Spin offs are not so common as they once were, thankfully.  Back in the seventies and eighties it was pretty common for a popular show to take some of the supporting characters that made it so popular and spin them off into their own series while the main show was still on the air.

A classic example would be The Ropers.  Never heard of it?  That’s probably just as well.  The Ropers were the very funny landlords and downstairs neighbors of the gang on Three’s Company.  As supporting characters, they were terrific.  As the anchors of their own show, not so much.  At least their departure didn’t do any harm to the main show, because they were replaced by Don Knotts as Mr. Furley.

Three’s Company actually spawned one more show.  After the series ended, Jack was sent off to live with his girlfriend and her father in Three’s a Crowd.  As I recall, the show was cancelled somewhere around the time the credits rolled on the first episode.

Two shows share the distinction of launching both some of the best and worst spin offs  M.A.S.H. and All in the Family.  Trapper John, MD was a solid show that performed well in the ratings for years.  So different was the format and the casting that many people didn’t even recognize that Trapper John was the very same character (considerable aged) from M.A.S.H. AfterM.A.S.H., however, was an atrocious mistake that should never have seen the light of day.

All in the Family may hold the record for most spin offs ever launched from a single mother ship.  All in the Family spawned Maude and The Jeffersons, two respectable shows for the time period.  Archie’s Place and Gloria were both unwatchable and short lived.

Frasier was maybe the best spin off of all time and a case study in the right way to do it.  The producers waited until Cheers was gone, then took a secondary character, transported him across the country to a new locale with an entirely new supporting cast.  Frasier worked because it was its own show, not an attempt to recreate Cheers.

Then again, that’s exactly the same formula the creators of Friends used for Joey, and that was just awful.

Anna and Patryk – Anna and Patryk have been dancing since they were five and six years old respectively, but they both got their beginnings separately. Over the last four years, they have enjoyed great success in dancing competitions and have won Nationals for three consecutive years. They also represented the United States twice at the World Championships in Blackpool, England.

Taylor Matthews – Taylor Mathews is a singer/songwriter born in Alexandria, Louisiana. Taylor has pursued this dream religiously for the past several years along with singing, which landed him on America’s Got Talent, on which he dreams of sharing his musical ambition and his very own heart with everyone.

Prince Poppycock – John Quale has been singing from the time he could speak. As a teenager he developed a love for writing music. Enamored with David Bowie, Depeche Mode, opera, madrigals, Gilbert and Sullivan, the Smiths and Gregorian chant, he started to write and record his own music. In 2006, Prince Poppycock was born. While he was studying opera, he completed learning the Figaro aria, “Largo al factotum.” He was asked to perform the aria at a nightclub where he was required to wear a wig to perform. He decided to perform as a powdered-wigged baroque dandy, to highlight how the song was about being a fabulous hairdresser. He was an instant hit.

Michael Grimm- Michael Grimm grew up in South Mississippi where his grandparents raised him. His grandmother took him to church on Sundays, where she played the piano at the service. This was where Michael fell in love with music. His grandmother inspired him and encouraged him to pursue his newfound love.

Christina and Ali – Christina and Ali are sisters from Idaho Falls, Idaho, who, since childhood, have continually astonished audiences with their singing and songwriting talents. Even bigger than their voices is their spirit. Along with their other two siblings, Christina and Ali were diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis when they were small. Christina and Ali dream of inspiring people who face challenges, or who have lost hope.

Tune into NBC Tuesday, August 31st to see who will make the last 5 spots of the top 10!

Here are more TV shows and premieres for this fall!

September 20

Castle (ABC)

Expect new and returning guests this season on Castle. Reports say that Ken Baumann (The Secret Life Of The American Teenager) will be appearing in a recurring role as Alexis Castle’s (Molly Quinn) first boyfriend. And expect devastating news by the second episode. There will be a death in the show.

Hawaii Five-O (CBS)

The new re-imagining of the 1968 successful TV series of the same name, starring Jack Lord, Hawaii Five-O premieres September 20 on CBS. Alex O’Loughlin will star as Detective Steve McGarrett, a former US Navy lieutenant commander turned cop and detective. Scott Caan is Detective Danny “Danno” Williams, Daniel Dae Kim as Detective Chin Ho Kelly and Grace Park as Detective Kona “Kono” Kalakaua.

House (FOX)

I think the most important thing about season 7 of House is the exploration of House and Cuddy’s relationship. What will happen when they try to give it a go? And, with Olivia Wilde taking a break from House to star in Cowboys and Aliens, a spot for a female doctor has opened up. And they’ve filled it with actress Amber Tamblyn, as a med student that House recruits even though she’s not 100% qualified to treat patients.

Chuck (NBC)

There’ll be a lot of events to look forward to on season 3 of Chuck. Expect a death, a childhood flashback between Chuck, his sister and dad, Big Mike getting romantic with a Subway sandwich and Chuck wearing a mustache. There’s also news leaking about the season 3 finale already. It’s a 2-hour finale titled “Chuck versus the Subway” and “Chuck versus The Ring”.

How I Met Your Mother (CBS)

There aren’t a lot of spoilers for season 6 of How I Met Your Mother. But one thing is known: first episode’s title will be “Big Day” and Rachel Bilson will be coming back to reprise her role as Cindy. Perhaps we’ll meet her roommate soon?

Which shows are you looking forward to this fall?

Every six months or so, the G4 Network serves up an evening of programming worth watching. Last weekend, G4 devoted a Saturday evening to the biannual showing of Ninja Warrior. If you’re not familiar with the show, it’s OK. Most people outside of Japan aren’t.

Despite its relative obscurity, Ninja Warrior is the predecessor and superior of ABC’s hit Wipeout. Ninja Warrior, known as Sasuke in Japan, debuted in 1997. America didn’t get her first taste of the competition until 2005 when G4, a cable network known primarily for pushing the bounds of good taste, brought the program to the New World.

Imagine Wipeout with serious athletes and without the silly gimmicks and tacky innuendo-laden commentary. Ninja Warrior separates itself from the pack of physical competitions in both level of difficulty and results. In 25 biannual contests since 1997, only 3 men have conquered the course to achieve total victory. More often than not, no one will even survive to face the fourth and final stage of the course.

While the show is framed with English narration between competitors, the in-contest announcer from the Japanese airing is retained for the show with English subtitles. Part of the fun of watching Ninja Warrior is the spirited, emotional commentary from the announcer. You can feel the despair when one of the favorites, known as the All Stars, falls into the muddy waters beneath the course. You can’t help but rejoice when the announcer’s voice rises in exaltation upon seeing a competitor overcome the obstacles to finish a level.

As time went on and the show gained a cult following, several Americans have entered the competition. Free runners, stunt men, and Olympic athletes have crossed the Pacific for a shot at conquering the famous course. So far, all have failed. In fact, it is that high failure rate that makes Ninja Warrior so compelling. Unlike most competitions which have a winner every week, Ninja Warrior offers no guarantee that anyone will overcome the obstacles.

After a shoe salesman from Tokyo became the third-ever victor last year, the organizers redesigned the third stage making it virtually impossible for anyone to pass it this time around. As disappointing as it was that no one could conquer it this year, it will be all the more rewarding when a contestant does overcome it next time… or the next.

After one and a half seasons of complete agony, fans of Degrassi finally witnessed the almost impossible. Riley finally took the first step to revealing that he was gay to the school by bidding on his summer beau Zane.

Riley’s character was introduced onto Degrassi: The Next Generation almost 2 seasons ago as the new QB1 for the football team. He was tall, handsome… and single. What nobody knew was that he was in the closet about his sexuality. He struggled a lot coming to terms with it. He used his anger to mask the reality that he was scared about what people thought about him. It even cost him his job as a lifeguard when he hit his supervisor who also just happened to be gay…and knew that Riley was gay. Riley was determined to be “normal” and even considered enrolling in a rehabilitation program that he thought would help “cure” him. Eventually Riley came to terms with who he is, but hasn’t reached the comfort level to come out to anyone.

Enter Zane. A transfer student, Zane is the mysterious new guy who caught everyone’s attention…including Riley’s. Openly gay, Zane immediately was able to get involved with Degrassi’s LGBT club to raise awareness about being gay and all the issues that come along with it. Zane and Riley got to know each other towards the end of the school year and took their relationship full blown into the summer. Once school started, Riley told Zane he needed a break until football season was over. Zane who was willing to give him some space, decided to tryout for the football team so he and Riley could at least be around each other. This caused a few problems for Riley. Drew, another transfer student and QB1 at his previous school, found out about Riley and used it as blackmail against Riley so that he could have the QB1 spot. The blackmail lead to the veteran players hazing Drew and Riley was suspended for 4 games.

Things got worse as other players on the team teased Zane about being gay. This lead to Riley lashing out in anger in Zane’s defense, but it only pushed Riley and Zane farther apart. With a little help from his cheerleader friend Anya, who just happened to be organizing the Bachelor Auction, Riley decided to step out as best he could to show Zane that he cared and bid a whopping $50. This showed that the sweet and caring Riley we all knew existed was there. Hopefully Riley will be able to step out some more and be honest about his sexuality.

Tune into TEENNick Mon-Thurs at 9pm for new episodes!

Fall TV season is about to premiere this September. Here’s an update of what we can look forward to.

September 9

The Vampire Diaries (The CW)

After Anna’s death in the season finale, Jeremy drinks her blood and we’ll find out if he becomes a vampire or not. We also meet, for the first time, Elena’s doppelganger, Katherine (also played by Nina Dobrev). Fans can expect to see a love square in Season 2 between Elena, Stefan, Damon and Katherine, who is actually Stefan and Damon’s past love interest. Expect the writers to develop Tyler Lockwood’s storyline as a werewolf and its effect on Mystic Falls.

September 13

90210 (The CW)

It’s senior year of high school in season 3 of 90210!  And expect a turbulent beginning to this season. The writers have revealed it’ll be the year of college acceptances, rejections, prom dates, betrayed promises, and the rise and fall of friendships.

Gossip Girl (The CW)

Gossip Girl season 4 opens with Serena and Blair strolling down the streets of Paris and runs into Chuck, with a new girlfriend in tow. Blair makes big plans to conquer Columbia University. Little J will still be making an appearance in the first half of the season.

September 14

Parenthood (NBC)

There’s a lot to look forward to with Parenthood next season. Adam will be getting new co-workers, including his sister, Sarah, who might start dating Adam’s boss. Amber will be getting a new upper-crust BFF, making Sarah jealous. Julia and Joel are considering having a second kid. Zeke and Camille will be attending marriage counselling. And they’ll be exploring a long-distance relationship with Crosby, Jasmine and Jabbar.

Life Unexpected (The CW)

In season 2, Baze will not be trying to ruin Cate’s marriage and, instead, will have his own love interest. And the show will focus more on Cate, Baze and Lux dealing with their issues together as a family. And they’ll be including more Lux’s high school life and classmates in the show.

Which show are you looking forward to watching again this fall?

MTV kicked off the 24th season of The Real World: New Orleans. The season premiered at the end of June and like every season before it, has no shortage of drama and hook ups. The roommates have taken over the Big Easy and loving every minute of it!

Knight- A 23 year-old Wisconsin native who has lived and breathed hockey for as long as he can remember, Knight’s life was turned upside down after a severe shoulder injury cost him his athletic/academic scholarship at Arizona State University. During recovery he became addicted to painkillers, and now everyday is a battle to remain clean. Will the city, best known for its twenty-four hour party life, distract Knight from all of the positive progress he has made?

Jemmye- As vocal supporter of gay marriage and legalization of marijuana, Jemmye doesn’t necessarily come off as someone from a conservative Mississippi hometown. She enjoys casual sex with no commitment, and she has a preference for black men. Her mother Alice is her best friend and they have no secrets from one another, to the point where Jemmye frequently discusses the intimate details of her sex life with her mom. For most people, Mardi Gras is a one day affair, but already I think Jemmye will be collecting beads all season.

Eric- A stand-up comic who also works at the State Department, Eric travels the globe briefing foreign service personnel on American policy. Eric’s true passion is comedy, and he’s already made significant progress in his career, performing regularly and winning several competitions. Eric, known for his dreamy eyes, is a handsome ladies’ man and has perfected the art of juggling various girls at one time.

Sahar- Here is a strong-willed, liberal Muslim who is not easily intimidated. Expect her to speak her mind. Sahar was fortunate to have parents who allowed her a bit more space to be herself; however, there are still things that she was forced to hide from her community, like her virginity… or lack thereof. A budding singer/songwriter, Sahar looks to explore more of this career in New Orleans.

Ashlee- coming to New Orleans fresh out of a rocky break up, Ashlee is anxious to explore new opportunities. Ashlee grew up in a small New Jersey suburb, where it was easy for her to cement herself as the top athlete of her high school. She continued her successful athletic career at Northeastern University. She may seem like the perfect roommate in New Orleans, but one thing is for sure: Ashlee is a bit of an instigator, and is no stranger to stirring the pot.

Preston- Despite a rough childhood, he’s somehow managed to grow into a carefree individual who walks to the beat of his own drum. As a proud, young, gay, black man, Preston strives to be the center of attention. He has no filter, but what he does have is a bitchy side, which he’s not afraid to show. Known for his outlandish antics and urge to mingle, we’re sure Preston will be getting his fill on the New Orleans strip.

McKenzie- a down to earth sorority girl attending the University of Central Florida and majoring in psychology, she was raised on Florida’s beaches with her three siblings and happily married parents. Known to party a little too hard, she often finds herself in very compromising situations totally unaware of what a flirt she is. No stranger to philanthropy, New Orleans is the perfect setting for this natural born leader looking to make a difference in the world. Hurricane Relief by day and pounding hurricane cocktails by night…sounds like McKenzie will fit right in.

Ryan- (my least favorite roommate) One part: unpredictable, two parts: ADHD and OCD, twenty-one year old Ryan is one of the most bizarre roommates in New Orleans. Entirely unconcerned with how others perceive him, Ryan is in touch with his emotions and feminine side. He is charismatic, creative, and fun loving, and he wears his heart on his sleeve. This after battling with a variety issues, including both a rocky relationship with his father and depression. Extremely opinionated and unafraid to fight for the last word, Ryan will no doubt be at the front and center of any controversy in New Orleans.

Tune into MTV on Wednesdays at 10!

Have you been watching the newest season of Project Runway? What do you think of the designers and their designs?

Here is a quick list of the rest of the designers.

McKell Maddox

McKell Maddox is a 29-year-old fashion designer from Brigham City, Utah. Her favorite designers are Coco Chanel and Jean Paul Gaultier and the very first clothing she ever made was a patchwork jacket. She attended the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and has worked as a Jeremy Scott design assistant.

Michael Costello

Michael Costello, 27, is a fashion designer living in Palm Desert, California. He has been designing and sketching since he was 4 but has never had any formal training. He won the 2009 Project ASID Award, with Dorothy Willets, for a dress made from upholstery and wallpaper.

Michael Drummond

Michael Drummond, 31, is a knitwear designer and freelance stylist from St. Louis, Missouri. Michael won an internship award in 2006 at the Opera Theatre of St. Louis and an award from St. Louis Fashion Week 2009. His favorite designers include Issey Miyake, the late Alexander McQueen and Viktor & Rolf.

Mondo Guerra

Mondo Guerra, 32, is a freelance designer from Denver, Colorado. Mondo has won the FGI Young Designer Award in 2002, the Project Tamarac Grand Prize in 2007 and Style Wars, Denver Art Museum in 2009. His training has been “on-the-job” experience in millinery, fashion and theater.

Nicholas D’Aurizio

Nicholas D’Aurizio, 32, is a handbag designer from New York, New York.

Peach Carr

Peach Carr, 50, is a freelance designer from Lake Forest, Illinois. Her first ever garment made was an A-line shift in the fourth grade. Peach is self-taught and her favorite designers include Valentino, the late Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga.

Sarah Trost

Sarah Trost, 27, is a costume designer from Toluca Lake, California. Sarah has a fashion degree from FIDM in Los Angeles, California and the first garment she made were doll clothes.

Valerie Mayen

Valeria Mayen, 28, is a full-time fashion designer, education and freelance illustrator currently living in Cleveland, Ohio. The first garment she ever made was a navy polka-dot sleeveless dress with pink buttons. She received her BFA in Illustration from The Cleveland Institute of Art in 2005 and has won the Creative Workforce Fellowship in 2009 and the COSE Arts Business and Innovation Award in 2010.

Who are you rooting for to win this season’s Project Runway?

What are you going to be watching this fall? After saying farewell to Lost after last season, I’m in need of a new anchor show. Sunday nights are for football (so sad that after all these years, Monday Night Football is no longer the marquee game of the week) and my Thursday night dance card is full of NBC comedies, but the rest of the week is up for grabs.

There is yet another law show coming to your TV this Fall. What is the fascination with lawyers, anyway? The Defenders will be the latest in a long line of legal dramas, premiering next month on CBS. Despite the high likeability of Jim Belushi and Jerry O’Connell, I just can’t bring myself to watch another show about cops, lawyers, or doctors. Surely there are other interesting professions out there.

The Event is the most intriguing show slated for this season. If the program is half as creative as the ad campaign, it could be worth a watch. All we really know about the premise is that something big is happening and the President is keeping it a secret from the general public. It may work, it may not, but it at least appears to be a novel approach.

As always, there will be some hits and some misses in the comedy department this season. Outsourced, the newest entry into NBC’s Thursday night lockdown has hope. It essentially looks like The Office in India. There has to be at least two season’s worth of laughs out of that premise.

$#*! My Dad Says, on the other hand, has disaster written all over it. What’s funny on the internet doesn’t necessarily translate to good TV (reference HBO’s Funny or Die). Even with Bill Shatner on board, the brain trust at CBS has put themselves into the position of having to promote a show whose name they cannot say on TV. I think the Sunday School crowd will take an immediate pass on this one, and everyone else will follow suit soon after.

Of course, I could be wrong about any or all of these shows. That’s the beautiful hope that springs forth every fall.

But I’m probably right.

24 Hour Restaurant Battle is a new show on Food Network.  Each week, two teams of two are pitted against each other to put together the best possible restaurant in just 24 hours.  The teams are given $4,000 to spend on food and decor for their eatery.

The contestants must make every decision about their restaurant and execute it within just one day.  That means that concept, name, menu, and seating plan all come barreling in at a breakneck pace.  In the mad dash to the grocery store, contestants must purchase enough food to prepare for 100 customers.

With a schedule intentionally designed to push competitors into action with too little sleep, the most interesting facet of the show is the interaction between the two family members or lifelong friends on each team.  Tempers flare, words are said, and relationships are tested under the extreme pressure of 24 Hour Restaurant Battle.

These competitors on 24 Hour Restaurant Battle vary from sous chefs with years of industry experience to novices who have never worked in a restaurant before.  Often a team will pair one long-time professional chef with a friend or family member who has no experience.  That dynamic never fails to produce some tense moments.

Up for grabs in the head to head competition is a $10,000 prize, which would make a nice start toward starting one’s own restaurant for real.  The contestants are evaluated against each other on theme, menu, preparation, and presentation.  The winner takes home ten grand, the loser gets a little experience, and the audience gets a good hour’s entertainment.

Of all the cooking shows that my family watches on Food Network, and there are a lot of them, 24 Hour Restaurant Battle is hands down my favorite because the interaction between the team members takes center stage over the cooking.