But this subject has been on my mind lately and I want to discuss it.
That sentence made it sound like this is about to be a serious post. It is nowhere near a serious post. Perhaps a sad post because I watch too much television, but serious? No.
Have you heard of the phenomenon called jumping the shark? It refers to a television series. When a TV show jumps the shark it means that it did something entirely stupid and the show is beyond recovery and viewership begins to decline.
That was my own scientific definition, perhaps I should be a television critic or something.
The term "jump the shark" originated from a Happy Days episode in which "the Fonz" literally jumped over a shark while skiing, which was unrealistic and dumb.
Do you think I'm (more of) a nerd yet?
ANYWAYS, all of that to say, lately I've been thinking about my favorite TV shows and their moments of "jumping the shark".
And I just heard a few people out there say "wow she needs more to think about".
But the reason I've started thinking about this is because I've been watching Friends reruns over and over and there is such a clear difference between the early seasons which were laugh out loud till you cry funny and the later seasons when it got a little, shall we say....lame.
So as I sit in bed watching Friends and eating crackers I try and figure out when it lost it's steam - the moment that it jumped the shark. The only conclusion I can come up with is when Rachel got pregnant. It seems like it started to go downhill after that. What do you think?
Of course there may be some people who think it never jumped the shark.
Shows that I think never jumped the shark?
- Dawson's Creek
- Friday Night Lights
- Reba (yes I went there)
- The Wonder Years
- Boy Meets World
- LOST
I'm sure I could think of more if I sat and thought about it, but I have more important things to think about. (sarcasm intended)
I've also thought about my favorite shows and the moment that I feel they jumped the shark
- Desperate Housewives - I think it occurred when they did the time jump and moved to the future. That was cool at first but then it got weird
- Grey's Anatomy - I've gone back and forth about this one a lot. I think it either happened when Meredith fell in the water and almost drowned and then saw all those dead people, OR when Izzie started seeing her dead fiancé Denny. What is with the dead people Grey's? THIS ISN'T SCIENCE FICTION.
- Mad About You - when they got pregnant
- Beverly Hills 90210 - When Brenda left (yes it went on for many more years after that, this is just my own biased opinion)
Now I'm wondering.....What do you think? Do you agree/disagree? I'm willing to bet there are some people that think that Friends never jumped the shark.
And I know some people think that Lost jumped the shark even though I disagree WHOLEHEARTEDLY.
I get passionate about Lost. And Friday Night Lights.
Well this whole post might be proof that I get passionate about television all together.
So I want to know your thoughts on this matter.
Clearly we have big fish to fry here.
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