HIMYM was never what I would call “knee-slappingly funny” but it had its moments. The writing got progressively worse after each season. The baby stuff can also kill a sitcom really fast.
Having watched two episodes of “2 Broke Girls” I would like to know if it’s possible to just speed into the shark’s gullet without even the effort of a jump? I’ve never seen such a poorly acted/written sitcom in my life.
I think “Raising Hope” has jumped, although I’m not sure there’s a specific moment. It was a unique, charming show when it started, but the last few episodes have gone hard in the formulaic sitcom with callbacks direction. It’s still funny, but it used to be interesting and funny.
“Zombie Strips” is a perfectly appropriate description of those newspaper comic strips that have outlived their original creators, not to mention any freshness or humor they may once have had. I can’t think of any shows that are zombielike to that degree, and I really don’t think the term applies to the shows you mention.
In the case of SNL, you could say it was a Zombie Show back in Season Six, after the original cast left—but since then it has come back to life several times. Nowadays it’s not so much a show as it is an institution—consisting of a format, a tradition, and whatever comedic sensibility Lorne Michaels brings to it, but dependent on whatever performers and writers are currently doing the show. The Simpsons is still recognizably the same show it’s been throughout its run; only the quality level isn’t what it was in the series’ heyday, and even if it was, it wouldn’t feel as fresh just because they’ve been plowing the same ground for 20 years. But the best moments from recent epsisodes could fit seamlessly in with stuff from earlier years.
We watched “How I Met Your Mother” tonight - yup, definitely jumped the shark. The baby storyline -awful. Beyond awful. The Barney storyline - Barney has been completely turned into a mundane. He is NOT awesome any longer. Hurry up and get to The Mother - I can’t take much more of this!
Ugh - terrible. I didn’t mind the Barney storyline, it was the Robin storyline that was cringe-inducing throughout. The baby story was bad, but not nearly as bad as it’s been this season. The writers are getting them to a point where Marshall and Lily can start ignoring him.
I’ve been disappointed with this season of “Raising Hope” as well. I think the Brits have it right. Do a show with enough episodes (like the original “The Office”) that mine the territory without going stale, then end it and come up with a brand new show to fill the slot.
Castle after the "novelty " wore off in the first season.
I am going to preemptively call shark jumping just due to Shirley being cast.
If her brother shows up, it is OVER.
SHAMELESS US! The first two seasons were awesome but season three was nothing but gratuitous sex. They also had a real hard time with continuity and finishing a storyline. Examples: Sheila was an agoraphobic but as soon as her daughter went into labor, she was at the hospital and riding on the back of a motorcycle and magically isn’t agoraphobic anymore…Mickey brutally beat Ian, is was a tragic and shocking scene. The net week, it was like it didn’t happen at all, Ian and Mickey resumed their sexual relationship. WTF? …Karen was a sex addicted nympho but she loved and supported her mother and was really a sweet girl. Long story short, they turned her into a mean bitch. She loved Lip but married someone else when she found out she was pregnant to keep Lip from throwing his life away. A selfless act that deserves attention but they wrote on a new love interest for Lip instead. Mandy, this horrible clingy needy desperate thing that never left his house who tried to murder Karen by hitting her with her car. It was horrible. Yet she forged his college applications for him so she is the one who he thinks is best for him. Makes NO SENSE! Willam Macy and Emmy Rossum are the stars of the show and the reason I started watching it but these wretched secondary characters are getting all the screen time, I think because the younger teen audience just likes the hipster way they look. Black hair and combat boots. whatever. Last but not least Kevin and Veronica, two of the funniest and most beloved characters on the show did nothing this season at all but have online sex and threeways with Veronicas mom so they could have a baby with veronicas dna. she is unable to conceive. it was just stupid and kinda gross. What the hell happened to this show?