TV shows that jumped the shark, then jumped back

[orderandlaw]

Have any great television shows "jumped the shark" and then been able to right the ship and jump back?

I can't seem to think of any. It seems when a show goes bad, it goes bad in a hurry and stays that way.

[orderandlaw]

Perhaps Angel when they killed of Fred, and then brought her back as another character. But it was it's last season anyway, and it was not quite a real "jump the shark".

[Dean Winchester]

Buffy jumped a bit at the start of season 4 when the show pretty much had to start over from scratch considering Sunnydale High was destroyed at the end of season 3 and Angel and Cordelia left for "Angel", and Riley was introduced and the whole Initiative storyline took place, but it jumped back in season 5 DESPITE the addition of Dawn

[treky]

I can't think of any.

[Dean Winchester]

I know this one will cause a lot of controversy. But I think Cosby Show began to feel a little "stale" in the fourth and fifth seasons (granted, at least there were some great shows in those years, compared to the last two), but I thought Lisa Bonet's return in season 6 was a huge energy booster for the show and season 6 was probably the best season after the first two. Of course, season 7 spelled doom for the show and it never recovered again.


South Park could count too. The third season was really weak for the most part. The novelty factor that gave the show its initial success was wearing thin and Matt and Trey spent much of the season focusing mostly on the movie, but towards the end of that season and certainly in season 4, the show reinvented itself and became "smarter", more political and even more outrageous and bounced back. Yet again the show reached a low point in seasons 9 and 10 (outside of The Return of Chef, World Of Warcraft and the Family Guy spoof, season 10 was the absolute nadir of the run so far) but yet season 11 was a huge return to form. So I think it can be argued that South Park is the only show that jumped the shark, bounced back, jumped again and currently has bounced again

[treky]

"FRASIER"-it jumped when Niles and Daphnie got together; but then jumped back the last season.