BTW, the expression "jump the shark has probably 'jumped the shark' by now.
"jump the shark" can't jump the shark. There's nothing to add to it.
When they start adding new characters (especially young kids) to a cast or replacing a lead with someone else in the same role, the show is struggling to maintain the viewers they have.
When writers start writing 2-part episodes, strange crossovers, and "topical" references to "stay" fresh, they have generally lost it.
Someone made a "jumped the shark" website, and someone has written a book, but they didn't mess the with formula or try to defend shows that are long past their prime. Then, "jump the shark" itself could have jumped the shark. Reinvention is curse.
If I had wanted to avoid formula, I wouldn't be watching a situation comedy. Few tv series are ever plotted with a definite number of episodes. "24" runs on a formula of having a cliffhanger every 50 minutes. Sometimes during the day, there might not be anything special "about to happen". Even The Prisoner was padded out with some filler episodes (but it was nice of them to have a start, middle, and conclusion).
I didn't write the headline
No kidding. This annoying phrase has been crammed down our throats by people who then giddily wait for you to ask them to explain where the phrase originated. It's a dumb creation. So is "metrosexual".
You beat me to it. I am so bloody sick of this phrase, I can scarcely put it into words.