In a land of endless teen dramas writers and networks are constantly asking themselves, how do we keep audiences interested? Riverdale has kept audiences captivated for several too many seasons and the question is how? I think an important place to start is with the evolution of the teen drama.
There is a phrase used when talking about television shows that push the boundaries. It’s called “jumping the shark”. This is in reference to the show Happy Days where they literally had the Fonz jump over a shark. The phrase is usually used to determine whether or not a show has gone too far, broken past its boundaries and failed. Now the reality is that Riverdale has had many jumping the shark moments. From Juggy faking his death, to Archie getting attacked by a bear, to the prison break, to Betty taking down the trash bag killer, this show is known for pushing boundaries and testing its limits. Riverdale is coming back for season 7 and dear god I hope it ends soon for the sake of the actors. Watch any interview they’re in and they hate this show so much, no one thinks the show is more ridiculous than the poor cast.
One response to “Riverdale …Why?”
[…] Jumping the shark is a phrase used in television used to describe when a show has gone too far and pushed the boundaries of what is acceptable and believable in its given world. The phrase came from a Happy Daze episode where the writers had Fonzie literally jump over a shark. Since then the phrase has become sort of an industry term as a manner of critique. So what other jumping the shark moments have we seen in television history? Surely there are plenty but here are the ones that stuck out the most to me. […]