long, so during the 1980s, at the height of The Rockford Files‘ syndication deal, the five or so episodes (one was a two-hour episode, so it might technically be six syndication episodes) were lumped into The Rockford Files syndication package.
In the years since, I believe they’ve since been removed.
THE TED KNIGHT SHOW AIRED AS TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT EPISODES
The Ted Knight Show was an attempt to re-tool Too Close for Comfort after five seasons, paring down the cast dramatically. However, Ted Knight tragically died before the second season even started to air, so in syndication, The Ted Knight Show just gets treated as the sixth season of Too Close for Comfort…
THE JACKEE PILOT AIRED AS A 227 EPISODE
This is a simple one. There was only a single pilot episode of Jackee Harry’s spinoff from 227, Jackee, so it was very simple to just loop it into the 227 syndication package as a Jackee spotlight/sendoff episode near the end, as Harry left the series midway through the final season…
GOOD MORNING, MISS BLISS AIRED AS SAVED BY THE BELL EPISODES
Good Morning, Miss Bliss was a Disney Channel vehicle for Hayley Mills with her as a junior high teacher. It only lasted a season. The kids from the show, though (and Dennis Haskins as the principal of the school), were then given their own show called Saved by the Bell.
Saved By the Bell was a bit light, syndication-package wise, so they looped into the Good Morning, Miss Bliss episodes, as well, with Mark-Paul Gosselaar doing new introductions for them…
Okay, folks, if you have suggestions for a future Drawing Crazy Patterns, drop me a line at brian@popculturereferences.com!
This might seem like an odd statement, but I preferred the “Good Morning, Miss Bliss” episodes to the high school episodes. Miss Bliss and Mikey helped to ground Zach, and Mr. Belding never came across as clueless as he did later.
For “Law & Order,” TNT used to include the crossover episodes of “Homicide: Life on the Street” whenever those rolled around.
Some syndication packages for 1981’s “Greatest American Hero” included the 1986 TV movie pilot for the spinoff, “Greatest American Heroine,” which features the original cast but writes them off. This may have been because at 44 episodes (45 since the original pilot TV movie is broken up into 2 episodes), GAH is a bit “light” for syndication, so adding the unused spinoff pilot at least lets them tack on another 2-3 episodes.