Point of Shark Jump: When Did Any Given Television Show Jump?

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by S. P. Honeybunch, Oct 11, 2016.

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  1. S. P. Honeybunch

    S. P. Honeybunch Presidente de Kokomo, Endless Mikelovemoney Thread Starter

    The original jumptheshark.com was an interesting reference for understanding how people view TV shows. Given that the site has been defunct for years, what are your observations about when any given TV show "jumped the shark"?

    From wikipedia:

    "Jumping the shark" is an expression that means something may have peaked in value. Historically, it was a pejorative idiom used to describe a moment of television in which there is a gimmick or unlikely occurrence that is seen as a desperate attempt to keep viewers' interest. Therefore, moments labeled as "jumping the shark" are often considered indications that the writers have run out of ideas; that the show has strayed irretrievably from an older and better formula; and/or even that the series as a whole is declining in quality.
     
  2. rockclassics

    rockclassics Senior Member

    Location:
    Mainline Florida
    An obvious choice is The Big Bang Theory. When they got.girlfriends the show started its decline. It has continued with Penny and Leonard getting married.
     
  3. The Panda

    The Panda Forum Mutant

    Location:
    Marple, PA, USA
    Home Improvement--jumped when Patricia Richardson convinced people that the show needed serious plotlines instead of comedy
     
  4. Lightworker

    Lightworker Forum Resident

    Location:
    Deep Texas
    The 'Cuba' episode of Madame Secretary "screwed the pooch" royally
    for me. Haven't watched that show since.
     
  5. Lightworker

    Lightworker Forum Resident

    Location:
    Deep Texas
    Kinda like when Laura Prepon's character 'went blonde' on That 70's Show. No turnin' back now.
     
  6. clhboa

    clhboa Forum Resident

    When Mork and Mindy had a baby.
    When the Great Gazoo joined The Flintstones.
    When Sheldon was added to Seigmund + The Sea Monsters.
     
    Keith V, razerx, Gumboo and 3 others like this.
  7. Grunge Master

    Grunge Master 8 Bit Enthusiast

    Location:
    Michigan
    When The Brady Bunch started a singing group.
     
    goodiesguy, MikeInFla, razerx and 5 others like this.
  8. rockclassics

    rockclassics Senior Member

    Location:
    Mainline Florida
    Yep. She just wasn't the same after that. I liked her as a red head better. Hot Donna.
     
  9. xdawg

    xdawg in labyrinths of coral caves

    Location:
    Roswell, GA, USA
    "Happy Days" when Fonzie actually jumped the shark :laugh:
    [​IMG]
     
  10. S. P. Honeybunch

    S. P. Honeybunch Presidente de Kokomo, Endless Mikelovemoney Thread Starter

    How did the shark know to stay inside the circle?
     
    goodiesguy, Suncola, SammyJoe and 3 others like this.
  11. DreadPikathulhu

    DreadPikathulhu Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    The Walking Dead, when Glenn crawled under the dumpster.
     
    altaeria, utopiarun, Jim N. and 9 others like this.
  12. zebop

    zebop Well Known Stranger

    Roseanne- When the family got rich
    thirtysomething- Killed off Gary
    Miami Vice- Blew up Sonny's car
    Grey's Anatomy-Lots of different things, the main one killing off Derek Shepard.
    Laverne and Shirley-Going to California
    Homicide- Pembleton's stroke
     
  13. DreadPikathulhu

    DreadPikathulhu Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    Because, like cats, sharks can also be trapped in a circle.

    [​IMG]
     
  14. Electric Warrior

    Electric Warrior Senior Member

    Location:
    Germany
    "Did anyone say shark? I've got a repellent hidden in my utility belt.."

    [​IMG]
     
  15. forthlin

    forthlin Member Chris & Vickie Cyber Support Team

    When Don Knotts left the Andy Griffith Show.
     
  16. mBen989

    mBen989 Senior Member

    Location:
    Scranton, PA
  17. Synthfreek

    Synthfreek I’m a ray of sunshine & bastion of positivity

    What was different about the show after besides him just being gone? What cheap gimmicks were added?
     
  18. Pizza

    Pizza With extra pepperoni

    Location:
    USA
    Nooooooo! I love the Great Gazoo!
     
  19. DreadPikathulhu

    DreadPikathulhu Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    When Scrappy joined Scooby Doo.
     
  20. misterdecibel

    misterdecibel Bulbous Also Tapered

    Color.
     
    somnar and Grunge Master like this.
  21. Cerealplayer

    Cerealplayer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Australia
    Vikings, every moment after season 1
     
  22. Michelle66

    Michelle66 Senior Member

    "The Principal and the Pauper" - The Simpsons
     
  23. PaulKTF

    PaulKTF Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Roseanne- Season 9, Episode 2 "Millions From Heaven"- the one where they win the lottery. Everything after this episode was awful.
     
  24. Solitaire1

    Solitaire1 Carpenters Fan

    Ally McBeal
    The episode where Billy and Georgia got into an argument in the Unisex and Georgia punches Billy so hard that he flies across the room, hits the wall, and falls to the floor unconscious. The scene might have been intended to be funny, but it came across as so mean that the show was never the same.

    Scooby Doo
    Although the Jump The Shark website lists the introduction of Scrappy Doo as the moment the series jumped the shark, I think it actually jumped the shark during The New Scooby Doo Movies where they meet up with Jeannie (from the I Dream Of Jeannie animated series). What set that episode apart is that for the first time an actual supernatural being was the guilty party rather than a normal human using a disguise and/or technology, which is one of the key elements of the series. This later led to more episodes/movies where the team deals with the actual supernatural.

    Fantasy Island
    The departure of Tattoo.

    The Jetsons
    The introduction of Orbity (along with the new episodes). The new episodes didn't have the same feel as the original 1960s episodes.

    Doctor Who (With this series, I will treat each Doctor's run as a separate series since I don't think the series jumped the shark during the run of most of the Doctors)
    The Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker): The introduction of Romana II.

    Teen Titans
    The fifth (and final) season were the main team disappears from the series for the most part and other teen heroes appear instead.
     
  25. Solitaire1

    Solitaire1 Carpenters Fan

    The above episode is where the phrase "Jump The Shark" came from. According to the book Jump The Shark by John Hein, he and a group of guys were discussing when their favorite television shows were never the same. Although there were arguments with many shows, when someone mentioned the above episode of Happy Days, where Fonzie literally jumped the shark, there was silence and no arguments. Hein later created a website called Jump The Shark where people can post they own opinions about when shows jumped the shark.
     
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