Jump the Shark

[Petrie Malone]

Hi all! To get our minds and worries off of the reunion special, I thought it might be fun to post this thread to see what people's opinion's are about when this show "jumped the shark." I haven't been posting here too long, so forgive me if this topic has been done already. At jumptheshark.com, the page for The Dick Van Dyke Show contains a list with the number of votes for certain episodes people have considered to jump the shark, followed by a long list of comments.

What episode, if at all, do you think TDVDS jumped the shark? I'm gonna wait to post my answer 'cuz I want to see other peoples answers first. (Plus I really should get back to studying for those darn midterms! )

Kurt

[Larry Surrell]

The original meaning of Jumping the shark was when a show became bad, not really one bad episode, so although I hated the Christmas episode because of Ritchie singing Little Drummer Boy and the cast singing We All are Fine Musicians (they sang that at Sol Pomerantz's lodge too), and I usually skip past the Twizzle episode (why did they have a professional wrestler throwing Rob around at the end?) , other episodes after those were great so I had to vote never jumped. Sorry about writing the world's longest sentence

There are a few other episodes that I don't think are funny at all and don't usually watch, but the vast majority of TDVDS episodes are classics.

[Lolac]

We've done this topic before. In my opinion, The Dick Van Dyke Show never jumped the shark. There are one or two episodes that are not my favorite, as Larry mentioned, but they didn't ruin the whole show. M*A*S*H, in my opinion, jumped the shark big time. If you go to the M*A*S*H message board on this site and look up this topic on past posts, opinion varies as to when in actually jumped, but there is no dispute that it did. The reason TDVDS still remains popular today, even with people of your generation, is because it never Jumped the Shark!


Lolac

[hawaii five-o]

NEVER!!!

[SawgrassSteve]

I agree with everyone who said the show was always good, and no episode ever jumped the shark, but I would like to point out something on the subject.
We all have different most and least favorite episodes. That's a testament to how well produced the show was. We all like the actors and characters in the show. I don't think any of us would say, "Boy, I hated it when that character came onto the screen!" That's a testament to the quality of the talent on the show. But the fact that the show ended sooner than it should have is, for me, a sort of a "jumped the shark" moment. I know that's not what DickVanDykeMan meant, but it's how I feel.
Whomever is to blame allowed a bright, glowing flame, to fizzle out well before it's time, and as we say in our vernacular, "that sucks," and to methat's when TDVDS Jumped The Shark.

Steve

[B&W fan]

Oh, without question it never, and I do mean, NEVER jumped the shark! It was fabulous from beginning to end. Sure, there are episodes I don't care for as much as others, but it never "jumped".

B&W "funny, because I love both the Twizzle and Christmas episode" fan

[Petrie Malone]

Originally posted by SawgrassSteve
I agree with everyone who said the show was always good, and no episode ever jumped the shark, but I would like to point out something on the subject.
We all have different most and least favorite episodes. That's a testament to how well produced the show was. We all like the actors and characters in the show. I don't think any of us would say, "Boy, I hated it when that character came onto the screen!" That's a testament to the quality of the talent on the show. But the fact that the show ended sooner than it should have is, for me, a sort of a "jumped the shark" moment. I know that's not what DickVanDykeMan meant, but it's how I feel.
Whomever is to blame allowed a bright, glowing flame, to fizzle out well before it's time, and as we say in our vernacular, "that sucks," and to methat's when TDVDS Jumped The Shark.

Steve

Steve, I agree with you that no episode ever made the show jump the shark. (I don't understand what people have against the Christamas episode or the Twizzle....they aren't the very best episodes TDVDS ever produced, but they aren't bad, IMO.) However, I have to disagree with you about the show ending after only five seasons being a "jump the shark moment."

Yes, it would have been great for the show to go on into a sixth and maybe even a seventh season, (Heck! We could have even seen the show in color!!) but maybe it was better they stopped after five. While Dick and Mary were working on TDVDS, movie studios were offering them large contracts. (I think...I could be wrong here.) So, my point is, if they hadn't taken those contracts and starred in some of those flops and instead decided to do a sixth season, maybe there would have been less enthusiasum on the set as in past seasons. Please don't bite my head off for saying that, it's just a theory. But it is a fact, people are happier in jobs they like. And maybe Dick and Mary just wanted to give the movies a try....after all, in those five years they pretty much mastered television!

There was an article in USA Today a while ago called "10 Ways to Stackup Sitcom Sucess." It chose 10 sitcoms of the past, and took a lesson that can be learned from each of the series. What they have to say on The Dick Van Dyke Show, is exactly what I wanted to say, just with better wording. Here's TDVDS part of the article:

Know when to leave: The Dick Van Dyke Show
(CBS, 1961-66; highest rank, No. 3)

Admittedly, most shows should be so lucky as to be saddled with excess longevity. And yes, Van Dyke's decision to leave after only five seasons probably was precipitous. The ratings had declined, not the quality.
In the big scheme of things, though, Van Dyke was right. Hanging on past your natural expiration date is a problem, not just for a show itself, but for the genre. When sitcoms run on past their power to entertain, they tie up time slots, actors, writers and money that could be put to better use.
But what's too long? Friends is still the most popular sitcom on television, and still one of its best. The producers and stars, however, have wisely realized that the time has come to wrap up the story, before viewers decide their TV friends have overstayed their welcome. It's a shame the people at Frasier -- once a far better show than Friends, and now, sadly, far worse -- haven't come to the same conclusion.
Still, when it comes to long, sad goodbyes, no show matches Drew Carey, which is no longer popular and no longer funny. Yet it runs on, because ABC made an incredibly bad deal with the show's studio. Carey is capable of much better work, but he'll never do it as long as he's getting paid to do this.

The rest of the article can be viewed here. Hopefully, that was helpful. Sorry, I wrote such a long post, but I had a lot to say because I don't think the show ever jumped shark-even when it went off the air a little premature.

Kurt

[Larry Surrell]

I don't understand what people have against the Christamas episode or the Twizzle

For me, the least entertaining part of any episode was when the cast was performing. I always fast forward past Sally singing, Buddy's serious cello playing and Rob & Laura's song and dance routines, so an entire episode of that stuff isn't something I'm interested in watching As far as the Twizzle goes, I'm from the next generation (the Beatles generation) so a 50s dance craze episode seems silly and dated to me; probably what rappers say about Beatles music! If you like these episodes that's cool. Everyone has their own tastes.

[mstewart]

Originally posted by DickVanDykeMan
Steve, I agree with you that no episode ever made the show jump the shark. (I don't understand what people have against the Christamas episode or the Twizzle....they aren't the very best episodes TDVDS ever produced, but they aren't bad, IMO.) However, I have to disagree with you about the show ending after only five seasons being a "jump the shark moment."

Yes, it would have been great for the show to go on into a sixth and maybe even a seventh season, (Heck! We could have even seen the show in color!!) but maybe it was better they stopped after five. While Dick and Mary were working on TDVDS, movie studios were offering them large contracts. (I think...I could be wrong here.) So, my point is, if they hadn't taken those contracts and starred in some of those flops and instead decided to do a sixth season, maybe there would have been less enthusiasum on the set as in past seasons. Please don't bite my head off for saying that, it's just a theory. But it is a fact, people are happier in jobs they like. And maybe Dick and Mary just wanted to give the movies a try....after all, in those five years they pretty much mastered television!

There was an article in USA Today a while ago called "10 Ways to Stackup Sitcom Sucess." It chose 10 sitcoms of the past, and took a lesson that can be learned from each of the series. What they have to say on The Dick Van Dyke Show, is exactly what I wanted to say, just with better wording. Here's TDVDS part of the article:

Know when to leave: The Dick Van Dyke Show
(CBS, 1961-66; highest rank, No. 3)

Admittedly, most shows should be so lucky as to be saddled with excess longevity. And yes, Van Dyke's decision to leave after only five seasons probably was precipitous. The ratings had declined, not the quality.
In the big scheme of things, though, Van Dyke was right. Hanging on past your natural expiration date is a problem, not just for a show itself, but for the genre. When sitcoms run on past their power to entertain, they tie up time slots, actors, writers and money that could be put to better use.
But what's too long? Friends is still the most popular sitcom on television, and still one of its best. The producers and stars, however, have wisely realized that the time has come to wrap up the story, before viewers decide their TV friends have overstayed their welcome. It's a shame the people at Frasier -- once a far better show than Friends, and now, sadly, far worse -- haven't come to the same conclusion.
Still, when it comes to long, sad goodbyes, no show matches Drew Carey, which is no longer popular and no longer funny. Yet it runs on, because ABC made an incredibly bad deal with the show's studio. Carey is capable of much better work, but he'll never do it as long as he's getting paid to do this.

The rest of the article can be viewed here. Hopefully, that was helpful. Sorry, I wrote such a long post, but I had a lot to say because I don't think the show ever jumped shark-even when it went off the air a little premature.

Kurt

The Dick Van Dyke Show never jumped the shark because the five principal characters stayed intact throughout the show. They did not make any major changes such as marrying Sally off, Laura having another child or adding new characters. Carl Reiner stuck to his plan at keeping the show on the air for five years. It stayed on for five years and it went off the air leaving the audience wanting more. If more shows have taken Reiner and Van Dyke's cue of knowing when to pull the plug we would have better memories of some of our favorite past shows.

As for The Twizzle and the Christmas episode they were great and fun episodes to watch. Especially the Christmas one. Back then during the Van Dyke show variety shows were big back then. The show was dealing with a variety show. I especially enjoyed Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore's song and dance routines from time to time. Their chemistry together came out even more on those moments. They were once, as I heard, the Fred Aistaire and Ginger Rogers of sitcoms.

Carl Reiner was a smart man in immediately beefing up the character of Laura Petrie. Originally Laura was only to be a minor part mainly a straight man and a sounding board for Rob. Given that Mary Tyler Moore never did a sitcom she managed to pull it off well. She was naturally funny but at the same maintain her feminity in being a wacky wife.

[Samme]

I agree that the show never jumped.
I don't think really like the Sally shows so much or the variety type episodes. They just don't have
the warmth the show has otherwise.
But I do use the show as a gauge
of when other shows have gone on
too long. It just seems the natural
length for a series to go on before
running out of ideas is five seasons
or 150 episodes. That's how long
TDVDS and the Andy Griffith show
(the ones with Don Knotts) went
and were still great. And that
seems about how long most can
last before "jumping the shark."
Everybody Loves Raymond seems to
going on okay, but most seem go
seriously wrong before that. And
they also aren't in the class of
TDVDS and TAGS.

[TVgen62]

Ho-hum. Another vote (mine!) for "never jumped" is cast into the ring. If it's worth saying, it's worth repeating: TDVDS never jumped!

All TV series hit a sour note from time to time. For many, it signals an irrevocable downward spiral; for some, it's a minor (and rare) event.

A very few shows start off on the wrong chord and then find the proper key.

Most shows are "tone deaf"!

TDVDS has been a sweet symphony through-and-through. It's worth repeating (and replaying)!