The moment this show jumped the shark was when Jafar was never featured. Jafar (voiced by Jonathan Freeman) was an amazing movie villain, whom the other Aladdin villains are nothing compared to. Jafar should definitely go down as one of the greatest animated feature film villains. He was so great and powerful of a villain that he should NEVER have been killed off in "The Return of Jafar".
shareJafar is good, but Ratigan and Frollo are better.
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WHAT?! You mean that the villains in the series are better (superior) to the great Jafar? You seem deluded. Mozenrath was good, but Jafar was by far the best!
shareJafar's eye makeup scared me. Mirage wears her Mascara better.
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I dno't know if you're using the term correctly.
I always thought "jumping the shark" referred to a point in time at which the producers of a show, fearing audience numbers are dropping, start trying desperate remedies in the storytelling to keep viewers watching - i.e: the Fonz leaping a pool with a shark in it on his motorbike in Happy Days, being the prime example.
Jafar leaving the series doesn't really mean the show jumped the shark, in fact didn't that direct-to-video sequel precede the actual tv show, or at least start it? A bit of a harsh statement claiming the tv sereies jumped the shark on its first outing! Hehe.
Personally, Jafar isn't my favorite Aladdin villain. He was way too cold. He was a good villain, but I think the villains from the show are much more interesting(and definitely funnier). My favorite(of the six episodes I currently own) is Abis Mal. He is absolutely hilarious. In fact, I think the series is, overall, better than the movie.
I wonder if the series would've been better if Jafar would've stayed alive and made life in Agrabah misarable in the series.
Because Hades wasn't as funny or wicked in the Hercules series as he was in the movie. Same Ursula's episodes the The Little Mermaid series, she didn't reach her wickedness peak. Probably because these TV series are more aimed at kids then the movies their off. So TV producers don't want to scare kids early saturday morning.
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Wouldn't turning Iago into a good guy be considered 'jumping the shark?'
It's me, your lovable dictator! Uh-oh. -Bender, Futurama
I think that's just character development of Iago. While the first movie didn't provide much or any evidence that the parrot that good in him Return of Jafar bridged that problem convincing enough.
Jumping the shark would be if Jafar suddenly became good or halfway the series Mozenrath or Mirage, both known to be evil, switched to the good guys side.
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Blogging about Disney's masterpiece Aladdin since 2004.
Well, "The Return of Jafar" is a part of the series in a manner of speaking, so if you look at it that way Jafar was in it. ;) But I also disagree with your definition of "jumping the shark"; that phrase gets tossed around way too much, IMO.
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it do not jump the shark. the original animators for the first film knew a series is what would make dramatic closure. the original conception for the first three episodes would detail the return of jafar, but it went straight to video and the idea was scrapped. it certainly didn't do any damage to the show but abis maul got pretty fearless and was in the midst of having revenge in the show w/harud at his side. and they never leave him out of the show they make on and off references about him and use his lair and other equipment to find out more about the spells and artifacts they discover. so jafar never made the show jump the shark. it was plan that it would be a series and get more out of the characters.
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(1950-1991)