When Shows Jumped The Shark

[Benji]

For those of you not familiar with the term 'jump the shark', click here.

Simple enough premise - within your TV shows you've enjoyed, what was the moment you realised that it had jumped the shark, that even though there would be good moments and good episodes ahead still, the show had almost definitely gone past it's prime?

For me, Scrubs is one of the defining ones, with the introduction of Kim at the end of season five, the show was just painful a lot of the time, and despite some fantastically fun episodes, it just felt like I was watching out of sheer loyalty.

Heroes was another. Despite a poor season two, I still had a lot of enjoyment out of the show, and if they'd had the balls to cut characters like Claire and Mohinder, who were going through the motions, it could have been salvaged. But the moment Mohinder gained powers and turned into a stupid bug thing, I just kept watching because I figured it'd be cancelled soon enough, so I may as well watch to the end. Unfortunately it went another season and a half, and despite a few hints at a return to form with Samuel and The Carnival, it was still mostly shite.

Glee, I got to the 'original songs' episode and realised the show's shine had worn off. It had become an exercise in ego by the producers and bordered on the downright offensive a lot of the time.

A more recent example was Futurama. With the final episode of this season, I sat there and realised that what was an almost perfect four series of great episodes, was now marred by two seasons of barely serviceable ones.

[GoGo Yubari]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: At some point in season six. Either the horrible over-the-top "omg Willow is drunk on magic!!!" scenes or the horrible Melrose Place Buffy/Spike scenes.

Glee: So many places in season two I could go with. It's either the Rocky Horror episode or the Christmas episode. The former was really the beginning of things going horribly wrong ("Britney/Brittany" was also pretty awful, though, I guess), but the Christmas episode was the first time Glee felt so dire that I didn't even really want it on in the background. I'm still watching the show but that's like 90% for Santana now, she's the only character I'm invested in.

Scrubs' shark-jump moment is definitely somewhere in season five but I can't tell you where I feel it is because it's been years and I haven't really committed Scrubs to memory.

[naiwf]

I agree that Glee died somewhere in Season 2. I just can't pinpoint it, but as I said in the thread it was a show that was fun when it didn't take itself so seriously. But it seems that Ryan Murphy is perfectly content ruining shows that had great premises (Glee & Nip/Tuck) once they get to be a little bit popular/mainstream.

Friends - When Chandler and Monica went from a fling in London to OMG WE R SOUL MATEZ! despite the fact there had never been any indication they were close before that. Also, all the fat Monica eps written to try and fanwank their relationship were just silly.

HIMYM - Robin Sparkles. I'm glad I stopped watching then because he still hasn't met the mother. Great premise for a show. I'll tell you 400 stories that have nothing to do with meeting your mother on a show called How I Met Your Mother.

Nip/Tuck - The reveal of The Carver. 'Nuff said.

Those are the three that jumped out to me immediately other than Glee and Scrubs.

[GoGo Yubari]

HIMYM - Robin Sparkles.

In season two? Really? That was implausible but also tremendous.

Premise is deeply flawed, of course, but I've only seen the first two seasons and luckily I don't actually care who the mother is/don't really care about Ted in general.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Mighty Boosh series 3. Probably the Crimp episode. Watching back, series 1 is actually really really good. Series 2 has some quality moments but series 3 just poops itself. I'll save the first couple of episodes though because Stationary Village was fantastic.

[KONGO]

Red Dwarf, opening of series 7. Losing the dude Holly after series 2 was a pretty heavy blow, but the shift to the monster-of-the-week format and the addition of Kryten helped them out a bit. Though the new Kochanski was hotter than the old one, she was a pretty terrible regular character and unnecessary after Rimmer came back.

[bill_da_bill]

Agree completely about Heroes. Mohinder's super powers is when I stopped watching.

The one that jumps out to me is Prison Break. Loves seasons one and two. But when they got thrown back into jail in a latin american country I can't remember now, I realized it was no longer going to be entertaining. In fairness the show should never have tried for more than two seasons anyway.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Yeah series 7 was not good times. Series 8 was much worse though. At least series 7 had Ace Rimmer's return, the Kennedy assassination and Lister's chastity belt cheat.

[KONGO]

Yeah series 7 was not good times. Series 8 was much worse though. At least series 7 had Ace Rimmer's return, the Kennedy assassination and Lister's chastity belt cheat.

True. I misremembered when Rimmer left, so I guess a couple episodes into 7 is when Red Dwarf started sucking. Whenever Kochanski debuts.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Agree completely about Heroes. Mohinder's super powers is when I stopped watching.

The one that jumps out to me is Prison Break. Loves seasons one and two. But when they got thrown back into jail in a latin american country I can't remember now, I realized it was no longer going to be entertaining. In fairness the show should never have tried for more than two seasons anyway.

Series 1 of Prison Break was great TV. Series 2 is the natural continuation of the story, but I agree. They should have had the guts to finish it after that. When it all became conspiracy theory stuff and when Michael's tattoo is removed "just like that" before series 4....Ugh.

[fr34k]

Am I the only one who enjoyed Heroes all the way through? Yes, the show got way worse after Season 1 but I still liked it until the end.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Heroes would have been epic if it had just been the one season.

[King Ellis]

Yeah, I think it was Marsh at the time who said something like "I felt the first season was good and wrapped everything up with it's conclusion so I stopped there." and I and probably a few others scoffed at him for it. Turns out he was right all along. I think I got through season 3 but then season 4 shifted to a different time and channel or something on the BBC, ubeknownst to me, and I couldn't be bothered to catch up.

[TKz]

How I Met Your Mother would be boring as fuck if it spent any more time on Ted and how he meets the mother. Fuck that. Give me random stories from his life that feature plenty of Barney and Marshall over anything more about him.

[Benji]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: At some point in season six. Either the horrible over-the-top "omg Willow is drunk on magic!!!" scenes or the horrible Melrose Place Buffy/Spike scenes.

I'd actually put it at season five, with the reveal of Adam. There was some good stuff in season six, and I never saw all of season seven, but it definitely peaked for me when they decided - "hey, what's worse than a robot, a demon or a metaphor about humanity being evil? Oh, I know! An evil cyborg-demon!"

[GoGo Yubari]

I'd actually put it at season five, with the reveal of Adam.

That's season four, actually. Which does have some very regrettable stuff in it, as does season five, but nothing that makes me go "oh god this is awful" like season six.

[Guest Canary4life]

I'll tell you 400 stories that have nothing to do with meeting your mother on a show called How I Met Your Mother.

If you're watching How I Met Your Mother to find out the fictional mother of two fictional kids, then you aren't watching it right.

[TKz]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: At some point in season six. Either the horrible over-the-top "omg Willow is drunk on magic!!!" scenes or the horrible Melrose Place Buffy/Spike scenes.

I'd actually put it at season five, with the reveal of Adam. There was some good stuff in season six, and I never saw all of season seven, but it definitely peaked for me when they decided - "hey, what's worse than a robot, a demon or a metaphor about humanity being evil? Oh, I know! An evil cyborg-demon!"

That was series 4. 5 was Glory.

And I'm not really sure I'd say Buffy jumped the shark. 4-6 really wasn't all that, but 7 seemed to learn a little from Angel, go a little darker and knock it out of the park in the end. Buffy definitely did a better job of it than Supernatural has, which has been dropping lower and lower since about midway through Series 5.

[Benji]

Oh yeah, it is season four. I erased season five from memory. With good reason too

[Meacon Keaton]

I'll tell you 400 stories that have nothing to do with meeting your mother on a show called How I Met Your Mother.

If you're watching How I Met Your Mother to find out the fictional mother of two fictional kids, then you aren't watching it right.

I'm not watching it at all. Saw two episodes and it blew.

I'd say The Office, when Pam and Jim got together. It was no longer the cutsie flirting, not together thing. It just became a relationship. Boooooring.