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The Shark Jumps Again (BRAND NEW FACEBOOK PAGE) - Community Page about Jon Hein
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Jan 20, 2013, 1:32:19 AM1/20/13
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http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Shark-Jumps-Again/137099213117005?fref=ts
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Shark-Jumps-Again/137099213117005?sk=info
About
http://www.bonethefish.com/
http://www.jumpedtheshark.co.uk/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jumptheshark/?yguid=201668823
Description
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumping_the_shark
Jumping the shark is an idiom created by Jon Hein that is used to
describe the moment in the evolution of a television show when it
begins a decline in quality that is beyond recovery. The phrase is
also used to refer to a particular scene, episode, or aspect of a show
in which the writers use some type of "gimmick" in a desperate attempt
to keep viewers' interest.
In its initial usage, it referred to the point in a television
program's history when the program had outlived its freshness and
viewers had begun to feel that the show's writers were out of new
ideas, often after great effort was made to revive interest in the
show by the writers, producers, or network.
The usage of "jump the shark" has subsequently broadened beyond
television, indicating the moment when a brand, design, or creative
effort's evolution loses the essential qualities that initially
defined its success and declines, ultimately, into irrelevance.
Basic Info
Joined Facebook 01/19/2013
Plot Outline http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/JumpingTheShark
The moment when an established TV show changes in a significant manner
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.
This expression originates from the episode of Happy Days in which
Fonzie, dressed in his trademark leather jacket, literally jumps over
a shark on water-skis during an episode shot on location.
Some examples of clues which may (although by no means necessarily)
indicate that a show's made the "jump":
Cast Changes
A popular character is removed from the show, or even killed off.
Especially true if the method of removal is unsatisfying or mean-
spirited.
The writers pen a replacement character who isn't as compelling as the
one who left.
A new character is introduced who earns the hatred of the fandom for
whatever reason.
In cases where Real Life Writes the Plot, when the actor playing a
character core to the show's success dies and a decision is made to
also kill off the actor's character. This will often force hasty, if
not awkward changes to a program that gets, at best, lukewarm
acceptance from the audience.
The Other Darrin: Same Character, Different Actor.
And sometimes, as with the Suspiciously Similar Substitute, Different
Actor, Different Character, Same Archetype.
Character Development
The Scrappy is given more spotlight and screentime, which sometimes
exonerates him through character development, but more often turns him
into a Creator's Pet.
An existing character evolves in a way that flattens rather than
enriches him, or which contradicts prior depictions of the character.
This can have the effect of alienating fans.
The Official Couple resolves their UST too early and shippers start to
lose interest in the show.
Plot Development
The show's premise is radically altered, such as having the characters
change careers or move to a new location.
Conversely, the show (which is supposedly based on a coherent story
arc rather than a series of episodic events) drags on too long without
any sort of progress or resolution. May be the result of too much
filler or overreliance on Failure Is the Only Option. If the plot is
based on a Myth Arc, dragging it out too long or piling plot thread
upon plot thread without resolution may lead to fans getting the
impression that the writers are just making it up as they go along and
subsequently tuning out.
The show experiences Mood Whiplash in an unbelievable manner -
typically a result of Executive Meddling wanting to make the show
Darker and Edgier or Lighter and Softer. A jarring rise in the Sliding
Scale of Villain Threat, unless it is written well and\or used for
comedic purposes. For example, a Big Bad trying to take over the local
7-11 is usurped by one bent on destroying the galaxy.
One of the writers puts too much of himself into the show, to its
detriment. He may use it as a pulpit to preach his personal beliefs in
a heavy-handed manner, or to display personal kinks which Squick the
audience out. Common results include Author Filibuster, drastically
increased sightings of Strawman Politicals, and Going Cosmic.
A baby is added to an otherwise-adult cast, resulting in ill-suited
addition of childish themes and endless babytalk from characters who
were once-intelligent speaking adults fatally altering the character
dynamic.
The plot is resolved with one too many plot twists which are
inconsistent with the overall narrative, poorly executed, or are just
plain stupid, turning the audience away.
A show's Crowning Moment of Awesome—in the sense that the show never
lives up to said moment again, despite trying.
The Official Couple (or Beta Couple) keeps breaking up and getting
back together, to the point where it just aggravates not only the
characters but the audience as well.
The plotlines and subplots become too formulaic. (e.g. Monster of the
Week, Negative Space Wedgie, etc.)
The storylines, character dynamics, etc. are so farfetched or over-the-
top that they stretch the audience's Willing Suspension of Disbelief
way beyond its limits.
Too much (or in some rare cases not enough) Padding. Especially true
if "No, really, It Gets Better!"; the audience is likely to grow
impatient and give up.
Gimmicks
The show starts relying too much on "special guest stars" (especially
if they're celebrities playing themselves) which wreck the
verisimilitude of the show.
Graphical gimmicks such as 3D are used to shore up failing character
development.
The Movie of the series is released, after which the creativity level
of the actual show starts to wane.
A major plot point is apparently resolved only to be immediately
unresolved—over and over again.
The show moves the existing cast to a new setting.
For games, a Scrappy Mechanic is introduced that changes the balance
that made the older games fun.
A particular gimmick or recurring joke that becomes endearing or
otherwise perceived to be core to the show's appeal is dropped, either
with or without explanation.
The show keeps saying how awesome something is, but doesn't actually
let you know why. Example: The characters are promoted to a higher
rank, only to get less gadgets and fight even weaker villains.
Too many shark jumping moments in a row can spell Seasonal Rot.
Gary Marshall has tirelessly reminded 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 the Happy Days
episode has also 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).
Contrast Growing the Beard, Win The Crowd. For a related phenomenon,
see Franchise Original Sin. When it's whole networks instead of just
shows, see Network Decay, and Magazine Decay for print magazines.
When the people start claiming something is a shark jumping moment
immediately after it happens, see Ruined FOREVER.
JumpTheShark.com used to be run by writer Jon Hein (who now works as
part of The Howard Stern Show), who coined the term with his friends
in the mid-1980s. 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 listed actor Ted McGinley as their
"patron saint", as he has the most television roles in which the
series slowly died off after his first appearance. The longest-lasting
show with McGinley 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 (BoneTheFish.com is one website that bills itself as a successor
to the "old" JumpTheShark.com).
There is some 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 tales of people actually riding them.
There are too many real life examples to list here, and it is probably
the most subjective article we have, so we are not listing any. It is
guaranteed that any show of sufficient length (more than two or three
seasons) will vary in quality and thus all it does is start arguments.
This page lists overt lampshades of the phrase instead, preferably
self-deprecating ones.
Starring https://twitter.com/jonmhein, https://twitter.com/SqueeTV
Contact Info
Website http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/The_Shark_Jumps_Again/?yguid=201668823
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Shark-Jumps-Again/137099213117005?sk=info
About
http://www.bonethefish.com/
http://www.jumpedtheshark.co.uk/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jumptheshark/?yguid=201668823
Description
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumping_the_shark
Jumping the shark is an idiom created by Jon Hein that is used to
describe the moment in the evolution of a television show when it
begins a decline in quality that is beyond recovery. The phrase is
also used to refer to a particular scene, episode, or aspect of a show
in which the writers use some type of "gimmick" in a desperate attempt
to keep viewers' interest.
In its initial usage, it referred to the point in a television
program's history when the program had outlived its freshness and
viewers had begun to feel that the show's writers were out of new
ideas, often after great effort was made to revive interest in the
show by the writers, producers, or network.
The usage of "jump the shark" has subsequently broadened beyond
television, indicating the moment when a brand, design, or creative
effort's evolution loses the essential qualities that initially
defined its success and declines, ultimately, into irrelevance.
Basic Info
Joined Facebook 01/19/2013
Plot Outline http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/JumpingTheShark
The moment when an established TV show changes in a significant manner
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.
This expression originates from the episode of Happy Days in which
Fonzie, dressed in his trademark leather jacket, literally jumps over
a shark on water-skis during an episode shot on location.
Some examples of clues which may (although by no means necessarily)
indicate that a show's made the "jump":
Cast Changes
A popular character is removed from the show, or even killed off.
Especially true if the method of removal is unsatisfying or mean-
spirited.
The writers pen a replacement character who isn't as compelling as the
one who left.
A new character is introduced who earns the hatred of the fandom for
whatever reason.
In cases where Real Life Writes the Plot, when the actor playing a
character core to the show's success dies and a decision is made to
also kill off the actor's character. This will often force hasty, if
not awkward changes to a program that gets, at best, lukewarm
acceptance from the audience.
The Other Darrin: Same Character, Different Actor.
And sometimes, as with the Suspiciously Similar Substitute, Different
Actor, Different Character, Same Archetype.
Character Development
The Scrappy is given more spotlight and screentime, which sometimes
exonerates him through character development, but more often turns him
into a Creator's Pet.
An existing character evolves in a way that flattens rather than
enriches him, or which contradicts prior depictions of the character.
This can have the effect of alienating fans.
The Official Couple resolves their UST too early and shippers start to
lose interest in the show.
Plot Development
The show's premise is radically altered, such as having the characters
change careers or move to a new location.
Conversely, the show (which is supposedly based on a coherent story
arc rather than a series of episodic events) drags on too long without
any sort of progress or resolution. May be the result of too much
filler or overreliance on Failure Is the Only Option. If the plot is
based on a Myth Arc, dragging it out too long or piling plot thread
upon plot thread without resolution may lead to fans getting the
impression that the writers are just making it up as they go along and
subsequently tuning out.
The show experiences Mood Whiplash in an unbelievable manner -
typically a result of Executive Meddling wanting to make the show
Darker and Edgier or Lighter and Softer. A jarring rise in the Sliding
Scale of Villain Threat, unless it is written well and\or used for
comedic purposes. For example, a Big Bad trying to take over the local
7-11 is usurped by one bent on destroying the galaxy.
One of the writers puts too much of himself into the show, to its
detriment. He may use it as a pulpit to preach his personal beliefs in
a heavy-handed manner, or to display personal kinks which Squick the
audience out. Common results include Author Filibuster, drastically
increased sightings of Strawman Politicals, and Going Cosmic.
A baby is added to an otherwise-adult cast, resulting in ill-suited
addition of childish themes and endless babytalk from characters who
were once-intelligent speaking adults fatally altering the character
dynamic.
The plot is resolved with one too many plot twists which are
inconsistent with the overall narrative, poorly executed, or are just
plain stupid, turning the audience away.
A show's Crowning Moment of Awesome—in the sense that the show never
lives up to said moment again, despite trying.
The Official Couple (or Beta Couple) keeps breaking up and getting
back together, to the point where it just aggravates not only the
characters but the audience as well.
The plotlines and subplots become too formulaic. (e.g. Monster of the
Week, Negative Space Wedgie, etc.)
The storylines, character dynamics, etc. are so farfetched or over-the-
top that they stretch the audience's Willing Suspension of Disbelief
way beyond its limits.
Too much (or in some rare cases not enough) Padding. Especially true
if "No, really, It Gets Better!"; the audience is likely to grow
impatient and give up.
Gimmicks
The show starts relying too much on "special guest stars" (especially
if they're celebrities playing themselves) which wreck the
verisimilitude of the show.
Graphical gimmicks such as 3D are used to shore up failing character
development.
The Movie of the series is released, after which the creativity level
of the actual show starts to wane.
A major plot point is apparently resolved only to be immediately
unresolved—over and over again.
The show moves the existing cast to a new setting.
For games, a Scrappy Mechanic is introduced that changes the balance
that made the older games fun.
A particular gimmick or recurring joke that becomes endearing or
otherwise perceived to be core to the show's appeal is dropped, either
with or without explanation.
The show keeps saying how awesome something is, but doesn't actually
let you know why. Example: The characters are promoted to a higher
rank, only to get less gadgets and fight even weaker villains.
Too many shark jumping moments in a row can spell Seasonal Rot.
Gary Marshall has tirelessly reminded 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 the Happy Days
episode has also 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).
Contrast Growing the Beard, Win The Crowd. For a related phenomenon,
see Franchise Original Sin. When it's whole networks instead of just
shows, see Network Decay, and Magazine Decay for print magazines.
When the people start claiming something is a shark jumping moment
immediately after it happens, see Ruined FOREVER.
JumpTheShark.com used to be run by writer Jon Hein (who now works as
part of The Howard Stern Show), who coined the term with his friends
in the mid-1980s. 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 listed actor Ted McGinley as their
"patron saint", as he has the most television roles in which the
series slowly died off after his first appearance. The longest-lasting
show with McGinley 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 (BoneTheFish.com is one website that bills itself as a successor
to the "old" JumpTheShark.com).
There is some 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 tales of people actually riding them.
There are too many real life examples to list here, and it is probably
the most subjective article we have, so we are not listing any. It is
guaranteed that any show of sufficient length (more than two or three
seasons) will vary in quality and thus all it does is start arguments.
This page lists overt lampshades of the phrase instead, preferably
self-deprecating ones.
Starring https://twitter.com/jonmhein, https://twitter.com/SqueeTV
Contact Info
Website http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/The_Shark_Jumps_Again/?yguid=201668823
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