Jumping The Shark
Cambridge, England

'Jump The Shark'
...is an idiom used to describe the moment of downturn for a previously successful enterprise.

The phrase was originally used to denote the point in a television program's history where the plot spins off into absurd story lines or unlikely characterizations.

These changes were often the result of efforts to revive interest in a show whose audience had begun to decline, usually through the employment of different actors, writers or producers.

The expression was popularized in 1985 by Jonathan M. Hein. Hein explained the concept as follows:

'It's a moment. A defining moment when you know that your favorite television program has reached its peak. That instant that you know from now on...it's all downhill. From that moment on, the program will simply never be the same.'

Origin: From the Happy Days episode where Fonzie overcomes his fear of sharks by jumping over one while wearing water skis and a leather jacket!

See also: 'Nuking the Fridge!'

Usage: 'For me, folkdisco jumped the shark when he started playing Gaga.'

[Quotes from Wikipedia and Urban Dictionary in this post]

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