List of multimedia franchises originating in television series explained

Following is a list of multimedia franchises originating in television series, whether animated or live-action.

In the following tables, the initial media through which the franchise characters or settings became known is shown in boldface. Only works of fiction are considered part of the series; a book or a documentary film about the franchise is not itself an installment in the franchise.

Franchises originating in animated television series

Franchise
(Creator)
Literature ComicsAnimated films Live action films Animated TV series Live action TV series Video games Other media
Adventure Time(Pendleton Ward)yesyesnonoAdventure Time (pilot 2007)
Adventure Time (2010-2018)
(2020–2021)
(2021-)
noyesboard and card games
album
Toys
The Amazing World of Gumball(Ben Bocquelet)yesyesyesnoThe Amazing World of Gumball (2011–2019)
Darwin's Yearbook (2019)
The Gumball Chronicles (2020–2021)
noyesToys
Music
Theme Park Ride
Avatar: The Last Airbender
(Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko)
(2026) The Last Airbender (2010) (2005)
The Legend of Korra (2012)
Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024)
Beavis and Butt-Head
(Mike Judge)
Marvel Comics series (1994–1996) Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996)
Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe (2022)
no Beavis and Butt-Head (1993–1997)
First revival series (2010)
Second revival series (2022)
no The Beavis and Butt-Head Experience (1993 album)
Ben 10
(Cartoon Network)
no yes yes yes Ben 10 (2005–2008)
(2008–2010)
(2010–2012)
(2012–2014)
Ben 10 (Reboot) (2016–2021)
no yes Action figures
Toys
Blue's Clues
(Traci Paige Johnson
Todd Kessler
Angela Santomero)
yes no Blue's Big Musical Movie (2000) Blue's Big City Adventure (2022) Blue's Clues (1996–2006)
Blue's Clues & You! (2019–2024)
Blue's Room (2004–2007) several albums
various toys
live stage show
Bob the Builder
(Keith Chapman)
yes no various feature-length TV specialsUntitled Bob the Builder filmno Bob the Builder (1998–2004)

Project Build It

(2005–2008)

Ready, Steady, Build

(2010–2012)
Bob the Builder (2015–2018)
no yes several children's songs including the series theme song
various toys
theme park attractions
live stage show
Dora the Explorer (Chris Gifford
Valerie Walsh Valdes
Eric Weiner)
yes no no Dora and the Lost City of Gold Dora the Explorer (2000–2019)
Go, Diego, Go! (2005–2012)
Into the City (2014–2016)
no toys, albums, theme park rides, live shows, apparel
The Fairly OddParents (Butch Hartman)no no yes yesThe Fairly OddParents (2001–2017)
(2024)
(2022–)yes toys
The Flintstones
(Hanna-Barbera)
yes The Man Called Flintstone (1966)
(2015)
several TV specials and movies
The Flintstones (1994)
The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000)
The Flintstones (1960–1966)
several other animated series
no 2 theme parks
live stage show
George of the Jungle
(Jay Ward and Bill Scott)
no no George of the Jungle (1997)
George of the Jungle 2 (2003)
George of the Jungle (1967)
George of the Jungle (2007)
no George of the Jungle and the Search for the Secret (2008) no
Gumby
(Art Clokey)
no Gumby comics
Gumby: 50 Shades of Clay (2017)
(1995) no Gumbasia (1953; short)
Howdy Doody (1955–1956)
The Gumby Show (1956–1969)
Gumby Adventures (1988)
no Gumby vs. the Astrobots (2005) Gumby (1989 tribute album)
Gundam
(Yoshiyuki Tomino)
numerous Over 6 depending on criteria G-Saviour (2000) Mobile Suit Gundam (1979–1982), and 15 additional series no Hundreds of model kits, traditional merchandise and exotic specials including a car.
Inspector Gadget
(Bruno Bianchi Andy Heyward Jean Chalopin)
yes yesInspector Gadget: Gadget's Greatest Gadgets (2000)
Inspector Gadget's Last Case (2002)
Inspector Gadget's Biggest Caper Ever (2005)
Inspector Gadget (film) (1999)
Inspector Gadget 2 (2002)
Inspector Gadget (1983–1986)
Gadget Boy (1995–1998)
Gadget & the Gadgetinis (2002–2003) Inspector Gadget (2015–2018)
Inspector Gadget's Field Trip (1996-1998) multiple various toys, podcast series
The Loud House
(Chris Savino)
numerous various graphic novels The Loud House Movie (2021)
The Casagrandes Movie (2024)
A Loud House Christmas (2021) The Loud House (2016-)
The Casagrandes (2019-)
The Really Loud House (2022-) various various toys
Neon Genesis Evangelion
(Hideaki Anno)
no Neon Genesis Evangelion (manga) (1994–2013) Five filmsno Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995–1996)no
dramas
Music
Rick and Morty
(Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon)
no several short films appearance in (unofficial) Doc and Mharti shorts (2006)
Rick and Morty (2013-)
The Vindicators (2022)
Rick and Morty: The Anime (TBA)
no Pocket Mortys
several Broadgames
action figures
Rugrats
(Klasky Csupo)
several The Rugrats Movie (1998)
(2000)
Rugrats Go Wild (2003)
several TV specials
no Rugrats (1991–2004)
All Grown Up! (2003–2008)
Rugrats Pre-School Daze (2005)
Rugrats (2021 TV series) (2021-)
no yes
several albums
RWBY
(Monty Oum)
no yes no no RWBY (2013-) no various various stage shows
Scooby-Doo
(Hanna-Barbera)
yes Scoob! (2020);
various others
Scooby-Doo (2002), (2004) Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (1969–1970), 11 others no yes merchandise
The Simpsons
(Matt Groening)
yes The Simpsons Movie (2007) no The Simpsons shorts from The Tracey Ullman Show (1987–1989)
The Simpsons (1989-)
no yes The Simpsons Ride
South Park
(Trey Parker and Matt Stone)
no no (1999)
several Paramount+ TV movies
no South Park (1997-) no yes Live Stage
merchandise
album
Space Battleship Yamato
(Yoshinobu Nishizaki)
no Cosmoship Yamato manga (1974–1975)
Great Yamato manga (2000–2001)
Space Battleship Yamato (1977)
and various sequels (1978–2002)
Space Battleship Yamato (2010) Space Battleship Yamato (1974–1980)
Star Blazers (1979–1984)
Space Battleship Yamato 2199 (2013)
no Space Battleship Yamato (1999) and sequels Toys
Action figures
pre-fabricated kits
Music
Space Ghost
(Alex Toth, William Hanna, Joseph Barbera)
yes yes Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters (2007)
(2022)
Space Ghost (1966–1967)
Space Ghost Coast to Coast (1994–2008)
The Brak Show (2000–2003, 2007)
Aqua Teen Hunger Force (2000–2015, 2023-)
several spin-offs
no yes Toys
Action figures
Music
SpongeBob SquarePants
(Stephen Hillenburg)
yes yes The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004)
(2015)
(2020)
(2024) (2025)
(2025)
live-action scenes in films SpongeBob SquarePants (1999–)
(2021-)
The Patrick Star Show (2021-)
several scenes yes Toys
Action figures
Music
Steven Universe
(Rebecca Sugar)
yes yes (2019) no 'Steven Universe' (2013–2019)
Steven Universe Future (2019–2020)
no yes Action figures
soundtracks
VeggieTales
(Phil Vischer
Mike Nawrocki)
yes VeggieTales SuperComics (2002)
(2008)
no VeggieTales (1993 video series)
several more
no severalseveral toys
children's music and soundtracks
Voltron
(World Events Productions)
no (1986) no Voltron: Defender of the Universe (1984–1985)
(1998)
Voltron Force (2010)
no Voltron: Defender of the Universe (2011)Toys
Action figures
Winx Club
(Iginio Straffi)
yes[1] yes[2] (2007)
(2010)
(2014)[3]
no Winx Club (2004–Present)
PopPixie (2011)
World of Winx (2016–2017)[4]
(2021–Present) Merchandise[5]
Soundtracks[6]
Winx on Ice (2008–2010)
Yogi's Gang
(William Hanna, Joseph Barbera, and Ed Benedict)
yes Hey There, It's Yogi Bear! (1964)
Hanna-Barbera Superstars 10
Yogi Bear (2010) The Huckleberry Hound Show The Yogi Bear Show and many other series no many Merchandise, Yogi Bear's Honey Fried Chicken restaurant chain, Jellystone Park

Franchises originating in live action television series

Franchise
(Creator)
Literature Comics Animated films Live action films Animated TV series Live action TV series Video games Other media
Ali G
(Sacha Baron Cohen)
yes no no Ali G Indahouse (2002)
Borat (2006)
Brüno (2009)
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (2020)
no Da Ali G Show' (2000–2004) (though the characters of Ali G and Borat debuted on The 11 O'Clock Show in 1998 and F2F in 1997 respectively) no soundtracks to mentioned feature films
The Avengers (TV series)
(Sydney Newman)
The Avengers (TV series)#Novels
The Avengers (1998 film)#Novelisation
The Avengers (TV series)#ComicsnoThe Avengers (1998 film)noThe Avengers (TV series) (1961–1969)
The New Avengers (TV series) (1976–1977)
noThe Avengers (TV series)#Radio series
The Avengers (TV series)#Audio
The Avengers (TV series)#Stage play
Babylon 5
(J. Michael Straczynski)
no no no Babylon 5 (102 episodes, 1994–1998)
Crusade (1999) and six TV films (1998–2007)
no
Barney
(Sheryl Leach
Kathy O'Rourke-Parker)
yes no no Barney's Great Adventure (1998)
several specialsBarney (TBA)
Barney's World (2024-) Barney & the Backyard Gang (video series, 1988–1991)
Barney & Friends (1992–2010)
Barney Home Video series (1993–2017)
Barney's Hide & Seek Game (1993) A Day in the Park with Barney
several children's albums
Battlestar Galactica
(Glen A. Larson)
no no no Battlestar Galactica (1978–1979)
Battlestar Galactica (2004–2009)
yes
The Bill
(Geoff McQueen)
The Bill#Novels (1984–1987)nonononoThe Bill (1983–2010)
Burnside (TV series) (2000)
Murder Investigation Team (TV series) (2003–2005)
noThe Bill#Music
Blake's 7
Terry Nation
Blake's 7#Books and magazines
nonononoBlake's 7 (1978–1981)Blake's 7#GamingBlake's 7 (audio drama)
The Brady Bunch
(Sherwood Schwartz)
no no no The Brady Bunch Movie (1995)
A Very Brady Sequel (1996)
The Brady Bunch in the White House (2002)
The Brady Kids (1972–1974) The Brady Bunch (1969–1974)
The Brady Brides (1981)
no numerous albums
A Very Brady Musical
Breaking Bad
(Vince Gilligan)
no yes no (2019)
several short films
Slippin' Jimmy (2022)Breaking Bad (2008-2013)
Better Call Saul (2015-2022)
several miniseries
podcasts
Charlie's Angels
(Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts)
no yes (1979; 2019) no Charlie's Angels (2000)
(2003)
Charlie's Angels (2019)
no Charlie's Angels (1976–1981)
Charlie's Angels (2011)
yes (2003; 2008; 2019) Charlie's Angels: Animated Adventures (2003)
Dad's Army
(Jimmy Perry and David Croft)
Dad's Army books and memorabiliayes[7] noDad's Army (1971 film)
Dad's Army (2016 film)
A Stripe for Frazer (2016)Dad's Army (1968–1977)
Dad's Army: The Lost Episodes (2019)
noDad's Army (stage show)
List of Dad's Army radio episodes
It Sticks Out Half a Mile (1983–1984)
Dad's Army Museum
Doctor Who[8]
(Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber, and Donald Wilson)
no Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965)
Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (1966)
The Infinite Quest (2007)
Dreamland (2009)
Website animated series
Radio and audio serials
Stage productions
The Equalizer
(Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim)
no no The Equalizer (2014)
The Equalizer 2 (2018)
no The Equalizer (1985–1989)
The Equalizer (2021–)
-
Fraggle Rock
(Jim Henson)
yes yes no no (1987)
The Doozers(2014–2018)
Fraggle Rock (1983–1987)
Fraggle Rock: Rock On! (2020)
(2022–)
yes albums
Gilligan's Island
(Sherwood Schwartz)
no no no Rescue from Gilligan's Island (1978)
The Castaways on Gilligan's Island (1979)
The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island (1981)
The New Adventures of Gilligan (1974–1975)
Gilligan's Planet (1982–1983)
Gilligan's Island (1964–1967) no no
Jackass
(Johnny Knoxville, Jeff Tremaine, Spike Jonze)
nonono (2002)
Jackass Number Two (2006)
Jackass 3D (2010)
Jackass Forever (2022)
spin-off films and TV specials with two of them under the Jackass presents title
noJackass (2000–2002)
Wildboyz (2006–2008)
no
Last of the Summer Wine
(Roy Clarke)
Summer Wine Chronicles (1986)Last of the Summer Wine (1983)[9] noGetting Sam Home (1983)
Uncle of the Bride (1986)
noLast of the Summer Wine (1973–2010)
First of the Summer Wine (1988–1989)
noStage adaptations, Audio (1995)

(Bruce Geller)
yes no no Mission: Impossible (1966–1973, 1988–1990) yes -
no no Monty Python's Flying Circus
several TV specials
Record albums
The Twilight Zone
(Rod Serling)
(2009) no (1982)
(1994)
no The Twilight Zone (1988)
Twilight Zone VR (2022)
radio drama
and Stage Adaptations, Disney's Park based on series
Mr. Bean
(Rowan Atkinson and Richard Curtis)
various no no Mr. Bean Takes an Exam (1991 short)
Bean (1997)
Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007)
Mr. Bean: The Animated Series Mr. Bean (1990–1995)
Comic Relief sketches
no Facebook videos
TV commercial appearances
The Muppets
(Jim Henson)
no no The Muppet Movie (1979), and seven additional films Muppet Babies (1984–1991)
Muppet Babies (2018–2020)
Sam and Friends (1955–1961)
The Muppet Show (1976–1981)
Muppets Tonight (1996–1998)
Muppets Now (2020)
yes Discography, live shows
Only Fools and Horses
(John Sullivan)
He Who Dares... (2015)
You Know It Makes Sense, Lessons From The Derek Trotter School of Business (And Life) (2018)
nonononoOnly Fools and Horses (1981–2003)
The Green Green Grass (2005–2009)
Rock & Chips (2010–2011)
noRoyal Variety Show (Only Fools and Horses) (1986)
Comic Relief special (1997)
Beckham in Peckham (2014)
Only Fools and Horses The Musical (2019)
Trotters Trading Game (1990)
Power Rangers/Super Sentai
(Haim Saban and Shuki Levy/Shotaro Ishinomori)
no yes no various Sentai Films
(1995)
(1997)
no various Power Rangers Collectible Card Game
various stage shows
The Prisoner
(Patrick McGoohan)
The Prisoner#BooksThe Prisoner#ComicsnononoThe Prisoner (1967–1968)
The Prisoner (2009 miniseries)
The Prisoner#GamesThe Prisoner#Audio dramas
Quatermass
(Nigel Kneale)
novelizationsnonoThe Quatermass Experiment ((1953)
Quatermass II (1955)
Quatermass and the Pit (1958–59)
Quatermass (1979)
The Quatermass Experiment (2005)
noThe Quatermass Xperiment (1955)
Quatermass 2 (1957)
Quatermass and the Pit (1967)
The Quatermass Conclusion (1979)
no The Quatermass Memoirs radio series (1996)
Quatermass and the Pit theatrical production (1997)
Red Dwarf
(Rob Grant and Doug Naylor)
(1989)
Better Than Life (1990)
Last Human (1995)
Red Dwarf Magazine no (2020) no Red Dwarf (1988-) Red Dwarf XII - The Game Red Dwarf - The Role-playing game
Saturday Night Live
(Lorne Michaels)
yesyes no several films based on characters from recurring sketches no Saturday Night Live (1975-) yes soundtracks
Sesame Street
(Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett)
various no (1985)
The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (1999)
Mecha Builders (2022-)Sesame Street (1969-)
Play with Me Sesame (2002–2007)
The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo (2020-)
various TV specials
various toys, theme park, apparel, food products and other merchandise, live shows
Star Trek[10]
(Gene Roddenberry)
no Thirteen feature films (beginning in 1979) (1973–74)
(2020-)
(2021-)
(1966–69)
(1987–1994)
(1993–99)
(1995–2001)
(2001–05)
(2017–)
(2020-)
(2022-)
-
The Sweeney
(Ian Kennedy Martin)
no Sweeney! (1977)
Sweeney 2 (1978)
The Sweeney (2012 film)
noThe Sweeney (1975–1978)no
The X-Files
(Chris Carter)
no The X-Files (1998)
(2008)
no The X-Files (1993–2002; 2016–2018)
Millennium(1996–1999)
The Lone Gunmen (2001)
yes
Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?(David Briggs, Mike Whitehall, Steven Knight)multiple quiz booksnonoSlumdog Millionaire(2008)scrapped animated spinoffWho Wants To Be a Millionaire? (1998-2014, 2018-present), alongside many international versionsMillionaire Hot Seat(2009-2023)50-50 (2008)Quiz (2020)severalsoundtrack release, board games, compilation tape, DVD game, Play It!

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Online Bookstore: Books, NOOK ebooks, Music, Movies & Toys. Barnes &. Noble. Barnes & Noble.
  2. Web site: Winx Club Magazine (Volume) - Comic Vine. comicvine.com.
  3. Web site: Winx Club: The Mystery of the Abyss. www.imdb.com.
  4. Web site: Netflix Orders 'Winx Club' Spinoff Series. Deadline. Nellie. Andreeva. September 25, 2014.
  5. Web site: Winx Club Dolls Mattel - eBay. eBay.
  6. Web site: Winx Club CD: CDS | eBay . 2014-03-21 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140321071229/http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/winx-club-cd . 2014-03-21 .
  7. – Piccolo/Pan, London–1973.
  8. Miles Booy, Love and Monsters: The Doctor Who Experience, 1979 to the Present (2012), p. 155, : "If treating the programme as a multimedia franchise – and at this point it becomes hard to think of it as anything else – is a good thing, then this was the point where the BBC began to connect the dots".
  9. Book: Clarke, Roy . Roy Clarke . Roger Mahoney . December 1983 . Last of the Summer Wine . Express Books . 0-85079-136-7.
  10. Mark Clark, Star Trek FAQ: Everything Left to Know about the First Voyages of the Starship Enterprise (2012), p. 1, : "Star Trek, which once struggled to survive from one season to the next, has become immortal—and, beyond that, inescapable. The series, and the multimedia franchise that grew from it, is now woven inextricably into the fabric of America and the world".