Legal Commentary

OK, here's the quiz: name the two hour-long dramas in the history of television (I think) that were spinoffs of half hour sitcoms.  Answer, and associated legal thing, after the jump.

The answer is (1) Lou Grant, spun off from Mary Tyler Moore; and, more controversially, (2) Trapper John, MD, spun off from M*A*S*H.  Why is #2 controversial?  According to this unbelievably great website, which catalogs all of the spinoffs and crossovers in TV history (a "crossover" being when the reality of two shows intersect, like when the Bewitched characters became animated and appeared on the Flintstones), there was a legal batttle over whether people involved in the original M*A*S*H TV show would share in profits from Trapper John, and so the creators of the latter styled it as a spinoff of the original movie rather than of the TV show.  But still, come on, who are we kidding?

Anyone have any ideas for similar types of spinoffs?  I would actually like to see an example of the reverse situation: "Medevoy," a 1/2 hour sitcom spinoff of the hour long drama NYPD Blue, starring that red headed goofball detective who is always getting himself in wacky situations!