Sister show

Sister shows are two or more television shows which exist in the same fictional universe and which may have crossovers. They differ to a degree from spin-offs in that shows may air simultaneously, rather than being derived from, and replacing, another. The popularity of most shows 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

• Band of Brothers and The Pacific.
• The King of Queens and Everybody Loves Raymond.
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, and CSI: NY.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation was joined by a sister show CSI: Miami in 2002, and a second, CSI: NY, in 2004.

• Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena, Warrior Princess, and Young Hercules.

The Xena character proved popular on Hercules and a second show started.

• Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Trial by Jury, Law & Order: Los Angeles, and Law & Order: UK.
• NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS is a spin off from JAG.
• All My Children and One Life to Live (which join General Hospital)

From 2004 to 2005, they featured a crossover storyline told on both shows.

• 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 (TNG episode)) had characters from the newer. All the Star Trek shows are in the same universe, and there were many shared concepts and characters.

• Petticoat Junction and 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." [1]. 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.

• Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel
• Family Guy, The Cleveland Show and American Dad
• 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.

• 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 (TV series) and Holby City
• Doctor Who, Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures and K9.
• Magnum, P.I., Simon & Simon, and Murder, She Wrote
• Battlestar Galactica and Caprica

Caprica takes place 50 years before the events in Battlestar Galactica.

• Friends and Joey