In other words, the reason Fonzie jumped over a shark in “Happy Days” was that Henry Winkler’s father encouraged him to share his water-skiing talents with the show’s producers.
One well-known saying in popular culture is “jumping the shark,” which refers to a particular instance in a TV show where, looking back, it seems the program began to decline after this point. Not all shows experience this phenomenon; some maintain their quality throughout, while others are consistently poor. However, there are instances when shows you previously enjoyed suddenly take a significant turn for the worse after a specific event. That turning point is often referred to as the “jump the shark” moment. It’s worth noting that sometimes shows manage to recover from jumping the shark, but the initial event remains significant and is still considered “jumping the shark.
What was the Fonzie shark-jumping moment a reference to?
Previously outlined, the initial attempt, titled “Happy Days”, didn’t succeed in 1971. However, Ron Howard, who would later become well-known as the pilot, starred in the popular film “American Graffiti” in 1973, portraying a teenager from the early ’60s. While it’s important to note that decades don’t always bring about complete change, the culture of 1962 teenagers still shared many similarities with those of the ’50s. This nostalgic appeal was instrumental in the success of “American Graffiti”. Consequently, this renewed interest breathed new life into the once-rejected “Happy Days” pilot, and indeed, it was revived for a series in 1974 (with some changes to the cast from the original 1971 attempt, notably Tom Bosley assuming the role of the father on the show).
Initially, the series focused on Howard as Richie Cunningham and his family, including Marion Ross and Tom Bosley as his parents and Erin Moran as Joanie Cunningham. However, it wasn’t long before Henry Winkler’s character, Fonzie, who was initially a minor role, gained immense popularity. By Season 3, it became apparent that Winkler had become the show’s main star. The network even suggested renaming the show, but Howard objected. In the Season 3 premiere titled “Fonzie Moves In,” Fonzie moved into live with the Cunningham family above their garage. One of the show’s most iconic moments occurred early in the third season, in a two-part episode called “Fearless Fonzarelli,” where Fonzie made history by jumping his motorcycle over 14 trash cans on live television.
As a diehard film enthusiast, I can’t help but marvel at the meteoric rise of “Happy Days” from barely making it into the Top 50 highest-rated shows during its second season to soaring all the way up to the 11th spot in the third. But the real magic happened in Season 4, where this series took over as the undisputed number-one rated show on television. Remarkably, it managed to hold onto a spot within the top four until we reached Season 6. Simply incredible!
It’s clear that Fonzie jumping over objects was an integral aspect of the show. What I find intriguing is, how did they come up with the idea for Fonzie to water ski over a shark?
Why was there a Fonzie water-skiing moment in the episode?
In 2015, during a special episode of Oprah Winfrey’s show titled “Where Are They Now?”, Henry Winkler shared that prior to his acting career, he was quite passionate about water skiing and even worked as an instructor. He said, “I loved water-skiing, and I used to teach it too. It was one of the sports I excelled in.
Winkler shared that his father was overjoyed about his son’s water-skiing abilities. He recounted the conversation by saying, “My dad, who is quite small, kept insisting, ‘Tell them you water-ski.’ I hesitated, but when we lost him at a Chicago Cubs game, I told Garry Marshall, the creator of Happy Days, that my father wanted him to know I could water-ski.
Indeed, Marshall adopted the concept, and Winkler commented, “Look at this truly they penned a piece on Richie heading to Hollywood, and I accompanied him. They made me perform water-skiing, but not the jump. They wouldn’t let me attempt it… Frankly, I wasn’t skilled enough for that.
Hilarious.
What are Henry Winkler’s thoughts on the legacy of Fonzie jumping the shark, and the term itself?
Over the course of many years, Henry Winkler has frequently been inquired about the famous shark jump. In a 2022 interview on “The Rich Eisen Show,” Winkler (who by then had won an Emmy for his performance on HBO’s series “Barry”):
Upon reaching the shore, I release my hold on the rope, discard my skis, and exclaim, “Wow, check this out!” With a grin that speaks volumes, I convey both Fonz’s triumphant exclamation, “Hey, I managed it,” and Henry’s astonishment, “I can’t believe you accomplished that!
Winkler, however, scrutinized the very expression itself and recognized its intended negativity. Given this association with a presumably unfavorable term, what strategies has he employed to navigate this situation?
The question often asked is, “What was your reaction when they said your show ‘jumped the shark‘ (reached its peak)? Whenever it came up in conversation or even in the papers, they would always show a photo of me water skiing. Given that I had fantastic legs then, it didn’t bother me at all for even a second. We maintained our No. 1 position for five years following that incident, so why should I care about a catchphrase?
Despite the fact that the show ended up at #2 overall in Season 5 and only dropped to #4 in Season 6, it’s accurate to acknowledge that the series suffered a significant ratings decline in Season 7, which was Ron Howard’s final season. Remarkably, it managed to climb back up to #15 the following year, as Scott Baio and Erin Moran gained popularity as the new leads. However, their departure at the end of Season 9 was what truly caused the show’s ratings to plummet.
In any event, the legend is…
STATUS: True
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2025-05-20 01:44