Fonzie Jumped the Shark 30 Years Ago

If you don't know what "jumping the shark" means, it is the moment a popular TV show starts to go downhill. The term comes from an episode of Happy Days, in the Ron Howard era of the show, which has the gang going on vacation. Since Fonzie had already jumped lots of stuff on his motorcycle (a steal from the then-popular Evel Knievel), why not jump a shark. . .on skis! And so he did, and a legend was born.

It was thirty years ago this week (Tuesday, September 20, 1977) that the Fonz defied death, but everybody knows the real jump the shark moment on Happy Days was when Ted McGinley joined the show. In fact, if the shark scene had never happened, we might be saying, "that show really Ted McGinleyed itself tonight!"



Video discovered at: Gigglesugar.com

Also worth a look: JumpTheShark.com