Jumping The Shark

Anybody got any opinions on when sitcoms have "jumped the shark" and lost the plot big time? I think the most obvious example of this was the last series of Roseanne, when they won the lottery and became millionaires. The whole thing went completely against the ethos of the show, and the crossover episode with the AB Fab characters was cringeworthy.

A more recent example of Jumping The Shark is the second series of Extras. I thought it lost touch with reality on countless ocassions, none more so than in the Bafta episode. Moira Stewart dealing drugs to Ronnie Corbett? Silly, and not the sort of comedy Gervais can carry off.

Oh no, loved the second series of extras, sure it was sillier, but I like that! That sight of merchants gangly frame looming above the toilet cubilce door, eyes like a mad man, telling Gervais to join him and corbet is something I dont think Ill forget in a hurry!
As for jumping the shark, Id like to nominate RED DWARF. Now I love that show, but as soon as one of the writers left and Rimmer went in series seven it just was never the same. And dont even get me started on series eight.

Hyperdrive. Episode one.

Respectable. Opening credits, first episode.

That episode of happy days where the fonz jumped the shark.

Haha, I was waiting for someone to say that!

Missed it the first time around, but noticed on second viewing that in series two of Arrested Development there is a scene where Henry Winkler jumps over a dead shark. Dat woz well wicked, mate (for the benefit of any brain dead, horny teenagers reading this).

Quote: Matthew Stott @ November 6, 2006, 6:15 PM

That episode of happy days where the fonz jumped the shark.

Damn...