Where do you think certain TV shows "jumped the shark"?

[viennese]

Alias -
I remember getting really confused after missing one episode - maybe one that aired late after a football playoff game - and I swear to god, the entire plotline changed, or suddenly two years passed and I had no idea what was going on. I gave up.

 

[Seerek]

I will only discuss series that have completed

Nurse Jackie: Eleanor leaves, or Jackie and Kevin divorce

Parks and Recreation: Ann Perkins and Chris leaving early in the last season

30 Rock: The Jenna Maroney relationship with Will Forte's character.

Brothers and Sisters: Rebecca is in fact not related to the Walkers, therefore Justin and Rebecca (re)start a relationship

Community: Donald Glover (Troy) left the show

Desperate Housewives: The 5 year jump between season 6 (?) and 7

 

[PeterG]

Alias -
I remember getting really confused after missing one episode - maybe one that aired late after a football playoff game - and I swear to god, the entire plotline changed, or suddenly two years passed and I had no idea what was going on. I gave up.

You blinked!!

 

[genevieve]

Veronica Mars
I don't think it ever really 'jumped the shark' (it was too good for that), but in the 3rd season when they got rid of the one major mystery format and tried to make it more 'accessible' and had a few smaller mysteries, it wasn't as good because we weren't as invested. And then, of course, The CW cancelled it prematurely (but keep shows like Supernatural going for 83 years and the horrible but entertaining Hart of Dixie going for 4).

I think that was more of network tinkering with the show than the creators driving the changes, but yeah, VM lost a lot of mojo then (I still love VM!! And wish they had gotten the adult series greenlit way back when!!)

Grey's Anatomy: Izzy/Denny storyline. Gizzy storyline. Brain tumor Izzy. By the time they finally shipped Izzy outta there I was done too.

Desperate Housewives: Season 5. Edie's death and the Killer Tornado.

 

[TOADS]

Political debates...

 

[PDilemma]

I will only discuss series that have completed

Nurse Jackie: Eleanor leaves, or Jackie and Kevin divorce

Parks and Recreation: Ann Perkins and Chris leaving early in the last season

30 Rock: The Jenna Maroney relationship with Will Forte's character.

Brothers and Sisters: Rebecca is in fact not related to the Walkers, therefore Justin and Rebecca (re)start a relationship

Community: Donald Glover (Troy) left the show

Desperate Housewives: The 5 year jump between season 6 (?) and 7

The term "jumped the shark" refers to when Fonzie attempted to jump his motorcycle over a shark on a "Happy Days" episode. As such it specifically refers to a very gimmicky plot line or at least a ridiculous one. Actors, and thus characters, leaving a series are not gimmicky or ridiculous plot lines so I don't think those examples are really valid. Perhaps a series went down hill when a particular character left, but that isn't a gimmick.

 

[Seerek]

The term "jumped the shark" refers to when Fonzie attempted to jump his motorcycle over a shark on a "Happy Days" episode. As such it specifically refers to a very gimmicky plot line or at least a ridiculous one. Actors, and thus characters, leaving a series are not gimmicky or ridiculous plot lines so I don't think those examples are really valid. Perhaps a series went down hill when a particular character left, but that isn't a gimmick.

Thanks for clarifying that distinction, as I didn't realize the term was specific to gimmicks.

Many years ago, There was the website jumptheshark.com, where people were free to add suggestions as to when shows "jumped the shark"....and many of the suggestions were along the lines of "X and Y got married, Z left the show, W doesn't age gracefully etc", so I always thought that the term covered anything and everything as it relates to the show's lifespan.

 

[PeterG]

Happy Days Fonzie Jumps the Shark

 

[PrincessLeppard]

Not sure if it has actually jumped the shark but I stopped watching The Walking Dead some time ago. Don't like where they took Carol's character and the show just seemed a mess in some ways while extremely repetitive in others. I do read the thread and follow what happens to some extent but have no desire to watch the show right now.

I tuned out around the time of the Governor, but then got sucked back in. Carol is one of my favorite characters now (see the episode "The Grove"), but the show may have jumped the shark this season with Schrodinger's Glenn...is he dead or isn't he? So lame, because the first three episodes this season were great and then everything went pear-shaped.

 

[ilovepaydays]

Anyone else watch Gilmore Girls? I felt that show jumped the shark when Luke's tween daughter suddenly appeared and came between Luke & Lorelai. And when Luke gave up so easily on his & Lorelai's relationship. After all the years waiting for him & Lorelai to get together, it was really disappointing. I know the showrunner said she wanted to explore the reasons why these 2 people (Luke & Lorelai) had both been alone and not in a successful relationship for so long--i.e., that they were both kind of prickly and independent-- But I didn't feel it was done in the best way. The following season, when Lorelai got back with Christopher, felt like something that DID have to be explored at some point. But I think maybe they should've done the Lorelai/Christopher storyline first, THEN had her get together with Luke.

I agree with you, but can I add that what made it worse was that April herself was the most annoying tween girl they could have put in the show?

About Christopher: I felt like GG had too many glaring holes with him. This guy was supposed to be this winner for Lorelai but wasn't he almost never around for Rory around until the series started (age 16)? That's what I kept thinking everytime he showed up in an episode.

Veronica Mars
And then, of course, The CW cancelled it prematurely (but keep shows like Supernatural going for 83 years and the horrible but entertaining Hart of Dixie going for 4).

Am I the only one who was and that the CW didn't bring Everwood over from the WB for their Monday night lineup but they kept 7th FRIGGIN Heaven?

 

[TheGirlCanSkate]

I didn't watch x files the first time around, so I started the new one. episode 1 - okay, episode 2- interesting, episode 3- What???? Where did this come from?

I will be sad if the horned toad was the jump the shark episode and every week after we variations of this week's episode.

 

[PrincessLeppard]

Humorous X-Files episodes appeared pretty frequently in the first one. I thought that episode was perfect, with lots of callbacks to previous episodes.

 

[TheGirlCanSkate]

It was just too funny, I felt like Sesame Street and One of these things doesn't belong with the others... I did read Easter egg pages later to get the inside jokes.

 

[Xela M]

House of Cards: Absolutely loved Season 1, but I stopped watching after Kevin Spacey kills the journalist. From the previews I've seen, he eventually launches a presidential campaign and that's all just too gimmicky and tacky for me.

Breaking Bad: All of season 5 - when they made Walt into this monster who killed everybody and Hank's death was just the last nail in the coffin of this show for me. They should have ended the series with season 4 and Gus' death. That was such a logical end to the story. I hated all the new characters in Season 5. I LOVED the show from Season 1-4 though!

 

[ballettmaus]

I didn't watch x files the first time around, so I started the new one. episode 1 - okay, episode 2- interesting, episode 3- What???? Where did this come from?

I will be sad if the horned toad was the jump the shark episode and every week after we variations of this week's episode.

Yeah, what @PrincessLeppard said. I think that was a tough one to get into without having watched the original run. I think I wouldn't have laughed as much as I did but thought WTF?

 

[Johnny_Fever]

The term "jumped the shark" refers to when Fonzie attempted to jump his motorcycle over a shark on a "Happy Days" episode. As such it specifically refers to a very gimmicky plot line or at least a ridiculous one. Actors, and thus characters, leaving a series are not gimmicky or ridiculous plot lines so I don't think those examples are really valid. Perhaps a series went down hill when a particular character left, but that isn't a gimmick.

How 'bout when Fonzie introduced Laverne to an extraterrestrial? Oh, never mind. That worked out well.

 

[smurfy]

I always took Jump the Shark to mean that a good show has some kind of intervention/change/tactic -
whether it was a gimick, cast changes, behind the scenes personnel changes etc.
Once it happens, the show pales in comparison.

Cousin Oliver on the Brady Bunch
The West Wing - to me one of the best shows ever, not really a shark jump, but once Aaron Sorkin left, it was not quite as good. It was still one of the best shows on tv, and had a few really good episodes.

 

[screech]

I agree with you, but can I add that what made it worse was that April herself was the most annoying tween girl they could have put in the show?

To me, the worst thing about April is that it was yet another braniac/awkward kid. Like the writers didn't know how to write anything else
- Rory - brainiac/socially awkward first couple seasons
- Paris - brainiac/socially awkward
- Jess - brainiac (though doesn't utilize it academically), antisocial
- Jess's dad's stepkid - brainiac, awkward (bookish, hiding in cupboards)
- Rory's really young college roomate - brainiac, socially awkward
- April - Brainiac, awkward

And those are just off the top of my head! I wish they would have made her something completely different. Maybe if she's in the reboot, she'll be a stripper now or something completely different from everyone else on the show

True Blood
So many different things... seasons 1 was great because it stuck to the good source material. But then zombie orgies? Horrible witch covens? Werepanthers raping Jason? But it really jumped the shark when the whole Lilith vampire god thing got going in (I think) season 5 and 6. Ugh!! And when they kept Sookie going back to Bill (just because of Anna and Stephen's real life marriage), despite the fact that almost everyone disliked Bill and drooled over Alexander Skarsgard (and that Sookie and Eric are together for something like 7 of the books and married until the last one.)

 

[clairecloutier]

^^^I agree about April bring too similar to the other teens on Gilmore Girls. April's mom was also too much like Lorelai!

 

[Jenny]

I always took Jump the Shark to mean that a good show has some kind of intervention/change/tactic -
whether it was a gimick, cast changes, behind the scenes personnel changes etc.
Once it happens, the show pales in comparison.

Cousin Oliver on the Brady Bunch
The West Wing - to me one of the best shows ever, not really a shark jump, but once Aaron Sorkin left, it was not quite as good. It was still one of the best shows on tv, and had a few really good episodes.

It's true that "jump the shark" was originally a reference to stunt-like, gimmicky or ludicrous plot points, but I do think that decades later many people use the term simply to mean "lost its way." Makes sense really, as it's two ways of looking at the same thing - cause and effect. Show lost its way resulting in stupid stunt, which is also fans' proof point that it lost its way. I've heard it used well beyond tv shows as well - even in business, ie. "If we do that, we'll really be jumping the shark - let's reconsider that strategy based on our core objectives."

Meanwhile, you've brought up another ancient tv moment that has resonance with another show 40+ years later - many fans of Downtown Abbey refer to a younger cousin named Rose inserted into the show randomly a few seasons in as "Cousin Oliver Rose."

 

[smurfy]

Meanwhile, you've brought up another ancient tv moment that has resonance with another show 40+ years later - many fans of Downtown Abbey refer to a younger cousin named Rose inserted into the show randomly a few seasons in as "Cousin Oliver Rose."

I have heard that about Cousin Rose. To me, Rose was brought in as the 'Sybil' replacement. I was annoyed by her at first, but really got to enjoy her and she fit in well.

Not quite 'Jump the Shark' but I am amused how shocked some people get when a major character gets killed off and it well known the actor is leaving.
Downtown Abbey - both Matthew and Sybil - but I had read ahead of time both actors had left the show.
I love it when no one knows about the actors plans - such as The Good Wife when Will was killed.

 

[Desperado]

True Blood
So many different things... seasons 1 was great because it stuck to the good source material. But then zombie orgies? Horrible witch covens? Werepanthers raping Jason? But it really jumped the shark when the whole Lilith vampire god thing got going in (I think) season 5 and 6. Ugh!! And when they kept Sookie going back to Bill (just because of Anna and Stephen's real life marriage), despite the fact that almost everyone disliked Bill and drooled over Alexander Skarsgard (and that Sookie and Eric are together for something like 7 of the books and married until the last one.)

Agree, and when they got them together they made it so ridiculously cheesy that no one could take it seriously. I gave up after that.

 

[danceronice]

Aw, come on. Not like we weren't warned there were going to be dragons. Dragon bones practically in the first scene. Dragon eggs as a wedding gift. Damn well better be dragons at some point.

Dragons in the book that came out years ago? (Also, any death doesn't count. ANY of them. Everyone in Game of Thrones is fair game. No matter whether they're nice or horrible. This was clear back at the end of the actual first book, when the noble POV character gets executed. There alone, it was pretty clear if fantasy where at least some good guys have plot armor is your thing, this is not the series for you.)

The X-Files: When they tried to move production to California and Duchovny left. This was around the same time that they tried to pretend there was some kind of preplanned logic to the 'conspiracy' arc (when after the show finally ended...the first time...Carter admitted they were making it up as they went.)

 

[escaflowne9282]

I'm still about Veronica Mars being canceled. It was so good!

I loved Veronica Mars even with it's misplaced 3rd season. The movie was a lot of fun too. I always thought of it as Nancy Drew for the modern era.

Which reminds me http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35317531

 

[joeperryfan]

As far as I'm concerned The Big Bang Theory jumped when Leonard said "I love you" and Penny couldn't say it back. For a long time. And then he proposed during sex, and she was upset. I can buy Amy and Sheldon as a couple as they have many points in common, Howard and Bernadette are also believable, but Leonard and Penny have zero in common, she has no respect or admiration for any of his qualities nor physical attraction, I like the show better when they are friends. I'd find it more believable if she had paired up with Raj after they were in bed together, it could be played out as a guilty attraction, but since they are both shallow in values they'd have that in common, just imagine the shopping sprees!

 

[MarieM]

X-Files jumped the shark between the 3rd and 5th season.

Lost lost it after its first season and never ever returned to normal. I still watched it, but that show never delivered

Heroes jumped the shark after its second volume and Heroes Reborn so far is the continuation of the second volume so maybe it'll be allright ?

Grey's Anatomy jumped the shark season 3. And Scandal has done the same. Same writer, same problems.

Smash didn't even wait a season to jump the shark. Maybe 5 episodes or 6 ?

Stargate did it in season 5 and it never recovered from it.

Weeds jumped in season 2. It all went wrong and never came back to normal.

 

[bluebonnets]

Humorous X-Files episodes appeared pretty frequently in the first one. I thought that episode was perfect, with lots of callbacks to previous episodes.

X-Files jumped the shark between the 3rd and 5th season.

The 3rd season was my favourite, and I thought S10E3 was wonderful. Lots of throwbacks to previous seasons and episodes, as @PrincessLeppard said. The episode was written by Darin Morgan, who has always been a favourite XF writer of mine (who wrote many of my favourite episodes in S3 including some of the other more humorous ones not dissimilar to S10E3). I agree that Mulder leaving in the later seasons made me WTF? though.

 

[Yehudi]

Procedurals (CSI, Law and Order etc) always jump the shark when they explore the personal lives of the characters

 

[Sarah]

The West Wing - to me one of the best shows ever, not really a shark jump, but once Aaron Sorkin left, it was not quite as good. It was still one of the best shows on tv, and had a few really good episodes.

As long as you skipped most of season 5... I have all the DVDs and I've rewatched pretty much the entire series, but no matter how hard I try, I can't make it through season 5.

 

[smurfy]

Anyone ever see 'That's Life' - early 2000s. New Jersey girl ends engagement and starts college, mom played by Ellen Burstyn.
Literally in the middle of the 1st season, they dropped a couple of her 'old' friends, tried to concentrate on college.
They lost the funny and the fish our of water. The show started off with promised and then blah.

Not necessarily 'Jump the Shark' - but the original Law & Order, even with all it casts changes, once Jerry Orbach left due to illness, and then died shortly thereafter, the show was never the same for me. He had been on for a long time and just such a lovable character with great comments. I do not think the show changed, but for me - he became the best thing on the show.