Spinning Laughter: Profiles of 111 Proposed Comedy Spin-offs and Sequels that Never Became a Series - Paperbackby Richard Irvin (Author) Spinning Laughter: Profiles of 111 Proposed Comedy Spin offs and Sequels that Never Became a Series. The Andy Griffith Show begat Gomer Pyle: U. S. M. C. The Mary Tyler Moore Show spun off Rhoda and Phyllis. An episode of All in the Family became Maude and another episode became The Jeffersons. You remember the successful spin offs, but you may now know about the spin offs that never were. Why did the characters of Fred and