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''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, 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, 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. 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. The usage of "jump the shark" has subsequently broadened beyond television, indicating the moment when a brand, design, franchise or creative effort's evolution declines. ==History== The phrase ''jump the shark'' is based on a scene in the fifth season premiere episode of the American TV series ''Happy Days'' titled "Hollywood: Part 3," written by Fred Fox, Jr., which aired on September 20, 1977. In the episode, the central characters visit Los Angeles, where a water-skiing Fonzie (Henry Winkler) answers a challenge to his bravery by wearing swim trunks and his trademark leather jacket, and jumping over a confined shark. The stunt was created as a way to showcase Winkler's real-life water ski skills. However, the scene also was criticized as betraying Fonzie's character development, since in an earlier landmark-episode, Fonzie jumped his motorcycle over fourteen barrels in a televised stunt; the stunt left him seriously injured, and he confessed that he was stupid to have taken such a dangerous risk just to prove his courage. For a show that in its early seasons depicted universally relatable adolescent and family experiences against a backdrop of 1950s nostalgia, this incident marked an audacious turn. Initially a supporting character, the lionization of an increasingly superhuman Fonzie became the focus of ''Happy Days''. The series continued for seven years after Fonzie's shark-jumping stunt, with a number of changes in cast and situations. The phrase "jumping the shark" was coined in 1985 by Jon Hein's roommate at the University of Michigan, Sean Connolly, when they were talking about favorite television shows that had gone downhill, and the two began identifying other shows where a similar "jump the shark" moment had occurred. Hein described the term as "A defining moment when you know from now on … it's all downhill … it will never be the same."〔 In 1997, Hein created a website to publish his current list of approximately 200 television shows and his opinions of the moments each "jumped the shark"; the site became popular and grew with additional user-contributed examples.〔 Hein subsequently authored two "Jump The Shark" books and later became a regular on ''The Howard Stern Show'' around the time he sold his website to Gemstar (owners of ''TV Guide''). Fans and contributors of the site, meanwhile, felt that Hein sold them out, since Gemstar deleted all fans' public contributions in order to censor the negative statements concerning television programs advertised in Gemstar's publication ''TV Guide''; in their place, Gemstar's new site praised the programs.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 title=JumpTheShark.com FAQ )〕 In a 2010 ''Los Angeles Times'' article, former ''Happy Days'' writer Fred Fox, Jr., who wrote the episode that later spawned the phrase, said, "Was the (jump ) episode of ''Happy Days'' deserving of its fate? No, it wasn't. All successful shows eventually start to decline, but this was not ''Happy Days'' time." Fox also points not only to the success of that episode ("a huge hit" with over 30 million viewers), but also to the continued popularity of the series.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Jumping the shark」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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