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Jumping the Shark: Difference between revisions
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[[File:jumpshark3 8819.png|frame|The [[Visual Pun|distinctive pattern]] formed by the decline in a show's quality often becomes noticeable only in hindsight.]]
▲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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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; a strict shark-jump by definition sets the tone that ''eventually'' causes viewers to stop watching, the softer definition used in the article walks the line between this trope and [[Ruined FOREVER]]. Take the [[Trope Namer]], ''Happy Days'': the moment happened in season 5, viewers stuck around for one more season, then got sick of the show's new tone (which, in hindsight, started with Fonzie jumping the shark) and left. In the original case, the moment was less "Ruined FOREVER" and more "I hope they don't do more of that" (which they did).
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]].
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== Fan Fics ==
* In ''[[Light and Dark -
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* 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!
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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.
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