July 15, 2002
It's a truism that the entertainment industry can never leave well enough alone. With few exceptions, TV shows, movie series and entertainers all go on producing product well after their prime. The popular Web site jumptheshark.com—which takes its name from the ignominious Happy Days
episode in which Fonzie jumps over a shark on water skis—elaborates on this truism, chronicling the moments when TV series began their slides into embarrassment. Hein, the site's creator, expands the site here, taking aim at not only TV shows, but also musicians, celebrities, athletes and politicians. It's a risky move on Hein's part because, as he himself notes, one of the first signs of a show's doom is the spin-off. The book's television chapter offers some deliciously catty pop criticism. Hein judges Family Ties, Beverly Hills 90210
and ER
for fin spottings (Alex Keaton is born, Brenda goes abroad and Dr. Ross leaves, respectively). The writing is at times strangely ambivalent, as Hein's theory of entertainment entropy ensnares just about every show imaginable, even ones he obviously likes (with the exception of The Simpsons, which miraculously escapes his eye). Like a producer with a smash hit sitcom, though, Hein can't leave well enough alone and wades into deeper waters. The celebrities chapter is especially unfocused, swiping at everyone from Cher to Francis Ford Coppola. Still, it's a light and easily digested read. Fins are definitely spotted, but the book never quite jumps the shark itself. (On sale Sept. 16)Forecast:According to Dutton, Hein's site currently generates between four and eight million hits and roughly one million unique visitors per month. Those stats would suggest a huge audience, especially on college campuses.