To put it in another way, which actor/actress whom would you most consider to giving Mr. McGinley a run for his money in terms of instantly killing the heat (or being the ultimate signal that your TV show doesn't have much time left) of whatever TV show he or she joins.
http://www.jumptheshark.com/ted.htm

TED McGINLEY...
Our Patron Saint
http://www.jumptheshark.com/artwork/tedmcginley.jpg


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Ted is the patron saint of shark jumping. Chances are that if Ted is anywhere near your cast, consider the show on the downward spiral. That's not to take away from Ted's fine acting skills. Consensus here enjoys Ted more on the big screen (Revenge of the Nerds) than on our sets. Then again, we wouldn't have a patron saint...thanks Ted!

Honorable Mention

RENA SOFER

"This woman is guaranteed to make a show get cancelled when she joins the cast or guarantee it a short life if she's part of the original cast. Some examples:

Melrose Place - cancelled not long after she joins the cast as Eve
Just Shoot Me - cancelled at the end of the season when she joined
The Chronicle - pulled in the middle of the first season on Sci-Fi Channel
Coupling (NBC version) - probably going to be pulled before Christmas
Opposite Sex - didn't last a season
Cursed/The Weber Show - guest starred on the 17th episode, cancelled after that
Timecop -guest starred on episode 8, cancelled two weeks later"" - Hank

"I would like to submit Rena Sofer as another female patron saint. In 4 years time she has managed to go through 6 shows and she's on her way to rack up number 7. Melrose Place ('99) last year of the show, Oh Grow Up ('99) 11 episodes, Opposite Sex ('00) 6 episodes, Ed ('01) Which is always on the edge of being cancelled, The Chronicle ('01 -'02) 1 season, Just Shoot Me ('02 - '03) last year of the show, and now I read today that NBC is ready to cut loose Coupling ('03) so far 3 episodes. Even the shows she guests on die shortly afterwards. She's beautiful, but she gives a kiss of death to a series." - Ken


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JIM STAAHL

"Jim Staahl is a series killer. I'm sure he is a talented guy but when I see him on or joining a show, I know it's over. Mork & Mindy, Goodnight Beantown and Normal Life which was that Zappa show. And those are only the ones I remember off the top of my head. Ted McGinley is a great choice but Staahl would be his 2nd in command." - Larry

"I'd like to add that he was a writer on SCTV in the latter half of the second season (after Harold Ramis left, but before Rick Moranis joined). Although two of the shows from this period are bona-fide classics, there were more mediocre shows from this period than in any of the other seasons of SCTV." - Ben


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JUDY and AUDREY LANDERS

"Either Judy or Audrey Landers appears in an episode. The Landers sisters kiss of death applies to:

Gimme A Break , Pee-Wee's Playhouse , Wonder Woman, Murder, She Wrote , Silk Stalkings, The Cosby Show, MacGyver , The Hitchhiker, The Dukes of Hazzard, Charlie's Angels, Battlestar Galactica, The Love Boat, Ghost Writer, BJ and the Bear, Vega$ , Dallas, Night Court, The A-Team, Knight Rider, The Fall Guy, CHiPs, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, L.A. Law, (and of course...) Happy Days" - Cree Nevins


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ALLISON LaPLACA

"I'm surprised you haven't mention Allison LaPlaca as one of the patron saints of "shark-jumping" Anytime she goes on a show, it bombs....see "The John Larroquette Show", her own show on Fox (I think it was called "Open House", which may have been a spin-off form another Fox show, "Duets"). I know she ruined other shows, but I can't remember them at the moment. So far, "Friends" may be on a downward spiral, but that started about a year after she was briefly on the show. - Mike


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SCOTT BAIO

"As much as I agree that Ted McGinley has got to be the patron saint of shark jumping, you have to at least consider Scott Baio as a close second. The man has destroyed more television shows than Godzilla. He is the antithesis of good television, the bane of good programming everywhere. Television Producers should avoid him like the plague. Happy Days, Joanie Loves Chachi, Charles in Charge, Baby Talk, Diagnosis Murder..... Somebody stop this man before he kills again! - Robert


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MICHAEL IRONSIDE

"Let's take a brief look at his outstanding credentials. SeaQuest DSV, The Dukes of Hazzard, The A-Team, V, Superman, Walker Texas Ranger, Tales from the Crypt, Mike Hammer, Hill Street Blues, and yes he was in "The Littlest Hobo" too. While Ted McGinley can deliver the final blow to a show that has jumped, Michael Ironside can put a chokehold on a good show and force it into submission. He has now appeared on ER 4 times, is the end so far away? I think not." - Kdoc13


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TIFFANI THIESSEN

"I would like to propose Tiffani Thiessen as the female saint of Jumping the Shark. She has recently become one of those type of people, like the Ultimate Saint McGinley, whose appearance on a show dooms it to disaster. In her recent past, she has had roles on The Hogan Family (year it ended), NewsRadio (year it ended), and Two Guys and a Girl (year it ended). She has also appeared on Just Shoot Me around the time it jumped the shark as well. It can also be argued that Beverly Hills 90210 jumped the shark shortly after her appearance. Now, she's been in Fastlane, which is soon to be cancelled, and Good Morning Miami, which is soon to be cancelled. I think this record speaks for itself. While I love Tiffani as an actress, she could also be considered a female McGinley, a person whose appearance dooms a show to its end." - Frank


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BUMPER ROBINSON

"You HAVE to include Bumper Robinson as an Honorary Patron Saint! He is truly the black Ted McGinley. When he gets cast in a new show, it doesn't last a season. When he gets added to a long-running show, it soon gets cancelled. Just look at his track record: "Sabrina"- Added to the cast, soon cancelled. "Flatland"- Cancelled after one season. "Grown-Ups"- Cancelled after one season. "Guys Like Us"- Cancelled after one season. "Three"- Cancelled after one season. "Generation X"- Cancelled after the pilot! "Living Single"- Added to cast, show only lasts one more abbreviated season. "A Different World"- Added to cast, soon cancelled. "Amen"- Added to cast, soon cancelled. "Molloy"- Cancelled after one season. "Night Court"- Show lasts nine seasons, but soon after he was added the baliffs started to die! (Coincidence? Sick joke? You decide!)" - Alfonzo


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AMANDA BEARSE

"Just look at the "dreck" that she has helped kill off: "Ladies Man" (1999) TV Series (episode "Gene's Date") (episode "Thanks for Nothing") "Reunited" (1998) TV Series (episode "Joanne Tells Her Parents (Off)") "Jesse" (1998) TV Series "Rude Awakening" (1998) TV Series "Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place" (1998) TV Series .. aka "Two Guys and a Girl" (1999) (USA: third season title) "Ask Harriet" (1998) TV Series "Veronica's Closet" (1997) TV Series (episode "Veronica's Breast Effort") "Dharma & Greg" (1997) TV Series "Alright Already" (1997) TV Series "Tom Show, The" (1997) TV Series "Pauly" (1997) TV Series "Malcolm & Eddie" (1996) TV Series "Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher" (1996) TV Series "Crew, The" (1995) TV Series .. aka "Cabin Pressure" (1995) That's is alot of work in a 4-year span." - Mike


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Michelle Trachtenberg is in the running too.... I wonder how great the last 3 seasons of Buffy would've been WITHOUT her, and I dread what she's going to do to Six Feet Under when she joins this summer

Originally posted by TMC
BUMPER ROBINSON

"You HAVE to include Bumper Robinson as an Honorary Patron Saint! He is truly the black Ted McGinley. When he gets cast in a new show, it doesn't last a season. When he gets added to a long-running show, it soon gets cancelled. Just look at his track record: "Sabrina"- Added to the cast, soon cancelled. "Flatland"- Cancelled after one season. "Grown-Ups"- Cancelled after one season. "Guys Like Us"- Cancelled after one season. "Three"- Cancelled after one season. "Generation X"- Cancelled after the pilot! "Living Single"- Added to cast, show only lasts one more abbreviated season. "A Different World"- Added to cast, soon cancelled. "Amen"- Added to cast, soon cancelled. "Molloy"- Cancelled after one season. "Night Court"- Show lasts nine seasons, but soon after he was added the baliffs started to die! (Coincidence? Sick joke? You decide!)" - Alfonzo


OUCH! As someone who's liked Bumper Robinson, I wasn't conscious that he had that negative a track record. Maybe that's why they recast his role on "Eve"?? There's a bit of bias there though. Bumper appeared in early episodes of "Webster" and that show lasted 6 seasons, and he also was featured on the next to last episode of season one of "Touched By An Angel" when it was in danger of not getting picked up for a second season, and Touched went on to become a big hit series. That's gotta count for something positive.

is Ted McGinley truly a series killer? I mean, Married With Children lasted about 7 years after he joined the cast. Happy Days was like in it's 8th season when he joined as well. Two series that ran for 11 seasons each is hardly a flop.

Originally posted by BuffySlayer79
is Ted McGinley truly a series killer? I mean, Married With Children lasted about 7 years after he joined the cast. Happy Days was like in it's 8th season when he joined as well. Two series that ran for 11 seasons each is hardly a flop.

Yeah, I always thought someone like McLean Stevenson was seen as some sort of TV show failure. There were many more MWC episodes with Ted McGinley as Jefferson Darcy than there were with the Steve character.

is Bumper Robinson, Charles Robinson? aka Mac from Night Court?

btw, did he JOIN or just GUEST on many of those shows? For example, Amen began after he joined Night Court, and ended the season before Night Court called it a day. Plus, Molloy began and ended in 1990, Night Court was still on then....

Originally posted by BuffySlayer79
is Ted McGinley truly a series killer? I mean, Married With Children lasted about 7 years after he joined the cast. Happy Days was like in it's 8th season when he joined as well. Two series that ran for 11 seasons each is hardly a flop.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Amanda Bearse was also on Married w/Children from the beginning.

Originally posted by FamilyTiesGOP
Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Amanda Bearse was also on Married w/Children from the beginning.

yep, I don't see why Ted could be blamed for Happy Days. Ron Howard's exit is the blame for Happy Days' decline

Yea Ted McGinley does get a bum rap. Married With... Children was still good when he was on it and Happy Days was going to go down without Ron Howard. The other shows he was on Dynasty and Love Boat were starting to age but they would have, whether he was on them or not. I think he's pretty good on Hope And Faith and that show hasn't jumped the shark yet.

Originally posted by BuffySlayer79
is Bumper Robinson, Charles Robinson? aka Mac from Night Court?

btw, did he JOIN or just GUEST on many of those shows? For example, Amen began after he joined Night Court, and ended the season before Night Court called it a day. Plus, Molloy began and ended in 1990, Night Court was still on then....

No, Bumper is a much younger actor, he was a kid when he appeared on Night Court. He ended up as a semi-regular on Amen, Living Single, Sabrina and Different World after they'd all been on the air for a while. The two UPN sitcoms "Guys Like Us" and "Grownups", and the WB show "Three" he was part of from the beginning and they all came and went pretty quickly.

Originally posted by vashti1999
No, Bumper is a much younger actor, he was a kid when he appeared on Night Court. He ended up as a semi-regular on Amen, Living Single, Sabrina and Different World after they'd all been on the air for a while. The two UPN sitcoms "Guys Like Us" and "Grownups", and the WB show "Three" he was part of from the beginning and they all came and went pretty quickly.

ohhhhh, I thought it was Mac from Night Court (since his last name was Robinson, right) and was just given the nickname "Bumper" for being poison to tv shows, lol

Well I like Ted, and he's hardly to blame for these sitcoms being cancelled. I liked his character much better on Married with Children, than I did the Steve Character. And he was on longer than the actor who played Steve wasn't he? And it's not like MWC dropped in the ratings after he came on board :rolleyes:

With Happy Days, I liked his character on there as well, it's just that by the time he joined Happy Days had really lost the spark it had in the early seasons.

Also Hope and Faith is doing really and :eek: Ted is on there too :lol:

Originally posted by Topanga
Well I like Ted, and he's hardly to blame for these sitcoms being cancelled. I liked his character much better on Married with Children, than I did the Steve Character. And he was on longer than the actor who played Steve wasn't he? And it's not like MWC dropped in the ratings after he came on board :rolleyes:

With Happy Days, I liked his character on there as well, it's just that by the time he joined Happy Days had really lost the spark it had in the early seasons.

Also Hope and Faith is doing really and :eek: Ted is on there too :lol:

yep, Happy Days was in decline and Ted wasn't the cause of it, and Married With Children was in it's peak years when Ted joined

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