# What are some shows that, in your opinion, never jumped the shark? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 15, 2017, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-shows-that-in-your-opinion-never-jumped-the-shark/798897 "2017-10-15T03:58:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2017, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-shows-that-in-your-opinion-never-jumped-the-shark/798897/61 "2017-10-16T19:11:06Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > On the old “Jumped The Shark” site (the one TV Guide wrecked) _Magnum P.I._ was one of the very few to earn a “Never Jumped” rating. Why the hell did TV Guide buy and then ruin the Jump the Shark website? I thought it was a fun website way back when. What was their motivation to wreck it so that nobody would visit it, and then completely abandon the whole idea? As a stab at answering my own question, I guess it must be the same mindset that caused IMDB to eliminate their message boards, almost certainly the busiest and most visited part of their website. Not worth maintaining the database and message boards if they don’t clearly and obviously make money, I guess. I have cut my use of IMDB back significantly since then. ---
**Author:** ![Greekfreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@Greekfreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greekfreak)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-shows-that-in-your-opinion-never-jumped-the-shark/798897/62 "2017-10-19T18:04:35Z")
Six Feet Under, Cheers, and to a lesser extent, SCTV (although the final season was really not the greatest note to end on). ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-shows-that-in-your-opinion-never-jumped-the-shark/798897/63 "2017-10-19T22:25:55Z")
How about _Yes Minister / Yes Prime Minister_? And _Blake’s Seven_. I don’t recall _The Bill_ jumping a shark but it did go soap which killed it for me. _To the Manor Born_ is another one. ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-shows-that-in-your-opinion-never-jumped-the-shark/798897/64 "2017-10-19T22:58:39Z")
> [@Orwell](#): > > Yeah, I have to agree. MASH jumped a whole school of sharks when it became the Alan Alda show. A good case of YMMV. For me (and many others I know) MASH got better when it became the Alan Alda show. No question that the cast in the final seasons was far superior to the original cast. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-shows-that-in-your-opinion-never-jumped-the-shark/798897/65 "2017-10-19T23:03:36Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > In my opinion, **Weeds** never got bad. Neither did **The Office**. And, obviously, **Breaking Bad.** \*\*Prison Break \*\*was also pretty good for every season it had. I know it’s your opinion, but I think most people would agree that other than the last couple episodes, there was a significant drop-off in quality of **The Office** after Steve Carrell left. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-shows-that-in-your-opinion-never-jumped-the-shark/798897/66 "2017-10-19T23:13:38Z")
Boardwalk Empire ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-shows-that-in-your-opinion-never-jumped-the-shark/798897/67 "2017-10-19T23:15:24Z")
**The Shield**. 7 seasons, outstanding from the first episode to the last. ---
**Author:** ![D.E.S.K.Top668](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@D.E.S.K.Top668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D.E.S.K.Top668)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-shows-that-in-your-opinion-never-jumped-the-shark/798897/68 "2017-10-20T01:16:17Z")
I wouldn’t say **M_A_S_H_** Jumped The Shark. It changed its tone and its focus but never had a primarily bad season. Note that I was born in 1968 and saw the first run later episodes before I saw the earlier seasons in syndication. I think that **Barney Miller** ended as good as it started. Some bad individual shows, but never a moment that made you walk away and go So, “what’s on the other Networks next week at this time?” Some shows, like **Gilligan’s Island,** **The Beverly Hillbillies,** or **Leave it to Beaver** weren’t _good_ shows but never had a “Jump The Shark” moment. A few unexpected shows that would probably go unmentioned otherwise; Disney’s **Kim Possible** and **Phineas and Ferb.** Also, **Animaniacs.** Yes, they’re lowly cartoons for kids. They were also intelligently written so parents could enjoy them too. Just my $0.02 - DESK ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-shows-that-in-your-opinion-never-jumped-the-shark/798897/69 "2017-10-20T02:07:21Z")
You remember the ABC Movie of the Week? It had made for tv movies from 1969-75. The best known is Spielberg’s Duel starring Dennis Weaver. > **[ABC Movie of the Week](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABC_Movie_of_the_Week)** > > The ABC Movie of the Week was an American weekly television anthology series featuring made-for-TV movies, that aired on the ABC network in various permutations from 1969 to 1975. > In the 1960s, movie studios viewed television as a second-rate medium but also as a threat to their theatrical revenue, so they charged high fees for the privilege to broadcast their films. The networks experimented with having films made specifically for TV to lower expenses. NBC created the first weekly umbrella fo... The movies were consistently pretty good. Sometimes they ran a pilot for a drama series that didn’t sell. I didn’t like all of the movies. But, I always checked the tv guide listing to see if it looked interesting. They never ran out of ideas for the series. ABC Movie of the Week never jumped the shark. One of my favorites is The House on Green Apple road. A bloody murder mystery. Blood on the walls and floor. Very graphic for the early 70’s. ---
**Author:** ![Cornelius\_Tuggerson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Cornelius\_Tuggerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cornelius_Tuggerson)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-shows-that-in-your-opinion-never-jumped-the-shark/798897/70 "2017-10-20T03:26:17Z")
> [@Biffster](#): > > The Leftovers never jumped the shark. Damn good series too, all 28 episodes, one of the finest ever made. Agreed. Starts off with a premise that is somewhat shark-jumpy, piles on even more utterly unrealistic events and still stays gripping and engaging until the end credits of the final episode. Bloody magnificent, 10/10, would depart again. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-shows-that-in-your-opinion-never-jumped-the-shark/798897/71 "2017-10-20T04:32:17Z")
“Kroll Show” was funny in all three seasons. ---
**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 20, 2017, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-shows-that-in-your-opinion-never-jumped-the-shark/798897/72 "2017-10-20T04:44:58Z")
Two that were mentioned: **Mary Tyler Moore Show** : Two episodes comes to mind as shark-jumpy, but they were VERY late in the run, like within four episodes of the finale: “Mary’s Three Husbands” (Lou, Murray and Ted have dreams about what being married to Mary would be like) and “Lou dates Mary,” second-to-last episode, confirming what we already knew in the very first episode. Frankly, the show was on autopilot for most of the final season. **NCIS** : Jumped a couple times, notably when they made Ari a recurring super-villain. Jumped again when they made Willmer Valderrama a show regular. Man, I _never_ thought I’d miss Tony until they replaced him with a bulked-up Fez. ---
**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 20, 2017, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-shows-that-in-your-opinion-never-jumped-the-shark/798897/73 "2017-10-20T04:55:22Z")
> [@D.E.S.K.Top668](#): > > I wouldn’t say **M_A_S_H_** Jumped The Shark. It changed its tone and its focus but never had a primarily bad season. Note that I was born in 1968 and saw the first run later episodes before I saw the earlier seasons in syndication. It had some bad seasons. The last few years turned into preachy “Issue of the week” shows, and there were some infamously treacly episodes throughout the series (like the black patient who wanted his wooden leg to look more like him). There were also excellent episodes pretty late in, like when Winchester has the pianist for a patient (He was just an overall better foil for Hawkeye than Frank ever was). ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-shows-that-in-your-opinion-never-jumped-the-shark/798897/74 "2017-10-20T08:28:43Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > ’ The walking Dead ’ cannot be beat. But I guess it doesn’t count since it still active. Johnny Carson went out on top. Downton Abbey was great every season. I liked every Star Trek I ever saw, but that’s just me! Really? I’d say the shark was jumped on the Walking Dead in season 1. When they asked the producer to make 15 episodes for the price of 5, and he left. Second season was appallingly slow, and a number of seasons since have been too slow. I’m considering watching episode 1, 7+8 and 15 next season… Because nothing happens in the rest of them… ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-shows-that-in-your-opinion-never-jumped-the-shark/798897/75 "2017-10-20T08:38:47Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Simpsons never jumped, but just entered a slow decline, still with flashes of the old brilliance. Oh it definitely jumped the shark in Season 8, it had a slow decline in Season 7 when Mike Tully took control. He did some initial decent episodes, but got in new writers. The episode is homer’s enemy, and in effect the introduction of a\*\*hole homer. Before this homer as an oaf, unthinking, but not actually uncaring, there was a heart to him. This one episode sowed the seeds that homer was an idiot who went around and did a\*\*hole things and everybody laughed and said “that’s homer”. Before this, people explained to homer why he was wrong and he usually got it… It’s a strange one, because it is regarded as a classic episode. It might have decent and interesting points, but it swings the whole base of the simpsons onto a simpler comic vein. With that happening, you can have your pick of the worst episodes, and whole seasons without a single laugh. Singing jockeys? Constant guest stars for no reasons? Killing Flanders wife? Skinner being a fake? Focus on the throwaway characters, Comic Book Guy? Basically the script is : “Homer does something stupid. Everyone laughs” Even got a link for that, though I was of this opinion about ten years before this: [Simpsons jumps the shark: Homers Enemy](https://www.theverge.com/2014/8/22/6056915/frank-grimes-the-simpsons-jump-the-shark) ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-shows-that-in-your-opinion-never-jumped-the-shark/798897/76 "2017-10-20T08:43:27Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > My picks will probably be controversial, but I think: > > \*\*LOST > > Battlestar Galactica\*\* > > never jumped the shark. I even like the finales to both, especially BSG. > > I agree that MASH was still great in the end. Lost, while too slow in Season 2, was bearable, but it should have ended at the end of Season 3, where it still made some sort of sense and the flash forward trick worked. Half a season to tie it up. But it didn’t. It then jumped the shark with time travel… Leading into baffling nonsense and unsatisfying ending. I would say end of Season 3 for Battlestar Galactica, and when you found out the the other 5 cyborgs. It didn’t make sense, and the explanation that there was only 5 of these robots, when there’s thousands of the remaining 7, and the 7 just don’t remember who the 5 were for no reason, and then it gets all religious. And then there’s the cyborgs dying and being reborn in a ship, which seem to either not work, or none of the 5 ever died. It was just nonsense after that. Almost a different scifi show. Then it was all earth in the beginning. Yeah, right. ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-shows-that-in-your-opinion-never-jumped-the-shark/798897/77 "2017-10-20T09:07:39Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Some will disagree, but I’ll add _The West Wing_. It’s an interesting one this one, I personally am stalled in the season where I reckon pretty much anyone who said it jumped, jumped. But I’m unsure if it actually jumped. It is definitely less interesting to me. It has definitely become a different show. It is probably worse for it. But is it actually bad? The season being 5. After Aaron Sorkin left/was fired, and in the middle of a major cliffhanger… I’m intriuged what his plans for the resolution of the cliffhanger was. The actual resolution was pretty decent IMHO. However, after this it clearly became a different show. Whoever replaced him producing and writing, were not writing the same show. Previously it was the battle of the whitehouse versus the republicans, after that it was the battle of the whitehouse between itself. Everybody seemed to hate each other. I think the actors are phoning it in. As an outsider from the Uk, The west wing was always a dense show for us to understand. It had politics and issue we had no knowledge of. But somehow I managed to understand largely what was going on. During Season 5, I often just fall asleep, and frankly its no different from when I stayed awake anyway… So I suppose I say, I can’t tell if it jumped the shark, because not from the US… ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-shows-that-in-your-opinion-never-jumped-the-shark/798897/78 "2017-10-20T09:32:35Z")
Ok, Babylon 5 - Ok, fifth season was weaker, but it was because they used all the strongest scripts in season 4 because cancellation was imminent. Farscape - I don’t think it did. Though the ending of the series was clearly on the basis of a followup movie… Fringe - Season 5 was a tidyup, but it still held together very well in the end. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-shows-that-in-your-opinion-never-jumped-the-shark/798897/79 "2017-10-20T09:47:34Z")
All mentioned already but hey, I just got here: Justified The Shield Fringe Also, Person of Interest ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-shows-that-in-your-opinion-never-jumped-the-shark/798897/80 "2017-10-20T10:52:21Z")
The hilarious show “Delocated” started to flag a bit in season 3, but it was still funny and it made up for it in the special final episode “The Frrt Identity”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-shows-that-in-your-opinion-never-jumped-the-shark/798897.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-shows-that-in-your-opinion-never-jumped-the-shark/798897.md?page=5)