Jumping the Shark: Difference between revisions

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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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== 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 Rock|Thirty Rock]]'': in the episode "The One With the Cast of [[Night Court]]", Jenna Maroney was blamed by Harry Anderson, Markie Post, and Charles Johnson for making ''[[Night Court]]'' "jump the shark" for her three part episode as werewolf lawyer Sparky Monroe.

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* ''[[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]]--the quirky trio of conspiracy theorists that had lasted the show's entire run and gotten their own failed spin off--end up thwarting a terrorist's plot to use a neurotoxin made from sharks (somehow). {{spoiler|Unfortunately, they died in the process.}}

* ''[[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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== Webcomics ==

* [[Lampshade Hanging]] on it in [http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_513.php this] strip of [[Dan and Mab's Furry Adventures]]

* In ''[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 [http://calamitiesofnature.com/archive/?c=367 direct reference to Happy Days] is made when jumping the shark.

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* 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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== 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 ''[[Scooby Doo|"What's New, Scooby-Doo?"]]'' where the gang goes to the set of an action film, the director ends up modifying the script to have Scooby-Doo and Shaggy launch on a motorcycle over a tank of sharks. Velma remarks, "[[Leaning on the Fourth Wall|I never thought I'd see Scooby-Doo jump the shark]]."

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* ''[[The Fairly Odd Parents]]'':

** A [[Cut Song]] from [[The Movie]] ''[[Trapped in TV Land|Channel Chasers]]" had Timmy jumping a shark with a guy who looked a lot like The Fonz.

** 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]].

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[[Category:Audience Reactions]]

[[Category:Series Tropes]]

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[[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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[[Category:Depressing Tropes]]