TV Guide buys jumptheshark

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Jump the Shark has jumped the shark.

TV Guide parent Gemstar -- 41 percent owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. -- has purchased the Web site jumptheshark.com and related assets from Jump the Shark Inc.

For the uninitiated, the expression "jump the shark" comes from the episode of the '70s sitcom "Happy Days" in which Fonzie, on water skis, actually jumped over a shark. Fans believe the episode signaled creative bankruptcy on the part of the writers, as well as the beginning of the end for the show.

On the Web site, TV fans debate whether various shows have "jumped the shark" and, if so, when. Recently, there has been a raging debate as to whether "24" has jumped the shark and, among those who say yes, whether it happened at 3 p.m. on the First Day, when Teri got amnesia, or at 6 p.m. on the Second Day, when Kim encountered the Sherman Oaks mountain lion.

As part of the Gemstar deal, Jon Hein, founder of Jump the Shark Inc., will show up on TVGuide.com and the TV Guide Channel and in TV Guide magazine. (Lisa de Moraes, The Washington Post)

I love that site, it's interesting see if others thought a show went south of the same reasons I did... I love the shows that think they haven't jumped the shark, and yet the fans on the site says otherwise.

The one I love is Scooby Doo, the worst character of all time killed the show: thanks a lot Scrabby!!!