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

Vidiot wrote the following as part of a post:

Worse is the use of filler episodes like in some anime series (this often occurs in anime that is based on a currently running manga and anime has caught up with the manga). I used to watch Naruto but stopped because it went through a period of filler episode...after filler episode...after filler episode. In the same way, Dragonball Z included a number of filler episodes (and also stretched out scenes). To illustrate, according to Wikipedia Dragonball Z had 197 episodes from the beginning until the end of the Cell Saga but when revised in Dragonball Z Kai (edited to more closely follow the original manga) it was edited down to 97 episodes without losing any of the essential story elements.

However, not all filler episodes are bad. In the anime series Bleach rather than just inserting a filler episode or two because they were going to overrun the manga the series was based on, they inserted a 45-episode story arc that sat between two story arcs in the manga. While it had the limitations that filler episodes have (such as no significant changes can be made to any of the characters) it was a very good story that did add insight into some of the characters.

 

I preferred her character over Diane for sure, but I also think they went way over the top with how the "evolved" her. When she first came on, she was a strong, authoritative boss but by the end of the last season she was basically a blubbering idiot. They should have stopped somewhere in the middle, showing her as a strong but flawed person.

 

From the producers' perspective, they'd say all they were concerned about was a) getting big ratings, and b) making money. It's fair to say they achieved both of those goals. Again, I didn't think it was a bad show and I think it was a classic in many ways, but it's not a show I particularly liked or wanted to watch.

 

V and V The Final Battle were outstanding, when they turned it into a weekly series that's when they jumped the shark (from Liberation Day on) as it became boring, formulaic and wasn't really going anywhere. I'd love to see V and V The Final Battle released on Blu ray but I doubt that happens.

 

I started watching Cheers when Diane left. I had watched it occasionally and just wanted to b**ch smack her after 2 minutes. After hearing the 'behind the scenes' stuff, I now see she was a lot like her character.
I remember the first time I watched the new version thinking "Now this is something I could get used to"
The late Roger Rees was a pleasure to watch as well.

 

For me it was when Arnold's burned down and it started getting away from a 50's show. Arnold's looked like a 70's pizza parlor with the brown walls and looked less like a hip 50's burger joint.

 

Much like Cousin Oliver, I didn't care for Diff'rent Strokes when Sam showed up.

 

After seeing the first two seasons on dvd again, I'm struck by how much Potsy resembles the loud-mouth goofy best friend in 'The Summer Of '42'.

 

Wow. I never realized they went to using a fake jukebox and pinball machine. Lame.

 

That's actually a "Lego" type set. I couldn't find a pic of the "new" Arnold's other than that one. That person also recreated the Brady house using the same material.

 

"You played...with her chest?" This is the Happy Days that I watched and loved - before Fonzie became a caricature of himself.

 

For me, Coach definitely jumped when he went to the NFL. I know I had started to lose interest before that, when it seemed like Dauber and Luther, seemed to have gone below stupid and into mentally deficient mode.
Writing the daughter out was a bad move, not only was there potential there, but she was really easy on the eyes as she grew.

 

Aha! I didn't think of that.

 

No. The final scene was not meant to "screw" with the viewer. So much online from David Chase himself about its meaning Many sites break down that fabulous last scene in an attempt to make sense of it. A lot of clues in those final minutes, and cutting to black ----- priceless. Is that death? Maybe. Was the guy at the counter his assassin? More than likely, but nothing definitive. What did you want, a packaged ending showing him being shot in the head? Too easy and predictable. Also, that would have closed the door on any possible sequel (although, sadly, that's now impossible.) That ending jolted people out of their seats with a "What the hell happened." It made you think about what you just saw. And that's good.
"

 

Bone the Fish has Sam as the number one boning factor.

 

I prefer the explanation that that was David Chase whacking me (and all the other viewers).

 

I agree with every word. For me...it was a classic metaphorical ending. This show ended up the same way we live our lives. You don't really know what's going to happen next.

I don't think I loved it at first. But after letting it stew for a while, I reconsidered.

 

Why is it that many shows have eventually brought a child into the cast after a few seasons?

 

It's an attempt to spike ratings by drawing in new viewers with a "cute" kid.

It usually works for a little while.

 

We must read different interpretations of the intending on the net.

The Sopranos cast tells all as even James Gandolfini admits the ending left him baffled | Daily Mail Online »

David Chase Just Ruined the Finale of 'The Sopranos' »

“The Sopranos” Ending: David Chase Whacked Us »

Are you kidding me? That was the ending of 'The Sopranos'? - The Watcher »

10 of TV's absolute worst series finales: From 'Lost' to 'Gossip Girl' »

7 Most Disappointing TV Finales Of All Time »

 

It is also done in cases where the original cute kid(s) in the cast have started to age (such as in The Brady Bunch and The Cosby Show) to bring back the cuteness that was an element in the show.

 

I strongly agree about some miniseries jumping when they become a weekly series, especially when the original miniseries was based on a single event. Twin Peaks comes to mind, which I thought should have done one more episode/TV movie to resolve the mystery and end the series. The series might have been able to continue had it been based on a general setting (such as a massive conspiracy where the murder of Laura Palmer was just the tip of the iceberg).

 

I felt the show was much better when Frank Burns left. Characters were no longer cartoon simpletons. The humour was higher brow but these were DOCTORS after all. Nothing against Frank Burns the performance but even Larry Linville didn't care for the role. Satire is difficult to achieve when the character bears no relation to real life. Although the Charles character isn't solid - as if a rich kid would ever be forced to be in a warzone - All he had to do was (ahem) claim to have a bad foot.

 

I agree with you on Frasier that the show was better up until that point than after - but I recently went through seasons 8-11 and there is still some sheer gold in those seasons. It's just that it lost that huge longing element and wasn't replaced by anything nearly as special. But I don't thing it went from gold to crap - it just went from Comedy legend Gold to just "still the best sitcom on TV"

 

Taxi - when Latka became a Yuppi. Although they could have just dumped Latka and went on for a few more years.

I went back and re-watched Dexter - the entire series and I didn't have issues with the last three seasons nor the ending. Dexter establishes in the very first episode that the murder solve rate in Miami is something like 20%. So I felt that there is no way they could end the show with him getting caught. Especially without a Lundy. Also, Dexter is the king of Serial Killers - no way he gets taken out by some other serial killer - if Trinity couldn't take him down no one could. So an ending where he gets caught or killed just doesn't ring true. He is just too bloody good for those endings.

The series kept a strong thread that Dexter was walking the line of having his activities ruin his family - - that was established by season 2. So I didn't take issue with him having his son and his love go off without him and faking his death. Indeed, there was a constant development that Dexter does indeed have some humanity and that ending typified that decision that he was the reason his sister died. The bit about Deb being in love with him - yeah oops - not great but she was so screwed up anyway - and they were not biological brother and sister. I don't know but if my parents brought home Halle Berry to be my sister - umm let me think about that. I actually didn;t have a problem with the writers having Deb think she is in love with Dexter - as odd as that is - but they really needed to develop the idea more and have a few more scenes with the shrink to explain things. It just was handled poorly IMO.

I liked the Russian mob guy - I felt the performances elevated some of the weak material.