"But Fox doesn't know why his
Happy Days scene has come to mean the decline of something, and he just wrote
an editorial in the L.A. Times defending himself.
Which brings us to the question: Was the "Hollywood 3" episode of "Happy Days" deserving of its fate?
No, it wasn't. All successful shows eventually start to decline, but this was not "Happy Days'" time. Consider: It was the 91st episode and the fifth season. If this was really the beginning of a downward spiral, why did the show stay on the air for six more seasons and shoot an additional 164 episodes? Why did we rank among the Top 25 in five of those six seasons?
That's why, when I first heard the phrase and found out what it meant, I was incredulous. Then my incredulity turned into amazement. I started thinking about the thousands of television shows that had been on the air since the medium began. And out of all of those, the "Happy Days" episode in which Fonzie jumps over a shark is the one to be singled out? This made no sense.
He even said the episode was a "huge hit" when it aired, with more than 30 million viewers (though he also says he doesn't remember who actually came up with the idea). All that said, he realizes "jump the shark" is not going away anytime soon, so he's found a way to make peace with it..."
1 comment:
Actually, the wardrobe designer for that episode should be shot. I'm looking at The Fonz's skiing ensemble now with horror!
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