...or, much as I hate to remember them, "Nanu! Nanu!" from "Mork and
Mindy"..."Kiss my grits!" from "Alice"...or how about, "Danger, Will Robinson!"
from "Lost In Space"...God will get you for that" from "Maude"..."Sock it to
me!" from "Laugh-In"...
Not all are great, but better than some of the TV Guide choices...
----- Original Message -----
From: "Keith Johnson" <keithbjohn...@comcast.net>
To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, April 9, 2009 11:13:32 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
Subject: [scifinoir2] TV Guide's Top Catchphrases of All Time
Just goes to show anyone can put together one of these "The Best..." lists. I
acknowledge that "Friends" was a hug hit--among one section of the
populace--but I never watched it. And frankly, neither did many of my friends.
So is Joey's line--which I barely recall--really the best TV catchphrase in
history? Similarly, they're really putting "How rude" from "Full House" on the
list. Who the hell remembers that? Who the hell watched that wretched show? Tim
Gunn, "Entourage", "How I Met Your Mother"--all those shows have lines that are
already supposedly legendary? What am I missing here? I'd think it was a list
done by under-30 people who only know the last ten years of TV if they hadn't
gone back to the old Batman TV show and "Good Times".
But still, I can think of much better stuff that seems to be more iconic. I
mean, even non-fans know the Star Trek line "He's dead, Jim", (although to be
technical, McCoy never uttered those exact words). Or how about Outer Limits'
"We are in control"? Or Fantasy Island's "Zee plaaane!"?
*******************************************************
The 16 Greatest TV Catchphrases
By Adam Bryant - TVGuide.com | Thursday, April 2, 2009, 5:08 PM
The Donald
NBC/Trae Patton
Now that The Donald is back on the air giving us our weekly dose of "You're
fired!" on " The Celebrity Apprentice ," we decided to count down our favorite
one-liners. For brevity's sake, we ruled out any one-word catchphrases
(including "Blerg," "D'oh!," and "Aaaayyyy"), but feel free to tell us how
stupid we are mention those and all your other favorites in the comments below.
16. "Eat my shorts!"
Who says it: Bart Simpson, " The Simpsons "
Why we love it: It's to the point, insulting, and irreverent, just like the
show at its best.
15. "Book 'em, Danno."
Who says it: Jack Lord, " Hawaii, Five-O "
Why we love it: The best procedurals produce great catchphrases (" Hill Street
Blues '" "Let's be careful out there," for example), and this weekly signature
has entered the American lexicon. The case was never closed until you heard
those famous words -- it was the " Law & Order " banging gavel of its day.
14. "How rude!"
Who says it: Stephanie Tanner, " Full House "
Why we love it: This one is all about the delivery. Taken on its own, it's
little more than just another middle child whining. But with Stephanie's pursed
lips, raised eyebrows and "harumph" attitude, it becomes instantly memorable.
13. "Make it work!"
Who says it: Tim Gunn, " Project Runway "
Why we love it: Because Tim Gunn is the man, that's why. Carry on.
12. "Son of a b---h!"
Who says it: Sawyer, " Lost "
Why we love it: It's tough to own a phrase this common, but nobody says it
quite like the surly one, Hoss.
11. "That's what she said."
Who says it: Michael Scott, " The Office "
Why we love it: Sure, the writers of "The Office" didn't invent this versatile
zinger, but we can thank them for making it OK to use it in our own office. You
know, because we're 13-year-olds at heart, just like Michael.
10. "Jane, you ignorant sl--..."
Who says it: Dan Aykroyd, " Saturday Night Live "
Why we love it: Aykroyd brilliantly lampooned right-wing rhetoric 30 years
before Stephen Colbert with this sexist jab.
9. "Legen- — wait for it — -dary"
Who says it: Barney Stinson, " How I Met Your Mother "
Why we love it: We just can't get enough of Barney's awesomeness. His blustery
bravado hits at a universal truth: You either know a Barney or are a Barney.
Check yo' self, people.
8. "...for me to poop on!"
Who says it: Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, " Late Night with Conan O'Brien "
Why we love it: Robert Smigel's off-color, cigar-smoking talking dog was just
weird enough to work. Just when he got people to start talking to a puppet ,
he'd lay this gem on them — prompting hilarious shock value.
7. "Oh my God! They killed Kenny!"
Who says it: Kyle and Stan, among others, " South Park "
Why we love it : In a show that satirizes our culture's love affair with
extreme violence, this catchphrase punctuates one of the show's funniest
recurring jokes: They mercilessly off Kenny in nearly every episode for the
first five seasons.
6. "Let's hug it out, b---h."
Who says it: Ari Gold, " Entourage "
Why we love it: In the venal shark tank that is Hollywood, it's as close to
touchy-feely as these macho men have gotten.
5. "Holy _____, Batman!"
Who says it: Robin, " Batman "
Why we love it: The Boy Wonder's aw-shucks exclamation dovetailed nicely with
the show's campy tone. Plus: It helps us write headlines.
4."What'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis?"
Who says it: Arnold Jackson, " Diff'rent Strokes "
Why we love it: This giggle-inducing question underscored the white
man-adopts-black-boys show's inherent message about learning to accept
differences.
3. "Yada, yada, yada"
Who says it: Multiple cast members, " Seinfeld "
Why we love it: Because we all use it, but "Seinfeld" deconstructed it. "How
can you 'yada-yada' the best part of the evening?" Jerry asks, when Elaine is
less than forthcoming with a date's juicy details. "I mentioned the bisque,"
she answers tartly.
2. "Dyn-o-mite!"
Who says it: J.J. Evans, " Good Times "
Why we love it: We know it's only technically one word, but its delivery was
often accompanied by J.J.'s hilarious rhyming couplets about his prowess with
the lay-deez.
1. "How you doin'?"
Who says it: Joey Tribbiani, " Friends "
Why we love it: Matt Leblanc's dirty-dirty reading of the simple line gave it
life, while forging a new comic frontier for the played-out playa character.
Plus, it works! Try it.
