When did it jump the shark?

Season 5, when the Ingalls brought Albert to Walnut Grove. I don't know what they were thinking. He was even worse than Nancy.

He burned down the blind school, killed Mary's son, killed his best friend's mother, and then hit him because of a girl. He lied, cheated, stole, took drugs, hit another kid, slapped a teacher. He also tried to kill Nellie and Harriet. What else?

To me the beginning of the end was when Landon cut the Edwards family out in the beginning of Season 4. I understand if they had to leave because of internal management conflicts but I can't believe they couldn't have found a better way to provide an exit story than the way they did. POOF! They've moved to California with no explanation and no episode to show them leaving and the Ingalls helping them pack--and we're suddenly supposed to hate John Jr.'s guts when he was previously written as a flawed but sympathetic and likeable character.

Season 4 is still a good solid season overall, but I agree with most of you that Season 5 was when things really started taking a nosedive in terms of the quality of screenwriting. Storylines were repeated (Author Author is a knockoff of Journey in the Spring and Mortal Misson is a knockoff for Plague and Quarantine) as a result of running out of new ideas and it got to the point where just about any silly thing was a plot--fairy godsister, werewolf, orangutans, feminist strike, prejudice against fat people, lake monster, college reunion in pioneer culture etc.)

The biggest thing that bothered me was the idea of two blind people marrying and taking care of a sighted child--and this was briefly mentioned as a concern in "The Wedding" episode. I'm sure we all would have loved to have seen an episode of how Mary and Adam would overcome this obstacle and find a way but Landon said "Nah! I'm too lazy to do that. I'll kill their child off so I don't have to come up with a well thought out storyline about that."

However, I wouldn't say it jumped the shark until "To See the Light" when Adam got his vision back from getting hit in the head (very unrealistic) and they started adding new kids to keep the show alive that weren't all that interesting--Nancy, Jenny, James, Cassandra.

By Season 8, it was time to pull the plug, for sure.

I'm going to say definitely Season 8, Episode 1 fits the definition of a true shark jump. A true shark jump is not one bad or below average episode, but an episode after which the entire series is never as good. The departure of Adam, Mary, Percival, and Nellie all at once was too much for Mrs. Oleson and it was too much for the viewer. Then you have the introduction of the evil Nancy, who is Nellie all over again and worse. Still an above average show, but I'm going to say after this episode never as good.

The first time Michael Landon got a sad look on his face I knew it was going to be bad. The first time he cried on screen I knew it was living on borrowed time.

It began a decline after they returned from Wanoka. It semi-recovered when Laura met Almanzo. That season was pretty good. They got married and should have continued for 1 more season and then ended it. It was definitely over once Charles left the scene. Damn it's depressing to think of him not being on the show.

You could say it jumped the sharks a couple of times. The first being Winoka and the introduction of Albert. Then James and Cassandra. And the death knell was when Pa and Ma left and the Carters moved in.

How can you say that "most of it is true"???? Most of it is FICTION. Like, 90% of it. It jumped the shark when they moved to Winoka and brought demonseed Albert on board.