The Story Behind Fonzie ‘Jumping The Shark’

This event was one of the most highly anticipated events of the TV season that year. It's catchphrase would also come to symbolize the decline of any given show.

Even though 'Happy Days' went on to enjoy many more years on TV, the phrase 'jumping the shark' has come to mean the moment when a show starts to decline in quality.

The events leading up to Henry Winkler's iconic character, 'The Fonz' jumping the shark on water-skis is interesting.

It was Winkler's dad, not the writers, who pushed the idea. Henry Winkler told Oprah that it was his father, realizing that his son Henry love to water-ski, and in fact, was a water-ski instructor, who pushed them write the stunt into the script.

Fans of the show remember Ron Howard's character 'Richie' went out to the west coast and took 'Fonzie' with him, and of course, TV history as well.

I have to admit, being an early fan of the Fonz, seeing him in a leather jacket and swim trunks was a bit much for me.