10 TV Shows That Totally Jumped The Shark

8. The Simpsons - Skinner Isn't Actually Skinner

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa8mjULNMcs I've mentioned before how The Simpsons has jumped the shark many times in their more than 20 years on the air. However, this episode is, in my opinion, the biggest JTS moment in the history of TV. In "The Principal and the Pauper," we learn that the principal of Bart's school isn't the real Seymour Skinner, but actually a man called Armin Tamzarian, who fought in the Vietman War alongside Skinner, but after he was declared Missing in Action, Armin decided to steal his identity in order to protect Seymour's mother from the shock of losing her only son. The plot of the episode was nonsensical to say the least. The idea that something like that could happen was laughable, but for all the wrong reasons. Don't get me wrong, the episode had its funny moments, but the whole thing felt so forced that it wasn't an easy mistake to forgive. And let's not forget the ridiculous way the whole thing was resolved, and the way they dealt with continuity problems in the future. It's almost like they knew they were making a terrible episode.
 
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Mild mannered writer for WhatCulture, I enjoy reading, watching films, and complaining about people complaining.