10 TV Shows Which Didn't Get Better With Age
5. Happy Days
The original (and all too literal) jumping of the shark.
A charming, if rather predictable, sitcom centred on the life of teenager Richie Cunningham and his family, the series was ultimately consumed by the Fonz.
Mr Cool in a leather jacket, Fonzie captured fans and critics alike for some time, gradually conquering more and more show time. Fonzie's hostile takeover saw him move into the Cunninghams' home, share top billing with Ron Howard and ultimately replace him entirely as the series' lead.
In the wake of Jaws' colossal box office success, the series decided to do a comical homage featuring their new protagonist. Fonzie goes water skiing (sporting his trademark leather jacket the whole time) and jumps over some stock footage of a shark relaxing in a pool.
Bizarre, cheesy and just plain preposterous, it signalled a downward spiral the series remained on for the rest of its run. It was so terrible that the world of bad TV ever since has been compared to this game changing pile of stink.
From mild-mannered coming of age sitcom to permanent punchline, Happy Days is a good lesson in why you shouldn't stray too far from the original premise.