Joyful Days star Henry Winkler is “very proud” of his “leap the shark” notoriety. Winkler, who performed Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli on the sitcom, actually jumped a shark on water skis in an episode, which later impressed the “leap the shark” pejorative used to explain the second a film or TV present grew to become creatively bankrupt.
In an interview with Yahoo Leisure, Winkler says, “I’m one of many solely actors on this planet who has jumped the shark twice — as soon as on Arrested Growth and as soon as, in fact, the unique on Joyful Days. I am very proud — very proud.”
Winkler says his father, Harry, set him up for the fishy stunt. “My father stored telling me to inform [Happy Days creator] Garry Marshall that I water-skied,” says Winkler. “I stated to Garry, ‘My father needs you to know I water-ski. Subsequent factor I do know, I am water-skiing! I did all of the water-skiing for the leap, aside from the leap. They would not let me do stunts. Not solely that, however I did not know how one can leap! I knew how one can water-ski, however I did not know how one can leap like they do within the present.”
Two School College students Coined the Phrase “Bounce the Shark” in 1985 About Henry Winkler’s Large Scene
College of Michigan roommates Jon Hein and Sean Connolly coined the phrase “leap the shark” in 1985 throughout a dialogue about when their favourite exhibits began to stink. Somebody talked about when Fonzie jumped the shark on Joyful Days, and Hein created JumpTheShark.com in 1997 to record the precise second that every present jumped the shark. The episode through which Fonzie jumped the shark is season 5, episode three, titled “Hollywood: Half 3.”
Within the challenge The Interviews: An Oral Historical past of Tv, Ron Howard — who performed Richie Cunningham on Joyful Days — talked concerning the “Hollywood: Half 3” episode. He says:
“I keep in mind Donny Most and I sitting there, trying on the script. Donny was actually upset. He stated, ‘Oh man take a look at what our present has form of devolved into. It is not even very humorous, and Fonz is leaping over a shark’ … and I stored saying ‘Hey Donny we’re successful present, calm down. it is exhausting to have nice episodes one after one other. Fonzie leaping over a shark, it is gonna be humorous and nice …’ I keep in mind pondering that creatively this was not our biggest episode, however I assumed it was a reasonably good stunt, and I understood why they needed to do it…. However the factor that needs to be remembered concerning the jumping-the-shark thought, is that the present went on to be such an enormous success for years after that. So, it is form of a enjoyable expression, and I get a kick out of the truth that they recognized that episode (as a result of granted perhaps it was pushing issues slightly too far), however I believe numerous good work was nonetheless executed after that present, and audiences appeared to actually reply to it.”
Winkler says that he does not maintain a grudge in opposition to Hein and his buddies for suggesting that the infamously fishy Fonzie second ruined Joyful Days. “We have been primary for years after it,” says Winkler to Yahoo Leisure. “I met Jon Hein … and did his radio present as soon as, so right here we’re. We’re each standing!”
Joyful Days streams on Paramount+ and Pluto TV.