Summary
Over the years, there have been plenty of television shows that audiences just can’t get enough of. For a few of them, the creators or studios behind them capitalized on that hunger for more by green-lightingsequel seriesthat showcase the events that happen after, before, or adjacent to a particular show. In some cases, these shows even continue stories of popular movies.
While some of these sequel series are better left forgotten in TV history, others may have even bested their source material. These ten shows not only brilliantly followed up the shows that took place before them, but they also made for their own great, individual adventures as well. From animated series to prestige dramas, these arethe best TV sequels, ranked.
2022
Main Cast
Scott Adsit, Ryan Potter, Maya Rudolph, Lilimar, Jaboukie Young-White
Baymax made his screen debutin the 2014 animated filmBig Hero 6, which was followed by a TV series,Big Hero 6: The Series. That series, which reunited many of the cast members of the film, ran for three seasons, but it wasn’t the end of the road for the Baymax character. Disney+ produced its own sequel series for theBig Hero 6show, simply titledBaymax!
Compared to the other series, which focused on all the characters fromBig Hero 6,Baymax!follows the titular character helping out with various problems in San Fransokyo. It may be only six episodes, but the lovable antics of Baymax throughout this series will delight both younger viewers and more adult audiences who are nostalgic for the first film.
2024 - present
X-Men: The Animated Series(1992–1997)
Ray Chase, Jennifer Hale, Alison Sealy-Smith, Cal Dodd, Matthew Waterson, Ross Marquand
As part of Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, the company revived one beloved part of theX-Menfranchise: the 1990s animated series., asX-Men ‘97.The series picks upexactly where the previous show ended, following the superhero team as they pick up the pieces following Charles Xavier’s disappearance at the end of the previous season.
Though it’s more adequately categorized as a reboot than a sequel, it’s given the sequel treatment with a new title and new cast members, though some, like Cal Dodd, return from the original series. It may have little to do with Marvel’s future plans for the X-Men, but given the fan reception, it wouldn’t be surprising ifX-Men ‘97stuck around for a while.
2021
MacGruber(2010)
Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, Ryan Phillippe, Laurence Fishburne, Sam Elliott, Billy Zane, Maya Rudolph
MacGruberis one of many entries on this list that is technically a sequel, but not for another TV series. The Will Forte character, a parody of MacGyver, originated onSaturday Night Liveand was created by Forte, John Solomon, and Jorma Taccone. In 2010, the character got his own epic action movie, which co-starred Forte’sSNLpal Kristen Wiig.
While a film sequel toMacGruberwas unlikely due to the film’s financial failure, Peacock gave it a second shot as a sequel TV series, set ten years after the first film where MacGruber is hired to find the President’s kidnapped daughter. It may not work for those who aren’t already fans of the sketch or first film, but for those who are, it’s a dream come true.
2003–2006
Lilo & Stitch(2002)
Daveigh Chase, Chris Sanders, David Ogden Stiers, Kevin McDonald, Kevin Michael Richardson, Tia Carrere
Disney’sLilo & Stitch: The Seriesis probably one of the few cases where the TV sequel was more popular than the original.Lilo & Stitchwas first a filmthat came out in 2002, and was quickly followed-up with a sequel TV series on Disney Channel, following the day-to-day adventures of the titular duo.
Most of the voice cast from the film returned for the television series, which ran for a total of two seasons with 65 episodes. The series also aired in conjunction with direct-to-video films, beginning withStitch! The Movie, which was essentially a backdoor pilot for the animated Disney Channel series, a technique that certainly worked for audiences.
1978-1982
Happy Days
Robin Williams, Pam Dawber, Conrad Janis, Elizabeth Kerr, Tom Poston, Jonathan Winters
Happy Daysis one of the most famous sitcoms of all time on its own, but the show also inspired iconic sitcoms just from single episodes. One of those episodes was “My Favorite Orkan,” which introduced Robin Williams in a guest-starring role as Mork, an alien who attempts to kidnap Ron Howard’s character in the original episode.
The episode became so popular that ABC gave Williams his own spin-off,Mork & Mindy, in which Mork lives with Mindy, who he slowly falls in love with as she teaches him about human behavior. While this show has few ties toHappy Days, it deserves a spot on this list for having its own life, as well as essentiallyskyrocketing Williams’ comedy career.
1987-1994
Star Trek: The Original Series
Patrick Stewart, LeVar Burton, Jonathan Frakes, Denise Crosby, Brent Spiner, Marina Sirtis, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden
The originalStar Trekseries aired from 1966 to 1969, but spawned a media franchise that has continues into the present day.The Next Generation, which premiered two decades later in 1987, was somewhat of a return to form for the franchise, after expanding into an animated series and (at that point) four feature films, but was set a century after the first series’ events.
While it’s a sequel in terms of its place in theStar Trektimeline,The Next Generationdoes have its ties toThe Original Series. Several episodes, like “The Naked Now,” directly reference specific events fromStar Trek: The Original Series, and DeForest Kelley even guest starred as Leonard McCoy in the very first episode ofTNG.
2018-present
The Karate Kid(1984)
Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Courtney Henggeler, Tanner Buchanan, Xolo Mariduena, Mary Mouser
The Karate Kidis one of the most iconic films of the 1980s, starring Ralph Macchio as a teen who is taught karate to deal with bullies. The drama seriesCobra Kai, which debuted in 2018, was meant as a follow-up to that original film, with Macchio reprising his role as Daniel LaRusso and William Zabka returning as Johnny Lawrence, the film’s villain.
Cobra Kaimainly centers on a down-on-his-luck Lawrence, whoagrees to teach karate to a bullied teenager, which spirals into a re-opening of the titular dojo. It’s a fascinating look at what happened to these characters thirty years after the events of the film, and is even more adult in how it handles topics of aging, success, and grief.
2012-2014
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Janet Varney, Seychelle Gabriel, David Faustino, P.J. Byrne, J.K. Simmons, Kiernan Shipka, Mindy Sterling, Dee Bradley Baker
Avatar: The Last Airbenderis admittedly a tough act to follow, though it couldn’t have been done better thanThe Legend of Korra. The sequel series follows Korra, the reincarnation of Aang, who seeks to learn airbending to follow in the ways of the former Avatar. Along the way, Korra faces political upheaval andmysterious powers let loose upon the world.
The series was especially notable for its handling of real-world issues like terrorism and LGBTQ+ difficulties, making it a much more modern interpretation ofAvatar: The Last Airbender. While the four seasons are amazing enough, the story continues on with a comic book series that’s been published since 2017, three years after the sequel series ended.
1993-2004
Cheers
Kelsey Grammar, David Hyde Pierce, Jane Leeves, Peri Gilpin, John Mahoney
It’s rare to find a sequel series that’s somehow more popular than the original. That’s certainly the case forFrasier, the sequel spin-off of NBC’sCheers, which centered around the workers and regulars at the titular Boston bar.Frasier, which premiered the same yearCheersended, follows the life of Kelsey Grammar’s character, Frasier Crane.
InFrasier, Grammar’s titular character moves from Boston to Seattle, taking up a job as a psychiatry radio show host and feuding with his equally-intelligent brother, Niles. The show’s original Emmy-winning run lasted for eleven seasons, and was recently revived for a twelfth and thirteenth in 2023 for Paramount+, albeit this revival was reviewed unfavorably when compared to the original.
2015-2022
Breaking Bad
Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, Jonathan Banks, Patrick Fabian, Michael Mando, Michael McKean, Giancarlo Esposito, Tony Dalton
Breaking Badis widely regarded as one of the best television shows of all time, so it was right to be skeptical they could follow it up with a prequel centered on Bob Odenkirk’s sleazy criminal lawyer, Saul Goodman. What Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould produced instead was a worthy prequel to the original series that completely flips the original show on its head.
Better Call Saulprimarily tracks the transformation of Jimmy McGill into the heartless Saul Goodman prior to the events ofBreaking Bad, but also dives into the aftermath of Saul’s escape from captivity at the end of the original show. However, this show’s greatest magic trick isinvesting viewers in its new characters, including the standouts Kim Wexler and Howard Hamlin.
