“Jumping the shark” is a great concept denoting that point in many television shows’ existences when they resort to gimmicks to attract viewers. It’s the climax of the show. After a show has jumped the shark, it’s all downhill. JumpingTheShark.com chronicles this turning point for over 2000 television shows. Plus, surfers are invited to vote on when a given show “jumped the shark” and comment.
The term, incidentally, comes from the Happy Days episode where Fonzi water-ski jumps over a shark for publicity.