10 TV Spin-Offs Better Than The Original

6. NCIS

NCIS TV
CBS

Original Show: JAG

NCIS is now so ubiquitous a franchise, with 16 seasons and two spin-offs of its own, it's easy to forget that it actually started life elsewhere. That was on JAG, which itself ran for 10 seasons, with characters and concepts that would make it into the show being introduced in its eighth season.

JAG was a solid enough legal procedural with a military twist, but NCIS - which has more in common with the similarly-named CSI - takes a more forensic look at things, and has been all the more interesting to watch because of it.

It helps, too, that it's had such a great cast and strong characters, led by Mark Harmon, and its premise and writing means that even in Season 16 it remains effortlessly watchable, which couldn't be said for JAG by the end of its own run.

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NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.