jumped the shark
Passed peak quality
Jumped the shark describes the moment when something that was once good begins an irreversible decline in quality.
The phrase comes from a 1977 episode of the TV show *Happy Days* in which the character Fonzie literally jumped over a shark on water skis—widely seen as the point where the show became absurd.
Now applied broadly: That franchise jumped the shark after the third sequel.
A show, band, or institution that has jumped the shark has passed its peak and resorted to desperate gimmicks.
- stuntDangerous feat for spectacle
- gimmickAttention-getting device or trick
- irrelevanceLack of pertinence
- televisionBroadcast viewing device
- franchisesLicensed business operations
stagnation · sitcoms · over the hill · going downhill · spectacle · exhaustion · past its prime · downfall · rebranding · mediocrity · pandering · cash grab · sell out · sequels · ratings · reboots · oversaturation · backlash
jumped the sharkwent from strength to strength
Improved steadily over time
peaked · leveled up · renaissance · golden age · returned to form
jumped the sharkgolden age
Period of peak prosperity
prime · heyday · finest hour · magnum opus · crowning achievement
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