spin-off (thing)

A spin-off is a meme which extracts itself from a popular idea and becomes an entity in its own right, rather like a Frankingstein. TV spinoffs include:

• Frasier (Cheers)
  
• Mork and Mindy (Happy Days, maybe Laverne and Shirley)
  
• Wiggum PI, Simpson Family Smile Time Variety Hour, the Love Test Grandpa (do'h!)
• the justice friends (dexter's laboratory)
  
• Knots Landing (Dallas)
• Caravan of Courage (you know this one)