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One of the most exciting developments in television in recent years is Fox’s decision to create a half-hour spin-off of Ally McBeal. The program, which will be a synthesis of outtakes and brand-new material, will save the network tons of money in development and production costs, and will result in a show that will be easier to resell in syndication because of its shorter length. But Ally will also expose audiences to stories that might have been edited out of the original, one-hour Ally McBeal. So it won’t just be cast-off McBeal. Though some critics have dismissed the spin-off as a camouflaged rerun, it is bound to inspire numerous imitations. One obvious example is E or R, a half-hour spin-off of NBC’s stunningly popular ER. This program would consist largely of operating-room procedures that were cut out of the one-hour show because the footage was too graphic or because the patient did not survive the operation. Unlike Ally, which will supposedly show "back stories" about Ally and her friends, E or R would be a weekly program aimed exclusively at the surgery buff. With Americans aging rapidly, this is a surprisingly large audience. Law and/or Order are other obvious spin-off possibilities, as is N.Y. Blue or simply P.D. But the most promising idea of all is a half-hour version of The X-Files, which would be used exclusively to tie up all the loose ends left dangling by the regularly scheduled programs. Actually, one weekly half-hour spin-off might not be enough to get the job done. Obviously, the idea of half-hour step-children need not be limited to one-hour shows. Surely the public would welcome such spin-offs as Dharma, Will, Greg, Grace or The Queen of Queens, just as they would open their arms to either Malcolm or Eddie. Nor can a spin-off titled One Girl, a Guy and a Pizza Place be entirely ruled out. Perhaps the greatest potential for spin-offs using unused footage is in the area of sports and news. 48 Hours, which has already given birth to Another 48 Hours (which ran on CBS Eye on People), could now spawn 24 Hours, while Another 48 Hours could lead to either Yet Another 48 Hours, 48 Hours II, Another 24 Hours, 24 Hours II or something entirely unexpected, like Rather’s Place. And the National Hockey League could edit down the best footage from previously played games and rework it into a weekly 30-minute program. As most recent ratings show, 30 minutes a week is about as much hockey as most Americans are prepared to watch. And even that may be too much. — Joe Queenan |