Reddit users say shows like ‘Community,’ ‘Castle,’ and ‘Riverdale’ improved after letting their freak flag fly.

Originating from the infamous Happy Days episode where Fonzie literally jumps over a shark on water skis, “jumping the shark” refers to the moment a show strays too far from its original ...

The term, after all, comes from the 1977 episode of Happy Days in which Henry Winkler’s Fonzie jumps over a shark on water skis. But can jumping the shark ever be a net positive for a TV show?

Fans say a TV show has “jumped the shark” when it has become irredeemably outlandish. The term, after all, comes from the 1977 episode of Happy Days in which Henry Winkler’s Fonzie jumps ...