Shows that completed their brilliant runs without jumping the shark

And SportsNight, while great, did get way too bogged down in some of the relationship stuff in the second season.

 

Cold Pizza

 

I enjoyed Home Improvement. Good stuff, there.

 

Don't forget that MTM had Robbie Rist in it the last season or two, which is the very definition of shark-jumping, I believe.

 

South Park
Seinfeld (some say it did, I disagree)
Arrested Development, although cancelled early
The Sopranos

 

The Wonder Years

 

The Simpsons

 

Damn good thread subject, Simon.

According to jumptheshark.com, here are top vote-getters in "never jumped." All of these have a majority of its votes being for "never jumped."

Lost, Supernatural, House, The Simpsons, The X-Files, CSI, Buffy, West Wing, Law & Order.

Sports Night, My So-Called Life, The Rockford Files, Barney Miller, Everwood, The Odd Couple, St. Elsewhere, Scrubs, Seinfeld.

I would underline "My So-Called Life," a show which could have maintained a strong arc for another 4-5 seasons than it lasted.

I enjoyed "Buffy," but the show morphed so much from beginning to end, it's hard to believe that most don't believe there was some sort of shark-jumping moment in there somewhere.

 

Shit, forgot to add Deadwood to the list. Cocksucker.

 

Who nails it first? Who is the No. 1 "kiss of death" for a TV show -- when this actor/actress shows up in the cast, kiss 'er good-bye?

 

Joshua Malina, which is why Sports Night never had a chance.

 

He's making a run for a latter-day version, but not yet.

Interestingly, the recognized choice gets some credit for the demise of "Sports Night."