# 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:** 5
**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:** [July 26, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/81 "2012-07-26T19:05:00Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I think _Barney Miller_ went eight seasons without jumping. > > In fact, I even think it grew a beard (or in this case a moustache) in the second season by eliminating the scenes of Barney’s home life. How much you like the later seasons depends on your tolerance for Levitt, I think. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/82 "2012-07-26T19:11:39Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Did **Lassie** ever Jump the Shark? I never watched it, but it ran _forever_. Same with **Bonanza**. Timmy tried and failed to Jump the Shark that was in a well, but Lassie saved him. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/83 "2012-07-26T21:17:35Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > I, Claudius I’m not sure that a 13-episode adaptation of a novel and its sequel is quite what the OP meant by “long running tv show”. ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/84 "2012-07-26T21:39:30Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Arrested Development > The Rockford Files > I, Claudius And I’ll second Arrested Development, at least if you can consider 3 seasons to be “long running”. IMO, it definitely ‘grew the beard’ when it evolved from a fairly standard, if well-acted, awkward-comedy sitcom to a work of absurdist brilliance. Which I think happened somewhere in season 2. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/85 "2012-07-26T23:23:27Z")
Both “Twin Peaks” and “Crime Story” were excellent in their first season and pathetic in their (mercifully abbreviated) second seasons. The problem was that the basic conflicts were resolved in the final episodes of their first season, and with them went the whole premise of each show. I mean, where can you go from up except down? Most of the shows that never jumped the shark (MTM, DVD, “Cheers!”) had the good grace to exit voluntarily while things were still going well, and the story possibilities had yet to be exhausted. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/86 "2012-07-27T02:10:53Z")
> [@digs](#): > > There should be a term for a great show with a last WTF? episode. On TVTropes, it’s TrippyFinaleSyndrome, shading into GainaxEnding if it’s incomprehensible. The Prisoner got nuts\* during development.\* I think McGoohan wanted _weird,_ weirder than some of the writers expected. But does that count as Jumping the Shark? I’m gonna say no. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/87 "2012-07-27T02:45:36Z")
I’m going to go against the prevailing opinion on SDMB and say _The Simpsons._ There are still quite a few scenes and entire episodes that are hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/88 "2012-07-27T02:49:52Z")
Boston Legal was good to the end. ---
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/89 "2012-07-27T11:05:51Z")
Adam-12. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/90 "2012-07-27T11:40:46Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Both “Twin Peaks” and “Crime Story” were excellent in their first season and pathetic in their (mercifully abbreviated) second seasons. The problem was that the basic conflicts were resolved in the final episodes of their first season, and with them went the whole premise of each show. I mean, where can you go from up except down? Actually the problem with “Twin Peaks” is that it _didn’t_ resolve the basic conflicts in the final episode of the first season. Everything leading up to it promised a spectacular resolution to the “Who Killed Laura Palmer?” question, and instead we got no answers and a new “Who Shot Agent Cooper?” question. It was like a big “fuck you” to the fans, and they duly abandoned it the next season. And this is why I never bothered watching “Lost” after the first few episodes, when it became obvious that the entire series was going to be like that. ---
**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 27, 2012, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/91 "2012-07-27T11:45:38Z")
I don’t think COLUMBO jumped. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/92 "2012-07-27T12:10:27Z")
> [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](#): > > Adam-12. I’ll call your Adam-12 and raise you _Dragnet_. In both cases, it’s hard to jump a shark when every episode is practically identical to every other episode. ---
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/93 "2012-07-27T13:12:30Z")
Any takers on _Monk_? It had some ups and downs but seemed pretty good over all to me. ---
**Author:** ![raspberry\_hunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@raspberry\_hunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raspberry_hunter)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/94 "2012-07-27T18:55:25Z")
I thought Star Trek: Deep Space Nine did pretty well – it had the occasional bad episode/arc (_cough_Ezri) at any given point during the run, but the last couple of seasons as a whole were awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/95 "2012-07-27T19:55:42Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > 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? Pulled off the gorilla mask? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/96 "2012-07-27T21:21:12Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > Sincs _The Prisoner_ was only 17 episodes, I don’t think it qualifies as “long-running”. I agree. And while the final episode was strange, it was far better than a more mundane explanation. Now, the remake jumped at minute 1, when Number 6 saw a guy with a real Number 6 jacket. It sank from there. I saw all of Danger Man/Secret Agent, including the early 30 minute episodes, and it only jumped at the final 2 or 3 color (sorry, colour) episodes. And I’ll say that is almost a non-jump since McGoohan then jumped ship. If you consider the Prisoner a continuation of Secret Agent, then it would be a massive and quick un-jump. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/97 "2012-07-27T21:46:45Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > I don’t think COLUMBO jumped. I don’t think he bathed either 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/98 "2012-07-27T22:32:50Z")
_The Twilight Zone_ ---
**Author:** ![priapus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@priapus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/priapus)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/99 "2012-07-28T01:21:47Z")
> [@chizzuk](#): > > Perry Mason? Of course, given that much of it was based directly off mystery novels and it didn’t really have overarching plot development, I guess it doesn’t count. > > Although Raymond Burr did turn into a whale by the end. I loved Perry mason as a child.When I read the stories as an adult I found all the tv series and the books had in common were the titles. There was very little connection. On the side, I found a 1930’s version of Perry Mason that presented a young Errol Flynn (non-speaking role) as the victim. Sorry about the hijack. ---
**Author:** ![priapus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@priapus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/priapus)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260/100 "2012-07-28T01:26:46Z")
> [@Rubixcube](#): > > Grew the beard is a real term. It refers to ST:TNG where Riker grew a beard right around the same time the show improved massively. ST:TNG must have ended too well since the-powers-that-be sent Ryker over to ST:Enterprise to jump their shark. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-long-running-tv-shows-did-not-jump-the-shark/629260.md?page=6)