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

Dick Van Dyke could have gone on another season, imo.

 

The Office's "Goodbye Toby" episode. Most of season 4 was classic, but this episode was pretty silly. The following season, though still good, was evidence that the show's best days were gone.

 

Sex and the City, when Carrie met Alexander:



This was a disastrous mess.

 

Killer rendition of "Barbara Ann" after "Kokomo":

 

Silver Spoons jumped horribly when they "modernized" the theme song and it became an 80s time capsule. (Yes, I like the early episodes. Joel Higgins seems like one of the coolest guys in the world.)

 

I disagree with the last bit. Fred/Illyria are responsible for some of the best moments in Angel. As for Acker's stint in Alias, I can't comment because I never finished watching the series. Putting that on my to-do list right now.

 

Yes and no. There were still a number of great episodes after that; but that coupling effectively killed the dynamic between Daphne and Niles and also made Daphne's character superfluous. I remember a number of times thinking, "Ah, here we go, a gratuitous scene/storyline for Daphne." And I never got the sense they actually liked each other once they were a couple, zero chemistry.

Frasier jumped a number of times over the years ( Frasier's Greek relatives, Kirby, and so on) but did manage to redeem itself intermittently. In fact one of my favorite episodes, "The Doctor Is Out," was from the final season.

 

"Facts of Life" when Mrs. Garrett bought the store.

 

The one where Jack, Chrissy and Janet move into an apartment upstairs from the Ropers.

 

I agree with most of your points, except for Milton Berle as Louie The Lilac. What made Louie unusual from the other villains is that Berle played him straight, as someone who would have no problem using lethal force. He also gave a harsh and cold edge to Louie, coming across as someone you don't want to mess with. I think with a little work he would be a nice fit in the current Batman comics.

 

And then when the store burned down. And then when she LEFT the show and her "sister" showed up.

 

Also, a little credit for Different Strokes for the molestation episode, which could have been a jump the shark moment but was very well done.

 

When it comes to long-running shows like SNL, I think that you have to split the show up by eras since it becomes a new show due to the departure and addition of cast members (likewise with Doctor Who since it becomes a new show when The Doctor regenerates). As an example, I think SNL did its first shark jump when Belushi and Ackroyd departed, but it jumped back when Lorne Michaels returned. It jumped again when Phil Hartman departed.

Concerning Barney Miller, I think the show became better when they moved the focus to Barney's job and phased out Barney's home life from the show, but it Jumped The Shark when Fish left the show.

 

No way did Barney jump the Shark after Fish left. This show was great right to the end. I think the show started firing on all cylinders in season 3 and never slowed down.

 

It's supposed to be a point where the show will never be the same. The show can still continue long after the shark has been jumped (as an example, M.A.S.H. jumped when Col. Henry Blake died, but the show continued for years after than point). Often though, the show will often end after a shark-jumping moment but it might be significantly different show (Saturday Night Live was a very different show after the departure of the Not Ready For Prime Time Players but it is still going on).

It is also possible that the show can continue by evolving. As an example, Doctor Who faced an event (the departure of William Hartnell, The First Doctor) that usually leads to the end of a series. But the Creative Team came up with a way to continue the series despite the departure of the lead actor. That has led the series to continue (with interruptions) for 50 years, and allowed the series to change over time to keep viewers watching (and getting them back when The Doctor they didn't like regenerates).

 

I initially thought this was a way of saying the series killed off Mrs. Garrett - then I looked and realized the character actually DID buy a store!

 

Ha! Nah, I'd say towards the end of the Artie Lange era. But thanks to Howie having Trump on frequently, I knew what kind of guy he really was.

 

They show also suffered the loss of Jack Soo and continued to be strong. I think that they probably ended the show at just the right time, before it started to get stale.

 

I liked Facts until Cloris came in. Cloris was super talented but the girls were too grown up to be looked after so she wasn't utilized in the best way.
I liked the Over Our Heads storyline and it actually boosted ratings a bit. That show was a sleeper hit for many years. One of my favorites back in the day.

 

Great show! Why isn't it on ME-TV or some such station?

 

The plots weren't as great by that point. There was some decent ones after they moved into the store, but after Season 5 is where I stopped caring. Seasons 1 - 4 were delights, though.

 

I was thinking of MASH as well but couldn't pinpoint it, you did a perfect job of it, well done!

 

Oh, god, I forgot Scrubs. For me, that moment was replacing nearly the whole cast for the final season.

 

Yeah great sitcom with great characters that you actually cared about and cared for each other. That is rare for a traditional 3 camera sitcom now. Most are very one-dimensional stereotypical characters.