Spinoff (media)

{{short description|Narrative work derived from existing works}} {{distinguish|Standalone film|Remake|Sequel|By-product}} [[File:Huckleberry Finn book.JPG|thumb|Cover of the ''Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' book, a spin-off of ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'']] {{use mdy dates|date=March 2023}} A '''spinoff''' or '''spin-off''' is any narrative work derived from an already existing work that focuses on different aspects from the original work.

==History== One of the earliest spin-offs of the modern media era, if not the first, happened in 1941 when the supporting character Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve from the old time radio comedy show ''Fibber McGee and Molly'' became the star of his own program ''The Great Gildersleeve'' (1941–1957).<ref name="dunning">{{cite book |last1=Dunning |first1=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EwtRbXNca0oC&dq=%22The+Great+Gildersleeve,+situation+comedy%22+%22started+a+trend+known+as+the+series+spinoff%22&pg=PA293 |title=On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio |date=1998 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-507678-3 |edition=Revised |location=New York, NY |page=293 |access-date=2019-08-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=R.W.|last=Stewart|title=One Thing and Another|work=The New York Times|page=X10|date=August 3, 1941|quote=Gildersleeve has taken his suitcase leave of his long-time fencing partner[,] Fibber McGee, and will be starred in his own show, "The Great Gildersleeve", beginning Aug. 31 at 6:30, P. M. on WEAF's hook-up. Harold Peary created the Gildersleeve...}}</ref>

==Description== A spin-off<ref>For example: {{cite magazine|first=Ken|last=Tucker|url=http://www.ew.com/article/2004/06/04/best-and-worst-spin-offs|title=The best (and worst) spin-offs|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=June 4, 2005|access-date=2016-03-15}}</ref> (also spelled spinoff)<ref>For examples: {{bulleted list|{{cite magazine|first=Justin|last=Kroll|url=https://variety.com/2015/film/news/akiva-goldsman-2-1201461716/|title=Paramount Expanding 'Transformers' Universe with Spinoffs, Sequels|magazine=Variety|date=March 27, 2015|access-date=2016-03-15}}|{{cite news|first=Jordan|last=Zakarin|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/han-solo-boba-fett-star-418772|title='Star Wars' Spinoffs to Include Young Han Solo, Boba Fett (Report)|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=February 6, 2013|access-date=2016-03-15}}}}</ref> is derived from already existing works that focus on more details and different aspects from the original work (e.g. particular topics, characters or events), and includes books, comics, radio programs, television programs, animations, films, video games, or any narrative work in any medium.

In genre fiction, the term parallels its usage in television; it is usually meant to indicate a substantial change in narrative viewpoint and activity from that (previous) storyline based on the activities of the series' principal protagonist, and so is a shift to that action and overall narrative thread of some other protagonist, which now becomes the central or main thread (storyline) of the new subseries. The new protagonist generally appears first as a minor or supporting character in the main storyline within a given milieu and it is very common for the previous protagonist to have a supporting or cameo role, at the least as a historical mention, in the new subseries.{{cn|date=March 2023}}

Spin-offs sometimes generate their own spin-offs, leaving the new show in its own series only vaguely connected to the original series; for example, the police procedural franchises of ''NCIS''/''JAG'' and ''CSI'' have both spun off multiple shows, including multiple spin-offs from series and spin-offs from spin-offs.{{cn|date=March 2023}}

==Types and variations== === Sidequels === A spin-off may be called a '''sidequel''', a portmanteau of "side" (as in side-by-side) and "sequel", when it occurs in the same timeframe as the original, sometimes contacting with the main narrative at points.<ref>{{cite web |date=December 4, 2006 |title=sidequel |url=http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/sidequel_1/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131225165633/http://www.waywordradio.org/sidequel_1/ |archive-date=Dec 25, 2013 |access-date=2014-01-28 |website=Double-Tongued Dictionary |publisher=A Way with Words}}</ref> In Japanese, the word {{nihongo|'''''gaiden'''''|外伝||{{IPA|ja|ɡaideɴ|pron}}, {{lit}} "outside legends"}} also refers to such contemporaneous spin-offs and is frequently translated as "side story".<ref>References for the translation of {{lang|ja-Latn|gaiden}} as "side story": {{bulleted list |{{cite web |title=Tokyopop Snags ''Gundam Seed Astray'' Manga: A 'Side Story' Based on the Popular Anime Series |url=https://icv2.com/articles/comics/view/4041/tokyopop-snags-gundam-seed-astray-manga |website=ICv2 |access-date=February 1, 2021 |date=December 21, 2003}} |{{cite web |last1=Pineda |first1=Rafael Antonio |title=''Violet Evergarden Gaiden'' Side Story Anime's Trailer Reveals Cast |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2019-08-13/violet-evergarden-gaiden-side-story-anime-trailer-reveals-cast/.150000 |website=Anime News Network |access-date=February 1, 2021 |date=August 13, 2019}} |{{cite web |last1=Baron |first1=Reuben |title=''Sekiro Side Story: Hanbei the Undying'' Is A Solid Stand-Alone Spin-Off |url=https://www.cbr.com/sekiro-side-story-hanbei-the-undying-manga-review/ |website=Comic Book Resources |access-date=February 1, 2021 |date=July 11, 2020}}}}</ref>

===Crossovers=== {{main|Crossover (fiction)}} Sometimes even when a show is not a spin-off of another, there will nevertheless be crossovers in which a character from one show makes an appearance on another. Sometimes crossovers are created in an attempt to provide closure to fans of another failed series. Sometimes show producers will reintroduce a character from an older series into a later one as a way of providing a connectivity of that particular producer's television "world".{{cn|date=March 2023}}

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:Narratology Category:Spinoffs Category:Television terminology Category:Film and video terminology