OK this should be a good one for the regulars. EXACTLY, where was Fonzi when he jumped the shark.?

Wasn't it Malibu?

EXACTLY? He was on a sound stage in front of a green screen. So was "Richie".

What, you weren't expecting a smart@$$ answer? OK.

They did the exterior shots over in Malibu, at the pier in Paradise Cove. Easy to set up, close off the beach, not visible from the highway, makes perfect sense. Decent job of editing, but most of those shots were in a studio. The only "real" shots were the stunt man jumping over the "shark" enclosure, and Henry Winkler coming ashore on the skis. Didja notice his har was FAR from perfect, very un-Fonz-like. LOTS of editing done, many short, choppy pieces to give the illusion. My favorite trick was the shot of Richie in the "boat", and someone must have thrown a bucket of water in front of the camera to make it appear as if there was water spraying. But hey, that's Hollywood.

Anyway, what was most amazing was how bare the hills were then. Those hills have seen a LOT of development over the last 35 years.

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@ Copestir: Actually, this Happy Days episode is where the term originated. Ratings were sagging, People were tiring of the show, so the producers had to come up with something to boost ratings. Everyone agreed it was a really lame attempt to boost ratings, and didn't work too well. The show was canceled shortly after, but this episode marked the beginning of the end. So when a show has "jumped the shark", it's pretty much over, and it's only a matter of time before it's canceled.

I thought "Jumping the Shark" is a term used when a sit com or TV show ratings drop a bit and to boost ratings they write something totally silly to boost viewers. Here the entire Happy Days Family went on a Hollywood Vacation. The Fonzi character, totally our of character, goes water skiing and jumps over a shark. It looks like Paradise Cove or Malibu where the filming occurred.

When a sit-com actually "Jumps the Shark" it has already hit its apogee and sorta descends into silly characterizations. Sometimes they resort to weddings or having a baby to also boost the ratings.

I wonder if the real Paris Hilton would know anything at all about this, haha. She's more than a decade older than I am, but I don't know if she'd be familiar with a show that older either. I had no clue what you were talking about until I read the entire question and figured out it was a reference to that show.

I think Obviousman is older than Moses. He has to know the answer to this.

Probably with his agent looking at new opportunities Big time fail! nothing after that series ran its course.

Actually I thought the whole series tanked from the onset, along with MASH and All In the Family.

But i did enjoy Barney Miller for the subtle humor!

Spuds: Preparation H should calm your anxieties. a good fiber diet and your troubles will be the thing of the past, capice?????

Probably Huntington Beach. Every time I hear about shark sightings it's around there!

Why you want to be in the pacific, its dirty , cold, ya can't swim, I gotta tell ya though its pretty up North. Great skiing,nice views , you fix that, You don't see, you just think you do.

this is a tv question, not travel.