Page 221 - A Handbook Genre Studies in Mass Media

CHAPTER 8

The premise of the spin-off follows an established character into a new
setting. As an example, in 2004, the finale of the highly successful TV
sitcom Friends led to the spin-off Joey, featuring one of the ensemble’s
cast members as he traveled to Hollywood to pursue his acting career.
After the long run of the popular series Friends, the audience felt like
they “knew” Joey and were interested in following him as he started a
new phase of his life.
Spin-offs operate on the principle of intertextuality, in which characters
(or the actors, who become identified with the characters) are imbued
with a sense of verisimilitude as they move across genres. To illustrate,
in the spin-off sitcom Frasier (1993–2004), the lead character occasion-
ally referred to his earlier life on Cheers (1982–93)—his ex-wife, child,
and the bar in Boston he used to frequent. In addition, characters from
Cheers, including ex-wife Dr. Lilith Sternin-Crane (Bebe Neuwirth) and
Sam Malone (Ted Danson) made guest appearances on Frasier throughout
its network run, adding to the “reality” of the spin-off.

Copycat Programming

This rush to satisfy public interest also results in copycat programming.
These shows are nearly identical to the original, with a minor variation.
Fox was the leading copycat of reality shows, producing Boot Camp, a
copycat editing of Survivor (CBS); The Chamber, a knockoff of The Chair
(ABC); The Swan, a copycat of Extreme Makeover; Trading Spouses:
Meet Your New Mommy, a carbon copy of Wife Swap (ABC); and Nanny
911, an imitation of Super Nanny (ABC).
Indeed, the networks’ race to get their versions of a program on the
air first has become worthy of its own reality series. For instance, in the
summer in 2004 Fox aired Trading Spouses while ABC lagged behind,
putting its version on its fall lineup. Fox benefited from its quick start,
garnering impressive ratings over the summer. Stephen McPherson, the
president of ABC Entertainment, declared, “It’s pretty sad that unethical
behavior can deny people their intellectual property. The only thing I un-
derestimated was how unethical and desperate my competitors are.” 29
In 2004, NBC filed suit against Fox claiming that a Fox show about
boxing, The Next Great Champ, was a pirated version of its show The
Contender. The suit, filed in California Superior Court, was dismissed
on the grounds that blocking its broadcast would constitute a violation
of the First Amendment.

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