Today, we look at when (or if) you folks believe that Simon & Simon “jumped the shark.”
This is “Just Can’t Jump It,” a feature where we examine shows and whether they “jumped the shark.” Jumped the shark (coined by Jon Hein) means that the show had a specific point in time where, in retrospect, you realize that show was going downhill from there (even if, in some rare occasions, the show later course-corrected). Not every show DOES jump the shark. Some shows just remain good all the way through. And some shows are terrible all the way through. What we’re looking for are moments where a show that you otherwise enjoyed hit a point where it took a noticeable nose dive after that time and if so, what moment was that?
Simon & Simon was a long-running light drama about two mismatched brothers who ran a private detective agency in San Diego. There was the refined AJ (Jameson Parker) and his rough and tumble older brother, Rick (Gerald McRaney). Tim Reid had a long stint on the show as their police contact, Downtown Brown. When he left the series, Joan McMurtrey took over as their police contact, Abby Marsh.
So first…DID IT JUMP THE SHARK? I don’t think it did, no.
WHEN DID IT JUMP THE SHARK As noted, I don’t think it ever did. The show definitely took a hit when Reid left, but McMurtrey was a fine actor, and Abby was a good character, also, so the show didn’t really lose THAT much with Brown gone. I think it remained the same basic fun show throughout its run.
Let me know what you think in the comments or on social media!
Feel free to e-mail me at brian@poprefs.com for suggestions for shows to do in future installments!
I seem to remember, there was a writers strike during the season, and it was essentially unused(rejected) scripts from prior seasons. in any event it was pretty bad.
that was same season ABC was going to make versions of Mission Impossible and The Hardy Boys from old scripts. mission impossible happened I think in the end with new scripts as the strike ended.
meant to say final season.
Day One. The show was forgettable dreck that only survived because it was on opposite NBC’s powerhouse Thursday night lineup. I would not remember the show at all if my brother hadn’t thought that Gerald McRaney was someone worth watching but but sadly emulating.
I grew up in the 80s and have absolutely no memory of this show. Weird.
BTW the way Tim you got that backwards. NBC powerhouse lineup was a few years away. CBS had the powerhouse lineup of Magnum p.i., Simon, and Knots Landing, all in the top 10. opposite Simon, Cheers in its first season ranked 74 out of 77 show and was nearly canceled. became a moderate hit in its second season but still far behind Simon. For those first two seasons nearly every show Nbc had on Thursady except Cheers and Hill Street was quickly canceled.
I don’t think it ever did. That said, I really don’t think Downtown Jones or Abby added much to the show, because for me it was always about AJ and Rick. I really should check it out and see how well it’s aged.