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{{trope}}
[[File:
▲The moment when an established show changes in a significant manner [[We're Still Relevant, Dammit!|in an attempt to stay fresh]]. Ironically, that moment makes the viewers realize that the show has finally run out of ideas. It has reached its peak, it will never be the same again, and from now on it's all downhill.
Some examples of clues which may indicate that a show's made the "jump":
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'''Character Development'''
* [[The Scrappy]] is given more spotlight and screentime, which sometimes [[Rescued
* An existing character evolves in a way that [[Flanderization|flattens rather than enriches him]], or which [[Character Derailment|contradicts prior depictions of the character]]. This can have the effect of alienating fans.
* The [[Official Couple]] resolves their [[UST]] too early and [[Shipping Bed Death|shippers start to lose interest in the show]].
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* The show's premise is [[Retool|radically altered]], such as having the characters change careers or move to a new location.
* Conversely, the show (which is supposedly based on a coherent story arc rather than a series of episodic events) [[Arc Fatigue|drags on too long without any sort of progress or resolution]]. May be the result of too much [[Filler]] or overreliance on [[Failure Is the Only Option]]. If the plot is based on a [[Myth Arc]], dragging it out too long or [[Kudzu Plot|piling plot thread upon plot thread]] without resolution may lead to fans getting the impression that [[The Chris Carter Effect|the writers are just making it up as they go along]] and subsequently tuning out.
** Sometimes [[Fleeting Demographic Rule]] allows the writers to get away with reusing the old plots indefinitely - but this depends on the show.
* The show experiences [[Mood Whiplash]] in an unbelievable manner - typically a result of [[Executive Meddling]] wanting to make the show [[Darker and Edgier]] or [[Lighter and Softer]]. A jarring rise in the [[Sliding Scale of Villain Threat]], unless it is written well and\or used for comedic purposes. For example, a [[Big Bad]] trying to take over the local 7-11 is usurped by one bent on destroying the galaxy.▼
* The show experiences [[Mood Whiplash]] in an unbelievable manner - typically a result of [[Executive Meddling]] wanting to make the show [[Darker and Edgier]] or [[Lighter and Softer]].
* One of the writers [[Writer on Board|puts too much of himself into the show]], to its detriment. He may use it as a pulpit to [[Author Tract|preach his personal beliefs]] in a [[Anvilicious|heavy-handed manner]], or to display [[Author Appeal|personal kinks]] which [[Squick]] the audience out. Common results include [[Author Filibuster]], drastically increased sightings of [[Strawman Political|Strawman Politicals]], and [[Going Cosmic]].▼
▲*
▲* One of the writers [[Writer on Board|puts too much of himself into the show]], to its detriment. He may use it as a pulpit to [[Author Tract|preach his personal beliefs]] in a [[Anvilicious|heavy-handed manner]], or to display [[Author Appeal|personal kinks]] which [[Squick]] the audience out. Common results include [[Author Filibuster]], drastically increased sightings of [[Strawman Political
* A baby is [[Competence Zone|added to an otherwise-adult show]] where ill-suited addition of childish themes and [[Cuteness Proximity|endless babytalk]] from characters who were once-intelligent speaking adults fatally alters the character dynamic.
* The plot is resolved with one too many plot twists which are [[Shocking Swerve|inconsistent with the overall narrative]], [[Ass Pull|poorly executed]], or are just plain stupid, turning the audience away.
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'''Gimmicks'''
* The show starts relying too much on [[Special Guest|"special guest stars"]] (especially if they're celebrities playing themselves) which wreck the verisimilitude of the show.
* Graphical gimmicks such as [[Conspicuous CG|3D]] are used to shore up failing character development. If the plot is shaky, distract the viewer with more and flashier special effects.
** This solution was dubbed "nuking the fridge" after ''[[Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull]]'' did exactly that. However, in retrospect it seems to be a part of the [[Signature Style]] of [[George Lucas]] all along and merely became more and more blatant; much the same happened to ''[[Star Wars]]''. This demonstrates that jumping a whole school of small fish can be done safely, but as the size of sharks increases, even the viewers who accepted this earlier will eventually start to complain.
* [[The Movie]] of the series is released, after which the creativity level of the actual show starts to wane.
* A major plot point is [[Yo
* The show moves the existing cast to a new setting.
* For games, a [[Scrappy Mechanic]] is introduced that changes the balance that made the older games fun.
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Too many shark-jumping moments in a row can spell [[Seasonal Rot]].
This expression
Gary Marshall tirelessly reminds us that ''[[Happy Days]]'' went on for a number of years after the original shark-jump, misunderstanding a phrase that judges suckiness, not success. Henry Winkler has elsewhere commented that he's happy with the popularity of the phrase, as its usage in a magazine is often accompanied by a photo of him during a time in his life when he had great legs. The writer of ''Happy Days'' episode has also [http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-jump-the-shark-20100903,0,6800871.story written in the moment's defense]. (Interestingly, the majority of the examples/criteria listed above involving some sort of ongoing/permanent change to a series outnumber those related to a single moment, such as Fonzie's shark jump.)
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When the people start claiming something is a shark jumping moment ''immediately'' after it happens, see [[Ruined FOREVER]].
[http://www.jumptheshark.com JumpTheShark.com] used to be run by writer Jon Hein (who now works as part of ''[[Howard Stern|The Howard Stern Show]]''), who coined the term with his friends in the mid-1980's. Maintained an ongoing list of series killing moments (granted, you could vote for ''every'' cause, and shows commonly had "Day One" as an option). The website lists actor [[Ted McGinley]] as their "patron saint", for he has the most television roles in which series slowly died off after his first appearance. The longest-lasting show with Ted in a starring role was ''[[Married... with Children]]'', where he went for seven seasons after replacing David Garrison (Steve Rhoades). Ironically, the site itself jumped the shark in January 2009, when it was merged into the TV Guide website, had its content removed along with the voting system, and became a blog by writer Erin Fox.
There is some [http://io9.com/5176061/how-does-shark+jumping-really-affect-audience-numbers evidence] that jumping the shark has no real effect on a show's success. This depends on one's definition
Has nothing to do with the [[Discovery Channel]]'s Shark Week ''Air Jaws'' specials, or [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/03/man-rides-shark-jump-boat_n_917444.html tales of people] [[Powerup Mount|actually riding them]].
There are really too many to list here, and it is probably the most subjective article we have, so we are not listing any examples, i.e. making our own shark-jump assertions. It is guaranteed that any show of sufficient length (more than two or three seasons) will vary in quality and thus [[Flame Bait|all it does is start arguments]]. This page lists overt [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshades]] of the phrase instead, preferably self-deprecating ones. (TLDR: '''[[No Real Life Examples, Please]]''', only references)
=== References: ===▼
{{noreallife|Real Life is not scripted.}}
== Comic Books ==
* ''[[Knights of the Dinner Table]]'' #151 is titled "Jump The Shark". It features {{spoiler|Gary Jackson coming [[Back
* ''[[Ultimate Spider-Man]]'' issue 67 is titled "Jump The Shark", as it's the second half of the [[Body Swap]] storyline between Spidey and Wolverine.
== Fan
* In ''[[Light and Dark -
== Live-Action TV ==
* In the ''[[Arrested Development (TV series)|Arrested Development]]'' episode "Motherboy XXX", Barry Zuckercorn (played by Henry Winkler, Fonzie himself) visits Buster on a dock, where his hand has been eaten by a seal. On his way to make a [[Product Placement]] for Burger King, he is forced to physically jump over the shark.
* ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'': In the self-referential 200th episode, Marty responds to the suggestion of doing the ''[[Show Within a Show|Wormhole X-Treme!]]'' [[The Movie|movie]] with ''[[Thunderbirds]]''-style puppets by sarcastically suggesting that they have Puppet O'Neill jump over a puppet shark on a scale motorcycle.
* ''[[30
{{quote|'''Harry:''' ''You'' made us jump the shark! You're the reason we didn't have a tenth season!
'''Markie:''' I had just bought my second home when they brought that idiot werewolf lawyer in!
'''Jenna:''' ''(insulted)'' Uh, that "idiot werewolf" paid for my hand reduction surgery, okay? }}
* The fifth-season premiere of ''Reno911'', entitled "Jumping the Shark", featured Lt. Dangle actually attempting to jump over a normal fish tank containing a small shark. Naturally, he doesn't quite make it over, and [[Hilarity Ensues]]. Incidentally, it was the first new episode to be aired after the release of [[The Movie]], which can also be a major shark-jumping point for some shows.
* An episode of ''[[That '70s Show]]'' in which Fez, imagining how cool it would be to be the Fonzie, has a daydream of himself performing the original jump. Hyde comments that this was the worst moment in television history, and Fez confesses that he stopped watching the show after that. It's interesting, because [[Anachronism Stew|this is more of a modern perspective rather than one commonly held at the time it aired]]... like pretty much everything on ''That '70s Show''.
* In the last episode of ''[[Boston Legal]]'' after {{spoiler|Alan accepts Denny's proposal of marriage}} Denny says "It'll be great! Like jumping a shark!"
* ''[[Supernatural]]'':
** An episode featured a kid who is believed to be the third Winchester brother. The name of the episode? [[Lampshade Hanging|Jump the Shark]]. Oh yeah, and the diner where they meet the kid? [[Cousin Oliver]]'s.
** Referenced again at the end of the episode "The Real Ghostbusters".
** There was also a poster for "Fonzarelli's Water Skiing Event" up on the wall at Cousin Oliver's diner.
* One episode of ''[[House (TV series)|House]]'' had House, bored out of his skull during clinic duty, constructing a racetrack from medical tape, tongue depressors, and cards. At the end of the track is a ramp, and under the ramp? A shark. Cuddy catches the car in midair, before it reaches the shark. But maybe the writers are telling us something....
* The penultimate episode of ''[[The X-Files]]'' is titled "Jump the Shark". In it, [[The Lone Gunmen]]
* ''[[Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide]]'' has an episode about making and taking dares that incorporates one character jumping a bicycle over a tank with a shark in it.
* In the ''[[Pushing Daisies]]'' (somewhat rushed) finale, the [[Victim of the Week]] was killed by accidentally ''leaping into the mouth of a shark''. [[Lampshade Hanging]]? You decide!
* The ''[[Trailer Park Boys]]'' episode "Jump the Cheeseburger".
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* The upcoming second season premier of Disney's ''[[Zeke and Luther]]'', "Zeke Jumps the Shark", promises to be [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin]].
* ''[[Community]]'' Season Finale: Troy wants to move in with Abed, but genre savvy Abed says their friendship would jump the shark if they did. Troy responds saying when Fonzie literally jumped the shark, it was the best episode ever.
* ''[[Attack of the Show!]]'' did a parody of Discovery Channel's Shark Week with their own jump the shark week, where each day they would jump the shark in classic fashion. Methods included being attacked by a cougar a la 24, having a ''[[Dallas]]'' style murder mystery, having a [[Cousin Oliver]] show up, and having an evil twin a la ''[[Knight Rider]]''.
* ''[[Wipeout 2008|Wipeout]]'' couldn't resist mentioning the trope; an episode featured an elimination game called "Jump The Shark", where players had to, well, jump over a spinning shark.
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== Webcomics ==
* [[Lampshade Hanging]] on it in [http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_513.php this] strip of ''[[Dan and Mab's Furry Adventures]]''
* In ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20151226031249/http://bitmapworld.com/comic/issue72/?wptheme=InkBlot2 Bitmap World]'', the phrase is used to indicate its very silly and literal meaning. The creators insist that this does not mean their relatively new strip (at the time of publication) is headed in that direction.
* In ''[[Bruno the Bandit]]'', the protagonist literally has to [http://www.brunothebandit.com/w/20030331.html jump a shark], to be more successful getting readers.
* In ''Calamities of Nature'' a [https://web.archive.org/web/20130523054105/http://www.calamitiesofnature.com/archive/?c=367 direct reference to Happy Days] is made when jumping the shark.
* ''[[Schlock Mercenary]]'' uses a gag about [http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2005-04-02 a shark tank and a motorcycle ramp] as a promise that even though the strip's invoking [[Time Travel]] as a [[Reset Button]], it's just this once and that's not what it's going to be all about from now on.
* The 542nd strip of ''[[Order of the Stick]]'' is named "[[In Soviet Russia, Trope Mocks You|In Azure City, Shark Jumps You!]]". In addition to the obvious [[In Soviet Russia, Trope Mocks You|Russian Reversal]], this is also an actual description of the strip's contents.
* ''[[Melonpool]]'', after a decade of time-travel history-changing shenanigans, had gotten so convoluted that the author decided on a massive retcon, whose fuzzy science rationale actually had the acronym [https://web.archive.org/web/20110810110849/http://www.melonpool.com/d/20051102.html/ Jump the S.H.A.R.K.].
* ''[[Irregular Webcomic]]'' addressed
* Clip-art web comic ''[[Partially Clips]]'' [[
* A ''[[Freefall]]'' strip features a
* In ''[[Absurd Notions]]'', several years in, the characters buy an aquarium and get a pet Bala shark. They decide that, given that they introduced the shark as a new character to breathe new life into their lives, which had gotten boring, [http://www.absurdnotions.org/page119.html the only honest name to give the shark was] "[[Lampshade Hanging|Jump]]".
*
* Gordito in ''[[The Adventures of Dr. McNinja]]'' literally [http://drmcninja.com/archives/comic/11p24 jumped over a winged, flying shark]. The alt-text defended the move with "Look, it was the only way he could dodge it". Of course, by Dr. McNinja standards this isn't that unusual an event.
* Heywood in ''[[Mynarski Forest]]'' replicated the Fonz's jump, in the strip's background, in mocking recognition that the comic had just had two stories in a row turn out to be [[All Just a Dream]].
* ''[[
* ''[[Bob the Angry Flower]]'' [http://www.angryflower.com/jumpsh.html ramps a shark on a motorcycle]. [[Up to Eleven|Into space]].
* In ''[[Unwinder's Tall Comics]]'', Unwinder laments the decline of his former favorite webcomic:
{{quote|'''Unwinder:''' ''Nutflix''? Oh goll, Mildred, that comic basically jumped the whale shark. THE LARGEST SHARK ON EARTH.}}
* [http://www.sandraandwoo.com/2009/11/12/0111-shark-jumped-the-woo/ Inverted, but taken literally] in ''[[Sandra and Woo]]''.
* In the end-of-chapter commentary strips by two minor characters of ''[[Errant Story]]'', one of them carries waterski's and announces she'll try to jump a great white, [https://web.archive.org/web/20140723104757/http://www.errantstory.com/2010-05-28/4823 prompting the other to note that the writer just did that.] The immediate [https://web.archive.org/web/20140723093108/http://www.errantstory.com/2010-05-31/4824 followup] was an amusing subversion of JTS, too.
* ''Commissioned'' officially announced it [https://web.archive.org/web/20091125151442/http://www.commissionedcomic.com/?p=1873 jumped the zombie] on November
* Among the ''[[mezzacotta]]'' taglines is "The webcomic that ''started'' on the other side of the shark."
== Web Original ==
* The ''[[Zero Punctuation]]'' review for "LEGO Indiana Jones" was the first to [[They Changed It, Now It Sucks|feature a new opening video]] and [[Soundtrack Dissonance|hardcore metal theme song]], as opposed to the ([[Digital Piracy Is Evil|copyrighted]]) [[Suspiciously Apropos Music]] of previous shorts. In his sign-off bit of snark, Yahtzee predicts oodles of e-mails [[Ruined FOREVER|predicting this as "his shark jumping moment"]].
* In a similar fashion, episode 15 of ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Abridged Series|Yu-Gi-Oh the Abridged Series]]'' had this exchange at the end:
{{quote|'''Joey:''' Man, that duel was really boring. It was like [[Self-Deprecation|waiting for LittleKuriboh to make a new video]].
'''Tristan:''' [[Unpleasable Fanbase|Let's complain about it!]]
Cue [[Looney Tunes]] end-of-show fanfare and the credits-snark going "i think i just jumped the shark..." }}
* As the entire thing is a [[Shout-Out]] to ''[[Happy Days]]'', [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3DHdIMMa9g This Oxhorn WoW Machinima] has a character literally jump a shark... and shoot it in the same motion.
* [[The Nostalgia Critic]] refers to it on occasion:
** In the ''[[Rocky IV]]'' review, where a completely ridiculous robot that drives in is introduced as the Shark-Jumper 5000, and the introduction of [[Game Boy]] in the commentary for the ''[[Captain N]]'' review.
** Mentioned twice in the ''[[Independence Day]]'' review, although he didn't think the movie was good in the first place, so he was likely confusing the term for a Wall Banger.
** Mentioned with a whole rant about how much the shark is abused in the review of ''[[The Neverending Story (film)|The Neverending Story III]]'', when the Rock Biter rode a bike, singing "Born to be Wild". Although since he made it clear the series went downhill with the second movie, this again was misusing the term. Then again, there is no accurate fan speak term for that moment popular enough for him to rant that way about it, so it slides by with [[Rule of Funny]].
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* [[Invoked]] and [[Parodied]] in the episode [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5HWzwa3KOo&feature=autoplay&list=ULrg8jISMx4dk&lf=mfu_in_order&playnext=1 ''Trollin' ''] of the [[Annoying Orange]]
* [http://askudonge.tumblr.com/post/17637868580 This post] in the fan-made ''[http://askudonge.tumblr.com Just a Useless Bunny]'' ''[[Touhou]]'' Ask Blog parodies the common changes done by [[Executive Meddling]] that often lead to this, complete with a final panel of Reisen water skiing over a shark.
* From [[
{{quote|'''Mr. Plinkett:''' I don't jump sharks, [[Badass Boast|I fuck them for breakfast]].}}
* Adam Tod Brown of ''[[Cracked.com]]'' wrote in [https://web.archive.org/web/20140816095054/http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-reasons-sharks-dont-deserve-their-own-week_p2/ 5 Reasons Sharks Don't Deserve Their Own Week] that [[Discovery Channel]]'s Shark Week programming block needs to end because sharks have so many [[Weaksauce Weakness]]es that they have jumped ''themselves''.
== Western Animation ==
* ''[[Sealab 2021]]'': "Sharko's Machine": Sharko (A [[Cousin Oliver]] parody who is Marco's half-shark illegitimate son) is seen jumping over several Fonzies during an absurd [[Hard Work Montage]].
* ''[[Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends]]'':
** "Sweet Stench of Success", when Bloo becomes an advertising icon who gets his own sitcom spinoff. The preview after the very first episode is "tune in next week when Deo jumps a shark!"
** In the final episode, "Goodbye to Bloo", Bloo thinks Mac is moving away forever, and tries to come up with something big they can do for their last day together. After Mac shoots down several of his suggestions as things they have already done before (they are in fact [[Continuity Nod|references to the plots of previous episodes]]), Bloo decides that the only thing left to do is to [[Jump the Shark]]. Unable to find a shark in time, he settles for walking over a fish with a paper fin on a bowl.
* ''[[Kim Possible]]'' addresses thoughts on jumping the shark, by hanging up on Ron when he brings it up. [http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3387428/1/Kim_vs_Donzie This Fanfiction] takes the idea a bit further, parodying ''Happy Days'' and then {{spoiler|revealing it all as just a dream.}}
** Also a [[Show Within a Show]] example, is where they [[Leaning on the Fourth Wall|lean on the fourth wall]] about a couple on the show, claiming if they got together the show would practically end. A reference to the soon pairing of Kim and Ron.
* One episode of ''[[Dora the Explorer]]'' had Dora use Jump Star to "jump the shark".
* One episode of ''[[Squidbillies]]'' shown Rusty watching a TV show in a dramatic way, showing a Mailman delivering mail into a mailbox. What is worth a mention in this article is Early commenting on the show with the trope name.
* In an episode of ''[[
* One "Previously On" for a two-part episode of ''[[South Park]]'' had scenes of Fonzie about to jump a shark cut in. Then when he makes the jump, he gets eaten, seeming to say "Not yet, viewers".
* ''[[My Life as a Teenage Robot]]'' "In-Des-Tuck-Able" serves as the final episode where Tuck is performing a series of dangerous stunts including riding a motorcycle over a [[Shark Pool]]. Brad provides the lampshading. ''"Once you jump the shark, the show is over."''
* ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]'':
** Lampooned this trope by showing an episode where Bart buys a race horse (Lisa already did that), Lisa notices Marge's gambling problem (we already know that) and adds an improbable twist that horse jockeys are elves in disguise (complete with schlocky musical number). ''[[Lampshaded]]'' by Comic Book Guy when he is seen wearing a "Worst Episode Ever" shirt.
** Also made more direct references: One [[Couch Gag]] had the family do it to land on the couch, only for Homer to lose both legs. Additionally, one of the [[Clip Show]] episodes featured a song [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshading]] both clip shows and the sort of absurd plots that normally constitute a shark-jump, [http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu231/firewaller/Trolls/homer-jump-shark.jpg complete with a still image of Homer on waterskis].
{{quote|'''Troy
'''Ozmodiar:''' Damn straight, Troy my man! }}
** In the second season, motorcycle daredevil Lance Murdoch literally jumped over a shark (and a few other animals besides).
* During the ''[[Teen Titans (animation)|Teen Titans]]'' episode where the Titans chased Control Freak into [[Trapped in TV Land|TV land]], Robin finds himself on some kind of action challenge show being forced by a [[Crocodile Hunter|suspiciously familiar looking host with a funny accent]] to waterski off a ramp, at which point a shark leaps out of the water underneath him.
* ''[[The Fairly
** A [[Cut Song]] from [[The Movie]] ''[[Trapped in TV Land|Channel Chasers]]
** Also in the later episode that introduces Wanda's twin sister Blonda, the B-plot of the episode consists of Timmy doing various "EXTREEEEEME!!" stunts. The very first stunt was him rocketskating over a shark tank.
* ''[[Fanboy and Chum Chum]]'' referenced jumping the shark during the episode [[Total Recall]]. One of the shows they liked had the title character, an octopus spy named Agent 8 jump a shark. [[Inverted Trope|They found the show got better after]].
* Dante and Randal in the ''[[Clerks]]'' series reminisce about the iconic scene from ''[[Happy Days]]'', except in their recollection, the shark came back and ate [[Deep Blue Sea|Samuel L. Jackson]].
* In ''[[The Venture Brothers]]'' the Monarch references this trope regarding henchmen. You say "jump", they say "what shark?"
* The series finale of ''[[Batman: The Brave
* ''[[D.N. Ace]]'' episode 17b "Mendel vs Mendor" features a photo of Mendor water-skiing over four sharks {{spoiler|They fix everything, but by then the show's already been cancelled. The series ends with a giant wrap party where Batman tells the viewers that he'll always be around to fight evil, but for now this is goodbye.}}
{{reflist}}
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[[Category:Audience Reactions]]
[[Category:Series Tropes]]
[[Category:Orphaned/Sandbox/Depressing Tropes]]▼
[[Category:Unexpected Reactions to This Index]]
[[Category:Jumping the Shark]]▼
[[Category:No Real Life Examples, Please]]
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