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Jumping the Shark Multiple Choice Quiz | Things in Common

The phrase "jumping the shark" refers to a point when a television show has clearly lost its luster; and a strange plot twist is employed to hold the show's audience. Often, the show only goes downhill from there (Note: some questions slightly biased).

A multiple-choice quiz by salami_swami. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
salami_swami

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
366,949

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Easy

Avg Score
8 / 10

Plays
810

Awards
Top 10% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Guest 163 (9/10), Robert907 (9/10), Linda_Arizona (10/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Sometimes adding a new character into an already well-established cast can create problems for the show. The new character is often a baby.

On "Friends", there were several moments that could be considered a "jumping the shark" moment. One of these was the introduction of a baby; Emma. Which of these characters had a baby named Emma? Hint

Monica

Rachel

Phoebe

Janice

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. Two ways a show can "jump the shark" are by losing a favorite character and by finishing a favorite story arc.

This show had both of these "jumping the shark" moments. When Jim and Pam finally married in the sixth season, the story of secret love came to an end, and the show would not be the same after. Then, in the seventh season, Michael Scott left, creating a hole in the great cast. Which show had these shark jumping moments? Hint

Parks and Recreation

Community

The Office (U.S.)

30 Rock

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. Sometimes introducing a new character can actually save a show from being canceled, but that doesn't always prevent it from being viewed as a "jumping the shark" moment,

This was the case when the nephew of Scooby-Doo was introduced. While this new character saved the show's ratings, many people believed the true essence of "Scooby-Doo" was lost when the show became about this new pup. The introduction of which new character is sometimes viewed as a "jumping the shark" moment by many "Scooby-Doo" fans? Hint

Scruffy

Scrawny

Scratchy

Scrappy

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. Adding new characters to a longstanding cast never seems to end well, and adding more than one new character at the same time can really take its toll.

In the "Rugrats in Paris" movie, Chuckie is the lead character as he goes in search of a new mother. He finally gets one at the end of the film, when his dad marries a woman... But this also gives Chuckie a new stepsister. What is his new stepsister's name? Hint

Angelica

Kimi

Lil

Susie

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. When a character undergoes a complete shift in character, it can become the moment a show jumped the shark.

One such moment in television is when Nellie Oleson becomes suddenly nice. In her early years, she was the protagonist's nemesis, but when she became an adult, she actually became friendly towards the other characters. Her iconic mean disposition disappeared, and it changed the show's dynamic. What show jumped the shark when Nellie married Percival and became sweet? Hint

Little House on the Prairie

The Wind at My Back

Beverly Hillbillies

Seventh Heaven

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. Sometimes a show is forced to jump the shark due to the celebrities no longer being able to commit to the show, for whatever the reason may be.

One of these shows jumped the shark when they killed off one of the main characters, Charlie, and replaced him with a new cast member, Walden. Later in the series, Jake left for Japan and Jenny took his place on the show. Which of these is the one that "jumped the shark" out of necessity due to the cast's absence? Hint

How I Met Your Mother

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

New Girl

Two and a Half Men

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. Many shows like to engage in a musical episode every now and then, to add something a little fun and exciting. Some shows, however, jump the shark when they have a musical episode.

When a main character of the show has been in a car accident and the doctors are trying to save this person from dying, it is not the right time for a musical ensemble. Yet one show had an entire musical episode when Callie Torres was injured in a car accident. What medical show "jumped the shark" with this musical episode? Hint

Grey's Anatomy

Scrubs

E.R.

General Hospital

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. Adding child stars to a well-established and already large cast of characters can be difficult, but when the show is soon dominated by episodes about the new character, it becomes apparent the show has "jumped the shark".

This happened when Olivia became a new character on this show. She soon became the main attraction of many episodes, and her cute persona came across as precocious. Which of these shows jumped the shark when they introduced Olivia? Hint

Family Matters

Full House

Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

The Cosby Show

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. A major shift in the entire basis of a television show can have disastrous results, and such a shift is often viewed as a "jumping the shark" moment.

In the final season of one show, the family wins the lottery. Their life is changed dramatically, and the premise of the show was ruined in many people's opinion. Which show "jumped the shark" when the Conners won 108 million dollars? Hint

Roseanne

Seinfeld

Everybody Loves Raymond

Home Improvement

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. The term "jumping the shark" could also, of course, involve actually jumping over a shark.

The phrase originated from a certain show, when a main character water skied over a shark to maintain the show's rating. Even though the show declined from this point, it continued for several more years. Which popular television character was the original "shark jumper", in a 1977 episode? Hint

Alf

Hawkeye

Mork

Fonzie

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Sometimes adding a new character into an already well-established cast can create problems for the show. The new character is often a baby. On "Friends", there were several moments that could be considered a "jumping the shark" moment. One of these was the introduction of a baby; Emma. Which of these characters had a baby named Emma?

Answer: Rachel

Emma was born at the end of season eight of "Friends" (2002). The show only lasted for two more season after this moment, when the new baby was introduced. In the first episode of season nine, the show continued to jump the shark when, while still in the hospital with Emma, Rachel accepted a proposal of marriage from Joey (though she just had Ross' baby).

Interestingly enough, though, Joey had not proposed; rather, he found the ring Ross was going to propose with. When he turned and Rachel saw him, she accepted his fake proposal, which was a strange and terribly bold turn of events for the show, and soon became a "jumping the shark" moment.

2. Two ways a show can "jump the shark" are by losing a favorite character and by finishing a favorite story arc. This show had both of these "jumping the shark" moments. When Jim and Pam finally married in the sixth season, the story of secret love came to an end, and the show would not be the same after. Then, in the seventh season, Michael Scott left, creating a hole in the great cast. Which show had these shark jumping moments?

Answer: The Office (U.S.)

In the sixth season of "The Office" (2009), Jim Halpert and Pam Beesly got married, ending the series-long secret romance between the two. Many fans enjoyed the relationship of the two more than anything, and the marriage of the characters lost a little of the intrigue. One season later, in an episode called "Goodbye, Michael" (2011), the show jumped another shark when an integral character left Dunder Mifflin.

While producers believed the exit of Michael Scott would lead to great new stories being told, the show failed to fill the void Michael left for many viewers.

3. Sometimes introducing a new character can actually save a show from being canceled, but that doesn't always prevent it from being viewed as a "jumping the shark" moment, This was the case when the nephew of Scooby-Doo was introduced. While this new character saved the show's ratings, many people believed the true essence of "Scooby-Doo" was lost when the show became about this new pup. The introduction of which new character is sometimes viewed as a "jumping the shark" moment by many "Scooby-Doo" fans?

Answer: Scrappy

Scrappy-Doo was introduced in 1979 as a way to reinvigorate the "Scooby-Doo" television series. It became quite a success, as this new character helped the show's rating. He has also been blamed as one of the reason's for "Scooby-Doo's" decline. Scrappy was put in the spotlight, and many episodes revolved around him; subsequent series even contained his name in the title (one series, "Scrappy and Yabba-Doo", didn't even use Scooby's name!).

4. Adding new characters to a longstanding cast never seems to end well, and adding more than one new character at the same time can really take its toll. In the "Rugrats in Paris" movie, Chuckie is the lead character as he goes in search of a new mother. He finally gets one at the end of the film, when his dad marries a woman... But this also gives Chuckie a new stepsister. What is his new stepsister's name?

Answer: Kimi

Adding new characters doesn't always spell a show's demise (Tommy got a new baby brother in a 1998 episode of "Rugrats"), but adding two new characters to the cast that affects a secondary character isn't always as pleasant. In the 2000 film "Rugrats in Paris", Chuckie's dad married Kira, which meant both her and her daughter, Kimi, joined the show. "Rugrats" lasted until 2004, but many fans viewed the introduction of Kimi and Kira as the "Rugrats" jumping the shark moment.

5. When a character undergoes a complete shift in character, it can become the moment a show jumped the shark. One such moment in television is when Nellie Oleson becomes suddenly nice. In her early years, she was the protagonist's nemesis, but when she became an adult, she actually became friendly towards the other characters. Her iconic mean disposition disappeared, and it changed the show's dynamic. What show jumped the shark when Nellie married Percival and became sweet?

Answer: Little House on the Prairie

"Little House on the Prairie" ran for nine seasons from 1974 to 1983. On the show, Laura Ingalls' childhood rival was Nellie Oleson. Nellie was a terribly evil person towards Laura in their younger years. Strangely though, at the very end of season six, Nellie meets Percival Dalton, and within two episodes, she marries him and suddenly becomes nice and befriends Laura.

She leaves in the seventh season, and the evil character is replaced with Nancy, who never really lived up to Nellie's reputation. To many fans, the show never recovered from this odd shift in character, which some argue led to the demise of the show.

6. Sometimes a show is forced to jump the shark due to the celebrities no longer being able to commit to the show, for whatever the reason may be. One of these shows jumped the shark when they killed off one of the main characters, Charlie, and replaced him with a new cast member, Walden. Later in the series, Jake left for Japan and Jenny took his place on the show. Which of these is the one that "jumped the shark" out of necessity due to the cast's absence?

Answer: Two and a Half Men

For the first eight seasons of "Two and a Half Men", Charlie Sheen starred as Charlie Harper (2003-2011). When Sheen entered drug rehabilitation, he was dismissed from the show and his character was killed off. For the ninth season, a new character, portrayed by Ashton Kutcher, was added in order to replace Sheen.

In 2012, after the tenth season, Angus Jones no longer wanted to be a part of the show, so he left after appearing for a time as a recurring, not main, character. He was replaced by a new character named Jenny, who was the long lost daughter of Charlie Harper.

At this point, only one of the original "Two and a Half Men" was left, and the 'half man' was now a girl. This certainly changed the entire dynamic of the show, and to many, these new introductions were moments that "Two and a Half Men" jumped the shark.

7. Many shows like to engage in a musical episode every now and then, to add something a little fun and exciting. Some shows, however, jump the shark when they have a musical episode. When a main character of the show has been in a car accident and the doctors are trying to save this person from dying, it is not the right time for a musical ensemble. Yet one show had an entire musical episode when Callie Torres was injured in a car accident. What medical show "jumped the shark" with this musical episode?

Answer: Grey's Anatomy

"Song Beneath the Song" was released in 2011 during the seventh season of "Grey's Anatomy". While the idea of a musical episode is not a bad one, the execution of such an episode can greatly impact the show. When doctors sang "How to Save a Life" by the Fray as they were trying to operate on a regular cast member, it came across to many as a major "jumping the shark" moment.

The episode was praised on many lists, however, and the soundtrack appeared on Billboard 200; but the musical also appeared on many 'worst' lists as well.

8. Adding child stars to a well-established and already large cast of characters can be difficult, but when the show is soon dominated by episodes about the new character, it becomes apparent the show has "jumped the shark". This happened when Olivia became a new character on this show. She soon became the main attraction of many episodes, and her cute persona came across as precocious. Which of these shows jumped the shark when they introduced Olivia?

Answer: The Cosby Show

"The Cosby Show" began in 1984, and centered around the Huxtable family. When Denise got married, however, her stepdaughter, Olivia Kendall, was introduced (in season six). The show seemed to center around Olivia from that point on, and a number of people did not fall in love with the character as was hoped. She lasted until the final season of "The Cosby Show" in 1992.

9. A major shift in the entire basis of a television show can have disastrous results, and such a shift is often viewed as a "jumping the shark" moment. In the final season of one show, the family wins the lottery. Their life is changed dramatically, and the premise of the show was ruined in many people's opinion. Which show "jumped the shark" when the Conners won 108 million dollars?

Answer: Roseanne

"Roseanne" aired for nine seasons from 1988 and 1997. During its time, it was one of the most watched shows on television. "Roseanne" followed a family in their every day lives, and it was known for its use of real-life struggles many could identify with.

At the beginning of the show's ninth season, however, everything changed when they won the lottery. Suddenly the show went from being a relatable experience of a modern family to a show about a rich family no one could identify with. For this reason, many believed the lottery episode of "Roseanne" was a major "jumping the shark" moment of television.

10. The term "jumping the shark" could also, of course, involve actually jumping over a shark. The phrase originated from a certain show, when a main character water skied over a shark to maintain the show's rating. Even though the show declined from this point, it continued for several more years. Which popular television character was the original "shark jumper", in a 1977 episode?

Answer: Fonzie

Arthur "The Fonz" Fonzarelli literally jumped the shark in a season five episode of "Happy Days" in 1977. This now-iconic episode was an attempt to bring the show back up in ratings by shocking the audience with a wild and crazy scenario (the scene, of course, being a swimsuit clad Fonzie water skiing over a contained shark, while still wearing his leather jacket).

The attempt fell short; even though the show lasted another six seasons, it continued to decline in ratings. The last episode of "Happy Days" was in 1984.

Source: Author salami_swami

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor kyleisalive before going online.
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