Television’s 25 best catchphrases

A catchphrase is a way to build a character and give an identity to a television show. TV Guide recently released its list of the 60 most notable catchphrases on TV shows in the history of the medium. Here is one viewer’s opinion of the best 25 catchphrases of all time, based on too many years of watching television…

 

25) “Kiss my grits!” (Flo Castleberry, Alice)

24) “Dy-no-mite!” (J.J. Evans, Good Times)

23) “This tape will self-destruct in five seconds.” (Mission: Impossible)

22) “Resistance is futile.” (Star Trek, The Next Generation)

21) “How you doin’?” (Joey Tribbiani, Friends)

20) “Yadda, yadda, yadda.” (Elaine Benes, Seinfield)

19) “Baby, you’re the greatest.” (Ralph Kramden, The Honeymooners)

18) “The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.” (Jim McKay, Wide World of Sports)

17) “You look mahvelous.” (Fernando, Saturday Night Live)

16) “Danger, Will Robinson!” (The Robot, Lost in Space)

15) “To the Batmobile!” (Batman, Batman)

14) “Yabba Dabba Do!” (Fred Flintsone, The Flintstones)

13) “Eat my shorts.” (Bart Simpson, The Simpsons)

12) “Live long and prosper.” (Commander Spock, Star Trek)

11) “Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Superman!” (Adventures of Superman)

10) “Good night, John Boy.” (The Walton family, The Waltons)

9) “I’m listening.” (Frasier Krane, Frasier)

8) “Come on down!” (Johnny Olson, The Price is Right)

7) “Make it so.” (Captain Picard, Star Trek the Next Generation)

6) “Book’em, Danno.” (Detective Steve McGarrett, Hawaii Five-O)

5) “Let’s be careful out there.” (Sergeant Phil Esterhaus, Hill Street Blues)

4) “And that’s the way it is.” (Walter Cronkite, CBS Evening News)

3) “Aaay!” (Fonzie, Happy Days)

2) “D’oh!” (Homer Simpson, The Simpsons)

1) “Heeere’s…Johnny!” (Ed McMahon, The Tonight Show)

The Greatest TV Kids of All Time

There have been many popular shows on television that featured child characters in both starring and supporting roles, and TV Guide recently released its list of the 60 greatest TV kids in the history of the medium.  Here is one TV viewer’s opinion of the 15 best television kids of all time, based on too many years of watching television…

15) Laura Ingalls, Little House on the Prairie (Melissa Gilbert, 1974-1982, NBC)
14) Barbara Cooper, One Day at a Time (Valerie Bertinelli, 1975-1984,CBS)
13) Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver, Leave it to Beaver (Jerry Mathers, 1957-1963, CBS/ABC)
12) Angela Chase, My So-Called Life, (Claire Danes, 1994-1995, ABC)
11) Steve Urkel, Family Matters, (Jaleel White, 1989-1998, ABC)
10) Will Robinson, Lost in Space (Billy Mumy, 1965-1968, CBS)
9)  Wesley Crusher, Star Trek: The Next Generation (Wil Wheaton, 1987-1994, syndicated)
8) Meadow Soprano, The Sopranos (Jamie Lynn-Sigler, 1999-2007, HBO)
7) Malcolm, Malcolm in the Middle (Frankie Munoz, 2000-2006, FOX)
6) Marcia Brady, The Brady Bunch (Maureen McCormick,1969-1974, ABC)
5) Danny Partridge, The Partridge Family, (Danny Bonaduce, 1970-1974, ABC)
4) Opie Taylor, The Andy Griffith Show (Ron Howard, 1960-1968, CBS)
3) Doogie Howser, Doogie Howser M.D. (Neil Patrick Harris, 1989-1993, ABC)
2) Bart Simpson, The Simpsons (Nancy Cartwright, 1988-present, FOX)
1) Kevin Arnold, The Wonder Years (Fred Savage,1988-1994, ABC)