# What long running tv shows did NOT jump the shark? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 24, 2012, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260 "2012-07-24T17:04:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/41 "2012-07-24T19:53:24Z")
The Sopranos was voted to have never jumped and I agree. There were some weak episodes and one bad storyline (yes, Johnnycakes), but the overall arc stayed strong throughout. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/42 "2012-07-24T19:54:55Z")
How about _Breaking Bad_? It isn’t over yet of course, but as this is the last season, chances of shark-jumping seem remote. Though they could conceivably suffer from “last episode fizzle”. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/43 "2012-07-24T19:57:39Z")
> [@digs](#): > > There should be a term for a great show with a last WTF? episode. \* . . . . > [@](#): > > - ooh, how about “F\*\*\*ed The Shark”? I could agree to that. And The Prisoner is the best and most venerable example of the trope. Although I could also get behind another phrase that was more Prisoner related. I just can’t think of one off hand. Popped the security bubble? Became an irrational number? Launched the rocket of WTF? ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/44 "2012-07-24T19:59:55Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > In my opinion, yes to all of them (and I’d include _Lost_ as well). I feel each of these shows reached a point where they were forced to be weird for the sake of being weird rather than because it fit the ongoing story. > > The problem, I think, is that each of them had a structure where some characters were trying impose normality. The established rules of story-telling says the protagonist has to make progress in reaching a goal or you lose the audience - but in these stories you have the problem that if the protagonist made progress towards his goal of imposing normality, then you’d lose the weirdness that was the setting of the show. So the shows we’re forced to come up with things like introducing new obstacles or moving the goalposts or revealing hidden layers to keep the weirdness alive while moving the story along. And, in my opinion, none of them were able to do it successfully - in each case, it was an obvious glitch. > > In contrast, I feel weirdness can work in a show like _The Addams Family_ or _Soap_, where the characters embrace the weirdness and there’s no goal of trying to impose normality. Interesting post. In literature, the best example I can think of for this is the Dark Tower series. The best counter-examples, that is works filled with wierdness that do _not_ end in a ‘painted into corner’ type fizzle, tend to be cases in which the structure of the narrative itself imposes some sort of pattern on the wierdness (Calvino’s _If on a winter’s night a traveller_ or Mitchell’s _Cloud Atlas_). ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/45 "2012-07-24T20:20:23Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > did Twin Peaks, The Prisoner or The X-Files jump the shark? The X-Files jumped no later than when they replaced both leads. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/46 "2012-07-24T20:32:01Z")
\*Just Shoot Me \*ran for seven seasons and I thought it stayed pretty consistent throughout. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/47 "2012-07-24T20:36:16Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Star Trek: TNG progressively unjumped the shark, I believe. Star Trek TNG [Grew a Beard](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GrowingTheBeard). ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/48 "2012-07-24T20:42:50Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > Star Trek TNG [Grew a Beard](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GrowingTheBeard). Looks like **John DiFool** beat me to the punch. Carry on everyone, nothing to see here. ---
**Author:** ![Colaveare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ba8739/32.png) [@Colaveare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colaveare)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/49 "2012-07-24T20:46:16Z")
I would recommend then the following Shows: Babylon 5 I know, I know. The show was slow to start but got progressively better and by the end it had a full grown beard. Eh… I do like that turn of phrase. Battleship Galactica (2005) Doctor Who (2005) Though I am still unsure about current season. 50/50 depending on second part that is restarting soon. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/50 "2012-07-24T20:48:23Z")
It may strain the definition of “long running” but The Wire lasted four seasons without jumping. I think most shows that make it that far start to show their age around season 5 or so. That is usually when the people behind it start moving on to other things and the people that take their place start making short cuts. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/51 "2012-07-24T20:58:20Z")
Sincs _The Prisoner_ was only 17 episodes, I don’t think it qualifies as “long-running”. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/52 "2012-07-24T21:37:48Z")
_Cheers_? That went into the toilet big time when Shelley Long left. Not a fan of her or the character (or the “Sam and Diane” thing), but something happened to the show after that. The writing went downhill. People were just going thru the motions. The plots got really idiotic. Plus Kirstie Alley is one of the world’s worst actresses. For example, Tom Skerritt is a fairly good actor. It was painful to watch him walk thru his episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Oogly\_Woogly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ee7513/32.png) [@Oogly\_Woogly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oogly_Woogly)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/53 "2012-07-24T22:17:51Z")
Do shows ever even get the chance to Grow the Beard? It seems like they usually end up getting cancelled before the first signs of stubble. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/54 "2012-07-24T22:27:43Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > \*Just Shoot Me \*ran for seven seasons and I thought it stayed pretty consistent throughout. Yeah, but it was _Just Shoot Me_. It consistently sucked from Episode 1 right through to the end. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/55 "2012-07-24T22:33:21Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > It may strain the definition of “long running” but The Wire lasted four seasons without jumping. Since it ran for 5 seasons, does that mean you think it jumped it after the fourth? Though season 5 of _The Wire_ was easily the weakest, I don’t think it ever jumped. I’ll also second _Deadwood_ and _The Shield_. Though they’re still running, I’d be surprised if _Breaking Bad, Mad Men_ or _Curb Your Enthusiasm_ ended up jumping the shark. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/56 "2012-07-24T22:49:06Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > Yeah, but it was _Just Shoot Me_. It consistently sucked from Episode 1 right through to the end. What, you missed the episode with Slow Donnie? ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/57 "2012-07-24T22:51:21Z")
_Monty Python’s Flying Circus_. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/58 "2012-07-24T22:58:22Z")
> [@Oogly\_Woogly](#): > > Do shows ever even get the chance to Grow the Beard? It seems like they usually end up getting cancelled before the first signs of stubble. Agreed…_Brimstone_ is an excellent example-we’ll never know what the revelation in the final episode would have wrought down the road, because Fox then canceled it. Ash, the putative lady cop, was actually an escapee of Hell, the ringleader of the escape in fact. Up to that point she had been making buddy-buddy with Zach. ---
**Author:** ![audit1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@audit1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audit1)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/59 "2012-07-24T23:33:05Z")
Gunsmoke ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/60 "2012-07-24T23:45:56Z")
> [@ministryman](#): > > Damn! :smack: Game, Set, Match! Well played, sir… I’d have preferred a restrained golf clap…but I tip my hat to your effort, my good fellow. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260.md?page=4)