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Why understanding how spiders spin silk may hold clues for treating Alzheimer’s disease

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michael-landreh-1328287">Michael Landreh</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/karolinska-institutet-1250">Karolinska Institutet</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/anna-rising-1440132">Anna Rising</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/karolinska-institutet-1250">Karolinska Institutet</a> Really, we should envy spiders. Imagine being able to make silk like they do, flinging it around to get from place to place, always having a <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsmacrolett.8b00678">strong-as-steel safety line</a> or spinning a comfy hammock whenever they need a rest. The fascinating properties of spider silk make it no wonder that scientists have been trying to unravel its secrets for decades. If we could understand and recreate the spinning process, we could produce artificial spider silk for a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0141813021021292">range of medical applications</a>. For example, artificial silk can help <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2021.120692">regenerate the nerves that connect our brain and limbs</a>, and can shuttle <a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.0c01138">drug molecules directly into the cells where they are needed</a>. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zNtSAQHNONo?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> Spider silk is made of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/spidroins">proteins called spidroins</a>, which the spider stores in a silk gland in its abdomen. There are several types of spidroin for spinning different sorts of silk. Spiders <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7673682/">store them as a liquid</a> that resembles oil droplets. But one of the questions that has eluded scientists so far is how spiders turn these liquid droplets into silk. We decided to investigate why the spidroins form droplets, to get us closer to replicating a spider’s spinning process. <h2>Weaving a web</h2> The trick that spiders use to speed up their spinning process can be used to spin better artificial silk, or even develop new spinning processes. In 2017, we learned to <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms15504">make synthetic silk fibres</a> by emulating the silk gland, but we did not know how things work inside the spider. Now we know that forming droplets first <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37084706/">speeds up the conversion to these fibres</a>. An important clue to how the droplets and fibres are related came from an unexpected area of our research – on <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23013511/">Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases</a>. Proteins that are involved in these diseases, called <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/alpha-synuclein#:%7E:text=%CE%B1%2DSynuclein%20is%20a%20highly,linked%20to%20familial%20Parkinson%20disease.">alpha-synuclein</a> and <a href="https://www.alz.org/media/Documents/alzheimers-dementia-tau-ts.pdf">tau</a>, can assemble into tiny, oil-like droplets in human cells. Tau is a protein that helps stabilise the internal skeleton of nerve cells (neurons) in the brain. This internal skeleton has a tube-like shape through which nutrients and other essential substances travel to reach different parts of the neuron. In Alzheimer’s disease, an abnormal form of tau builds up and clings to the normal tau proteins, creating “tau tangles”. Alpha-synuclein is found in large quantities in <a href="https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/what-is-dopamine">dopamine-producing nerve cells</a>. Abnormal forms of this protein are linked to Parkinson’s disease. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528217/original/file-20230525-25-p40y48.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528217/original/file-20230525-25-p40y48.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528217/original/file-20230525-25-p40y48.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528217/original/file-20230525-25-p40y48.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528217/original/file-20230525-25-p40y48.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528217/original/file-20230525-25-p40y48.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528217/original/file-20230525-25-p40y48.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528217/original/file-20230525-25-p40y48.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Beautiful spider web with water drops close-up" /></a><figcaption>The trick spiders use to speed up their spinning process can be used to spin better artificial silk. <a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/beautiful-spider-web-water-drops-close-155560781">Aastels/Shutterstock</a></figcaption></figure> Oil droplets of either one of these proteins form in humans when they become entangled, like boiled spaghetti on a plate. At first, the proteins are flexible and elastic, much like spidroin oil droplets. But if the proteins remain entangled, they get stuck together which alters their shape, changing them into rigid fibres. These can be toxic to human cells – for example, in neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s. However, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33148640/">spidroins can form droplets</a> too. This left us wondering if the same mechanism that causes neurodegeneration in humans could help the spider to convert liquid spidroins into rigid silk fibres. To find out, we used a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nchembio.2269">synthetic spidroin called NT2RepCT</a>, which can be produced by bacteria. Under the microscope, we could see that this synthetic spidroin formed liquid droplets when it was dissolved in phosphate buffer, a type of salt found in the spider’s silk gland. This allowed us to replicate spider silk spinning conditions in the lab. <h2>Silky science</h2> Next, we studied how the spidroin proteins act when they form droplets. To answer this question, we turned to an analysis technique <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/mass-spectrometry">called mass spectrometry</a>, to measure how the weight of the proteins changed when they formed droplets. To our surprise, we saw that the spidroin proteins, which normally form pairs, instead split into single molecules. We needed to do more work to find out how these protein droplets help spiders spin silk. Previous research has shown spidroins have different parts, called domains, with separate functions. The end part of the spidroin, called c-terminal domain, makes it form pairs. The c-terminal also starts <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.1001921">fibre formation when it comes into contact with acid</a>. So, we made a spidroin which contained only the c-terminal domain and tested its ability to form fibres. When we used phosphate buffer to entangle the proteins into droplets, they turned into rigid fibre instantly. When we added acid without first making droplets, fibre formation took much longer. This makes sense since the spidroin molecules must find each other when forming a fibre. Entangling the spidroins like spaghetti helps them rapidly assemble into silk. This finding tells us how the spider can instantly convert its spidroins into a solid thread. It also uncovered how nature uses the same mechanism that can make brain proteins toxic to create some of its most amazing structures. The surprising parallel between spider silk spinning and fibres toxic to humans could one day lead to new clues about how to fight neurodegenerative disorders. Scientists may use spider silk research, including what we have learned about the spider silk domains, to keep human proteins from sticking together – to stop them from becoming toxic. If spiders can learn how to keep their sticky proteins in check, perhaps so can we.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205857/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michael-landreh-1328287">Michael Landreh</a>, Researcher, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/karolinska-institutet-1250">Karolinska Institutet</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/anna-rising-1440132">Anna Rising</a>, Researcher in Veterinary medicine biochemistry, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/karolinska-institutet-1250">Karolinska Institutet</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-understanding-how-spiders-spin-silk-may-hold-clues-for-treating-alzheimers-disease-205857">original article</a>. Images: Getty

Body

Vinyl record sales keep spinning and spinning – with no end in sight

Over the past decade, vinyl records have made a major comeback. People purchased US$1.2 billion of records in 2022, a 20% jump from the previous year. Not only did sales rise, but they also surpassed CD sales for the first time since 1988, according to <a href="https://www.riaa.com/2022-year-end-music-industry-revenue-report-riaa/">a new report</a> from the Recording Industry Association of America. Who saw that coming? I certainly didn’t. In the mid-1990s, I sold off my family’s very large collection of records over my wife’s protests. I convinced her we needed the space, even if the buyer was picking up the whole stash for a song. Back then, of course, there were far fewer options for listening to music – it was years before <a href="https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/9986-the-year-in-streaming-2016/">on-demand streaming</a> and <a href="https://www.shockwave-sound.com/blog/music-on-the-move-a-short-history-of-mobile-listening/">smartphones</a>. <a href="https://www.bu.edu/questrom/profile/jay-zagorsky/">I now teach at a business school</a> and <a href="http://businessmacroeconomics.com/">follow the economy’s</a> latest trends. Sales of records have been increasing since 2007, and the data shows the vinyl record industry’s rebound still has not peaked. Last year, the music industry sold 41.3 million albums, more than in any year since 1988. This resurgence is just one chapter in a broader story about the growing popularity of older technologies. Not only are <a href="http://www.the-standard.org/life/vinyl-records-making-a-comeback-after-30-years-of-being-behind-cds/article_9108143e-3bdd-11ea-be0d-97edd557218b.html">LP records coming back</a>, but so are <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2018/09/24/sales-are-booming-manhattan-typewriter-store-mostly-thanks-young-people-tom-hanks/">manual typewriters</a>, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/12/24/board-game-popularity/">board games</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-so-many-gen-z-ers-drawn-to-old-digital-cameras-198854">digital cameras from the late 1990s and early 2000s</a>. There are many <a href="https://blog.technavio.com/blog/reasons-behind-upsurge-vinyl-record-sales">theories about why records</a> are <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.uk/culture/music/why-is-vinyl-making-a-comeback">making a comeback</a>. Most of them miss the point about their appeal. <h2>Why records and not CDs?</h2> One suggestion is that sales have been spurred by <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p057l522">baby boomers</a>, many of whom <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/11/09/the-pace-of-boomer-retirements-has-accelerated-in-the-past-year/">are now entering retirement</a> and are eager to tap into the nostalgia of their youth. Data shows this theory is not true. First, the <a href="https://www.billboard.com/charts/vinyl-albums">top-selling vinyl albums right now are current artists</a>, not classic bands. As of this writing, <a href="https://illustrationchronicles.com/jamie-hewlett-gorillaz-and-the-enduring-evolution-of-pop">Gorillaz, a band formed in the late 1990s</a>, was at the top of the vinyl charts. Second, <a href="https://www.riaa.com/reports/2021-u-s-consumer-music-profile-musicwatch-inc/">data from the recording industry</a> shows the most likely person to buy a LP record is in Gen Z – people born from 1997 to 2012. Another theory is that records are cheap. While that might have been true in the past, today’s vinyl records command a premium. “Cracker Island,” the Gorillaz album that is currently topping the vinyl sales charts, <a href="https://usstore.gorillaz.com/products/cracker-island-standard-vinyl">lists for almost $22</a> – twice the cost of the CD. Plus, subscribing to an online service like Spotify for 15 bucks a month gives you access to millions of tracks. A third explanation for the resurgence is that <a href="https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/does-vinyl-really-sound-better/">people claim records have better sound quality</a> than digital audio files. Records are analog recordings that capture the entire sound wave. Digital files are sampled at periodic intervals, which means only part of the sound wave is captured. In addition to sampling, many <a href="https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/what-data-compression-does-your-music">streaming services and most stored audio files compress the sound</a> information of a recording. <a href="https://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/courses/soco/projects/data-compression/lossy/mp3/concept.htm">Compression allows people</a> to put more songs on their phones and listen to streaming services without using up much bandwidth. However, <a href="https://electronics.sony.com/hi-res-audio-mp3-cd-sound-quality-comparison">compression eliminates some sounds</a>. While LP records are not sampled or compressed, they do <a href="https://www.perfectvinylforever.com/faq">develop snap, crackle and popping sounds</a> after being played multiple times. Records also skip, which is something that doesn’t happen with digital music. If you’re really going for quality, CDs are usually a superior digital format because <a href="https://www.gearpatrol.com/tech/audio/a731474/reasons-to-buy-cds/">the audio data is not compressed</a> and has much better fidelity than records. Yet even though CDs are higher quality, <a href="https://www.riaa.com/u-s-sales-database/">CDs sales have been steadily falling</a> since their peak in 2000. <h2>The ultimate status symbol</h2> In my view, the most likely reason for the resurgence of records was identified by an economist over a century ago. In the late 1890s, <a href="https://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/bios/Veblen.html">Thorstein Veblen</a> looked at spending in society and wrote an influential book called “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Theory_of_the_Leisure_Class">The Theory of the Leisure Class</a>.” In it, he explained that people often buy items as a way to gain and convey status. One of Veblen’s key ideas is that not everything in life is purchased because it is easy, fun or high quality. Sometimes harder, more time-consuming or exotic items offer more status. A cake is a great example. Say you offer to bring a cake to a party. You can buy a bakery-made cake that will look perfect and take only a few minutes to purchase. Or you could bake one at home. Even if it’s delicious, it won’t look as nice and will take hours to make. But if your friends are like mine, they’ll gush over the homemade cake and not mention the perfect store-bought one. Buying and playing vinyl records is becoming a status symbol. Today, playing music is effortless. Just shout your request at a smart speaker, like Siri or Alexa, or touch an app on your smartphone. Playing a record on a turntable takes time and effort. Building your collection requires thoughtful deliberation and money. A record storage cube alongside an accompanying record player also makes for some nice living room decor. And now I – the uncool professor that I am – find myself bemoaning the loss of all of those albums I sold years ago. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/vinyl-record-sales-keep-spinning-and-spinning-with-no-end-in-sight-201444" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Music

Federer sends tennis world in a spin

Roger Federer has sent the tennis world in a spin after announcing he may be pushing back his retirement. The 40-year-old Swiss player was welcomed to a standing ovation and a huge round of applause when he appeared at Wimbledon on Sunday for the traditional parade of champions. Federer, who has been struggling with his right knee after undergoing three operations to help repair damage to his meniscus and cartilage, then announced exciting news to tennis fans. “I hope I can come back one more time. I’ve missed it here," he said. "Of course I've missed being here. I would have loved to be here. I knew walking out here last year, it was going to be a tough year ahead. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> With eight singles titles to his name, <a href="https://twitter.com/rogerfederer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rogerfederer</a> 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wimbledon?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Wimbledon</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CentreCourt100?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CentreCourt100</a> <a href="https://t.co/ucGLn0wW6q">pic.twitter.com/ucGLn0wW6q</a> — Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) <a href="https://twitter.com/Wimbledon/status/1543582911466700800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2022</a></blockquote> "Maybe I didn't think it was going to take me this long to come back. But the knee has been rough on me. "I didn't know if I should make the trip, but I'm happy standing right here, right now." Federer has played at Wimbledon every year since his main-draw debut in 1999 but had to sit out in 2022 due to the long recovery on his knee. "I've been lucky enough to play a lot of matches on this court. Feels awkward to be here today in a different type of role," he said. "But it's great to be here with ... all the other champions. This court has given me my biggest wins, my biggest losses." Image: Getty

Caring

Australian law says the media can’t spin lies – ‘entertainment magazines’ aren’t an exception

In a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/feb/17/womans-day-headline-declaring-meghan-and-harrys-marriage-over-blatantly-incorrect">recent ruling</a> the Australian Press Council has given a signal to gossip magazines it is OK to make up and publish rubbish about people, so long as the stories aren’t “blatantly incorrect”. This is despite the council’s own guidelines stating all member publications must strive for accuracy and avoid being misleading. The council, which adjudicates complaints against the print media, has also suggested it’s OK to have less rigorous standards when reporting on royalty and celebrities. And all this happened in a ruling against a magazine for publishing falsehoods. A confused adjudication The council has upheld a complaint about an article published in Woman’s Day on May 27 2019. The cover declared: “Palace confirms the marriage is over! Why Harry was left with no choice but to end it.” The inside story was titled “This is the final straw” and claimed: “Prince Harry has been left enraged and humiliated by a series of shock revelations about his wife’s past” and he “has finally reached breaking point”. In upholding the complaint, the <a href="https://www.presscouncil.org.au/document-search/adj-1773/">Press Council said</a> the headline was “blatantly incorrect” and not supported by the article’s contents. It also ruled the headline “was more than just an exaggeration […] it was misleading”.“ But the council has sent a strong signal it will be lenient with publications that exaggerate. It said: ”[A]n entertainment publication can be expected to use some exaggeration" and “celebrity and gossip magazines are purchased for light entertainment, with readers not necessarily assuming that everything presented is factual”. The phrase “not necessarily” suggests some people might believe what’s presented is factual. But, that aside, why is the Press Council making rulings at odds with its own general principles? The <a href="https://www.presscouncil.org.au/statements-of-principles/">first principle</a> says publications should “ensure that factual material in news reports and elsewhere is accurate and not misleading and is distinguishable from other material such as opinion”. How does it reconcile these two contradictory ideas? It’s a question Marcus Strom, the president of the journalists’ union, MEAA Media, has been considering. He told <a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-law-says-the-media-cant-spin-lies-entertainment-magazines-arent-an-exception-132186">The Conversation:</a> “The Press Council guidelines are clear that all member publications must strive to be factual and not misleading. I’m surprised that falsehoods – where not “everything presented is factual” – are allowed within that definition.” If you’ve walked past a rack of magazines in the supermarket and wondered just how many times the same celebrity can become pregnant, you may have asked yourself why these publications can print falsehoods on an almost industrial scale. You might have concluded they’re just gossip magazines and no one takes them seriously. That same thinking seems to be driving the Press Council’s comments. But is that good enough? The idea these publications have a special exemption from journalistic standards is a concept with almost no foundation in law. There is no special provision under Australia’s defamation laws for this class of magazines. There is no “celebrity” defence that allows the media to make up lies about people. Even the defamation law’s defence of “triviality” offers very little protection. The Rebel Wilson case made that perfectly clear. Lawyer Dougal Hurley, of Minter Ellison, tells The Conversation gossip magazines trade on light entertainment, and readers “can and do expect a level of hyperbole that they would not in news media”. However, he concludes: “This does not mean that the defence of triviality will succeed if these magazines are sued for defamation. Indeed, the rejection of triviality defences by the jury [in the case of] Wilson is evidence of this. Gossip magazines that have not already changed their editorial practices risk being liable for significant defamation payouts.” Out-of-step thinking The other controversial suggestion in the ruling is that the media can apply less rigorous standards when reporting on the royal family and celebrities. “The Council also acknowledges that the reasonable steps required to be accurate and not misleading in an article concerning royalty and celebrities can, depending on the circumstances, be different to those required in respect of other persons, particularly those who are not usually in the public eye.” The council offers little reasoning for this, but is no doubt assuming that, as public figures, they should expect incursions on their privacy and sensationalised coverage. Again, the council’s thinking is looking out of step with the <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/media-and-marketing/australia-the-defamation-capital-of-the-world-20190904-p52nuh">increased use of the courts</a> to combat inaccurate reporting and false gossip. Hurley says: “Although in many respects gossip magazines are as they ever were, it is also true that they are bearing more risk in circumstances where they purport to report news and publish to a global audience instantaneously.” He continues: “While international celebrities may appear to be easy targets for gossip magazines, our notoriously plaintiff-friendly defamation laws mean that these celebrities can and will sue in Australia. Only a major overhaul of Australia’s defamation laws will prevent the libel tourism that has contributed to Australia becoming the defamation capital of the world.” Perhaps in these circumstances, the Press Council might do its members – and the public – a greater service by insisting proper standards apply to all reporting, and that accuracy and fact checking be the norm, even for the magazines at the supermarket checkout. Written by Andrew Dodd. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-law-says-the-media-cant-spin-lies-entertainment-magazines-arent-an-exception-132186">The Conversation.</a>

Legal

The riddle that has the internet in a spin – can you figure it out?

“What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs at night?” inquired the Sphinx. Oedipus, ever the clever Greek tragic figure, was not easily fooled. “Man,” he replied. Then, the Sphinx died, for some reason. The upcoming riddle’s stakes are a bit lower, that’s for sure, but its answer is similarly difficult to dream up. If Teresa’s daughter is my daughter's mother, what am I to Teresa? For clarity’s sake, the relationships mentioned in the above riddle are by blood, and not by the quick and breezy process of Facebook family requests. Fortunately for the riddle-solver, finding the answer will just provide gratification. The pivot point of the riddle sits on the tongue of question-asker, who happens to be… Teresa’s daughter, <a rel="noopener" href="http://twentytwowords.com/heres-the-answer-to-the-viral-riddle-thats-driving-the-internet-nuts/2/" target="_blank" title="" data-original-title="">as confirmed by this diagram from 22 Words.</a> Now, if you’re still looking for a challenge to keep your brain churning, just try and find the <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/thought-provoking/spot-the-turtle" target="_blank" title="" data-original-title="">turtle in this photo</a>. It has nothing to do with daughters, but apparently, women can solve it faster than men. Written by Sam Benson Smith. This article first appeared in <a href="http://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/thought-provoking/riddle-has-internet-spin-can-you-figure-it-out">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRN87V">here’s our best subscription offer.</a> <img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" />

Mind

5 scrapped TV spin-offs you’ll never get to see

Spin-offs are tricky business and if they do not go down well fans, they not only cease production, but they ruin the perfectly good storyline of the original show. These TV show spin-offs next made it on our screen, but some even made it as far as shooting a pilot. Here are TV spin-offs that got called off. 1. Rose Tyler: Earth Defence This idea was a Doctor Who spin that followed Rose Tyler’s adventures after she departed the flagship in 2006. The story was meant to follow Tyler as she worked for Torchwood after she ended up stranded on a parallel Earth. The spin-off was green lit and had a budget allocated for the first episode of a series of specials, but it was stopped due to fears that bringing back Rose too soon would lessen the impact of her departure. 2. Cherry Hill Prison Break was going to get a spin-off which would follow well-to-do housewife Molly as she’s thrown into a women’s prison. Molly was going to be introduced in the third season of Prison Break, but the 2007-08 Writers Guild of America strike forced production to shut down and the change in storylines. 3. Assignment: Earth Assignment: Earth was intended to be the sister series of the original Star Trek. Star Trek’s final episode in season two introduced Gary Seven, an alien from the 24th century who time travelled to protect Earth’s history. It was organised for Gary Seven to have more standalone adventures, but the idea never happened. 4. How I Met Your Dad While there is a different How I Met Your Mother spin-off potentially in the works, the first spin-off idea was created in 2014. The spin-off series would’ve been a gender-swapped remake of the original series. The pilot of the spin-off starred Greta Gerwig as the lead and had Meg Ryan perform the voiceover as the older version of her character Sally. CBS passed on the idea, but now a revamped version called How I Met Your Father could still be picked up. 5. Springfield One Simpson’s episode ‘22 Short Films About Springfield’, which focused on Springfield’s other residents, was so popular that a spin-off was nearly created. Former showrunner Josh Weinstein told <a href="http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/feature/a818387/scrapped-tv-spin-offs-doctor-who-prison-break-buffy/" target="_blank">Digital Spy</a>, "We felt at that time – around season seven – that we all knew the family so well, so let's start exploring all these great side-characters.” "It would be a chance to tell full stories about these other characters, but that never happened. I think it could've been great, but everyone was so busy at the time." What is your favourite TV show spin-off series? Let us know in the comments below.

The very best (and the very worst) TV spin-offs

Sometimes, a television show is populated with so many wonderful characters that producers decide to capitalise on their success and create a spin-off show. Sometimes, it’s easy to see that the original show was lightning in a bottle, and that a spin-off was never a good idea. Occasionally, though, the resultant show is so wonderful, so engrossing, that you’d be forgiven for forgetting that it’s a spin-off. The Best 1. Frasier – spun off from Cheers Held up as the shining example of spin-off success stories, Frasier ran for 11 seasons, picking up a whopping 37 Emmys along the way. 2. Better Call Saul – spun off from Breaking Bad News that the creators of the revered Breaking Bad were making a spin-off about Walter White’s shady lawyer, Saul Goodman, was met with trepidation. How could they possibly follow up one of the most critically beloved series of recent memory? Very, very well, apparently. The prequel series is a hit with audiences and critics alike, as star Bob Odenkirk carries on the Breaking Bad legacy with aplomb. 3. The Good Fight – spun off from The Good Wife The Good Wife was television at its finest – at once a slick legal drama populated with contemporary stories that echoed current headlines, and a gripping exploration of the life of a woman whose life is plagued by scandal thanks to her politician husband. After its seven successful seasons, The Good Fight picks up where the show left off, allowing Christine Baranski to take up the mantel of lead character, along with Cush Jumbo and Rose Leslie. It’s similar in tone to its big sister show, but different enough to feel just as fresh, relevant, and necessary. 4. Angel – spun off from Buffy the Vampire Slayer Buffy’s creator, Joss Whedon, decided to give Buffy’s vampire-with-a-soul boyfriend his own television show after the latter character had been killed. Cue one perfectly executed resurrection story, and David Boreanaz’s Angel left Sunnydale and headed for Los Angeles, where he teamed up with fellow Buffy alum, Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) to set up a detective agency. Darker than its counterpart, Angel ran for five seasons, and reinvented itself several times with a diverse cast or characters and actors that complemented its gripping storylines. The Worst 1. Joey – spun off from Friends Fans hoped against hope that this Friends spin-off would be as wonderful as the original. Unfortunately, the show never stood a chance. The show rated well at the beginning of its run, but was cancelled halfway through its second season. We like to imagine that Joey moved back to New York to be with his friends. 2. Joanie Loves Chachi – spun off from Happy Days Happy Days’ Joanie and Chachi packed up and moved to Chicago to start a rock band. It would seem this was a bad move for the pair, as the show was cancelled after two short seasons, and the characters returned to Happy Days for its final season. 3. The Brady Brides – spun off from The Brady Bunch Take two characters from one of television’s most recognisable and beloved families, and give them their own show. Instant hit, right? Not so much. The team behind The Brady Brides gave Marcia and Jan a pair of husbands and had the two couples living together in a single home. The result was as bad as the premise sounds, and the show was canned after only six episodes. Which spin-off TV show is your favourite?

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