What are your fave "shark jumping" moments?

Richard Dower

Classic right here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvinAPPfyAQ

Mr E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKuGQIu4tjc

DazMarz

Not a favourite, but a moment that I look back on and wonder "Why?" and "Where did it all go wrong?"

The point at which "The Simpsons" started that long, slippery slope into mediocrity and in many cases plain awfulness.

The episode of course was 'The Principal and The Pauper', and I think that's where big gimmicks and nonsensical plots started becoming more and more prevalent and is the episode where "The Simpsons" finally jumped the shark.

Grayditch

When Sons Of Anarchy went to Belfast (Around the corner from California)

When The Mighty Boosh did a third season.

Roanmore

Grayditch wrote: »

When Sons Of Anarchy went to Belfast (Around the corner from California)

I thought Jumping the shark was when a series went into decline, I think SOA has got better and better since Belfast.

FortuneChip

Roanmore wrote: »

I thought Jumping the shark was when a series went into decline, I think SOA has got better and better since Belfast.

They pulled it out of the fire! The last season of that episode was the redeemer! Otherwise the show could have collapsed.

Sona - Prison Break Season 2 Finale... Good grief! Nobody pulled that out of the fire, it just became more and more convoluted.

Outkast_IRE

Roanmore wrote: »

I thought Jumping the shark was when a series went into decline, I think SOA has got better and better since Belfast.

The cringe version of the SOA intro said it all really !!!!

Roanmore

Roanmore wrote: »

I thought Jumping the shark was when a series went into decline, I think SOA has got better and better since Belfast.

It's generally the point when a show went so far off the curve that it became farcical and could never reclaim the quality it once had.

It can also refer to a moment in a show where the quality dropped so far that you just stared at the screen and thought why am I bothering. Sons of Anarchy dipped in quality so much over such a short period that it became farcical. The whole Belfast stuff was just horrid though it did get better unlike Heroes, that once it went to Ireland it never was watchable again.

Rjd2

Twin Peaks

After the reveal of the killer, it falls apart.

Hematocyte

Not just this scene, pretty much the episode in its entirety is the JTS moment for the Simpsons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2fo0Q1dtX8

Also, it's not my "favourite" in terms of I actually enjoy it. However it's the one I mention/argue the most.

Whilst most people accept the Simpsons has JTS, there is still endless discussion as to where exactly it happened. For me however, it was during this episode.

Compare Homer's reaction to the crisis above to the similar crisis at about 5:00 in the below clip
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=440610446837

Homer's Enemy set the trend that "Homer doesn't need to worry/care". After that the show became something entirely different.

Miguel_Sanchez

I thought the Simpsons jumped the shark with the jockey land episode. It was the first one I turned off (way back in 2000 I think it was). I quite like the Frank Grimes episode.


My favourite Jumping the Shark moment is this one from Arrested Development:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jm6B31HKBw

Grayditch

Roanmore wrote: »

I thought Jumping the shark was when a series went into decline, I think SOA has got better and better since Belfast.

Fair play to you for watching it after that.

killbillvol2

Roanmore wrote: »

I thought Jumping the shark was when a series went into decline, I think SOA has got better and better since Belfast.

Really?

The most easily recognisable group of people in a small town commit murder, trade heavy weapons, transport drugs (in a black van), fight visiting Mexicans on the street and bribe politicians. While being investigated by the FBI. And with a sheriff who's out to get them.

Not at all far-fetched.

And don't get me started on the crimes against acting.

Kirby

You're all wrong. Sons of Anarchy is great.

ricero

Kirby wrote: »

You're all wrong. Sons of Anarchy is great.

Ah I do enjoy it but tigs "emotional" scene this series was shockingly bad

DeWitt

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

The cringe version of the SOA intro said it all really !!!!

Here's the thing. If you talk to non Irish people they loved that stuff.

krudler

Grayditch wrote: »

Fair play to you for watching it after that.

the Oirish stuff in SOA nearly killed it for me, but skip all of it and jump into season 4 and its a huge, huge improvement. Honestly just watch the "last seaosn on SOA" vid and it'll cover everything without having to sit through all the Norn Iron stuff.


The Simpsons for me was the Sherry Bobbins episode, it had everything that became the worst qualities of the show after that. everything up to season 9ish is tv gold then it hasnt been truly funny since.

Friends was when Joey and Rachel got together, Friends is strange in that it goes from really watchable to terrible every other season, the whole Ross/Emily/wedding in London stuff was godawful, then it got funny again once Ross went mental, and when it started winding down in the last two season it varied from genuinely funny to terrible.

mloc123

Rjd2 wrote: »

Twin Peaks

After the reveal of the killer, it falls apart.

Yeah. Recently rewatched it, they had no story from that point on and then the windom earl storyline became the main focus... It itself was pretty poor. Gave up 2-3 episodes from the end. Great first series, decent half second series.

Cavehill Red

mloc123 wrote: »

Yeah. Recently rewatched it, they had no story from that point on and then the windom earl storyline became the main focus... It itself was pretty poor. Gave up 2-3 episodes from the end. Great first series, decent half second series.

Apparently TV execs made that spoiler happen against Lynch's wishes. :mad:

mloc123

Cavehill Red wrote: »

Apparently TV execs made that spoiler happen against Lynch's wishes. :mad:

Read that alright. Apparently they originally wanted it as the series 1 finale as they felt audiences would lose interest.

The first season really is great and has aged quite well. The thing I find funniest is seeing teenagers without mobile phones an the lengths they had to go to just to arrange meeting etc..

vitani

krudler wrote: »

Friends was when Joey and Rachel got together, Friends is strange in that it goes from really watchable to terrible every other season, the whole Ross/Emily/wedding in London stuff was godawful, then it got funny again once Ross went mental, and when it started winding down in the last two season it varied from genuinely funny to terrible.

Friends jumped the shark for me when Ross went mental over his sandwich. His character completely changed after that and so did the tone of the show.

I liked Ross as the clever, wisecracking guy who takes things too seriously. Not as the guy who regularly makes a fool out of himself (leather trousers, spring break, English accent etc)

Welsh Megaman

Any episode of a sitcom that becomes one long song-and-dance number (see 'Scrubs', 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer')

Kirby

Yeah "Mental Ross" was kind of divisive among fans. I hated it but a few people I talked to around that time found it hilarious. Personally I find the first four seasons of Friends to be excellent comedy. It's fairly generic after that. Likewise with seasons 2-9 of the simpsons which is, in my opinion, the funniest show ever created.

This seasons Community doesn't seem half as clever or funny as the old ones.

I'm a huge Battlestar galactica fan but found season 4 a chore to sit through. The final 5 was a complete and utter retcon and I couldn't forgive them for that. Only

Ellen had foreshadowing. i.e her showing up on the fleet after the attack was suspicious. Baltar also failed to tell the audience about her Cylon detector results. Her being a Cylon was believable.

The other four choices were ridiculous and in no way logical. The show ended up being nowhere near the show of the first two seasons. And don't even get me started on

Angel Starbuck

Lost being another example. The first two seasons were amazing television. There were flashes and glimpses in the following seasons but it just got convoluted and messy after that.

Everything has it's time. No show stays perfect forever.

Jason Todd

Yeah, I can't decide what was worse, the Joey-Rachel thing or Ross becoming a shouty mental case. Now, some comedy was derived from that, but mostly it was so out of character and far-fetched it ruined the show a little bit for me.

A JTS moment that ruined another of my favourite shows was when they introduced 'Dawn' as a sister for Buffy, awful character, bad actress. It surpassed the Spike-becoming-a-pussy-for-Buffy thing as a terrible storyline that threatened to derail the show imo.

bizmark

Stargate sg1 was great till they started pulling starships out of their asses capable of defeating anything proceeded to write themselves into a corner and had to introduce ever more stupid enemys ...Then they went all dark and edgy with universe and thats all she wrote

Kirby

Universe was largely good though. The online Stargate fanbase should be ashamed of how they acted around this time as it got a good show cancelled and ended the stargate franchise, never to return. The trek fans did similar with Enterprise.

Okay fans, your new show isn't perfect but if you act like children and make loud proclaimations about never watching again afer one episode then it will be cancelled. You wont get a new show in the same universe more to your liking.....you will end up with nothing.

Hopefully the sci-fi fans have learned that at this stage.

bizmark

Enterprise had massive problems in season 1-3 in all fairness but 4 was such a huge improvement it was basicly a different show id of loved to know what another 3 years would of brought us

S.M.B.

mloc123 wrote: »

Yeah. Recently rewatched it, they had no story from that point on and then the windom earl storyline became the main focus... It itself was pretty poor. Gave up 2-3 episodes from the end. Great first series, decent half second series.

While it was a weak second season, the last few episodes are well worth watching with the finale being up there with the show at its best. You should see it out imo.

Welsh Megaman wrote:

Any episode of a sitcom that becomes one long song-and-dance number (see 'Scrubs', 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer')

That just sounds like you've got no time for musicals. To say BtVS jumped the shark (certainly in the traditional meaning of the phrase) with the Once More With Feeling episode is just wrong imo.

EyeSight

Jason Todd wrote: »

Yeah, I can't decide what was worse, the Joey-Rachel thing or Ross becoming a shouty mental case. Now, some comedy was derived from that, but mostly it was so out of character and far-fetched it ruined the show a little bit for me.

i have to disagree. Ross had a pretty tough time with 2 failed marriages. it would have been less believable if this had no effect on him.
people change, life events affect people in different ways. sometimes with 22 minute sitcoms we forget this. It being a sitcom, they found a way to make his changed character funny

anyone notice that in season 1(maybe 2) of community troy asks to move in with abed and he says no because it would be jumping the shark. Then in season 3 they move in together?(i enjoy them living together, just found it weird that wasn't addressed)

Kirby

EyeSight wrote: »

i have to disagree. Ross had a pretty tough time with 2 failed marriages. it would have been less believable if this had no effect on him.
people change, life events affect people in different ways. sometimes with 22 minute sitcoms we forget this. It being a sitcom, they found a way to make his changed character funny

anyone notice that in season 1(maybe 2) of community troy asks to move in with abed and he says no because it would be jumping the shark. Then in season 3 they move in together?(i enjoy them living together, just found it weird that wasn't addressed)

They really did turn down the overt aspergers side to Abed over time. Watch the inspector space time ep in season 4 and then go watch any of the first few episodes. Pretty night and day.

I get why they did it but It would have been nice if they had kept it in my opinion.

Rjd2

mloc123 wrote: »

Yeah. Recently rewatched it, they had no story from that point on and then the windom earl storyline became the main focus... It itself was pretty poor. Gave up 2-3 episodes from the end. Great first series, decent half second series.

I'd actually watch those 3 episodes, as it does finish stronger, again the damage has been done, but if you persevered with it may as well finish it

Lynch was much more involved with them as well which of course helps.

Penn

krudler wrote: »

the Oirish stuff in SOA nearly killed it for me, but skip all of it and jump into season 4 and its a huge, huge improvement. Honestly just watch the "last seaosn on SOA" vid and it'll cover everything without having to sit through all the Norn Iron stuff.

As bad as all the Oirish stuff was (and it was bad. Horrendously bad. One guy (Liam, I think), his accent has to be the worst Oirish accent I've ever heard in my life. Seriously, they're episodes set in Ireland and those are the scenes I had to have subtitles to try and understand), it can be forgiven for that amazing ending to Season 3. It's almost worth watch Season 3 just so the ending to that season will have the full impact.

As for jumping the shark,

bringing back Sara Tancredi

in Season 4 of Prison Break was just one of the worst TV moments I can remember. It was ridiculous. As if Season 3 hadn't been poor enough, Season 4 took it to a whole new level.

fisgon

I think this thread should have begun with a short definition of the expression used in the title. Despite what some people may think it is not in everyday usage, at least not in Ireland....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jump_the_shark

One for me was Battlestar Galactica, in the final series. It was consistently interesting up until then, when it just descended into misery and confusion and overacting, with ludicrous storylines.