When did this show jump the shark? - The Big Bang Theory (2007) Discussion

[–] drakeyequation 8 years ago

When you refer to "jumping the shark", I'm sure you mean in the colloquial sense of a show reaching its peak. Technically, it refers to an over the top gimmick that pinpoints the decline of a show, a reference of course to Fonzie's death-defying stunt in Happy Days. Anyway, in answer to your question, sometime around Season 4, when Amy & Bernadette became permanent fixtures and the dynamic changed for the worse. It's all well and good talking about character development, but when the end result lacks funny it's a bad trade-off. Chuck Lorre wanted to homogenize the show to pull in the female demographic... and it worked. They should've kept the same formula for as long as possible and ended on a high. Instead, like most long-running American sitcoms, it's outstayed its welcome.

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[–] MurphAndTheMagicTones 8 years ago

So, the show should have only gone three seasons even though it was making millions for CBS and Warner Brothers? Riiiiggggghhhhhttttt......

BTW, even the actual "jump the shark" moment isn't a jump the shark moment. It was in the fourth season premiere. How do you jump the shark in a season premiere?

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"Image of 'lovable losers' gets us more tail than Sinatra."---Chicago Cubs, Late Night Top 10

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[–] YouMightRabbitYouMight 8 years ago

When that idiot patsy started pining to make a life with that girl across the hall.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yf_Lwe6p-Cg

I big FART

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[–] MurphAndTheMagicTones 8 years ago

I've always wondered on that JTS site why "pilot episode" is an option? It fits absolutely NO definition of JTS. Even the ACTUAL JTS moment wasn't one. The dude ranch the following season was.

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"Image of 'lovable losers' gets us more tail than Sinatra."---Chicago Cubs, Late Night Top 10

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[–] censorshipsucks06 8 years ago

It' HASN'T 'jumped the shark'. This show in no way, shape, or form, has deteriorated to the degree Happy Days did.

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[–] smegmausa 8 years ago

This show was seriously never good. Same class as 2 and a Half Men and 2 Broke Girls

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[–] willsons-2 8 years ago

Your premise presupposes that it has jumped the shark. It has not.

Anyway, I suspect that you really do not understand what the expression means like just about everyone else who uses that expression on these boards.

"Jumping the shark" is an expression that means something may have peaked in value. Historically, it was a pejorative idiom used to describe a moment of television in which there is a gimmick or unlikely occurrence that is seen as a desperate attempt to keep viewers' interest.

What is the "gimmick" or "unlikely occurrence" here?

"I care about the law. It's justice I don't give a toss about." Cleaver Greene

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[–] greenleafie 8 years ago

Season 6 is when they started stereotyping the characters, limiting their ability to develop. They introduced Lucy, made her a one-joke character ("I have to go to the bathroom!") and put Raj in a diaper and made him a whiny cry-baby. They ultimately just flushed Lucy down the toilet, and Raj has been a drag on the show ever since.

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[–] willsons-2 8 years ago

Who cares about Lucy? She was only a bit part anyway.

As for Raj...he has always been like that.

My point has apparently been missed: "jumped the shark" is an overused little understood expression on these boards.

But that aside...I think the show was great up until season 9. The quality was top notch until then IMO. The first half of season 9 was awful by comparison but it got better as the season progressed. It is too early to say with season 10. I think it is starting out better than season 9 but is not yet as good as the earlier seasons.

"I care about the law. It's justice I don't give a toss about." Cleaver Greene

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[–] louiseculmer 8 years ago

When they introduced the other women. it was much better when it was the four men and penny interacting. once they started getting very sentimental it was shark jumping time, always is with sitcoms.

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[–] tom-88545 8 years ago

I'll agree with that. I find Penny a likeable character but Amy and Bernadette both equally flawed. Even Amy atleast has some half funny lines etc. But Bernadette is so boring. Her only gags are disciplining Howard and making innapropriate jokes about her job. This also affected Howard's character into becoming very normal and to an extent made Raj feel really entitled since all of his friends were in relationships.

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[–] ohpinchy 8 years ago

When/if they bring the Baby into the show.
That will be the Shark moment for me.

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[–] memphis-19091 8 years ago

It's always the baby.

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[–] MurphAndTheMagicTones 8 years ago

Does that mean Modern Family jumped the shark in the pilot???

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"Is that Peter ****ing Frampton??"---Rob, High Fidelity

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[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

"were", you mean?

That's two questions.

1) This show jumped the shark at the exact moment when some TV exec's teenage daughter whined to her dad: "There's no DRAMA or RELATIONSHÍTS IN THIS SHOOW!! WAAAAH!!"

2) What went wrong, is that the daddy listened.

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