Popularized by radio personality Jon Hein in the 1990s and early 2000s, the phrase derives from a scene in a fifth - season episode of the sitcom Happy Days in which the character Fonzie jumps over a shark while on water - skis. This was deemed a ratings ploy, for it was outside the original thrust of the sitcom.
where did phrase jump the shark come from
from a scene in a fifth - season episode of the sitcom Happy Days in which the character Fonzie jumps over a shark while on water - skis