The worst "jump the shark" moments in TV

[RockTheTassel]

It's not a "jump the shark" thing exactly, but I HATED how the GG writers engaged in character assassination every time they decided they wanted to rid themselves of a character. Dean started out nice and ended up awful. (Not to mention that he started out smart and then they deliberately, majorly dumbed him down to look bad next to Jess!) Anna started out nice and ended up a raging, er, witch. Chris -- despite some huge weaknesses -- was being really nice and thoughtful to Lorelai, and then suddenly bailed on her when her father was sick. It was the quintessential example of lazy, careless writing, and they did it again and again and again.

I never understood why they had to ruin so many of the characters. At least they portrayed Jess more positively later on, but he was the only one who turns out better in the end than he was in the beginning. The moment when the show really went downhill, IMO, was when Chris became an unbearable jerk and then they finally decided to have him be with Lorelai long term (well, somewhat long term). The finale was decent, but the rest of the last season is disappointing.

[Jeanine]

Anyway, I'll throw another Aussie show into the mix - A Country Practice. Never the same after Molly died.

Oh my goodness, I remember bawling my eyes out at that when I was only a kid! And poor Bob crying over his little mate...sob!

[misskarne]

My younger sister and I were discussing this thread last night and went back to our childhood to find some jump the shark moments...

All Saints - IMO it jumped when they went to the emergency room.

Animals of Farthing Wood - JTS when the kid foxes grew up. Especially Bold (I think) and then somehow it became all about Bold's son.

Dragonball Z - I think the JTS was actually the GT series. By then it had well and truly worn out pretty much everything and they mutilated some of the characters. I wasn't a fan of the whole "Gohan goes to high school" arc either. He was supposed to be super-smart and he was such a moron.

[Cyn]

I'm not exactly sure when it happened, but Weeds jumped the shark at some point after the second season. I quit watching as it got ridiculous.

As much as I love Battlestar Galactica (the new one), it JTS when they brought Starbuck back from the dead and made her some sort of nebulous life force .

I'm in the minority here, but MASH JTS after Radar left and Alan Alda decided to use the show as his personal soapbox.

[Wyliefan]

I'm in the minority here, but MASH JTS after Radar left and Alan Alda decided to use the show as his personal soapbox.

I agree that was annoying in the extreme.

[Amy L]

I'm not exactly sure when it happened, but Weeds jumped the shark at some point after the second season. I quit watching as it got ridiculous.

.

I just don't think the premise for Weeds was all that sustainable. Sure, it's still on the air after several years, but it got more and more zany. The idea that she was a well-off widowed housewife that wanted to keep her standard of living by selling pot worked for that first season and they really should have left it at that and called it a miniseries. Nancy the gangsta kingpin is ridiculous. Her and her kids and sociopaths, no one on that show is likeable.

[gingercrush]

Bad Girls and Footballers Wives. Same writers who had the ability to completely forget what happened the year before. You'd start with a new season only to discover prisoners or wives are no longer on the show anymore. Still I loved both. Meanwhile Heartbeat which I also love would just be stuck in the 1960s permanently and wouldn't progress.

Mcleods Daughters is possibly the worst one next to Roseanne. Those Mcleods just grew and grew meanwhile the two original sisters left (one died the other departed) and the third sister who became a sister in season four was always awful also left the show so it became the Mcleod neices that ran the farm.

[michiruwater]

As much as I love Battlestar Galactica (the new one), it JTS when they brought Starbuck back from the dead and made her some sort of nebulous life force .

Oh, I totally disagree. I always hated Starbuck I think she improved in Season 3, though I do agree that she should have just stayed dead. One main character miraculously not dying in the series was enough. But I really loved Season 4. The Mutiny Arc in particular consists of my favorite two episodes of the whole series, and that's saying something. The finale wasn't perfect, but nothing before it was JTS worthy, IMO, because I don't think the series decreased in quality.

[dbell1]

Friday Night Lights after season 2. Coach leaves town for another job? Tammy as Principal? Really? Riggins as a Senior in year one and then still a Senior 3 years later? Season 4 was bad and #5 was pretty unwatchable.

[Susan1]

I hope this turns into a thread!

What were the worst (or best, depending on how you look at it) "jump the shark" moments in TV? If you haven't heard of the term before, "jump the shark" describes the moment in a television show when it begins a decline in quality that is beyond recovery.

Here of some examples of mine. Feel free to comment and add to these as you wish!

Gilmore Girls: April - I get that they needed something to cause a conflict in Lorelai's and Luke's engagement, but did it have to be with the most annoying girl ever?
[B]

Flipping channels this morning, and I just came on here to say the same thing and saw your post. "April" is now on Switched at Birth. All grown up (sort of). I recognized the second I heard her whiny voice.

[Susan1]

IIRC, he was in the episode where Mary and Adam get married, as one of their blind school students. I don't remember that his character had any speaking lines, but he is listed in the credits at the end of the episode.

I gave up on LHOTP when Mary and Adam got married and they were teachers. I have a "true" Little House book. Mary came home from college, lived with Ma and Pa, pa died and then Ma almost 20 years later. Mary lived with Carrie and her husband until she (Mary) died in her early 60's. I know - that wouldn't have made for interesting television.

[Artemis@BC]

I was wondering how long it would be before someone mentioned 'House'! For me, its Jump the Shark moment was when House and Cuddy got together. I would have said it was when the original team left, but there were still some pretty good eps after that, in particular the one where Amber died

Sorry, but how can you call something that they were building toward for the entire preceeding 6 seasons a "Jump the Shark" moment? By definition, a JTS is an absurd plot point, basically an act of deperation by the writers/producers. I agree that seasons 7 and 8 were not the same high quality of the previous years, but Huddy was no JTS. I'm not sure there was an actual JTS in House, just the inevitable decline in quality that comes with almost any show that tries to sustain itself over more than 7 seasons -- but if anything was JTS in House it would have to be House crashing his car into Cuddy's, um, house.

[Wyliefan]

Flipping channels this morning, and I just came on here to say the same thing and saw your post. "April" is now on Switched at Birth. All grown up (sort of). I recognized the second I heard her whiny voice.

Is she still whining? I thought maybe she'd outgrow that!

[Susan1]

Is she still whining? I thought maybe she'd outgrow that!

Uh, no! The episode I flipped to this morning was when Lorelai and Chris first started dating, April was going to stay with Luke and Rory met those weird girls at an art show. (The worst season ever!) I won't be watching the reruns again till they start over at the beginning.

By the way Wyliefan, Paul and I share a birthday, October 28 (this Sunday). Cool, huh?

[Susan1]

Sorry, but how can you call something that they were building toward for the entire preceeding 6 seasons a "Jump the Shark" moment? By definition, a JTS is an absurd plot point, basically an act of deperation by the writers/producers.

So basically any time they add a some new kid to a family show whose children have all grown up or a menopausal woman has twins!!!!! Lots of shows, like ER (and that episode with Carol going to Doug in Seattle was one of my absolute faves - sorry!!!!!), bring in new characters to interact with the old characters after shows have been on awhile and actors need to move on. Some work, some don't (Happy Days).

And I don't think That 70's Show can be classified as JTS. When "Eric" and "Kelso" both left because the actors had outgrown their roles, that was supposed to be the last season. But they got it renewed for one more season for the fans (which didn't really work without Eric and Kelso!). I've seen all the reruns except the last season at least 20 times - the two Halloween episodes were on today.

[Wyliefan]

By the way Wyliefan, Paul and I share a birthday, October 28 (this Sunday). Cool, huh?

Lucky!! Hope you have a happy one!

[duane]

By definition, a JTS is an absurd plot point, basically an act of deperation by the writers/producers.

Many of us aren't using the definition so literally, and are just discussing when the quality of a show went south.

[Whitneyskates]

I think Kimberly blowing up the apartment complex on Melrose Place was that show's jump the shark moment. The show became absurd after that and spent it's remaining seasons trying to top that moment.