Jumping The Shark and Other Stories

[Dan_Dare]

So i'm sure most of us are familiar with the term Jumping The Shark, but for those not cool enough to be my friends, here's a summary.

 

Jumping the shark is an idiom used to describe the moment of downturn for a previously successful enterprise. The phrase was originally used to denote the point in a television program's history where the plot spins off into absurd story lines or unlikely characterizations. These changes were often the result of efforts to revive interest in a show whose audience had begun to decline, usually through the employment of different actors, writers or producers

 

It is the point at which established series' events and characterisation cease to matter and it devolves in to shameless self parody.

The original shark jump was literally that- in Happy Days, the Fonz jumps over a shark on water skis as part of a challenge- the moment at which it is considered that Happy Days was officially doomed.

 

But when else has it happened? What other series have, for you, descended in to the worst kind of twilight years and never recovered?

 

My personal favorite is from 24. Though the series had been ridiculous for several years prior to this moment, I remember watching this and being confused- Where had Jack Bauer gone, and why was Tom and Jerry on TV at night?

In the scene, Jack is fighting a terrorist with a bomb vest on a subway. Shit! Micil-Asian badfuck guy gets his hand on the detonator so what does jack do? He dropkicks him out of the fucking train as he explodes. I rewatched the scene and there's actually a stranded salt water predator on the tracks just before the bomb goes off.

 

So what else makes the grade?

[Wesley]

Every episode of Buffy.

[Coolness Bears]

The Simpsons very much applies.

 

[Wesley]

Can you class less obvious alterations in a series as jumping the shark too?

 

Cause I've always thought that the whole Rach and Joey getting together in Friends was similar.

 

Also the way that it's quickly brushed aside and all the characters seem to forget this.

 

This is annoying me now because there are so many TV series where I've thought that they've just jumped the shark, but my mind is a blank.

[Noodleman]

?

[Jon]

Alias season 2 finale. Near the end Sidney (Jennifer Garner) is involved in a fight in her house, the next scene she wakes up in Hong Kong with no recollection of where she's been and has apparently been missing presumed dead for 2 years and her boyfriend has gone off and married someone else.

[ReZourceman]

Lost Series 3-6

[EEVILMURRAY]

Red Dwarf when they went Back to Earth and met the real Craig Charles.

[Gizmo]

Heroes beyond season 1.

 

Prison Break beyond half way through season 2.

[Dan_Dare]

Good to see the effort's going in, guys...

[gaggle64]

The Simpsons, Season 9, the episode where Principle Skinner is revealed to be a fraud, having never served in Vietnam and somehow managing to fool the real Skinner's own mother for so many years. In one fell swoop the writers successfully and permanently destroyed an entire and meticulously constructed character universe and retroactively neutered every humorous and surreal Vietnam cutaway we had ever had from Skinner, and all in exchange for an episode of near zero laughs. They do reference the fact occasionally in later episodes, unfortunately self awareness is not the same as good writing (that applies to you too, Family Guy).

Edited August 10, 2010 by gaggle64

[Paj!]

Different media but still applies;

 

Jeph Loeb takes over the Ultimate line of Marvel Comics,

 

(sorry the pics are huge)

[Serebii]

Red Dwarf - Nanobots rebuilding Red Dwarf and all the crew

[Cube]

Red Dwarf - Nanobots rebuilding Red Dwarf and all the crew

 

Red Dwarf getting destroyed in the first place.

[Dog-amoto]

Frasier. After Daphne and Niles got together.

 

Will and Grace. The very first second of the very first episode.

[Eddage]

The Simpsons, Season 9, the episode where Principle Skinner is revealed to be a fraud, having never served in Vietnam and somehow managing to fool the real Skinner's own mother for so many years. In one fell swoop the writers successfully and permanently destroyed an entire and meticulously constructed character universe and retroactively neutered every humorous and surreal Vietnam cutaway we had ever had from Skinner, and all in exchange for an episode of near zero laughs. They do reference the fact occasionally in later episodes, unfortunately self awareness is not the same as good writing (that applies to you too, Family Guy).

 

But I thought the fake served in Vietnam as well, in the real Skinners platoon (or whatever the hell it's called)?

[Ashley]

I hate the term (because its overused "hey I didn't like that scene/episode/quote, this show has jumped the shark!") and because its often just people bitching and moaning :p

[mcj metroid]

Red Dwarf getting destroyed in the first place.

 

totally disagree. red dwarf was awesome in series 6, in fact that was the best series and all they had was starbug.

 

However the nanobots thing is arguable and everyone is totally right about back to earth.

 

I'm not sure the exact moment but x-files turned to shit very quickly

[Fierce_LiNk]

The one that springs to mind is The Simpsons. In fact, I was just talking about this with a few friends just over a week ago.

 

I'm a big fan of the series. Even if some of the episodes are not side-splittingly funny, they're still watchable and enjoyable. However, my perception of the series for the last 5 or so years has changed. I remember the moment very well. I sat down to watch the show, and suddenly Bart was reenacting the White Stripes Video of The Hardest Button to Button.

 

 

As soon as that "scene" had finished, I just sat there in silence. What was the reason or the point for that? Since then, I've found it hard to sit through some episodes, particularly when they use music tracks in the show. I hate it. It just doesn't fit in. Like in the movie for example, they had Green Day. Why?!

[mcj metroid]

The Simpsons, Season 9, the episode where Principle Skinner is revealed to be a fraud, having never served in Vietnam and somehow managing to fool the real Skinner's own mother for so many years. In one fell swoop the writers successfully and permanently destroyed an entire and meticulously constructed character universe and retroactively neutered every humorous and surreal Vietnam cutaway we had ever had from Skinner, and all in exchange for an episode of near zero laughs. They do reference the fact occasionally in later episodes, unfortunately self awareness is not the same as good writing (that applies to you too, Family Guy).

 

although it was actually a pretty funny episode this was indeed probably the exact moment it all started to fall apart.

[Serebii]

The one that springs to mind is The Simpsons. In fact, I was just talking about this with a few friends just over a week ago.

 

I'm a big fan of the series. Even if some of the episodes are not side-splittingly funny, they're still watchable and enjoyable. However, my perception of the series for the last 5 or so years has changed. I remember the moment very well. I sat down to watch the show, and suddenly Bart was reenacting the White Stripes Video of The Hardest Button to Button.

 

 

As soon as that "scene" had finished, I just sat there in silence. What was the reason or the point for that? Since then, I've found it hard to sit through some episodes, particularly when they use music tracks in the show. I hate it. It just doesn't fit in. Like in the movie for example, they had Green Day. Why?!

To be fair, Simpsons has got better since the production season that also coincided with the move to HD. Not back to its prime but certainly better than it has been for quite a whole

[Fierce_LiNk]

To be fair, Simpsons has got better since the production season that also coincided with the move to HD. Not back to its prime but certainly better than it has been for quite a whole

 

It's got better than that. But, that is the exact moment where I thought "hmm, it's just not that great anymore."

[mcj metroid]

To be fair, Simpsons has got better since the production season that also coincided with the move to HD. Not back to its prime but certainly better than it has been for quite a whole

 

the last episode plot

"After displaying a talent for judging contests, Moe is invited to appear on "American Idol"; Homer gets on Marge's nerves when he spends too much time at home."

 

NO! it isn't getting any better but at least now it's not even trying to be like the originals anymore.

[Ashley]

My theory (that I came up with when they had that Kesha intro for Fox's music themed week) was that The Simpsons intentionally dates itself. It doesn't try and make itself timeless, it whacks itself into the zeitgeist knowing full well it shifts and moves so much that even in a year it can seem dated. And they do this all intentionally. It constantly makes obscure random references and non-sequiturs (although doesn't completely rely on them like McFarland's four-identical-shows) and these just kind of say "pop culture is banal, its ephemeral and hey, it's us!"

[Serebii]

the last episode plot

"After displaying a talent for judging contests, Moe is invited to appear on "American Idol"; Homer gets on Marge's nerves when he spends too much time at home."

 

NO! it isn't getting any better but at least now it's not even trying to be like the originals anymore.

There are a few exceptions...but then there's episodes with no ridiculous guest stars such as when Flanders bought the Simpson's home and so forth. Just seems they keep falling back on easy guest star habits.