10 Best Genre TV Show Spin-Offs

3. Torchwood

Doctor Who has had a handful of spin-offs stemming from it (The Sarah Jane Adventures, for one), but none have been as successful as Torchwood. Created by Russell T. Davies, Torchwood followed Captain Jack Harkness and his band of alien hunters as they investigated extraterrestrial events as part of the Torchwood Institute, a covert agency operating outside of any government or law enforcement group. Torchwood was an ensemble show, even with Harkness in the main role, and had a number of tie-ins, including comics and novels. Over the course of four seasons, Torchwood expanded to include the likes of Bill Pullman and Alexa Havins, and garnered solid ratings on both sides of the Atlantic. The show was such a success that it managed to draw in viewers unfamiliar with the Doctor Who mythos, no small feat. Equally impressive was the show's move within Britain from BBC Three to Two to One as its audience grew each season. While critics saw it as just an 'adult' Doctor Who, in reality it was a strong series that stood on its own.