What do you think?
Rate this book
Jump the Shark: When Good Things Go Bad
The creator of the now-famous website that identifies the precise moment when sitcoms head south applies his powers of observation to politics, sports, and popular music. 75,000 first printing.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2002
5 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
March 31, 2008
This is what happens when you give a book deal to some random internet schmuck. Everything in this book is obviously just an opinion since apparently The Simpsons has NEVER jumped the shark, while South Park jumped after season 2, exactly at the point where the show started getting good. Ah well. Besides these idiotic opinions, it's also one of the most poorly written books I've ever read. Where the hell was the editor is all this? If you really must read it, get it from a library, but please don't dump money into this garbage.
May 22, 2022
I read this book back in 2012. Fun and interesting book. Nothing profound but it gives examples about when not to go too far. The premise of this book is that someone "jumps the shark" when they can no longer be taken seriously. The title and expression comes from Fonz's vaulting over sharks when water-skiing.
March 21, 2022
Full disclosure: I needed a book that started with a “J” for the RPS open books challenge. Unfortunately I found this one. While there were a few interesting pop culture observations, it turns out reading a book about pop culture almost 20 years after publication does not go well. I did this as an audio book and it was like a long, boring podcast. I guess I should have just glanced at the website rather than counting just how many times you can write “fin” and “shark” in one book. The analysis of when politicians “jumped the shark” was especially bad. Plus - can a show really jump the shark and keep having very successful seasons, ala Friends?? Anyway - not worth your time.
September 19, 2017
This book is proof that not every goob with a website deserves a book. I thought this book was very sloppily done. Factual errors abound. They may be small and nitpicky, like in BH 90210, the Walsh parents moved to Hong Kong, not Japan, and Olivia on the Cosby Show was the stepdaughter of Denise, not Sondra. Errors like that, while minor, give the book a lack of credibility. And who's to decide when something jumps the shark anyway? So arbitrary. The only good thing about it was the moments of nostalgia I got from reading about forgotten pop culture people and events.
January 26, 2019
Review of the audibook.
This book was published in the early 2000s, so it's fairly dated which detracted from the fun.
The premise of unpacking when popular celebrities, politicians, sports, TV shows, musicians "jumped the shark" or went from good/great to disappointingly bad is clever. Unfortunately, the premise really falls flat in book form. I didn't care about half the topics covered here and I disagreed with many of Hein's opinions. This would work MUCH BETTER as a podcast where 2-3 people discuss their perspectives and can argue with each other a bit.
1/5
This book was published in the early 2000s, so it's fairly dated which detracted from the fun.
The premise of unpacking when popular celebrities, politicians, sports, TV shows, musicians "jumped the shark" or went from good/great to disappointingly bad is clever. Unfortunately, the premise really falls flat in book form. I didn't care about half the topics covered here and I disagreed with many of Hein's opinions. This would work MUCH BETTER as a podcast where 2-3 people discuss their perspectives and can argue with each other a bit.
1/5
July 13, 2021
This book is about twenty years old, so it was a trip down memory lane as it mentioned people and TV shows from decades past. “Jump the shark” is a term that comes from the show Happy Days when Fonzie is on water skis and jumps over a shark. Jumping the shark is when someone does something gratuitous, unbelievable, and/or uncharacteristic…and things turn sour. There were so many pop culture moments that I had forgotten or had not thought about in ages, and I encountered them in this fun book.
July 7, 2024
Interesting book full of trivia about when various TV shows, musicians, celebrities, and politicians jumped the shark. The phrase “jump the shark” originated withe the TV show Happy Days when in an effort to draw in more viewers Fonzie is dared to waterski over a shark. He does so while wearing his iconic leather jacket. Even Henry Winkler recognize md the stunt as TV suicide.
I suggest you read the book in small doses. A few snippets at a sitting.
I suggest you read the book in small doses. A few snippets at a sitting.
March 22, 2021
Most of the tv shows, muscians, celebrities, sports and polititians, I was familiar with, even I didn't watch/listen, etc.
I took offence to A League of their Own being referred to as a "chick flick", and the downplaying of the organ in The Doors. But everyone is entitled to their opinion, I just don't know if you need to publish them.
I took offence to A League of their Own being referred to as a "chick flick", and the downplaying of the organ in The Doors. But everyone is entitled to their opinion, I just don't know if you need to publish them.
July 4, 2021
Fluff but fun read. I learned some behind the scenes details as well. If you want an entertaining book that is actually quite substantial and not like some others that are similiar in content but are thinly paged with four or five words ON each page, then this is a good one on which to "waste your time".
November 21, 2022
(Audiobook: 2.5 stars) A brief overview of the concept of “Jumping the Shark” and how the creator of that idea applies it to TV, movies, music, sports, etc. It is a bit dated (written before Boston overcame 86 years of pain to win a World Series), but still has its humorous and enlightened moments. Worth at least one read, but probably best viewed on a website/etc.
June 7, 2019
A somewhat interesting, short volume on the title subject. The subtitle, "When Good Things Go Bad," seems to sum up the phenomenon. Lots of data in a few subject areas (TV, music, celebrities) with little attempt to give the subject much context.
January 19, 2024
A dated, anything prior to 2002, but interesting review of television, celebrities, sports and politics Jumped The Shark. Would love to see an updated version of this book. However, this will not be since the author sold the site to TV Guide and the Jump The Shark web site is no more.
July 11, 2017
This was a really fun and entertaining walk down memory lane!
October 14, 2017
Oddly unsatisfactory, I thought I might revel in the fail, but I just felt melancholy acter a few entries. Even the sun will die.
December 5, 2017
Overdrive audio book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2019
This book compiles all the endings & failings of all it possibly could. It starts in TV and moves on from there. It could be pretty funny in parts.
September 21, 2021
Entertaining book where I learned the origin of this now common phrase.
February 20, 2022
Such a waste of time
1* for the fact that you're easily able to jump around to what interests you
1* for the fact that you're easily able to jump around to what interests you
June 13, 2023
Dated but still a fun read that can be taken in small chunks. Good bathroom or coffee table book to pass the time.
January 26, 2026
Concept - High Amusement;
Web Site - High Amusement;
Book - Just Amusement.
Web Site - High Amusement;
Book - Just Amusement.
January 14, 2010
Jump the Shark is a pop culture reference to an episode of Happy Days in which Fonzie jumped over a shark tank on water skis. The stunt was so absurdly over the top, that moment came to symbolize the inevitable decline of the show. Thanks to Jon Hein and a clever website, the term "jump the shark" has been applied to almost any cultural figure or icon, and this book chronicles some of the famous shark moments.
My favorite jump the shark moments are often the ones with single-word answers. When did The Beatles jump the shark? Yoko. When did The Cosby Show jump? Olivia. Scooby Doo Scrappy. Harrison Ford? Sabrina. Napoleon Bonaparte? Waterloo. Bill Clinton? Monica.
But sometimes the past-their-prime moments aren't as obvious, which is where the fun comes in. The original Jump the Shark website (now run by TV Guide) had millions of people arguing back and forth about when their favorite shows or celebrities jumped. I don't agree with all of the assessments in this book. For example, Hein is convinced that The Simpsons never jumped the shark, whereas I say it jumped in the late 1990's when Barney went sober. But the disagreement and debate is part of the charm of shark-jumping analysis.
The book was released in 2002 so it's a little dated. For example, the entries on Joe Biden, Al Gore, and other public figures are off. But most of it is right on. The book essentially serves as a review of American pop culture, told in small packages of rise-and-fall stories. One thing I noticed about reading this book was that I really haven't watched much TV. I only watched a few of the shows mentioned with any regularity, and I wasn't very familiar with even some of the classic sitcoms. I guess it's a product of my deprived cable-less childhood.
Jump the Shark isn't anything brilliant, but if you like pop culture, it's a fun read.
My favorite jump the shark moments are often the ones with single-word answers. When did The Beatles jump the shark? Yoko. When did The Cosby Show jump? Olivia. Scooby Doo Scrappy. Harrison Ford? Sabrina. Napoleon Bonaparte? Waterloo. Bill Clinton? Monica.
But sometimes the past-their-prime moments aren't as obvious, which is where the fun comes in. The original Jump the Shark website (now run by TV Guide) had millions of people arguing back and forth about when their favorite shows or celebrities jumped. I don't agree with all of the assessments in this book. For example, Hein is convinced that The Simpsons never jumped the shark, whereas I say it jumped in the late 1990's when Barney went sober. But the disagreement and debate is part of the charm of shark-jumping analysis.
The book was released in 2002 so it's a little dated. For example, the entries on Joe Biden, Al Gore, and other public figures are off. But most of it is right on. The book essentially serves as a review of American pop culture, told in small packages of rise-and-fall stories. One thing I noticed about reading this book was that I really haven't watched much TV. I only watched a few of the shows mentioned with any regularity, and I wasn't very familiar with even some of the classic sitcoms. I guess it's a product of my deprived cable-less childhood.
Jump the Shark isn't anything brilliant, but if you like pop culture, it's a fun read.
August 23, 2015
I had high hopes for this book.
I was super intrigued by this book. I had no idea who came up with the term "Jump the Shark", I just knew it was a term I'd been hearing for a very long time. The introduction to this book gave such a fun history, and led me to believe I was REALLY going to enjoy the chapters about television shows.
WOW is that introduction misleading! Awful!
And not just because I didn't agree with a large portion of where he said shows, celebrities, and musicians jumped the shark. (Also sports, but who gives a shit about sports?) Not everyone is going to agree on a subject like this, because if you're a fan of a show, you are a fan, and if you enjoyed it to the end, clearly you thought it was worth sticking around for.
I mean, there's a chapter on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I am CLEARLY an impartial judge when I say um no.
Also, he says Madonna jumped the shark when she went from pop diva to sex crazed. Uh, really? Because I'm pretty sure she was doing damn great until we got to her Kabbalah phase.
Also, MAN can I tell how old this book is. Not even one mention of Tom Cruise jumping on the couch. I can just imagine his shark related metaphor for that one.
I feel for him with the shark metaphors. As someone who used to write blogs, I realize how difficult it can be to keep saying the same thing over and over again, and trying to find fun ways to work it. But dude. Just...just stop mentioning sharks, can you do that? We get it. We actually got it when, at the beginning of each chapter, the question is asked, "When did _____ jump the shark?"
We're not going to forget we're talking about sharks. Please stop mentioning fins and circling and blood in the water. Please.
I'd like an updated version of this book to come out, with some heavy editing, and over 10 years worth of bad shows and badly behaved celebrities to cover.
I was super intrigued by this book. I had no idea who came up with the term "Jump the Shark", I just knew it was a term I'd been hearing for a very long time. The introduction to this book gave such a fun history, and led me to believe I was REALLY going to enjoy the chapters about television shows.
WOW is that introduction misleading! Awful!
And not just because I didn't agree with a large portion of where he said shows, celebrities, and musicians jumped the shark. (Also sports, but who gives a shit about sports?) Not everyone is going to agree on a subject like this, because if you're a fan of a show, you are a fan, and if you enjoyed it to the end, clearly you thought it was worth sticking around for.
I mean, there's a chapter on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I am CLEARLY an impartial judge when I say um no.
Also, he says Madonna jumped the shark when she went from pop diva to sex crazed. Uh, really? Because I'm pretty sure she was doing damn great until we got to her Kabbalah phase.
Also, MAN can I tell how old this book is. Not even one mention of Tom Cruise jumping on the couch. I can just imagine his shark related metaphor for that one.
I feel for him with the shark metaphors. As someone who used to write blogs, I realize how difficult it can be to keep saying the same thing over and over again, and trying to find fun ways to work it. But dude. Just...just stop mentioning sharks, can you do that? We get it. We actually got it when, at the beginning of each chapter, the question is asked, "When did _____ jump the shark?"
We're not going to forget we're talking about sharks. Please stop mentioning fins and circling and blood in the water. Please.
I'd like an updated version of this book to come out, with some heavy editing, and over 10 years worth of bad shows and badly behaved celebrities to cover.
November 14, 2008
He was sent sailing straight over the shark.
The shark smelled blood.
The shark started to circle.
We spotted a fin.
But the damage had been done.
The shark had moved on to its next victim.
If hearing those phrases repeatedly does not bother you, then you will enjoy the abridged audiobook version of Jump the Shark, written and read by John Hein. I can't fault him for running out of shark metaphors, and it really was my only complaint about this humorous collection. Hein walks us through several television shows, musicians, politicians, actors, and sports, detailing the exact moment when they took an irreversible turn for the worse, starting with that fateful episode of Happy Days when Fonzie literally jumped a shark on waterskis. I confess to fast-forwarding through some of the sports and politics spots, because I'm unfamiliar with most sports figures and a lot of the political commentary was kind of dated. I also had to take a break between discs to listen to something else for a while - those shark metaphors drove me crazy. I imagine it works better as a book, which you can pick up, read a couple pages, and put back down. In short, while this is a funny diversion from time to time, it gets a little tedious when listened to all at once.
The shark smelled blood.
The shark started to circle.
We spotted a fin.
But the damage had been done.
The shark had moved on to its next victim.
If hearing those phrases repeatedly does not bother you, then you will enjoy the abridged audiobook version of Jump the Shark, written and read by John Hein. I can't fault him for running out of shark metaphors, and it really was my only complaint about this humorous collection. Hein walks us through several television shows, musicians, politicians, actors, and sports, detailing the exact moment when they took an irreversible turn for the worse, starting with that fateful episode of Happy Days when Fonzie literally jumped a shark on waterskis. I confess to fast-forwarding through some of the sports and politics spots, because I'm unfamiliar with most sports figures and a lot of the political commentary was kind of dated. I also had to take a break between discs to listen to something else for a while - those shark metaphors drove me crazy. I imagine it works better as a book, which you can pick up, read a couple pages, and put back down. In short, while this is a funny diversion from time to time, it gets a little tedious when listened to all at once.
February 1, 2009
A great collection of recent TV, Politcal, Music and Celebrity history. The title refers to an event which happened on the TV show Happy Days when Fonzie jumped a shark and this has become a metaphor for when something is "over." All social things reach this point apparently, I remember when I would read all the Tom Clancey novels as soon as they came out. Now I think fondly of them but have not even opened the latest Clancey works. Where was that point? I think when Jack Ryan went after the Narco thugs. I think Married with Children never jumped the shark. It did all the things that has been TV series do, went on vacation to London, got guest stars, had the penultimate shark jumper Ted McGinty to replace Marcy's husband but it never lost its delightfulness to me! In the last episode Al was defending his daughter's much abused honor.
The author talked about bands that have broken up or whatever and other than the beatles I barely knew any of them. But others might find it interesting.
The author talked about bands that have broken up or whatever and other than the beatles I barely knew any of them. But others might find it interesting.
September 16, 2009
This book (which I listened to) was moderately fun. I love the website, but I also love it for the debate of exactly when something jumped the shark, so to have a definitive "answer" given wasn't as satisfying to me. I didn't know about a few of the shows or pop culture events, but it was more likely that I didn't care about them. Still, it was short and entertaining, but I'd rather stick to the website.
April 23, 2016
Suppose you're an intern at Mad Magazine and your boss tells you to come up with the moment when 300+ TV shows, musicians, athletes, and other celebrities "jumped the shark." You don't really know much about them, but that's OK; you just pick something. This is what this book seems like. Sparse with facts and arbitrary. Jack Nicholson, the Beatles, and the Dick Van Dyke show jumped the shark? Really?
June 16, 2014
Narrated by the author this is fluff, but mostly entertaining fluff. It's reach exceeded it's grasp a bit in the political and sports areas, but the entertainment ones were entertaining and often funny. A good diversion, nothing more, nothing less, and not pretense of being more...
January 13, 2015
This is a good example of how internet sensations don't make good books. I'm a TV and movie fan through and through but this was boring. Not to mention I disagree with a few of the "jump the sharks" that are mentioned.
September 11, 2016
Trite book, but very enjoyable for the trivia-obsessed. I actually enjoyed it more than I expected to. 3.5 stars, or three overall. Cautiously recommended for fans of late twentieth century pop culture.
March 5, 2009
This book is hilarious - very fun to read - hope a new version comes out.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews