The snarky sidekick, the snooping sibling, the meddling friend, clumsy neighbor and elitist coworker are all characters that we’ve seen quite a bit of on the television screen. And, in the midst of being snarky, snoopy, meddling, clumsy and elitist, we, as viewers, notice that those characters are also really annoying. But, despite this, we do not totally hate them. In fact, we are drawn to them. In one way or another we know that the bothersome character not only has redeeming qualities, but sometimes they have the protagonist’s best interests in mind.

Tara Thornton, True Blood

Tara Thorton perpetually wakes ups on the wrong side of the bed–but with reason. She’s suffered neglect and abuse, she’s been abducted, she’s been attacked, she’s been brain washed, and she’s been vampirized. Because of her circumstances, Tara takes every opportunity she can to complain, whine, and overreact to lighter situations. The softer side of her can usually be seen when Tara deals with Sookie, whom she loves like a sister. Tara was there for Sookie when [SPOILERS] her grandmother died; Tara routinely helps with most vampire related drama, and she even sacrificed her (human) life for Sookie.

blackenterprise.com

Spinoffs are greatly appreciated for a few reasons: they allow viewers to see lesser characters develop independently; they give viewers a different take of the characters from the previous sitcom; and, finally, spinoffs are uniquely responsible for creating that ‘neighboring effect’ on television, allowing audiences and characters, alike, feel as if they are stepping from one living room into another. This has been seen time and time again in television. Cheers begot Fraiser, Grey’s Anatomy begot Private Practice, Buffy begot Angel, and  Dr. Who begot Torchwood. Check out some our favorites over the years.

The fun-loving Raven-Symoné (“That’s So Raven!”) is back delivering her best studio work to date through Disney’s animated centerpiece – Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue, playing the ultra-friendly “Iridessa.” As one of Tinker Bell’s best friends, she finds herself in the midst of a whirlwind journey that will bring all fairies closer together in the community of Pixie Hollow. As a result, it will forever change the scope of their friendship as they know it in one of the most exciting adventures on feature film. Having captured the hearts of pre-teens with her hit shows, “That’s So Raven” and “Cheetah Girls,” Raven-Symoné now gives Madame Noire a preview of her latest work and then some. Check it out!

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