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Date Posted: 11:43:21 07/31/09 Fri
Author: Lucia
Subject: Linda, here´s what "jumping the shark" means according to Wikipedia. Inside >>>>>
In reply to: Linda R 's message, "i stilll do not nderstand the topic, jumping The Shark???" on 21:40:28 07/30/09 Thu

Jumping the shark is a colloquialism coined by Jon Hein and used by TV critics and fans to denote the point in a television program's or film series's history where the plot veers off into absurd story lines or out-of-the-ordinary characterizations. This usually corresponds to the point where a show with falling ratings apparently becomes more desperate to draw in viewers. In the process of undergoing these changes, the TV or movie series loses its original appeal. Shows that have "jumped the shark" are typically deemed to have passed their peak.

The phrase refers to a scene in a three-part episode of the American TV series Happy Days, first broadcast on September 20, 1977. In the third of the three parts of the "Hollywood" episode, Fonzie (Henry Winkler), wearing swim trunks and his trademark leather jacket, jumps over a confined shark while water skiing. This was particularly ironic, in that Fonzie, famous for being a biker, had previously jumped his motorcycle for a publicity stunt—but was severely injured in the process, and very remorseful for his actions; he then learned a valuable lesson, and delivered a moral message, that taking foolish risks "isn't cool" (a clearly role-model message against popular 1970s trends of youths imitating daredevil stuntmen like Evel Knievel or Ernie Devlin). In contrast, Fonzie's later decision to take an even greater risk on water skis "to prove a point" came across as absurd in many ways (particularly since the "motorcycle jump" episode was a major point in Fonzie's character development).

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