Jump the shark
Meaning
To reach a point where a series, franchise, or creative work has passed its peak and begun a decline in quality, often in a desperate attempt to stay relevant.
Origin
The phrase 'jump the shark' burst into popular culture after a truly bizarre episode of the hit American sitcom Happy Days. In the 1977 three-part episode titled 'Hollywood,' the impossibly cool Fonzie, clad in his signature leather jacket, famously performs a water-skiing stunt where he leaps over a caged shark. This outlandish, logic-defying moment was immediately recognized by audiences and critics alike as the precise point the show had abandoned its original charm and resorted to desperate, sensationalist plotlines to maintain dwindling viewership. It quickly became the definitive shorthand for the moment any long-running series or franchise loses its creative spark and begins its irreversible decline into absurdity.
Examples
- Many fans felt the show started to jump the shark when the main character suddenly gained superpowers in the fifth season.
- After years of groundbreaking innovation, the company's new products seemed to jump the shark, offering little more than minor updates and questionable design choices.