Buzz
For fans of Happy Days, the iconic ABC sitcom from the 1970s and early 1980s, Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli’s daring leap over a shark on water skis during the September 20, 1977 episode didn’t seem groundbreaking. It was just an amusingly absurd moment—a result of Fonzie accepting a dare from a local beach troublemaker to face off against an ocean predator. Little did anyone know, this act of bravado would later symbolize a turning point in pop culture, marking the decline of a once-celebrated show.
Debuting in January 1974, Happy Days was a delightful blend of sitcom charm, featuring Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham, Donny Most as Ralph Malph, and Anson Williams as Potsie Weber. Created by Garry Marshall, the series nostalgically captured the simplicity of 1950s America, offering a comforting escape for 1970s audiences grappling with the aftermath of the Vietnam War. By its fifth season in 1977, the show had become a platform for Henry Winkler’s Fonzie, who started as a secondary character but quickly stole the spotlight. Winkler’s portrayal was so beloved that Fonzie evolved from a tough biker to a cultural phenomenon, adorning lunch boxes everywhere.
When the three-part “Hollywood” season premiere aired, part of a ratings strategy that took the cast to California, Fonzie was at the peak of his popularity—so much so that he even jumped over a tiger shark after a dare from a beach local known as the California Kid. Interestingly, the idea for this scene came from Winkler himself, a passionate water skier. Winkler’s father had urged him to inform the producers of his skiing skills, and when he finally did, they crafted a scene where Fonzie successfully skis over a shark confined in a netted area.
“I handled all the waterskiing—except for the jump,” Winkler revealed to Oprah Winfrey in 2015. “They didn’t let me ... Besides, I couldn’t do the jump either! I have no idea how to pull that off.”
By this time, Happy Days was a massive success, drawing 30 million viewers as Fonzie was hailed as the beach’s undisputed king. While some argue this marked the show’s decline, it was actually only halfway through its lifespan, continuing for six more seasons.
It wasn’t until 1987, when University of Michigan student Sean Connolly introduced the term “jumping the shark” to describe an absurd plot twist, that Fonzie’s beach stunt gained a new significance. The phrase became a staple among their friend group. In 1997, Connolly’s roommate Jon Hein launched JumptheShark.com, a site dedicated to documenting the moments when TV shows took a drastic nosedive in quality.
Fred Fox Jr., the episode’s writer, strongly disagreed with the notion that this moment marked the show’s decline. In a 2010 op-ed for the Los Angeles Times, he expressed his disbelief. “When I first heard the phrase and understood its meaning, I was stunned,” Fox wrote. “That astonishment turned to amazement. Considering the countless TV shows since the medium’s inception, why single out the Happy Days episode where Fonzie jumps a shark? It defies logic.”
Fox might have a valid argument. Fonzie’s waterborne antics weren’t even the strangest part of Happy Days that season. Later, the show introduced Robin Williams as Mork, an alien from Ork. The character was a sensation, leading to Williams’ own spin-off, Mork and Mindy. While the arrival of an alien in a sitcom about teenagers might seem like the true shark-jumping moment, “meeting Mork” doesn’t carry the same cultural weight.
