TV shows that have jumped the shark

[hardtosayx]

Originally Posted by thatscifiguy

I think some people are mistaking jumping the shark with their own personal taste and enjoyment of a series. For example, a series that continuously sets new ratings records like TWD does has not jumped the shark simply because you don't like it.

That's exactly what I've been thinking. Most of the shows named don't really have anything that stands out as something that "jumped the shark." Seems more like people liking a show less because they don't like the direction it went in, not actually factoring in if something was done for ratings. Just from reading certain threads, some people will criticize every little thing just because the show isn't what they want it to be.

Originally Posted by Bageara

What does jumping the Shark even mean , I've never heard the expression before?

Lucky you. I hate the phrase because it's so overused, and usually incorrectly.

[Bageara]

Originally Posted by benbess

from wikipedia:

Jumping the shark is an idiom created by Jon Hein that was used to describe the moment in the evolution of a television show when it begins a decline in quality that is beyond recovery, which is usually a particular scene, episode, or aspect of a show in which the writers use some type of "gimmick" in a desperate attempt to keep viewers' interest.
In its initial usage, it referred to the point in a television program's history when the program had outlived its freshness and viewers had begun to feel that the show's writers were out of new ideas, often after great effort was made to revive interest in the show by the writers, producers, or network.[1][2][3]
The usage of "jump the shark" has subsequently broadened beyond television, indicating the moment when a brand, design, or creative effort's evolution loses the essential qualities that initially defined its success and declines, ultimately, into irrelevance.
Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Broader usage
2.1 Examples
3 References
History[edit]

The phrase jump the shark comes from a scene in the fifth season premiere episode of the American TV series Happy Days titled "Hollywood: Part 3", written by Fred Fox, Jr.,[4] which aired on September 20, 1977. In the episode, the central characters visit Los Angeles, where a water-skiing Fonzie (Henry Winkler) answers a challenge to his bravery by wearing swim trunks and his trademark leather jacket, and jumping over a confined shark. The stunt was created as a way to showcase Winkler's real-life water ski skills.[5]
For a show that in its early seasons depicted universally relatable adolescent and family experiences against a backdrop of 1950s nostalgia, this incident marked an audacious, cartoonish turn towards attention-seeking gimmickry. Initially a supporting character, the faddish lionization of an increasingly superhuman Fonzie became the focus of Happy Days. The series continued for seven years after Fonzie's shark-jumping stunt, with a number of changes in cast and situations. The phrase implies a belief that the show began a creative decline in this era, as writers ran out of ideas, and Happy Days became a caricature of itself. As a nod to the episode, Henry Winkler's character jumps over a beached shark in the 2003 show Arrested Development....

Ah I see , thank you

[Mocorongo]

I need to bump this thread to point out the link where we can read the fantastic commentaries (and witty remarks) from TV viewers noting when this show or that show Jumped the Shark and began to decline.

I mean THE ORIGINAL JUMP THE SHARK website, as saved by Internet Archive:

https://web.archive.org/web/20041128...ptheshark.com/

TVGUIDE.COM bought JUMP THE SHARK in the end of 2000's to DEMOLISH it.

In its place they put a slick gossipy abomination that had nothing to do with the original.

I think Wikipedia used to have an article about the website.

Of course since this is Web Archive it must be incomplete, still try browsing for an old show there, like FRIENDS, and you'll see plenty comments.

JUMPTHESHARK was a great resource of the internet which basically served as a public review site for pretty much every TV series ever made.

Why TVGuide would buy a site to destroy it makes no sense, yet considering in the future others got rid of the iMDB boards, it doesn't come as surprise.

It's sad when you realize sites like "Rotten Tomatoes" are taken seriously. This in a moment in history where everything has been faked and everyone is a sellout...

I was surprised to find this archive still available.

[thecooldud]

Originally Posted by hardtosayx

That's exactly what I've been thinking. Most of the shows named don't really have anything that stands out as something that "jumped the shark." Seems more like people liking a show less because they don't like the direction it went in, not actually factoring in if something was done for ratings. Just from reading certain threads, some people will criticize every little thing just because the show isn't what they want it to be.

I hate to break it to you, but that's exactly what it does mean. There's no objective use for it. It's called opinion.

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by Bageara

What does jumping the Shark even mean , I've never heard the expression before?

Nuking the fridge

[kemcha]

Personally, I think 'Jump the Shark' needs to be updated with the description of 'any TV series that drastically changes direction and impacts the quality of the show'.

That would aptly fit such seasons of shows like Andromeda Season 5 and Babylon 5 Season 5 are examples of this, where they took drastic departures from previous seasons all for the sake of just extending the life of the TV series just for the sake of "syndication". Andromeda and Babylon 5 both only featured a series finale that wrapped up the series, with nothing but filler episodes for the majority of the season.

[hardtosayx]

Originally Posted by thecooldud

I hate to break it to you, but that's exactly what it does mean. There's no objective use for it. It's called opinion.

Odd to respond to something I posted 7 years ago And I had my opinion that it was an extremely overused phrase because people didn't like something that happened on the show. A lot of people weren't saying it about something ridiculous that happened, they were saying it at every little thing possible. I can look back now and see why they were saying it about certain shows, but at the same time, there was a lot of nitpicking more than anything.

[ArtVanderlay]

Six Feet Under - That's My Dog - Watched for the first time recently and

GoT - Penultimate episode - Rushed character development (could go further back to the big battle where all major players were invincible)

Only Fools and Horses - A Royal Flush - Ruined Del Boys character (for one episode)

Twin Peaks

[Show spoiler]S2 E14

- Revelation came too soon (still love the show)

Battlestar Galactica reboot - Change of tone in Season 3 & revelation of the 5 cylons

[Farerb]

Honestly the way shows are done nowadays seems to me like only the first season is worth something and the rest are usually crap.