The act of a television show jumping the shark is a reference to when The Fonz in Happy Days literally jumped a shark. It was a sign that the quality of the show had fallen off a cliff.
Normally, when a show “jumps the shark,” it’s a desperate ploy to boost ratings and return the show to its former glory. There are, however, some occasions where a show jumping the proverbial shark can be a good thing.
Too many shows try too hard to be serious before realizing that they’re better off leaning into the wackier side of things.
Family Matters
Without a doubt, this is the most famous example of a show jumping the shark and getting better.
The original concept of Family Matters was centered around the Winslow family. Once Steve Urkel burst onto the scene, though, the focus shifted to Urkel and his antics. It was no longer the Winslow family show; it was the Steve Urkel show.
Cobra Kai
I don’t know how long people thought a serious, grounded dramedy about the bad guy from The Karate Kid would have lasted with that more serious tone.
Cobra Kai’s act of jumping the shark and leaning into more over-the-top themes, as well as going all-in on a Karate-verse, for lack of a better term, helped lead to the show’s popularity.
Gotham
I get it; given the success of Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies, the desire for more grounded stories in the Batman universe was very real.
Here’s the thing, though: Gotham wasn’t as good as the Batman movies. Furthermore, it’s also not as good as other police procedurals on television.
What if, then, you lean into some of the more absurd and unrealistic elements of Batman’s rogue gallery and place them inside the concept of a grounded police procedural? It worked quite well as it leaned into the campier side of things.
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The Magicians
Based on the novels of the same name, The Magicians is not only a great example of a show that gets better as it jumps the shark, but one that improves as it strays further from its source material.
Like Gotham, The Magicians suffers from not being as good as other movies and television shows it shares characteristics with. Rather than stay the course, The Magicians isn’t afraid to jump into its own lane, no matter how nonsensical it may be.
Arrested Development
‘Despite critical acclaim, Arrested Development always suffered from poor ratings and the looming threat of cancellation.
As a result, writers weren’t afraid to loosen things up, even poking fun at the show’s future uncertainty. This is especially true in the show’s third season, which even features a Happy Days callback, as well as one of the show’s best storylines: Mr F.
30 Rock
Look, I’m not saying that 30 Rock was always supposed to be a realistic portrayal of what it was like working on Saturday Night Live, but there’s a certain absurdity within the universe of 30 Rock that makes the series charming.
Everything works so well together that, as things become more and more unrealistic, the show finds a way to get better and better. That’s the power of great writing: no matter how absurd your characters become, you can still make them lovable.
Community
Like 30 Rock, you can argue that Community starts as a somewhat realistic portrayal of its setting. This time, it’s community college, featuring the eclectic cast of characters that attend.
As someone who attended a community college, I can attest that things can indeed get a little wacky, and that’s where Community shines. The second season, in particular, strikes the perfect balance of something resembling a grounded setting while not being afraid to deliver a crazy, over-the-top premise.
Parks and Recreation
The first season of Parks and Rec desperately tries to be like The Office. It fails miserably; whenever I rewatch the show, the first season sticks out like a sore thumb.
Eventually, the show falls into a rhythm, not just letting the characters escape the confines of traditional writing, but the fictional city of Pawnee itself. It’s a small-town USA and an over-the-top surreal city in one, and the show is better for it.
Superstore
Look, I get why The Office‘s documentary style of sitcom comedy was widely adopted by so many shows, especially at NBC. It was highly successful.
One thing that made The Office as popular as it was, though, was both the characters and its ability to find its own identity. That’s something Parks and Rec had to struggle with, as well as Superstore.
By the time it wasn’t afraid to get a little weird, Superstore became more widely acclaimed following its rough first season.
Search Party
Like Parks and Rec and Superstore, Search Party works when it loosens its constraints and embraces the absurdities inherent in its premise. You’re a dark comedy; you’re supposed to lean into the funnier side of things, and sometimes, that involves jumping a shark or two.
Alia Shawkat, who starred on Arrested Development, is perfectly suited for this role, too.
American Dad
It turns out that the animated show with an alien should lean a little more on the alien, no? After all, the talking dog and baby in Family Guy are arguably its best characters. Why not do the same with the talking alien in American Dad?
Roger is what makes American Dad work so well. The Smith family are what they are; they’re nothing revolutionary or new, but Roger and his non-stop antics have arguably made American Dad better than Family Guy.
Riverdale
Look, I’m not here to say that Riverdale is a masterclass of television. Having said that, it was important for Riverdale to remember what it actually is.
If the premise of a show sounds a lot like fanfiction, then the best thing you can do is fully embrace being a work of fanfiction. Being an Archie version of Twin Peaks isn’t enough; you need to go all-in, and when Riverdale does that, it succeeds.
Agents of Shield
It never really broke free from living in the shadow of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but Agents of Shield was able to find its own footing when it stopped trying to be like the movies and, instead, became its own, unique, and most importantly, fun thing.
There were so many over-the-top events happening that it delivered a true-blue comic book vibe. Given that this is a series based on comic characters, you’d figure that’s where it would have always centered its focus, right?
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