There are only a few things that and I disagree on, but one of them is the concept of jumping the shark. Lettice believes that it is a binary event – a show can only jump the shark once; there’s a before and there’s an after. I believe that it is always possible to find a new and bigger shark to jump over.

This disagreement normally surfaces whilst we’re watching or discussing CSI: Miami.

Tonight’s episode. In fact the pre-titles sequence of tonight’s episode is a perfect example of my thesis.

I’m not going to put a spoiler cut for CSI: Miami, okay?

Horatio gunned down seven gangsters – several armed with automatic weapons, three in or on vehicles – armed only with a pistol without getting a scratch on him; in fact it was nine shots, seven kills. Now, considering that this show jumped the shark a long time ago (Lettice maintains that it jumped, before a single episode had aired, as soon as David Caruso was cast) was this not a new and bigger shark to jump? Will there be a scene next year where Horatio takes out a tank or a helicopter gunship with his trusty sidearm?

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  1. Vixen says:

    Lettice maintains that it jumped, before a single episode had aired, as soon as David Caruso was cast

    I AGREE

  2. Hal Berstram says:

    Can a show ‘jump the shark’ in reverse? At least in theory you could have something that was an absolute duffer but somehow avoided cancellation, then improved as it went along. Admittedly I cannot think of an example, but then I ain’t watching much TV nowadays.

    Good bumping into you today by the way!

  3. JackP says:

    Well, at least I’ve learned something new. I’d never heard the expression ‘jump the shark’ before…

  4. Steve Pugh says:

    @Vixen: That’s a very frightening blog you have…

    @Hal: The shark can never be unjumped!

    @Jack: I aim to educate.

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