What sitcoms do you believe that jumped the shark?

Full House jumped in it's 7th or 8th season when every episode was about Michelle

Full House jumped in it's 7th or 8th season when every episode was about Michelle

i know! that got on my nerves but anyway cosby show jumped when they added pam and olivia and when every friggin episode was about cliff and his jazz buddies

hasn't just about every sitcom that lasted beyond five seasons jumped the shark? Granted, some not as badly as others (like when Seinfeld ended, it was still considered good, but most everyone agreed that it wasn't like in the heyday) and others so badly people are glad to get rid of it.

"Happy Days" jumped twice, the first time was when they added that awful, annoying, live audience and made it into "The Fonzie show" the second time was when Ron Howard left.

"MASH" also jumped twice, once when Col. Blake & Trapper left and it stopped being a sitcom, then when Radar left and it became "The Alan Alda show"

I'm sure everyone agrees with my next choice "The Andy Griffith show" & when it did-black & white, Barney Fife. Need I say more???

Sabrina the Teenage Witch - from season 5, it wasn't as funny anymore

What I Like About You - after season 2 the show became too much like a soap opera

[QUOTE=Superstar]Sabrina the Teenage Witch - from season 5, it wasn't as funny anymore

I definitely agree with that one!! It just got plain stupid after season 4 was done.....

"Happy Days" jumped twice, the first time was when they added that awful, annoying, live audience and made it into "The Fonzie show" the second time was when Ron Howard left.

Ironically, neither of those two times are when Fonzie LITERALLY jumped the shark.

I'm sure everyone agrees with my next choice "The Andy Griffith show" & when it did-black & white, Barney Fife. Need I say more???

Absolutely. This is the perfect example of a great TV series that turns absolutely unwatchable.

"Happy Days" jumped twice, the first time was when they added that awful, annoying, live audience and made it into "The Fonzie show" the second time was when Ron Howard left.
thats for sure!!!!!! ( uh huh uh huh ) :yourock:

Happy Days once it became the Fonzie show, AGS after Barney left it went down hill, the Beverly Hillbillies the minute they went to color it started to become a live action cartoon the same with Gilligan's island. Married with children after season 5 the show really began to jump the shark, the Dukes of Hazard around 1980, just to name a few.

hangin' with mr cooper- when geneva and her daughter, nicole arrived and dawn lewis's character left

caroline in the city- the arrival of randy, the introduction of the office, lack of development in caroline and richard's relationship

in the house- when jackie and austin left, tonya became a regular character, maxwell arrived, the arrival of the gym

I Love Lucy- when Little Ricky started talking.

Full House jumped in it's 7th or 8th season when every episode was about Michelle
i'd actually change that to Season 5 or 6 now...

anyway, some that MAJORLY jumped the shark, off the top of my head...

Full House - like i said, around Season 5 or 6, the show just got too sappy. it also became too focused on Michelle, and they added too many new characters.
Married with Children - it got really cartoonish and over-the-top starting with Season 6, and then took a huge dive when they added Seven the next year, even if he only lasted a few episodes. it was still alright until around Season 9 though, after that, it was so stupid and cartoonish that it just became totally unwatchable.
Fresh Prince - i don't think there was one defining moment where it jumped and it still managed to have funny episodes through-out it's run, but the show gradually became less funny from Season 4 on (when they replaced Vivian). Season 5 was awful with the whole Lisa/Will plotline, and Season 6 was a little better, but still not as good as Seasons 1-3. they also attempted to try and do a ton of "serious" episodes in the later years, which just didn't work for that show and wound up looking embarrassing.

Full House - like i said, around Season 5 or 6, the show just got too sappy. it also became too focused on Michelle, and they added too many new characters.

I would change it to season 3 or 4, once Michelle started talking. Everything she said was either bratty, mean, or over the top. But, let's not get into that again :lol:

I'm sure we can all say Roseanne jumped when they won the lottery. Either that, or when they went to Disney World. Whenever a highclass show likes that needs to rely on Disney for help, you know things aren't good.

All in the Family definitely jumped once Mike and Gloria moved out, and then when they left the show altogether.

The Jeffersons jumped when the first Mike came back in season 6, but then left again in season 8. I believe it was also around that time when Bentley left. Things were just different by that time.

The Drew Carey Show jumped when Kate got married and left the show. I mean, she was the only woman in the show. When she left, they tried to bring in that other god-awful actress to fill her spot, but things were just not the same.

I'm sure we can all say Roseanne jumped when they won the lottery. Either that, or when they went to Disney World. Whenever a highclass show likes that needs to rely on Disney for help, you know things aren't good.
Roseanne didn't rely on going to Disney World to help the shows' struggling ratings. I believe Disney bought ABC in 1996. To promote that (or to honor that), ABC had a bunch of their shows going to Disney World that week (Full House, Family Matters, Step By Step). And some shows simply brought Disney up in conversation (Boy Meets World).

And I always thought the term "Jump The Shark" was used for shows that changed their focus in some way. From reading some of these posts, it seems like "Jump The Shark" is a term used for the time when certain shows started going downhill. Which is it?

Actually Boy Meets World DID actually go to Disney World.

sliders
boy meets world
happy days

i always thought Jump the Shark was when a show starts going downhill...that's what the site is all about, anyway (jumptheshark.com). but at the same time, i think a show usually starts going downhill when they change focus anyway.

Ironically, neither of those two times are when Fonzie LITERALLY jumped the shark.
And that's where the expression comes from, an episode of "Happy days".

And that's where the expression comes from, an episode of "Happy days".
and I must be one of the few who liked that episode and didn't think HD JTS then. :lol:

and I must be one of the few who liked that episode and didn't think HD JTS then. :lol:
Its in my fav season LOL. The 3-7th seasons are my favs of the show

Its in my fav season LOL. The 3-7th seasons are my favs of the show
I remember watching those shark episodes when they originally aired and I loved them. :lol: Of course I also enjoyed all the seasons of HD although if it did JTS it was when Ron Howard and Donny Most left the show.

Happy Days jumped shark when Ron Howard and Donny Most left the show.
Laverne & Shirley jumped shark when they moved to California.
Mork & Mindy jumped shark with the addition of Mearth.

Family Matters jumped shark when the kids grew up, especially when Urkel got unbelieveable storylines beginning with Stephon and his invention that zapped the Winslows to Paris France.

I've never seen that episode, so I can't say anything about it. It's just interesting to know where expressions like this came from.

Chico and the Man - Death of Freddie
Almost any (even if you never saw this show before) TV junkie oughta know that this show jumped after the death of Freddie Prinze Sr. NBC should of had the smarts to end the show after the third season, but NOOOOOOOOOO, they had to go get another "Chico" and that was a huge slap in the face of fans of this show. If it weren't for the fact that the "new" Chico's aunt was Charo, S4 would of completely sucked big-time!

Welcome Back, Kotter - When John Travolta left
Not only did John Travolta's exit cause turmoil w/ the show, but when you couple that w/ the entrance of a "wanna-be" Sweathog in Beau DeLaBarre (Stephen Shortridge) and Gabe Kaplan's occasional no-shows and S4 was a circus in a school.

All in the Family - Exit Stage Left...Gloria and Meathead
The one move that not only costed this show the #1 spot, but it also allowed ABC to put a huge black eye in CBS for the #1 TV spot in the late '70s. And it got worse when Stephanie came along and when the show left itself, too!

Diff'rent Strokes - New Kid in Town (Sam)
DS served as a pre-cursor for what would happen to The Cosby Show in its later seasons. Sam's entrance, coupled w/ Mr. Drummond geting married sealed DS's fate w/ NBC, and later for good w/ ABC. Sam was absolutely annoying! It got worse w/ the final season on ABC, too w/ the new Maggie as well.

What he said...

Happy Days jumped shark when Ron Howard and Donny Most left the show.

This thread is from 2005. :confused:

so, what's wrong with that?

LEAVE IT TO BEAVER-when Beaver and Wally grew up-ecspecially Beaver.

Roseanne didn't rely on going to Disney World to help the shows' struggling ratings. I believe Disney bought ABC in 1996. To promote that (or to honor that), ABC had a bunch of their shows going to Disney World that week (Full House, Family Matters, Step By Step). And some shows simply brought Disney up in conversation (Boy Meets World).

And I always thought the term "Jump The Shark" was used for shows that changed their focus in some way. From reading some of these posts, it seems like "Jump The Shark" is a term used for the time when certain shows started going downhill. Which is it?

Yeah, but Roseanne was known for arguing her way with the network. If she really didn't want to go, I'm sure th network would have let them off. Although, Roseanne did rebel in the next episode.

Happy Days jumped the shark and went past the point of no return when Richie left and Roger came to town.:mad:

Welcome Back, Kotter - 4th season when Gabe went AWOL, Travolta was a part-timer and Beau Delabarre joined the sweathogs. They were also looking too old to be high school students, also. Also, the show tried to be "serious" and "relevant" and compared to the high jinks and silliness of earlier seasons, it just didn't work.

But the worst was...

Mork And Mindy. Here's a show that hit the ground running, was a huge hit and had a great cast with a great chemistry. So, what did they do with what wasn't broke? They (the network idiots) fixed it!

They replaced the father and grandmother, who really balanced the show, with younger and unfunny characters and changed it's night, putting it up against Archie Bunker. The move failed and the show never recovered creatively or ratings-wise, although it did run for another two seasons with fair-to-middling ratings.

I agree with the poster who said that anything after five years pretty much shark jumps. That's a good run for any show IMO, sitcom or not.

I think it was Gil Gerard's fault to change the theme of Buck Rogers In The 25th Century for the 2nd Season because of his Christian beliefs. If the producers haven't agreed on those terms, it would been renewed for a 3rd Season. The 2nd Season was the major shark jump when did away with Tim O'Connor and the Earth location by focusing a friendlier outlook at space. Anybody agrees with me on that or what?

Cheers jumped the shark when Shelley Long left and I can't stand Kristie Alley!

X-Files jumped the shark when David Dunconly left

I remember watching those shark episodes when they originally aired and I loved them. :lol: Of course I also enjoyed all the seasons of HD although if it did JTS it was when Ron Howard and Donny Most left the show.
Thank you. I enjoy all the seasons too. The one where Fonzie jumps the shark isnt' my favorite episode. I personally like the later seasons.

I really think Family Matters jumped when every episode started to be about Steve. I actually liked Stephon (Stefan? However you spell it! LOL) at first, but the whole thing just became too unbelieveable. And when the re-cast Harriette, I totally lost interest. Don't even get me started on 3J. LOL