# Did you Think "Happy Days" Jumped The Shark? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [October 2, 2015, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-think-happy-days-jumped-the-shark/733230 "2015-10-02T12:01:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Oglomott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oglomott/32/3543_2.png) [@Oglomott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oglomott)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-think-happy-days-jumped-the-shark/733230/21 "2015-10-03T17:06:30Z")
The first season or two were the best. After a while, most of the male cast sported 1970’s haircuts even though the show was set in the 1950’s. It’s like they stopped caring. ---
**Author:** ![Arkcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-think-happy-days-jumped-the-shark/733230/22 "2015-10-03T17:54:49Z")
I remember feeling distinctly dissatisfied with Fonzie’s jumping of the shark. It seemed like a typical episode: an argument between Fonzie and Richie, Fonzie’s animal magnetism vis-a-vis the ladies antagonizing the local cool guys, etc. The shark jumping was very weird for me, like Jackknifed Juggernaut: said: this is either complete suicide, in which case the setup shouldn’t be allowed by the municipality, or a trivial problem, in which case, why issue such a challenge. I was you then, but the camerawork was … choppy. Obviously its a stuntman in the long shots (or perhaps Henry did his own stunts) but you don’t even see it. A dot in a leather jacket flies over a ring they say a killer shark lives in. Inter-cut with closeups. I felt like, “Who would write a plot with so many holes?” A real shark jumping moment happened again, in the dude ranch episode. Joanie is going to “trick ride”, even though she has just learned to ride. In a log shot, the stunt-woman repeatedly rides a horse, almost falling off, as you would expect Joanie would do in this situation. Joanie is not trick riding, the stunt-woman is, and it is impressive, but in character, Joanie is just falling off. I always note what I think is the jump the shark moment for M_A_S\*H. I believe the episode is guerrilla of my dreams. Hawkeye fights to prevent the arrest of a female spy. And she attacks an wounded American in the hospital. She states that she has no remorse and holds no gratitude to Hawkeye, she is there to attack her enemy in any way she can. That’s a deep meaningful point, and an interesting take on Hawkeye’s character. However, it forces a break in the typical plot flow. Usually, each episode ends with a few jokes on the episodes topic, say the General gets garbage dumped on him, or maybe a drunken sappy moment, the Erin calls Radar “daddy” and there’s a drunken cry-fest. But Guerrilla of my Dreams ends with a random joke, off-topic. Hawkeye just loses this one, he doesn’t have to be cheered up, talked to, or win in some way. Instead, we’re just not going to talk about it. That doesn’t add gravitas, that just means we’ve decided not to talk about it. I have other example, but frankly it seems to be like at some point the writers say, “We’re done bringing our A-game. We got 90% of a show, no one will notice.” ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2015, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-think-happy-days-jumped-the-shark/733230/23 "2015-10-04T01:50:24Z")
I was a teen who sometimes watched “Happy Days” in the 1970s. I actually saw the episode in which Fonzie jumped the shark. And while I didn’t stop watching because of that episode, I did stop watching shortly afterward. Not because I thought that was a particularly bad episode, just because I was growing up and had gradually lost interest in the show. There’s not always a magic moment when a show goes bad, any more than there’s always a magic moment when a musical act loses its fans. Did New Kids on the Block suddenly make a lousy album that made girls dump them? Or did girls who liked them just grow up and move on to more adult music? ---
**Author:** ![Mince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Mince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mince)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2015, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-think-happy-days-jumped-the-shark/733230/24 "2015-10-04T02:19:44Z")
The term, meme, idea derived directly from a _Happy Days_ episode; so yeah. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2015, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-think-happy-days-jumped-the-shark/733230/25 "2015-10-04T02:26:20Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > It became the Fonzie show before the first season was over. If the network had its way it literally would have become the Fonzie show, as in they wanted to re-title the series _Fonzie’s Happy Days_. To Henry Winkler’s credit he absolutely refused and he also had it put in his contract that as long as Ron Howard was still in the series his name (Winkler’s) would not appear above Howard’s in the opening credits. I agree that that episode should be the dictionary definition of the term. It’s not when a show simply becomes bad but when a show that previously had very interesting characters and plots runs out of original ideas and substitutes it with something ridiculous. I was only 10 or 11 when it aired and even I remember thinking _‘This is really, really stupid’_. The whole thing reminded me of a Scooby Doo episode: They have to save so & so’s old aunt’s water park from the big developers with Fonzie’s jump. All that was missing was unmasking the shark as the evil neighbor/tax collector/slighted nephew etc. Long before Ron Howard quit it had become unwatchable. Once he actually did, to add insult to injury it became Cousin Oliver syndrome as well. I had stopped watching long before then. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2015, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-think-happy-days-jumped-the-shark/733230/26 "2015-10-04T18:09:31Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > To Henry Winkler’s credit he absolutely refused and he also had it put in his contract that as long as Ron Howard was still in the series his name (Winkler’s) would not appear above Howard’s in the opening credits. Enjoyable Urban Legend, but not the truth. I worked an episode of “Early Edition” many years ago as the Steadicam Operator. The episode’s director had directed the Pilot of “Happy Days”, though he turned down the offer from Gary Marshall to do the series a few years later when it actually was picked up. Since I grew up loving this show, once a crew member told me this fellow was the Pilot director, I had to chat him up. Lovely older fellow. Had done a shitload of comedies in the 60’s and 70’s. ( Gilligan’s Island, Brady Bunch, Beverly Hillbillies, etc ). He was pretty delighted to find out that I recalled a few key scenes from the pilot ( such as the fact that Arthur Fonzarelli wasn’t wearing a black leather jacket at all in it ), etc. He informed me that Ron Howard’s agent negotiated in the initial contract for “Happy Days” a clause known as the Most Favored Nations clause. Ron was not permitted to be credited below anyone in the show credits, nor could he be paid a dollar less per episode than any other actor in the show. He was hired as the star and while this clause may have seemed like a petty thing to Production, it earned Ron Howard a king’s ransom. Like most shows then ( and now to a degree ), everyone got a 1 year contract. Since Henry Winkler’s character Fonzie exploded during the 1st season, he rightfully renegotiated through the roof every year after that. Ron Howard’s contract was re-written right along with it due to the initial overall contract that included that clause. As this nice fellow said to me, " How do you think he was able to afford to make the transition to Directing a feature at such a young age? The Most Favored Nations clause netted him a fortune he otherwise would not have seen. "…or words to that effect. I take this as the Straight Dope considering the source. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2015, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-think-happy-days-jumped-the-shark/733230/27 "2015-10-04T18:17:55Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > It became the Fonzie show before the first season was over. In the first season, he was very much a background character. In his first few appearances, he wore a canvas work jacket. I don’t think he really became THE FONZ until season 2. I’ll go so far as to say that the show jumped the shark (i.e. abandoned its original intent) when he became more of a cartoon character with catch phrases than a flesh-and-blood one. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2015, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-think-happy-days-jumped-the-shark/733230/28 "2015-10-04T18:27:07Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > In the first season, he was very much a background character. In his first few appearances, he wore a canvas work jacket. I don’t think he really became THE FONZ until season 2. The original intent was to avoid focusing on Fonzie because they didn’t want to portray a ‘hood’ in a good light. But it was immediately obvious that Fonzie was the single most popular character in the first season. Your argument is valid though, there was a real step up in the second season to featuring Fonzie on every show. I’m just saying that it became obvious very early on that Fonzie was the star. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2015, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-think-happy-days-jumped-the-shark/733230/29 "2015-10-04T19:03:35Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > In the first season, he was very much a background character. In his first few appearances, he wore a canvas work jacket. I don’t think he really became THE FONZ until season 2. Actually, I think it was a [blue windbreaker.](https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7039/6872151229_1fd9e74309.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2015, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-think-happy-days-jumped-the-shark/733230/30 "2015-10-04T20:25:23Z")
It’s all set up where this plain, middle class kid that has no luck with girls invents an imaginary friend who is the coolest guy in history. Then Richie leaves and BOOM! Shark jump. Your world is upside down and it was really the biker who imagined a clean cut alter ego with a stable family life. I have no idea what would have happened if Mork had won that holotacker. Fonz and Mindy? ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-think-happy-days-jumped-the-shark/733230/31 "2015-10-05T11:36:03Z")
> [@Tread](#): > > Bolding mine obviously > So OP, do you think it jumped or not? > > To me it was a slow, long jump. > > The landing of which was when we realized instead of watching a show about teenagers in the 50s, we are watching a show about an all powerful bikeaphile, in the 70s… sure they still claimed 50s, but wardrobe, hairstyles, Mr C’s Oversized digital watch…etc we saw a modern day setting No joke. I can still recall the little slut “Leather Tuscadero”. Rolleyes. Turned into a pile of shit, at some point. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-think-happy-days-jumped-the-shark/733230/32 "2015-10-05T13:08:43Z")
I don’t think a show can jump the shark in the first season, and possibly not even in the second. It first must establish itself before it can become something else. I’ll also point out that the “jumping the shark” moment is supposed to be a culmination. It’s supposed to be preceded by other similar things. The shark jump is the point of no return. For example, _The Real Ghostbusters_ started to become more and more focused on Slimer in the second season. But it didn’t jump the shark until it became _Slimer and the Real Ghostbusters_. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-think-happy-days-jumped-the-shark/733230/33 "2015-10-05T13:31:59Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Once again, I am in the minority in that I think it jumped the shark well before the shark jumping. I think the show declined once Fonzi went from being a minor character who was the local hood/mechanic into the main character. Agreed. And the fact they took him from a sort of sad hood to an almost supernatural in his coolness good guy, but at the same time left him a nearly illiterate moron. And I can only assume the women swooning over him was pheromones. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-think-happy-days-jumped-the-shark/733230/34 "2015-10-05T14:39:50Z")
IIRC, doesn’t he just snap his fingers and women come running? My favorite moment in Arrested Development is when Henry Winkler jumps over a dead shark on laying on the pier. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-think-happy-days-jumped-the-shark/733230/35 "2015-10-05T21:07:47Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > IIRC, doesn’t he just snap his fingers and women come running? Yep. Nothing against Henry Winkler- he was a cute enough guy- but he was never believable as someone women would swoon over. He could also turn lights on and off with a snap. And he had a dog who disappeared after a couple of mentions. Maybe his nephew Spike took the dog when he moved in with Chuck Cunningham. (And who was Spike’s dad or mom if Fonz was an only child?) ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-think-happy-days-jumped-the-shark/733230/36 "2015-10-05T21:17:36Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Once again, I am in the minority in that I think it jumped the shark well before the shark jumping. I think the show declined once Fonzi went from being a minor character who was the local hood/mechanic into the main character. The show was only good for a couple of seasons when it was kind of a watered down American Graffiti for TV. I started to grow disenchanted with the show at that point, as well. Fonzie was more interesting if he was showcased only occasionally. Too much of him was… well, a bit much! ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-think-happy-days-jumped-the-shark/733230/37 "2015-10-05T21:31:56Z")
I was trying to think of when it did in my mind, and realized, I can’t really remember much of anything specific about the whole damn show. I vaguely remember a bunch of unmemorable scenes in the living room, and the kitchen,and diner, and the diner bathroom. I can remember the basic characters, and their primary personality. But other than the Mork episode I can’t remember a single actual thing that happened in a plot sense. If the Shark wasn’t such a known reference now, I wouldn’t remember that either I bet. ---
**Author:** ![Tread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Tread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tread)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-think-happy-days-jumped-the-shark/733230/38 "2015-10-06T00:33:40Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > . Maybe his nephew Spike took the dog when he moved in with Chuck Cunningham. (And who was Spike’s dad or mom if Fonz was an only child?) This was actually explained in one episode… Spike was actually his cousin ( like Chachi) he just called Fonzie his Uncle due to the age difference. ---
**Author:** ![TheInimitableMaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@TheInimitableMaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheInimitableMaven)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-think-happy-days-jumped-the-shark/733230/39 "2015-10-06T03:46:35Z")
I would say that Happy Days’ going downhill culminated at the exact same time as two things: 1. Fonz’ transformation from downbeat dropout to miraculous greaser and THE superstar of the show overnight. and 1. When they started to announce “_Happy Days_ is filmed before a live audience.” at the beginning of the episodes. As mundane as #2 might be, Fonz’ transmogrification really, REALLY took off at about that time. And although it was already ‘The Fonz Show’ at that point, I have to give honorable mention to when Al Molinaro replaced Pat Morita as Arnold. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-think-happy-days-jumped-the-shark/733230/40 "2015-10-06T13:12:32Z")
> [@gytalf2000](#): > > I started to grow disenchanted with the show at that point, as well. Fonzie was more interesting if he was showcased only occasionally. Too much of him was… well, a bit much! Like in the first season or so, Fonzie was the vaguely shady guy who sold Richie a car that may, or may not have been stolen. Also, he was shown as being cool to the high school kids, but only because they were kids and didn’t realize a lot of it was an act. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-think-happy-days-jumped-the-shark/733230.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-think-happy-days-jumped-the-shark/733230.md?page=3)