It finally happened when Maureen Ponderosa literally became a cat person.
But you know what? I don't care. It's season 11, I don't watch Always Sunny for realism, I watch it for absurdity. And nothing on the show makes me laugh harder than Dennis in an absolutely incredulous stupid situation. Am I ashamed for almost crying when he brought out the laser pointer? Sure I am. But shame be damned.
"Jumping the shark" is an idiom popularized by Jon Hein that was used to describe the moment in the evolution of a television show when it begins a decline in quality
Most agree the show began to decline in quality after season 4, 5, or 7, even though they've definitely had good episodes/seasons since then.
signaled by a particular scene, episode, or aspect of a show in which the writers use some type of gimmick in an attempt to keep viewers' interest
Well, Maureen started her transformation last season, and has been obsessed with cats and "looking current" since day one, so it didn't come off as a gimmick to me. As far as viewers interest, they've been getting their best ratings ever this season.
which is taken as a sign of desperation, and is seen by viewers to be the point at which the show strayed irretrievably from its original formula.
Again, with their best ratings in hand and already filming season 12, I don't see why the guys would feel desperate, or think cat-Maureen would be the solution to their desperation. Original formula? Again, Maureen has been around/insane for awhile, and basically every recurring character on this show (not to mention the give leads) are batsht crazy.
The phrase is based on a scene from a fifth-season episode of the sitcom Happy Days when the character Fonzie jumps over a shark while on water-skis.
I would love to see Charlie attempt this feat. Maybe all five attempt to do it and get eaten one by one in the series finale. It'd be perfect.
surprised people still go onto message boards and still type and send this out.
You realize you are the 7 millionth person in the last 8 or 9 years on imdb alone to say this about some show?
can a phrase BE more hackneyed and cliche than this?
I think everyone pretty much agrees the show "jumped the shark". Probably even the creators/actors agree on it. They are hanging on now for syndication, the more episodes the more money. I think they also enjoy doing it and know we fans still enjoy it.
The interesting thing is that everyone may agree the show has jumped, but everyone has a different opinion of when.
For me it was Season 7, the episode "Frank's Pretty Woman" when Charlie projectile vomited on the date. It was cartoonish, which I thought they had never quite done before and just IMO stupid. The same effect could have been done with him just vomiting like a human (or like a human Charlie, cat food, paint etc.) instead of a cartoon character.
Other people think that's the funniest scene in the history of Sunny, so go figure.
I say hang in there for the $. If 2 Broke Girls can be on television 24/7, then certainly Sunny deserves to be.
They still turn out a couple of great episodes every season for me. I look forward to Sunny every year, so jumped or not, it's a good show.
that vomit was odd, but the episode, oh man one of the best ever
shareNo, I don't think "everyone agrees the show has jumped." You realize a groundbreaking, incredibly high quality show can turn to dog crap over the years, and still not jump the shark?
A show of this nature would need to see Charlie getting legit abducted by aliens for this show to approach shark jumping territory
I did not say "everyone agrees the show has jumped", I said "everyone pretty much agrees"...pretty much being used as maybe not everyone. I probably should have said "pretty much everyone agrees" but the intent was still there and anyone who is not just trying to be a dick would pretty much know that.
It doesn't matter how you phrase it, some people think this is the best season yet.
I don't know where you're coming from with this general consensus.
Exactly, thank you.. for this show to "jump" it would have to go nuclear.. like literally, the cast would have to get their hands on a damn nuke.
shareWe definitely could use a new idiotic meme like that. Set off the nuke? Reminds me of the Sledge Hammer sitcom. At the end of the first season, the producers figured there was no possibility of renewal, so they literally had the characters set off a nuclear bomb, destroying the city. Brilliant.
"I'm doing good in the game, so I'm doing good in life!" - Charlie Kelly
But there WAS a second season. So they had to make up some crap and move the second season to be 5 years before the first season.
I remember watching that show, both seasons and thinking it was pretty funny. I don't think it would work today.
I hate IMDB's Signature policy...
They are hanging on now for syndication, the more episodes the more money.
I love how people take one thing, exaggerate it, and say a show jumped the shark. One crappy episode or one crappy joke doesn't mean a show jumped the shark. WTF is the point of watching a show if you're going to be so hyper sensitive about it? A show is allowed to have an off episode without it "declining". Because chances are, most people won't agree with you in the first place.
shareI feel like no one read my post. Did I complain? Not once.
And thanks Webster, I should have consulted the dictionary before posting. I've always used the phrase as the point when a show abandons all realism and becomes absurd. It isn't always bad, it worked for The Office sometimes as well.
But I guess I have to agree that Sunny probably abandoned realism long ago, but it never really hit me until seeing Maureen chase a *beep* laser around a courtroom. Still laughed.
I read your post and felt you incorrectly used the term hence my post, and my name is not Webster
shareYou didn't misuse the term at all. It's subjective as to whether or not a show has "jumped the shark". I guess if you were strictly using the term it would have to be for a major even like, well, Fonzie actually jumping the shark on Happy Days, but it's used now as a general term. It seems that people here who complain about it just don't understand how language works.
shareRealism is subjective in my opinion. Cat people do exist although to what extreme I am unsure.
I know we at least have the great Stalking Cat, Tom Leppard, and even a female named Katzen just to name a few. Body modifications are a pretty big thing now so I don't think this was all that much of a stretch compared to a lot of the stuff this show has been doing since the first season.
"Jump the Shark" has jumped the shark.
shareThis kind of thread always makes me laugh. First of all, the show has continued to be way above average every season, at least IMO and it is still my favorite sitcom. I don't know what people want from them, but I personally don't see a drop in quality at all. But the funniest part of the whole "jumped the shark" thing is there is nothing too outlandish for the characters in this show, so that particular reference is definitely misapplied. Personally, I hope they actually do jump the shark one of these days. I'd love to see them do it in the premier next year as an inside jab at everyone accusing them of it. As far as what another poster above said about Charlie being abducted by aliens being something that would "jump the shark", I hope someone in their inner circle sees that post (not suggesting they would) and somehow passes that along. Maybe something like Charlie and Mac Get Abducted by Aliens. You just know Mac would volunteer for the anal probe. :)
This season has 3 new instant classics already with Dennis and Mac Move to the Suburbs, McPoyle vs. Ponderossa: The Trial of the Century (even without the McPoyle brothers, which was a shame as it would have been even better), and Charlie Catches a Leprechaun and the rest of the episodes have been very solid. Did it ever occur to you folks complaining that maybe you have just lost interest in the premise of the show or the new and shiny has worn off for you? ADHD is pandemic in the 21st century. It could just be you....
people are doing that in real life, or things similar. turning into barbie dolls and younger justin bieber.
share