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Jumping the Shark

Discussion in 'Sensorium' started by Beren, Aug 16, 2004.

  1. Beren

    Beren Lovesick and Lonely Wanderer Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    During a certain episode of 'Happy Days', the Fonz did a cheesy waterski jump over a supposedly live shark. The episode somehow meant that 'Happy Days' were numbered so to speak.

    Since then, 'Jumping the Shark' has come to signify that certain, definite, and clearly identifiable moment in a television series that marks three things:

    1) The writers' creative juices are running dry.

    2) Correspondingly, the fans are losing interest.

    3) It's only a matter of time.

    So I guess this thread is to solicit what your moment is. What T.V. series did you used to love but watch no longer? At what moment did that series 'jump the shark' for you?

    I'll start with mine.

    Yes, I admit it. I used to be an X-phile. :o It seemed to merge flawlessly the best of Close Encounters of the 3rd kind, JFK, and Twilight Zone. But then it came, the season premiere of the season starting in 1999. Mulder is lying in a hospital bed. His nemesis, the Cigarette Smoking Man, tells him ... *drum rolls* ... "I am your father!" :rolleyes: I just stood there staring at my T.V. with a slack jaw. :toofar: I then told my friend about it, who hardly ever watched it. Even he knew enough to say, "Stupid!!!". Since then, I just cannot watch so much as a single second of it anymore. Oh well. Your turns.
     
  2. Aldazar Gems: 24/31
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    Well, I don't recall the exact moment that X-Files 'jumped the shark' for me, just that it was actually quite early, like the second season or something.

    Charmed - used to love it but when Shannen Doherty left and Marilyn Manson's ex moved in as the 'fourth sister', it turned me off the show completely.

    Dark Angel - the series where they started introducing the 'mutant' trans-gens, along with that twit from Days Of Our Lives playing Alec as a regular character really just screwed it all up for me on that as well.

    Well, they're the only 2 I can think of for now.
     
  3. Dark Haired Beauty Gems: 13/31
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    When Jason Priestly joined the cast of Tru Calling. Not only did he jump the shark, but the shark wouldn't eat him cause he is so annoying.
     
  4. Splunge

    Splunge Bhaal’s financial advisor Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    Dallas - the Dream season.

    This was where they spent an entire season developing the plot, with a pretty good cliffhanger season-ending, and then at the start of the next season, we found out that Victoria Principal (I forget her character's name) had dreamed the entire previous season. So now we had to try to figure out what was going really on, which involved not only disregarding the previous season, but also trying to remember what had happened the year before that.

    I just couldn't be bothered.
     
  5. Equester Gems: 18/31
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    when Charlie sheen took over for Michael J. Fox in "spin city". I hate you Charlie and what was that blond B*tch, Heather locklear, you brought with you doing. neither of you was funny.

    that is the only series I can remember precisely where I stopped watching it. most others I just gradually lost interest in or been unable to watch all episodes of.
     
  6. Enagonios Gems: 31/31
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    heather locklear is hot. hehe.
    back on topic: CSI. The 1st 2 seasons had at least 2 cases per episode and Grissom was ultra cynical and witty. In season 3 it was reduced to 1 case per episode and the spotlight was taken off of Gris. Also, their spin-off CSI Miami is only worth watching bec. of all the hot chicks they show as extras on the show. I mean, David Caruso dominates the whole series with his "don't worry, we'll get the killer" and "i'm so sorry" drama routine. Cripes, I'll take Grissom's wit over Caruso's drama any day of the week.
     
  7. Abomination Gems: 26/31
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    Jackass, 2nd season. They simply lost origionality and they couldn't perform a 'real-life' setting skit (walk down the street and do something stupid in front of people) without everyone knowing who they were and what they were doing.

    Victim of its own success I figure.
     
  8. Harbourboy

    Harbourboy Take thy form from off my door! Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    Fantastic, I've been meaning to mention Jump the Shark here for ages but never got around to it.

    My one is when Mork and Mindy had that baby. Terrible.
     
  9. Aldazar Gems: 24/31
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    Thanks DHB!! You just ruined it for me!! ;)
    Actually, if it hadn't have been for the fact that I lost interest in that show the episode after Tru's boss told her he knew about her talent, then made only vague references to him knowing thereafter, that would certainly have killed my interest.

    Stargate SG-1 - basically thw whole series jumped the shark for me because it was nowhere near as enjoyable as the movie. No Kurt Russell, James Spader or French Stewart means no Stargate. And having MacGyver in it only made it worse.

    Knight Rider - When KITT was destroyed and they rebuilt him with all that pop-out crap. that's just not KITT.
     
  10. Harbourboy

    Harbourboy Take thy form from off my door! Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    Happy Days really jumped when The Fonz moved in with that chick and her little daughter and Richie stopped being the main character.
     
  11. Equester Gems: 18/31
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    what! I found that to one of the few shows I care to watch. I thinks it has great actors (even Macgyver) and a great story. it's probably the best new Sci-fi series for years.

    that reminds me of, that the whole Star trek universe jumped the shark for me, when the stopped next generation and made Voyager or was it deep space-9? oh well they both sucked.
     
  12. Enagonios Gems: 31/31
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    i second that equester, macgyver is cool. They've been showing his ooold reruns on tv recently. dum dum dum dum dum dum du dum dum
     
  13. Aldazar Gems: 24/31
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    24 - season three. I don't recall the exact event which put me off this, bu tit may have had something to do with Palmer 'selling out' and not keeping to his personal values. Whatever the event was, the show jumped the shark big time for me.
     
  14. Colthrun

    Colthrun Walk first in the forest and last in the bog Veteran

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    I stopped watching the X-Files after all the aliens/conspiracy thingy came about. It was way more interesting when it was about occultism and urban legends, and the conspiracy theory is way too used already...

    @Beren
    I am so glad I never saw that episode. That is the type of things that make one buy a gun and kill people in a supermarket. :p


    I also loved watching the A-Team. But after the fiftieth time of seeing people coming out unscathed under wrecked cars, or after thousands of bullets were shot at them, it just stopped being that appealing. Still, those banters between B.A. and Murdock are just the finest. :lol:
     
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    Breugh. Just saw an episode of the new Justice League unlimited. So, right, (great idea this) they magically change Batman, Superman, Wonderwoman and the Green Lantern into TEENAGERS! So now we can watch characters that were carefully crafted over two seasons act like hip teens man cool. (insert moronic beavis -style laughter here)

    Bloody hell, hopefully this isn't the sign of things to come...
     
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