JUMP THE SEA MONSTER

Classic quote posted on jumptheshark.com about where it all went wrong for Sid & Marty Kroft's 70s kids show/acid trip "Sigmund the Sea Monster":

This show jumped when Sid and Marty Kroft allowed Martin Scorsese to direct the first episode of the final season. Scorsese shot the episode in super 8 black and white instead of the traditional Kroft brothers video format. Scorsese also introduced two new characters to the cast: Robert Duvall who played a one legged Korean war veteran with a severe gambling problem who went by the name Anthony O'Leary, and his enabling mother, who was played by Scorsese's mother. The show's venue was moved from the sunny coasts of California, to Manhattans Washington heights section. The episode was monumental in its wind swept shots of the streets of Brooklyn's Coney Island where Sigmund and the boys spend most of their time trying to unload bunk scag and playing three card monty and C-lo, along with shots of Blurp and Slurp riding the subway trying to find Slurps epileptic girlfriend, who he is convinced is cheating on him. I don't think Scorsese had enough character development for a half hour Saturday morning show. However, the final scene when Sigmund beats Duvall to death with the "shellaphone" accompanied by The Yardbirds' "When Will It End" was a masterpiece.