Jumping the shark
Allegation of using gimmicks to retain audience
Summary
The idiom "jumping the shark", or "shark jumping", or to "jump the shark"; means that a creative work or entity has evolved and reached a point in which it has exhausted its core intent and is introducing new ideas that are discordant with or an extreme exaggeration (caricature) of its original theme or purpose. The phrase was coined in 1985 by radio personality Jon Hein in response to a 1977 episode from the fifth season of the American sitcom Happy Days, in which the character of Fonzie jumps over a live shark while on water-skis.
Originally created by 62.253.64.7
2/5/2003, 3:19:06 PM
Modified
5/22/2026, 7:18:57 PM
Recent revisions
Reverted 1 edit by [[Special:Contributions/~2026-30689-63|~2026-30689-63]] ([[User talk:~2026-30689-63|talk]]) to last revision by LGap
/* Related idioms */ added excerpt of [[Flanderization]]
Copyediting
/* Others */Remove who template.
/* Broader usage */
/* Others */ added who tag
/* Examples */Remove blatant [[WP:SYNTHESIS]]
/* Broader usage */ rm repetitive "and"; period -> comma
added [[Category:Sharks in popular culture]] using [[WP:HC|HotCat]]
fix reference spacing ([[MOS:REFPUNCT]])
/* Broader usage */Punctuation
/* Examples */
/* Examples */
/* Broader usage */
rv unneeded specificity. Undid revision [[Special:Diff/1308980379|1308980379]] by [[Special:Contributions/2003:C6:3702:6E8E:10A:8FC6:78F9:59EC|2003:C6:3702:6E8E:10A:8FC6:78F9:59EC]] ([[User talk:2003:C6:3702:6E8E:10A:8FC6:78F9:59EC|talk]])
/* Henry Winkler */ 2005
/* Origin */
