Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments
NOTE: use Perl; is on undef hiatus. You can read content, but you can't post it. More info will be forthcoming forthcomingly.

All the Perl that's Practical to Extract and Report

use Perl Log In

Log In

[ Create a new account ]

jjohn (22)

jjohn
  (email not shown publicly)
http://taskboy.com/
AOL IM: taskboy3000 (Add Buddy, Send Message)
Perl hack/Linux buff/OSS junkie.

Journal of jjohn (22)

Wednesday April 16, 2003
12:17 PM

Jump the Shark

[ #11684 ]

Like Napolean at Waterloo, TV shows that start off perfectly fine often end as complete rubbish. TV fans have coined the term "jumping the shark" (referring to a horrible, horrible episode of the oft-lame Happy Days) to label that one special episode of a series that utterly destroys the viewer's hope for better episodes in the future.

Now there's a web site to facilitate research into this all to common afflication.

I refer you to the page on Buck Rogers. One might suggest that it was terrible from the get-go, but my friend Zorknapp will tell you Buck Rogers jumped the shark with the introduction of Hawk.

Your thoughts?


List all Journal entries
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.

Jump the Shark 9 Comments More | Login | Reply /

 Full
 Abbreviated
 Hidden
More | Login | Reply
Loading... please wait.
  • That site has been around for at least three or four years if I recall.

    I do like how many things are marked "jumped the shark - first episode" or "jumped the shark - never", in spite of evidence of both to the contrary. {grin}

    --
    • Randal L. Schwartz
    • Stonehenge
    • How long did Buck Rogers have that annoying little robot?

    • It's been around at least since the X-Files episode of the same title. That's the famous one where someone on slashdot Lone-Gunmanned it all for us. I was sure "Lone-Gunmanned" was going to enter our vocabulary as a new catch phrase.

      And actually, I believe the Jump the Shark website is the site that coined the phrase "Jump the Shark." I don't think it existed before they came up with it.

      --
      J. David works really hard, has a passion for writing good software, and knows many of the world's best Perl programmers

      • That should be "Lone-Gunmenned." Or something.

        --
        J. David works really hard, has a passion for writing good software, and knows many of the world's best Perl programmers

      • And actually, I believe the Jump the Shark website is the site that coined the phrase "Jump the Shark." I don't think it existed before they came up with it.

        The phrase refers to a Happy Day(z) ep, wherein Fonzy attempts to make a perilous jump over sharks with his motorcycle. From the site's FAQ:

        The aforementioned expression refers to the telltale sign of the demise of Happy Days, our favorite example, when Fonzie actually "jumped the shark." The rest is history.

        The site's FAQ claims to have coine

  • that show was so bad it made Land of the Lost look real. Not to mention there was no reason for girls to watch it and the only reason guys watched it was Erin Grey's camel toe suits :) I don't think I ever watched a full episode...it was too horrible. At least Battlestar Galactica had Lorne Greene and some beefcake....well, and satan :)

    • I never said I didn't *enjoy* the show when I was a wee lad. I just thought that Hawk (played by Thom Christopher) was a bad plot move.

      Anyone remember the episode where Mark Leonard, of Sarek fame, played a character who could remove his head? That was fantastic!

      • I must say, the comments on the BR/JtS page about Princess Ardala brought me back ... she was indeed the hottest thing on TV at the time. Damn.
Stories, comments, journals, and other submissions on use Perl; are Copyright 1998-2006, their respective owners.