Sister Show

Sister shows, also known as companion series, are two or more television series which exist in the same fictional universe and which may have crossovers. They differ to a degree from spin-offs, in that they are established independently from one another. The popularity of most series is limited to a few seasons, and sister shows allow expanding the immediate audience and ratings share. This is accomplished by using mostly different actors and production facilities. Sister shows often shift styles or target audience slightly, for a larger overall market. Thus ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' emphasizes slapstick, while '' Green Acres'' emphasizes surreal humor.

Examples

* ''Arrow'', ''Constantine'', ''The Flash'', '' Black Lightning'', ''Supergirl'', ''Legends of Tomorrow'' and ''Batwoman''.
* '' Daredevil'', ''The Punisher'', '' Jessica Jones'', '' Iron Fist'', ''Luke Cage'', and '' The Defenders''.
* ''The Real World'' and ''Road Rules''
* '' Band of Brothers'' and '' The Pacific''.
* ''The King of Queens'' and ''Everybody Loves Raymond''.
* ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'', '' Xena: Warrior Princess'' and ''Young Hercules''.
:The character Xena proved popular on ''Hercules'' and a second series started.
* ''All My Children'' and '' One Life to Live'' (which join ''General Hospital'').
:From 2004 to 2005, they featured a crossover storyline told on both series.
* ''Stargate SG-1'', ''Stargate Atlantis'' and ''Stargate Universe''.
:''Stargate Atlantis'' premiered during the eighth season of ''Stargate SG-1''. Both occasionally had crossover plots. ''Stargate Universe'' likewise featured crossover character appearances.
* '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', '' Star Trek: Voyager'' and ''Star Trek: Enterprise''.
:''Deep Space Nine'' began during the sixth season of ''The Next Generation''. Several characters from the older series appeared in the newer, but only one episode of the older ("Birthright") had characters from the newer. All the ''Star Trek'' series are in the same universe, and there were many shared concepts and characters.
* ''Petticoat Junction'', '' Green Acres'' and ''The Beverly Hillbillies''.
:All three take place around the town of Hooterville. Guests appear in ''Green Acres'', although the plots are not linked.
* The Trumptonshire series had Camberwick Green, Trumpton and Chigley villages in the same area. Gordon Murray stated that the area of "Trumptonshire" is "representative of real locations which are one-and-a-half miles from each other in an equidistant triangle". Several characters appear in guest roles in other villages.
* ''The Young and the Restless'' and ''The Bold and the Beautiful''.
:Known for frequent crossovers, the latter was planned by William J. Bell to be a sister show. Characters have gone between the two series regularly since the 1990s.
* ''As the World Turns'', ''Guiding Light'' and '' Another World'' (which join '' Days of Our Lives'').
:''Guiding Light'' was joined by a sister show, ''As the World Turns'', in 1956 and was also joined by another sister show, ''Another World'', in 1964.
* ''Family Guy'', ''The Cleveland Show'' , '' American Dad!'', ''The Simpsons'', ''Futurama'' and ''Disenchantment''.
* He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and She-Ra: Princess of Power
* '' The Walking Dead'' and '' Fear the Walking Dead''.
* ''Phineas and Ferb'' and ''Milo Murphy's Law''.
* ''The Loud House'' and ''The Casagrandes''.
* ''The X-Files'', ''Millennium'' and ''The Lone Gunmen''.
:Although ''The X-Files'' and ''The Lone Gunmen'' are explicitly linked, mostly through several shared characters and plot threads, the connection to ''Millennium'' is only concretely expounded in one episode of ''The X-Files'' and one episode of ''Millennium''.
* ''Eureka'', '' Warehouse 13'' and ''Alphas''.
* '' Ally McBeal'', ''The Practice'', ''Boston Public'' and '' Boston Legal''.
:All created by David E. Kelley and set in Boston.
* ''Casualty'', '' Holby City'' and ''HolbyBlue''.
* ''Doctor Who'', ''Torchwood'', ''The Sarah Jane Adventures'', '' K9'' and ''Class''.
* ''Hawaii Five-O'', ''Magnum, P.I.'', ''Simon & Simon'' and ''Murder, She Wrote''
* ''Battlestar Galactica'' and '' Caprica''.
:''Caprica'' takes place 58 years before the events in ''Battlestar Galactica''.
* ''The Flintstones'' and ''The Jetsons''.
* ''The Fairly OddParents'', '' Danny Phantom'', ''T.U.F.F. Puppy'' and ''Bunsen Is a Beast''.
* ''The Honeymooners'' and '' Here's Lucy''.
* ''77 Sunset Strip'', '' Hawaiian Eye'', ''Surfside 6'' and '' Bourbon Street Beat''.
* ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' and '' The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.''.
* ThunderCats (1985 TV series), SilverHawks and TigerSharks.
* ''Batman'' and ''The Green Hornet''.
* ''Jake and the Fatman'', '' Diagnosis: Murder'' and '' Matlock''.
* ''Las Vegas'' and ''Crossing Jordan''.
* ''One Tree Hill (TV series), One Tree Hill'' and ''Life Unexpected''.
* ''Bones (TV series), Bones'', ''The Finder (American TV series), The Finder'', ''Rosewood (TV series), Rosewood'' and ''Sleepy Hollow (TV series), Sleepy Hollow''.
* ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'', ''Rhoda'', ''Phyllis (TV series), Phyllis'' and ''Lou Grant (TV series), Lou Grant''.
* ''All in the Family'', ''The Jeffersons'', ''Maude (TV series), Maude'', ''Archie Bunker's Place'' and ''Good Times''.
* ''Happy Days'', ''Laverne & Shirley'', ''Joanie Loves Chachi'' and ''Mork & Mindy''.
:''Happy Days'' is a spin-off of ''Love, American Style''.
* ''The Love Boat'', ''Charlie's Angels'' and ''Fantasy Island''.
* ''The Dukes of Hazzard'', ''Enos (TV series), Enos'' and ''The Dukes (TV series), The Dukes''.
* ''Cheers'', ''Wings (NBC TV series), Wings'', ''Frasier'', ''Caroline in the City'', ''Friends'', ''Mad About You'' , ''The John Larroquette Show'' and '' Joey (TV series) ''
* ''Lilo & Stitch: The Series'', ''American Dragon: Jake Long'', ''The Proud Family'', ''Kim Possible'' and ''Recess (TV series), Recess''.
* ''Golden Girls'', ''The Golden Palace'', ''Nurses (American TV series), Nurses'' and ''Empty Nest (TV series), Empty Nest''.
* ''Chicago Fire (TV series), Chicago Fire'', ''Chicago P.D. (TV series), Chicago P.D., Chicago Med (TV series), Chicago Med'' and ''Chicago Justice'', ''Law & Order (TV series), Law & Order'', ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'', ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'', ''Law & Order: Trial by Jury'' and ''Law & Order: Organized Crime''
* ''Ultimate Spider-Man (TV series), Ultimate Spider-Man'', ''Avengers Assemble (TV series), Avengers Assemble,'' ''Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.'' and ''Guardians of the Galaxy (TV series), Guardians of the Galaxy''
* ''Narcos'', ''Narcos: Mexico''
* ''Batman: The Animated Series'', ''Superman: The Animated Series'', ''The New Batman Adventures'', ''Justice League (TV series)'', ''Justice League Unlimited'', ''Batman Beyond'' and ''The Zeta Project''
* ''Thomas The Tank Engine'', ''Tugs (TV series), TUGS''
* ''iCarly'' and ''Victorious''
* '' ''Jessie (2011 TV series), Jessie, ''Bunk'd'', ''Austin & Ally'' and ''Good Luck Charlie''
* ''The Office'' and ''Parks & Recreation''
* ''WWE Raw'', ''WWE Smackdown'' and ''WWE NXT''
* ''The Thundermans '' and ''Henry Danger''
* ''Real Time with Bill Maher '' and ''Politically Incorrect''
* ''Raven's Home '' and ''That's So Raven''
* ''The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody '' and ''The Suite Life on Deck''
* '' Rugrats and '' The Wild Thornberrys ''
* '' Bob's Burgers '', '' The Great North '' and '' Central Park (TV series)''
* '' Sons Of Anarchy '' and '' Mayans M.C. ''
* '' American Horror Story'', '' American Crime Story '' and '' American Horror Stories''
* '' House (TV series) and '' Nurse Jeffrey''

References

{{reflist

Crossover fiction
Television terminology