Television - Did any of your favorite shows ever "jump the shark"? If so, when?

05-13-2005, 01:35 PM

Jumping the shark is a metaphor used by television critics since the 1990s. The phrase, popularized by Jon Hein on his website www.jumptheshark.com, is used to describe the moment when a television show or similar episodic media is in retrospect judged to have passed its "peak" and shows a noticeable decline in quality.

Three of my five favorite shows eventually became shark bait. 7th Heaven and Dawson's Creek went when their third seasons premiered and Gilmore Girls was never the same after the second season episode "Run Away, Little Boy."

05-15-2005, 07:28 PM

Here's the logo from the popular website:

TheCheshireKitten · 05-15-2005, 09:06 PM

I'm not sure I have a show that didn't "jump" in some form.

IMO:

Buffy - Dawn. Also Season 6. Buffy coming back from the dead, the trio as villains. I just think season 5 would've made a great ending.

Angel - Connor. When Angel was changing diapers, it didn't just jump the shark for me, it cleared a whale. Jasmine was just its horrible swann dive into the abyss.

Dark Angel - A combination of the destruction of Manticore (what were they thinking doing that in the 1st season anyway?!), and the introductions of the transgenics at the beginning of season 2. Also the ruination of Max due to her love for Logan. On a more personal note for me, when they "killed" off my favorite character, Lydecker. Hell, season 2 in general.

Smallville - We'll see what happens next season, but this season (4) has been absolutely nothing but pointless filler. Lana as a "chosen one", hardly any Lex, Lois being present for no apparent reason, and a storyline that involves witches.

05-16-2005, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheCheshireKitten

I'm not sure I have a show that didn't "jump" in some form.

Yeah, it's very rare to have a show (especially a long-running show) stay fresh throughout its entire run.

X-6_494 · 05-16-2005, 09:28 AM

ALL my shows have jumped. Quite annoying.

- The biggest jump IN THE HISTORY OF TV: Alias Season Three. I could write a novel here, but...without SD-6 or the SpyFam driving the seasons it's worthless. On top of that, no Irina, no Will, plus the writing falling apart. You know things are bad when a lost half sister from South America jumps aboard and is injected with green "Rambaldi liquid" causing her to unconsciously scribble prophecies. BITTER. Very bitter. But things are looking up this end of the season!

- Dark Angel Season 2..although it didn't make me bitter - I still loved the show.

Quote:

combination of the destruction of Manticore (what were they thinking doing that in the 1st season anyway?!) & when they "killed" off my favorite character, Lydecker.

Whenever the 'big bad' is offed, it immediately goes downhill. DA and Alias can attest for that...And Deck! How I've missed him. I do think the show could've picked up, especially after the reveal in "Hello, Goodbye". But then I just miss my favorite post-apocalyptic show.

- 24 mid season 4. To be frank, the only season that truly grabbed me all along was season one. After that I stuck around for my characters, even if they DID end up all dead. Nevertheless, the quality was still there - I guess - even if declining. But this season, with the SuperJack Trend back in full force it's getting ridiculous, and I can't even bring myself to watch the last few eps even if I heard it's picked up a bit. Oh, the first part (until 4.12, I think) of the season was enjoyable especially thanks to Shohreh Agadashloo and the Araz family arc. Alberta Watson as well, but TPTB squashed her character's potential by making Saint Jack Always Right, Everyone Else Always Wrong. After that, it was Jack VS. Marwan for hours and hours and hours and hours and Jack screaming and torturing in a non believable way because there's nothing personal on the line this season. I have to say I did love the first half, now that I think of it. The rest just blows.

- Lost jumped after the pilot, lmao. I could write a book on that as well. Basically the show boils down to Sawyer and occasional Mira Furlan appearances.

- And by the slides I've read, it looks like The L Word is jumping next season. *groan*

05-16-2005, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by X-6_494

ALL my shows have jumped. Quite annoying.

It is, isn't it? There is a bright side to this whole "jumping the shark" business though. It makes you appreciate the earlier seasons, and that's something.

Subject · 05-16-2005, 11:06 AM

Dark Angel I have to jump in here and defend Dark Angel season 2. While it was not as amazing as say Buffy season 2. It had much appeal for me. It took huge risks. Max's universe was expanded and so was the show. She went from being alone herself, seeking out her family to starting a revolution. While some may say that the trangenics as in Joshua was a step-back and funny more then serious it had my full attention. The freaks were a great part of the show. The way they were treated with such hatred and me upset more then any other show. The only thing about season 2 that I didn't like that much was the virus between Max/Logan. That was a little corny but other then that I thought it was a great season. I just got done watching Virtual Season 3 and it was great.

BTVS Should have died when Buffy gave her "Gift"

After that the show went really downhill. The trio, Willow turning evil and the biggest thing that got on my nerves was the sex. So much sex, it was overkill. Buffy was turned into this big slut IMO. Spike on the other hand also went downhill. I always like my Spike evil. Spike's obsession with Buffy was good. I always liked that he lusted after her. However, I am not a fan of their romantica relationship or a fan of Spike having a soul.

Roswell The end of Season 2 was a cop-out. Turning Tess evil didn't make any sense at all. Of course, it was made to appeal to the majority fans of the show. Never should they lack a story to appeal to the majority of the fans. Keep things that make sense! So many things just bug me. If Tess could do what they said to she did to Alex, then why wouldn't she have just killed Liz in the beginning. The whole issue just doesn't make any sense.

Charmed It turned into the Pheobe show. Enough said.

Dawson's Creek Same thing as Charmed but with Joey.

Sliders When Jerry left. You can't have a show with the main character cast change. Some say the fall started before that but when the original Quin was gone, the show should have been gone as well IMO. Without Quin, there was really no point to it. I still watched but only really for Remmy. As he was the only original Slider left. I also like Maggie.

TheCheshireKitten · 05-16-2005, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Subject

Dark Angel I have to jump in here and defend Dark Angel season 2.

The thing about Dark Angel for me is, there were plenty of storylines left for Manticore and Max's siblings. She hadn't even found them all yet, and they rushed to end her search, destroy Manticore, and come up with a whole new arc that took the show in much too different of a direction. And they did all this in the beginning of the second season. I found that rediculous, and a bad move on the writer's part. It was too early for that. They dropped storylines that they spent the whole first season building up: Max's search for her X-5 siblings, Lydecker going from villain to someone who cared about his kids, Renfro, etc....It just didn't make sense for them to drop all of that so quickly and so early.

What I didn't like about the transgenics - I loved Dark Angel because it had a gritty realism to it. Though it was scifi and set in an apocalyptic future, it had more of a "real" feel to it with the genetically enchanced children. The transgenics took it more into the realm of fantasy, a place that I don't think it should've gone. I think season 1 was some of the most original work I've seen on a television show, so it disappointed me when they took it in what I felt was a whole other direction. The transgenics and the familiars came out of left field, so for me it was a definite shark jump.

I do however, agree with you 100% on Buffy.

Subject · 05-16-2005, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheCheshireKitten

I found that rediculous, and a bad move on the writer's part. It was too early for that. They dropped storylines that they spent the whole first season building up: Max's search for her X-5 siblings, Lydecker going from villain to someone who cared about his kids, Renfro, etc....It just didn't make sense for them to drop all of that so quickly and so early.

The build up could have went slower but it still would have or should have went towards the same place. I too would have liked to have seen more of the original escaped X-5's. However, with Manticore still around it's not like they all would have come together for a single episode as a family unless it was to destroy Manticore. Which is what happened when Syl, Krit, Zack, and Max teamed up. Having all 12 there to destory it seems like it would have been overkill.

Which is why I like Virtual season 3. It brings things together. We get Jondy, Zane, Krit, Zack, Syl and of course Lydecker.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheCheshireKitten

The transgenics took it more into the realm of fantasy, a place that I don't think it should've gone.

Making the transgenics and familiars was a huge jump into more Sci-Fi show. Which is always a risk because well, let's face it not a lot of people like sci-fi.

I don't think we will agree on things here.

I also want to say that DA is fresh is my mind. It was only a short time ago that I watched the show. Bought the seasons on dvd and loved them. Last night I finished Virtual season 3. So the entire DA universe is "new" to me.

I wish I would have watched it back when aired on tv. I think it conflicted with other shows or I didn't have fox.

05-16-2005, 04:19 PM

I'm really glad that this thread is starting to spark some great debate

Ethereal · 05-16-2005, 04:36 PM

JAG - I'd say it jumped the shark around the middle of season 8. After that it just wasn't the same. I was glad that it wasn't renewed for a new season, it was time for it to end. And end it did, with a great final episode! That way it ended on a high note and we don't have to know what an 11th season would have done. I would not have tuned in for a next season, but it's good that it finished now rather than at an even worse point down the track.

05-16-2005, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evelina

I was glad that it wasn't renewed for a new season

I know that feeling. When Dawson's Creek ended I breathed a huge sigh of relief. If only 7th Heaven (and Gilmore Girls as well) could finally be put out of its misery.

VU&NICO · 05-16-2005, 06:41 PM

Dawson's creek: THE STUPID LOVE TRIANGLE
BH90210: Kelly and Dylan get together.
Melrose Place: Kimberly and Sydney's death.
That 70s show: entire season 7...a waste of time, no good writing.
Gilmore girls: Jess.

05-16-2005, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VU&NICO

Dawson's creek: THE STUPID LOVE TRIANGLE

Amen.

ursa major · 05-17-2005, 07:44 AM

Dawson's Creek Jumped the Shark in Season 5. It had to be one of the worst season's of a show I'd ever seen.

ITA to whoever said that 7th Heaven needs to be put out of it's misery. That probably should've happened 2 seasons ago.

Charmed jumped after Prue died.

Roswell jumped at the end of Season 1, when the only explanation the writers could come up with for the 4 aliens being on Earth were that they were the "Royal Four." Silly plot twist to say the least.