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Just a quick post to commemorate the birthday genesis of the term 'Jump the shark' or jumping the shark. It was on this evening forty-two years ago that the infamous episode of Happy Days aired (actually titled 'Hollywood: Part Three'), where Fonzarelli accepts a dare to jump on water skis over a pen containing a shark.
I can actually understand the thinking behind the absurd plot that is remembered to this day and birthed an unflattering reference phrase. Mega-hit movie 'Jaws' had only been released a little over two years earlier. The writers just tried to jump on that train.
However, I saw this as it aired as a young lad and even I, who like tens of thousands of other young boys was infatuated with the Fonz character, thought it was ridiculous.
I know some of you could describe some of the later editions of D&D produced by WOTC as having jumped the shark.

I too recall that episode from my younger years, and had purged it from memory until just now. Can I send you my therapist's bill?

Fun Fact: The opposite of 'jumping the shark' (the specific point where a show's decline in quality can be easily observed as having started) is 'growing the beard' (the specific point when a show's increase in quality can be easily observed as having started). It comes from Star Trek: The Next Generation, and references when Riker grew his beard for season 2.

Lukafio wrote:I too recall that episode from my younger years, and had purged it from memory until just now. Can I send you my therapist's bill?

JadedDM wrote:Fun Fact: The opposite of 'jumping the shark' (the specific point where a show's decline in quality can be easily observed as having started) is 'growing the beard' (the specific point when a show's increase in quality can be easily observed as having started). It comes from Star Trek: The Next Generation, and references when Riker grew his beard for season 2.

Thanks for the input Sir Jaded. I did not know that, but am glad I do now