History Main / JumpingTheShark

Jumping the shark can happen at any time in an established work's run. While it's often used in reference to the show's last gasp, a drastic change to stay on the air which doesn't work, some shows drag on for years after the turning point. ''Happy Days'' went on for seven years after Fonzie's shark-jumping stunt, with other changes in cast and situations; it was just [[SeasonalRot really boring]]. It's also possible for a show to jump ''several'' sharks during its twilight years, leading to what we call SeasonalRot.

[[TropeNamers The expression comes from]] an episode of the TV series ''Series/HappyDays'' in which Fonzie, dressed in his trademark leather jacket, literally jumps over a shark while on waterskis. The moment was considered over-the-top and not keeping with the show's existing tone of examining everyday life in [=1950s=] America. It was the moment where Fonzie, at that point the EnsembleDarkhorse, started being {{Flanderized}} into a superhuman, impossibly 'cool' dude. In short order, Fonzie had pushed out the existing leads to [[SpotlightStealingSquad take over the entire show]]. Even those who liked Fonzie -- and most did -- had to admit that the show focusing just on him didn't make ''Happy Days'' better. It even betrayed Fonzie's own character development: in a landmark earlier episode, Fonzie had been seriously injured while jumping his motorcycle for a televised stunt, and he admitted at the time that he was stupid to try something so reckless. When he jumped the shark, Fonzie [[AesopAmnesia seemingly forgot that important lesson]], and viewers read it as a sign that the show was abandoning its roots in an effort to stay fresh.

"Jumping the shark" has since entered common parlance to refer to the moment when a serialized work or body of work goes into unrecoverable decline. The term was originally coined in the mid-1980s by writer Jon Hein. Notably, it was only after ''Happy Days'' ended that anyone truly realised what the turning point had been; it's difficult to spot a work jumping the shark in real time. The term "jumping the shark" is also rather nebulous because it can either mean the point at which the show started sliding (which is what happened with ''Happy Days'') or the point of the show's final collapse. Complicating matters is the term "nuking the fridge", named after an infamous scene in ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull'', whose definition seems to drift around even more than "jumping the shark" but basically amounts to "jumping the shark [[Administrivia/TheSameButMoreSpecific but for movies]]"; it seems to have been born out of a generation who never experienced ''Happy Days'' now having their own experience with how frustrating this is.[[note]]TV Tropes does not consider "Nuking the Fridge" a separate or well-defined concept from "Jumping the Shark" -- in fact, "Nuking the Fridge" as a separate trope ''and'' as a redirect to this trope is a member of the Administrivia/PermanentRedLinkClub because people kept trying to add it without being able to define it.[[/note]]

When a show jumps the shark, it is often used for a last gasp, a drastic change to stay on the air which doesn't work. But a shark jump doesn't necessarily mean a quick death -- ''Happy Days'' went on for seven years after Fonzie's shark-jumping stunt, with other changes in cast and situations. It was just [[SeasonalRot really boring]]. It's entirely possible for a show to jump ''several'' sharks during its twilight years, leading to what we call SeasonalRot.

* In ''WesternAnimation/MyLifeAsATeenageRobot'''s final episode "In-Des-Tuck-Able", Tuck is performing a series of dangerous stunts, including riding a motorcycle over a SharkPool. Brad provides the lampshading:

* The Trope Namer is explicitly referenced in the sequel to the ''Advertising/DumbWaysToDie'' video game, where one minigame has a character dressed like Fonzie jumping over several sharks on waterskis. Succeeding makes him grin and give a thumbs-up with a LaughTrack in the background.

* The Trope Namer is explicitly referenced in the sequel to the ''Advertsing/DumbWaysToDie'' video game, where one minigame has a character dressed like Fonzie jumping over several sharks on waterskis. Succeeding makes him grin and give a thumbs-up with a LaughTrack in the background.

* ''Film/TheFateOfTheFurious'': Creator/VinDiesel's character jumping a car over an ''Akula''[[note]]Russian for "shark"[[/note]]-class submarine in a self-depreciating EasterEgg.

* Series/TheGrandTour episode "A Massive Hunt" has Richard and Jeremy discuss how swimming is forbidden in Réunion because of shark attacks:

* In ''[[VideoGame/{{Skate}} Skate 3]]'', the player attempts to jump over a statue of a shark in the opening cinematic. He fails, which is a setup for you to use plastic surgery to create your character. You can jump it in the actual game.

:: :Cue ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' end-of-show fanfare and the credits-snark going, "i think i just jumped the shark..."

* ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'', has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQYLmcYpE_8 a PSA on how to prolong a]] LongRunner series (the show had passed 17 seasons by then) where Sarge decides to do "a dangerous stunt, where one of us has to jump over a tank of dangerous marine life", with Simmons pointing out it's better not to jump the shark, literally or figuratively.

-->'''Monarch:''' You say "jump", they say "what shark?"

Jumping the Shark is the moment when an established LongRunner series changes in a significant manner, ranging from a new gimmick to a full {{Retool}}. This can be the result of circumstance, though it's more often an attempt to [[WinBackTheCrowd overcome flagging ratings and/or attract new viewers]]. Unfortunately, it usually doesn't work: looking back, viewers realize that [[SelfFulfillingProphecy the change actually caused or hastened the show's demise]].

[[TropeNamers The expression comes from]] an episode of ''Series/HappyDays'' in which Fonzie, dressed in his trademark leather jacket, literally jumps over a shark while on waterskis. Over-the-top and not in keeping with the show's existing tone, it was the moment where Fonzie, at that point the EnsembleDarkhorse, started being {{Flanderized}} into a superhuman, impossibly 'cool' dude. In short order he had pushed out the existing leads to [[SpotlightStealingSquad take over the entire show]]. Even those who liked Fonzie -- and most did -- had to admit that it didn't make ''Happy Days'' better. It even betrayed Fonzie's own character development: in a landmark earlier episode, he had been seriously injured while jumping his motorcycle for a televised stunt, and he admitted at the time that he was stupid to try something so reckless. When he jumped the shark, Fonzie [[AesopAmnesia seemingly forgot that important lesson]], and viewers read it as a sign that the show was abandoning its roots in an effort to stay fresh.

"Jumping the shark" has since entered TV parlance to refer to the moment when a television show or other serial work goes into unrecoverable decline. The term was originally coined in the mid-1980s by writer Jon Hein. Notably, it was only after ''Happy Days'' ended that anyone truly realised what the turning point had been; it's difficult to spot a shark jump in real time. The term "jumping the shark" is also rather nebulous because it can either mean the point at which the show started sliding (which is what happened with ''Happy Days'') or the point of the show's final collapse. Complicating matters is the term "nuking the fridge", named after an infamous scene in ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull'', whose definition seems to drift around even more than "jumping the shark" but basically amounts to "jumping the shark [[Administrivia/TheSameButMoreSpecific but for movies]]"; it seems to have been born out of a generation who never experienced ''Happy Days'' now having their own experience with how frustrating this is.[[note]]TV Tropes does not consider "Nuking the Fridge" a separate or well-defined concept from "Jumping the Shark" -- in fact, "Nuking the Fridge" as a separate trope ''and'' as a redirect to this trope is a member of the Administrivia/PermanentRedLinkClub because people kept trying to add it without being able to define it.[[/note]]

"Jumping the shark" is often used for a show's last gasp, a drastic change to stay on the air which doesn't work. But a shark jump doesn't necessarily mean a quick death: ''Happy Days'' went on for seven years after Fonzie's stunt, with other changes in cast and situations; it was just [[SeasonalRot really boring]]. It's entirely possible for a show to jump ''several'' sharks during its twilight years, leading to what we call SeasonalRot.

[[folder:Film]]

Jumping the Shark is the moment when an established LongRunner series changes in a significant manner. This can be as minor as a new gimmick or as major as a full {{Retool}}. This can be the result of circumstance, though it's more often an attempt to [[WinBackTheCrowd overcome flagging ratings and/or attract new viewers]]. Unfortunately, it usually doesn't work: looking back, viewers realize that [[SelfFulfillingProphecy the change actually caused or hastened the show's demise]].

Jumping the Shark is the moment when an established LongRunner series changes in a significant manner. This can be as minor as a new gimmick or as major as a full {{Retool}}. It's often an attempt to [[WinBackTheCrowd overcome flagging ratings and/or attract new viewers]]. Unfortunately, it usually doesn't work: [[SelfFulfillingProphecy looking back, viewers realize that the change actually caused or hastened the show's demise]].

"Jumping the shark" is often used for a show's last gasp, a drastic change to stay on the air which doesn't work. But a shark jump doesn't necessarily mean a quick death: ''Happy Days'' went on for seven years after Fonzie's stunt, with a number of other changes in cast and situations; it was just [[SeasonalRot really boring]]. It's entirely possible for a show to jump ''several'' sharks over the course of its twilight years, leading to what we call SeasonalRot.

* A [[CousinOliver child character]] is added to a cast of adults. It rarely works, because audiences can see through a cheap attempt at adding "cuteness". A particularly cruel version is where the cast's ''existing'' child characters are sidelined for a new (younger, cuter) kid.

* The plot ''is'' resolved -- but with twists or {{retcon}}s which are inconsistent with the overall narrative, the resolution is [[AssPull poorly set up]], or the ending is [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot just plain stupid]].

Jumping the Shark is the moment when an established LongRunner series changes in a significant manner. This can be as minor as a new gimmick or as major as a full {{Retool}}. It's typically an attempt to [[WinBackTheCrowd overcome flagging ratings and/or attract new viewers]]. Unfortunately, in many cases it doesn't work: [[SelfFulfillingProphecy seen in hindsight, the change actually caused or hastened the show's demise]].

[[TropeNamers The expression comes from]] an episode of ''Series/HappyDays'' in which Fonzie, dressed in his trademark leather jacket, literally jumps over a shark while waterskiing. Over-the-top and not in keeping with the show's existing tone, it was the moment where Fonzie, at that point the EnsembleDarkhorse, started to become {{Flanderized}} into an increasingly superhuman, impossibly 'cool' dude. In short order he pushed out the existing leads to [[SpotlightStealingSquad take over the entire show]]. Even those who liked Fonzie -- and most did -- had to admit that it didn't make ''Happy Days'' better. It even betrayed Fonzie's own character development: in a landmark earlier episode, he had been seriously injured while jumping his motorcycle for a televised stunt, and he admitted at the time that he was stupid to try something so reckless. When he jumped the shark, Fonzie [[AesopAmnesia seemingly forgot that important lesson]], and viewers read it as a sign that the show was abandoning its roots in an effort to stay fresh.

Jumping the Shark is the moment when an established LongRunner series changes in a significant manner. This can be as minor as a new gimmick or as major as a full {{Retool}}. It's typically an attempt to stay current, attract new viewers, and/or stave off cancelation. But a change this late in the game often indicates that [[SelfFulfillingProphecy the show has exhausted its premise]]. It's out of ideas; [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks it'll never be as good again]]; [[SeasonalRot it has nowhere to go but down]], and frankly, it's DarthWiki/RuinedForever.

* The plot ''is'' resolved -- but with twists or {{retcon}}s which are inconsistent with the overall narrative, the resolution is [[AssPull poorly set up]], or the ending is just plain stupid.

Jumping the Shark is the moment when an established LongRunner series changes in a significant manner. This can be as minor as a new gimmick or as major as a full {{Retool}}. It's typically an attempt to stay current, attract new viewers, and/or stave off cancelation. But a change this late in the game often indicates that [[SelfFulfillingProphecy the show exhausted its premise]]. It's out of ideas; [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks it'll never be as good again]]; [[SeasonalRot it has nowhere to go but down]], and frankly, it's DarthWiki/RuinedForever.

* A [[CousinOliver child character]] is added to a cast of adults. It rarely works, because audiences can see through a cheap attempt at adding "cuteness". A particularly insidious variant is where the cast's ''existing'' child characters are displaced for the new (younger, cuter) kid.

Jumping the Shark is the moment when an established LongRunner series changes in a significant manner. This can be as minor as a new gimmick or as major as a full {{Retool}}. Since it happens late in a show's life-cycle, it's typically an attempt to stay current and/or attract new viewers. But it often indicates that [[SelfFulfillingProphecy the show has finally exhausted its premise]]. It's reached its peak; [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks it'll never be as good again]]; [[SeasonalRot it has nowhere to go but down]], it's DarthWiki/RuinedForever.

The expression [[TropeNamers comes from]] an episode of ''Series/HappyDays'' in which Fonzie, dressed in his trademark leather jacket, literally jumps a shark on water skis. Over-the-top and not in keeping with the show's existing tone, it was the point where Fonzie, at that point the EnsembleDarkhorse, started to become {{Flanderized}} into an increasingly superhuman, impossibly 'cool' dude. In short order he pushed out the existing leads to [[SpotlightStealingSquad take over the entire show]]. Even those who liked Fonzie -- and most did -- had to admit that it didn't make ''Happy Days'' better. It even betrayed Fonzie's own character development: in a landmark earlier episode, he had been seriously injured while jumping his motorcycle for a televised stunt, and he admitted at the time that he was stupid to try something so reckless. When he jumped the shark, Fonzie [[AesopAmnesia seemingly forgot that important lesson]], and viewers read it as a sign that the show was abandoning its roots in an effort to stay fresh.

Jumping the Shark is the moment when an established LongRunner series changes in a significant manner. This can be as minor as a new gimmick or as major as a full {{Retool}}. Since it happens late in a show's life-cycle, it's typically an attempt to [[WereStillRelevantDammit stay current]] and/or attract new viewers. But it often means that [[SelfFulfillingProphecy the show has finally exhausted its premise]]. It's reached its peak; [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks it'll never be as good again]]; [[SeasonalRot it has nowhere to go but down]], it's DarthWiki/RuinedForever.

"Jumping the shark" has since entered TV parlance to refer to the moment when a television show or other serial work goes into unrecoverable decline. The term was originally coined in the mid-1980s by writer Jon Hein. Notably, it was only after ''Happy Days'' ended that anyone truly realised what the turning point had been; it's difficult to spot a shark jump in real time. The term "jumping the shark" was also rather nebulous because it could either mean the point at which the show started sliding (which is what happened with ''Happy Days'') or the point of the show's final collapse. Complicating matters is the term "nuking the fridge", named after an infamous scene in ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull'', whose definition seems to drift around even more than "jumping the shark" but basically amounts to "jumping the shark [[Administrivia/TheSameButMoreSpecific but for movies]]"; it seems to have been born out of a generation who never experienced ''Happy Days'' now having their own experience with how frustrating this is.[[note]]TV Tropes does not consider "Nuking the Fridge" a separate or well-defined concept from "Jumping the Shark" -- in fact, "Nuking the Fridge" as a separate trope ''and'' as a redirect to this trope is a member of the Administrivia/PermanentRedLinkClub because people kept trying to add it without being able to define it.[[/note]]

It's difficult to define a shark jump, especially given how commonly the term is used for [[DarthWiki/RuinedForever complaining about plot twists you don't like]]. But there are a lot of telltale signs, and if you see them, the show had better have some ''really'' good writers to pull it off to make [[GrowingTheBeard it seem like a worthwhile decision]].

Jumping the Shark is the moment when an established LongRunner series changes in a significant manner. This can be as minor as a new gimmick or as major as a full {{Retool}}. The typical motive is the fear that the show is getting stale and needs to update to hold its audience. But this usually backfires -- the viewers realize that [[SelfFulfillingProphecy the show has finally exhausted its premise]]. It's reached its peak; [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks it'll never be as good again]]; [[SeasonalRot it has nowhere to go but down]], it's DarthWiki/RuinedForever.

The expression [[TropeNamers comes from]] an episode of ''Series/HappyDays'' in which Fonzie, dressed in his trademark leather jacket, literally jumps a shark on water skis. Over-the-top and not in keeping with the show's existing tone, it became the point where viewers started worrying that the show was about to change on them, and not for the better. Unfortunately, they were right: Fonzie, at that point the EnsembleDarkhorse, became {{Flanderized}} into an increasingly superhuman, impossibly 'cool' dude. In short order he pushed out the existing leads to [[SpotlightStealingSquad take over the entire show]]. Even those who liked Fonzie -- and most did -- had to admit that it didn't make ''Happy Days'' better. It even betrayed Fonzie's own character development: in a landmark earlier episode, he had been seriously injured while jumping his motorcycle for a televised stunt, and he admitted at the time that he was stupid to try something so reckless. When he jumped the shark, Fonzie [[AesopAmnesia seemingly forgot that important lesson]], and viewers read it as a sign that the show was abandoning its roots in an effort to stay fresh.

"Jumping the shark" has since entered TV parlance to refer to the moment when a television show or other serial work goes into unrecoverable decline. The term was originally coined in the mid-1980s by writer Jon Hein. Notably, it was only after ''Happy Days'' ended that anyone truly realised what the turning point had been; it's difficult to spot a shark jump in real time. Many have tried to define a catch-all moment when a show jumps the shark, and many have failed. The term "jumping the shark" was also rather nebulously defined because it could either mean the point at which the show started sliding (which is what happened with ''Happy Days'') or the point of the show's final collapse. Complicating matters is the term "nuking the fridge", named after an infamous scene in ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull'', whose definition seems to drift around even more than "jumping the shark" but basically amounts to "jumping the shark [[Administrivia/TheSameButMoreSpecific but for movies]]"; it seems to have been born out of a generation who never experienced ''Happy Days'' now having their own experience with how frustrating this is.[[note]]TV Tropes does not consider "Nuking the Fridge" a separate or well-defined concept from "Jumping the Shark" -- in fact, "Nuking the Fridge" as a separate trope ''and'' as a redirect to this trope is a member of the Administrivia/PermanentRedLinkClub because people kept trying to add it without being able to define it.[[/note]]

Jumping the Shark is the moment when an established LongRunner series changes in a significant manner. This can range from something as minor as the introduction of a new gimmick to a full ReTool or GenreShift. The reason is usually that the show feels that it must update in order to hold its audience. But it usually backfires -- the viewers realize that [[SelfFulfillingProphecy the show has finally exhausted its potential]]. It's reached its peak; [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks it'll never be as good again]]; [[SeasonalRot it has nowhere to go but down]], it's DarthWiki/RuinedForever.

"Jumping the shark" has since entered TV parlance to refer to the moment when a television show or other serial work goes into unrecoverable decline. The term was originally coined in the mid-1980s by writer Jon Hein. Notably, it was only after ''Happy Days'' ended that anyone truly realised what the turning point had been; it's difficult to spot a shark-jump in real time. Many have tried to define a catch-all moment when a show jumps the shark, and many have failed. The term "jumping the shark" was also rather nebulously defined because it could either mean the point at which the show started sliding (which is what happened with ''Happy Days'') or the point of the show's final collapse. Complicating matters is the term "nuking the fridge", named after an infamous scene in ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull'', whose definition seems to drift around even more than "jumping the shark" but basically amounts to "jumping the shark [[Administrivia/TheSameButMoreSpecific but for movies]]"; it seems to have been born out of a generation who never experienced ''Happy Days'' now having their own experience with how frustrating this is.[[note]]TV Tropes does not consider "Nuking the Fridge" a separate or well-defined concept from "Jumping the Shark" -- in fact, "Nuking the Fridge" as a separate trope ''and'' as a redirect to this trope is a member of the Administrivia/PermanentRedLinkClub because people kept trying to add it without being able to define it.[[/note]]

"Jumping the shark" is often used to describe a show's last gasp, a drastic change to stay on the air which doesn't work. But a shark jump doesn't necessarily mean a quick death: ''Happy Days'' went on for seven years after Fonzie's shark-jumping stunt, with a number of other changes in cast and situations; it was just [[SeasonalRot really boring]]. It's entirely possible for a show to jump ''several'' sharks over the course of its twilight years, leading to what we call SeasonalRot.

Jumping the Shark is the moment when an established LongRunner series changes in a significant manner. This can range from something as minor as the introduction of a new gimmick to a full ReTool or GenreShift. The reason is usually that the show feels that it must change in order to hold its audience. But it usually backfires -- the viewers realize that [[SelfFulfillingProphecy the show has finally exhausted its potential]]. It's reached its peak; [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks it'll never be as good again]]; [[SeasonalRot it has nowhere to go but down]], it's DarthWiki/RuinedForever.

Jumping the Shark is the moment when an established LongRunner series changes in a significant manner. This can range from a relatively small change, like the introduction of a new gimmick, to a radical one, like a GenreShift. The point is that the show feels the need to update in order to hold the fanbase. But it usually has the opposite effect -- the viewers realize that [[SelfFulfillingProphecy the show has finally run out of ideas]]. It's reached its peak; [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks it'll never be as good again]]; [[SeasonalRot it has nowhere to go but down]]. In other words, it's DarthWiki/RuinedForever.

* The show experiences MoodWhiplash and becomes unbelievable and unrelatable. This often happens when ExecutiveMeddling demands that the show become DarkerAndEdgier or LighterAndSofter. One easy and particularly jarring way to do this is a drastic change in the SlidingScaleOfVillainThreat -- you can't just go from destruction of the corner shop to [[OmnicidalManiac the entire galaxy]].
* One of the writers [[WriterOnBoard puts too much of themselves into the show]], to its detriment. They may use it as a pulpit to [[AuthorTract preach their personal beliefs]] in a [[{{Anvilicious}} heavy-handed manner]], or to display [[AuthorAppeal personal kinks]] in a way that [[{{Squick}} unnerves the audience]]. This usually leads to {{Author Filibuster}}s, {{Straw Character}}s, IssueDrift, and GoingCosmic.

* The plot is resolved with too many twists or {{retcon}}s which are inconsistent with the overall narrative, [[AssPull poorly set up]], or just plain stupid.
* The show reaches its SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome and has nowhere to go but down.
* A major plot point is apparently resolved, only to [[YoYoPlotPoint be immediately unresolved]] over and over again. It's particularly acute with the OfficialCouple (or BetaCouple) constantly breaking up and getting back together, to the point where it aggravates not only the audience but the other characters.

* A [[PopularityPower popular character]] is [[PutOnABus removed from the show]] or even {{killed off| for real}}. The idea is to extract cheap EmotionalTorque by making everyone sad that such a great character has left. It happens often enough that it can lead to TheFireflyEffect on a character level -- viewers don't want to get emotionally invested in characters they like in case they get written out later. It's especially likely to alienate the audience if the method of removal seems [[DroppedABridgeOnHim unsatisfying]] or [[PutOnABusToHell mean-spirited]]. It most often happens with quiet, introverted, or relatively passive characters (usually TheChick or TheHeart), which just makes it even meaner.

* The writer starts [[ResetButton undoing plot points]] which occurred earlier in the series (e.g., via TimeTravel, DeathIsCheap, CloningGambit, AllJustADream, {{Retcon}}s, [[TheMultiverse Multiverse theory]], etc.). See OpeningACanOfClones for a detailed explanation.

Jumping the Shark is the moment when an established LongRunner series changes in a significant manner. This can range from something relatively small, like the introduction of a new gimmick, to something that totally changes the show, like a GenreShift. The point is that the show feels like it has to update in order to stay fresh. But it usually has the opposite effect -- the viewers can see through it and realize that [[SelfFulfillingProphecy the show has finally run out of ideas]]. It's reached its peak, [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks it'll never be as good again]], and frankly [[SeasonalRot it's all downhill from here]]. In other words, it's DarthWiki/RuinedForever.

The expression [[TropeNamers comes from]] the episode of ''Series/HappyDays'' in which Fonzie, dressed in his trademark leather jacket, literally jumps over a shark on water skis. Over-the-top and not in keeping with the show's existing tone, it became the point where viewers started panicking that the show was going to change on them, and not for the better. Unfortunately, they were right: Fonzie, at that point the EnsembleDarkhorse, became {{Flanderized}} into an increasingly superhuman, impossibly 'cool' dude. In short order he pushed out the existing leads to [[SpotlightStealingSquad take over the entire show]]. Even those who liked Fonzie -- and most did -- had to admit that it didn't make ''Happy Days'' better. It even betrayed Fonzie's own character development: in a landmark earlier episode, he had been seriously injured while jumping his motorcycle for a televised stunt, and he admitted at the time that he was stupid to try something so reckless. When he jumped the shark, Fonzie [[AesopAmnesia seemingly forgot that important lesson]], and viewers read it as a sign that the show was abandoning its roots in an effort to stay fresh.

After this, "jumping the shark" entered TV parlance to refer to the moment when a show irreparably changes for the worse. The term was originally coined in the mid-1980s by writer Jon Hein. Notably, it was only after ''Happy Days'' ended that anyone truly realised what they had just seen; it's difficult to spot a shark-jump immediately after it happens. Many have tried to define a catch-all moment when a show jumps the shark, and many have failed. The term "jumping the shark" was also rather nebulously defined because it could either mean the point at which the show started sliding (which is what happened with ''Happy Days'') or the point of the show's final collapse. Complicating matters is the term "nuking the fridge", named after an infamous scene in ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull'', whose definition seems to drift around even more than "jumping the shark" but basically amounts to "jumping the shark [[Administrivia/TheSameButMoreSpecific but for movies]]"; it seems to have been borne out of a generation who never experienced ''Happy Days'' now having their own experience with how frustrating this is.[[note]]TV Tropes does not consider "Nuking the Fridge" a separate or well-defined concept from "Jumping the Shark" -- in fact, "Nuking the Fridge" as a separate trope ''and'' as a redirect to this trope is a member of the Administrivia/PermanentRedLinkClub because people kept trying to add it without being able to define it.[[/note]]

"Jumping the shark" is often used to describe a show's last gasp, a drastic change to stay on the air which doesn't work. But a shark jump doesn't necessarily mean the show will quickly end or be cancelled. ''Happy Days'' went on for seven years after Fonzie's shark-jumping stunt, with a number of other changes in cast and situations; it was just [[SeasonalRot really boring]] in those years. It's entirely possible for a show to jump ''several'' sharks over the course of its twilight years, leading to what we call SeasonalRot.

* The show's premise is [[{{Retool}} radically altered]], such as having the characters change careers or move to a new location.
* Conversely, a show which is based on a coherent story arc [[ArcFatigue drags on too long without any sort of progress or resolution]]. This can happen from over-reliance on {{Filler}}, the ResetButton, or FailureIsTheOnlyOption. If the plot is based on a MythArc, dragging it out too long or [[KudzuPlot piling plot thread upon plot thread]] without resolution may lead to fans getting the impression that [[TheChrisCarterEffect the writers are just making it up as they go along]] and subsequently tuning out.

* A major plot point is apparently resolved, only to [[YoYoPlotPoint be immediately unresolved]] over and over again. It's particularly acute with the OfficialCouple (or BetaCouple) constantly breaking up and getting back together, to the point where it aggravates not only the audience but even the other characters.
* Obvious lack of effort in the production. This can be an overreliance on [[StrictlyFormula the show's formula]], an abundance of {{Bottle Episode}}s, {{Recycled Script}}s, and blatant {{Series Continuity Error}}s. Alternatively, the show goes off the rails and starts getting ''really'' weird and off-beat, especially after it's [[ItsBeenDone exhausted the formula]] (like how ''Happy Days'' introduced aliens). Either way, it breaks the WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief.
* TooBleakStoppedCaring: Too much {{Angst}} (or worse, {{Wangst}}), just for the sake of it, makes the audience lose sympathy for the characters and tune out.
* A RomanceArc takes over a series that wasn't about that to begin with, becoming a RomanticPlotTumor.
* A relatively minor FranchiseOriginalSin snowballs into something ''much'' less easily overlooked.

* TheScrappy is given more spotlight and screentime, which sometimes [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap exonerates him through character development]], but more often turns him into a CreatorsPet. Even if it's a BreakoutCharacter getting attention because [[WolverinePublicity the fans demand it]], it just leads to the character taking over the show and rarely has a satisfying ending.

* The OfficialCouple resolves their UnresolvedSexualTension too early and [[ShippingBedDeath shippers start to lose interest in the show]].
* On the contrary, a moment of couple finally ending up together is denied/delayed in a particularly clumsy or mean-spirited manner, replacing the romantic tension with fatigue instead.

* Apparently, [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/10-30-a-m jumping the shark]] is one of the most important duties for employees of [[Wiki/SCPFoundation the Shark Punching Center]].

The expression [[TropeNamers comes from]] the episode of ''Series/HappyDays'' in which Fonzie, dressed in his trademark leather jacket, literally jumps over a shark on water skis. Over-the-top and not in keeping with the show's existing tone, it became the point where viewers started panicking that the show was going to change on them, and not for the better. Unfortunately, they were right: Fonzie, at that point the EnsembleDarkhorse, became {{Flanderized}} into an increasingly superhuman character who was the very essence of "cool." In short order he had pushed out the existing leads to [[SpotlightStealingSquad become the focus of the entire show]]. Even those who liked Fonzie -- and most did -- had to admit that it didn't make the show better. In fact, it betrayed Fonzie's established character development; in an earlier landmark episode, Fonzie was seriously injured while jumping his motorcycle over fourteen barrels in a televised stunt, and he admitted that it was stupid of him to have done something so reckless. So when he jumped the shark, Fonzie [[AesopAmnesia seemingly forgot that important lesson]], and it indicated the show was seeking a new gimmick in an effort to stay fresh.

The expression [[TropeNamers comes from]] the episode of ''Series/HappyDays'' in which Fonzie, dressed in his trademark leather jacket, literally jumps over a shark on water skis. Over-the-top and not in keeping with the show's existing tone, it became the point where viewers started panicking that the show was going to change on them, and not for the better. Unfortunately, they were right: Fonzie, at that point the EnsembleDarkhorse, became {{Flanderized}} into an increasingly superhuman character who was the very essence of "cool." In short order he had pushed out the existing leads to [[SpotlightStealingSquad become the focus of the entire show]]. Even those who liked Fonzie -- and most did -- this didn't make the show better. In fact, it betrayed Fonzie's established character development; in an earlier landmark episode, Fonzie was seriously injured while jumping his motorcycle over fourteen barrels in a televised stunt, and he admitted that it was stupid of him to have done something so reckless. So when he jumped the shark, Fonzie [[AesopAmnesia seemingly forgot that important lesson]], and it indicated the show was seeking a new gimmick in an effort to stay fresh.