It's a Hollywood/show biz term that refers to a significant shift in the demographics for a particular television series, as when a show originally marketed toward teenagers begins to draw an older audience. For example, the sit-com "Friends" was originally aimed at the same demographic as "Saved by the Bell"--that is, at kids age 11 to 14 (sometimes called "tweens"). But since "Friends" aired in the evening, rather than early afternoon, it soon "jumped the shark" by attracting an older audience, primarily people between the ages of 18 and 22.
Jumping the shark isn't always a matter of attracting an older audience. Sometimes, it works in the opposite direction, as with "The Simpsons."
As an aside, "Cheers" jumped the shark so dramatically, and so many times, that by the end of its 16-year run the producers literally had no idea who they were producing the show for.
The term comes from the sitcom "Happy Days." There was an episode where Fonzi jumped his motocycle over a shark tank. After that episode it just was never as fresh or funny as before, it lost Ron Howard and just slowly slid away. It's like saying when did the show peak?
On 23 Sep 2002 09:24:20 -0700, Marty McConnell wrote:
Demographics rarely are. I'm sorry if I gave the impression that a single show would be marketed ONLY to a target audience of, say, 11- to 14-year-old viewers. That may well be the primary target market, but other markets would undoubtably also be part of the overall marketing strategy.
Are you sure about that? I've seen nearly every episode of "Happy Days," including the five episodes featuring Suzi Quatro, but I don't remember anything involving a shark tank and a motorcycle. Perhaps it would be best if you checked your facts before posting nonsense to Usenet. I know I always do.
Ron Howard is still very much alive. See the note above re: checking one's fact, etc.
He jumped it on waterskis. How could I BE SO WRONG!!!!
Oh, yeah, I know. I got it from this post
http://www.unrealisticexpectations.com/reviews/ViewReview.asp?ReviewID=113 and http://www.smartypantszine.com/march/presley_march.html and http://picks.yahoo.com/picks/20001106.html and http://www.xfroadrunners.com/articles/02aprilxfom3.html and http://www.rexanne.com/rwr-47.html
so apparently I'm not the first one to make this mistake.
Now, I should know better than to trust anything on the web. But it matched my memory of Fonzie jumping his motorcycle for a tv show where people asked to see dumb stunts. But that was a different episode, where he's jumping a bunch of cars. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima maxima culpa. I will now go put on a hair shirt.
It's still from Happy Days and doesn't have anything to do with changing the demographic target of a show. Sheesh. Have you ever been to Los Angeles?
And he's still on Happy Days? I'll have to tell Ted McGinley that his services are no longer required.
"IT" - the show - lost him. He quit, along with Donny Most. He left the show. He was replaced. He went on to other things. Is this starting to get through to you?
It's a website about (ta DA!!) when various TV shows jumped the shark. No adult content. So you should get along fine there.
Does your university know they have a self-important loonball writing their tech?
On 23 Sep 2002 21:47:32 -0700, Marty McConnell wrote:
Because I always check my facts before posting nonsense to the USENET? Well, I suppose in one small way that does make me superior, at least when compared to those people who don't check their facts before posting nonsense to the USENET.
None of those sources are posts. They are URLs (Universal Resource Locators) pointint to "pages" on "web sites." Are you confusing the USENET with the Interweb? The two aren't the same, you know.
I've never understood this defense of one's errors. Isn't it a bit like saying "Last year in the U.S. alone, at least two dozen people managed to light their hair on fire after concluding it would be a good idea to shampoo with turpentine. So I'm not alone in being dumm and bald."
You're probably thinking about the short-lived series "You Asked for It," hosted by Fred Savage.
What's that got to do with anything? I thought we were talking about a saying that originated in Hollywood.
No, he's not still on "Happy Days." DUH! I meant he's still alive. Anyway, no need to contatct Ted McGinley. Garry Marshall was the producer of "Happy Days," not Ted McGinley.
Well, why didn't you just say so? Where I come from, saying "it lost Ron Howard" is the same as saying he died (sortof like saying, "That's the year we lost grandma to cancer of the spleen.")
No adult content? All right! Good to hear it.
Um . . . you're not real clear on what the "tech" part of "technical writer" means, are you? I don't write "techs," whatever those might be.
It's a known fact that the Happy Days episode is where the term originated from.
You're either automatically defensive when someone presents you with something you were previously unaware of, or a troll, trying to bait someone into an argument.
"Kevin S. Wilson" wrote in message news:[email]...
Fonzi
Faulty technique. I know you were trolling us with faux superior "knowledge", but this potshot doesn't confuse reader and make your opponent look dumb. It makes you look dumb for missing the obvious - Ron Howard left Happy Days for greener pastures, and most people know that is what he meant.
I don't see how it could possibly work, either, what with this Way-Schmart D00d with the Giant Brane so eager to 'splain how it all works, though he appears to be speaking in the hushed, reverent tones usually associated with the sportscaster at golf tournaments.
Is there a special name for the special people who can think of no more creative way to indicate that they get the joke than to say "Hey, I get the joke"?
I need to know for a report to the dean of students.
There has to be a special name. There just has to be. I mean, look at all the trouble Mr. Way-Schmart D00d with the Giant Brane went to. He first announced that he knew he was being trolled. He then provided a helpful critique of part of the troll, confidently proclaiming that it was doomed to fail--in spite of evidence to the contrary. In the part you snipped
Mr. Way-Schmart D00d with the Giant Brane can't keep himself from explaining the obvious while smugly accusing me of missing the obvious. And in all of that--throughout the entire, tortured, pedantic, tedious precis critique--he finds absolutely no opportunity to inject even the mildest and smallest bit of trollery himself.
A quick trip through the Humor Extractor and his post is complete.
Sigh. I can only respond by saying that Ron Howard never appeared in a TV series called "Greener Pastures." That was Eddie Albert.
I'm surprised you haven't encountered the term before. It came into widespread usage in the late 80s, originating with an entertainment marketing firm that at the time was called Yubicon, Howell, Barstow, & Torrantelli. The company later simplified its name to YHBT, Inc.