11 Most Memorable TV Catchphrases
Catchphrases such as “D’oh” and “Danger, Will Robinson” immediately remind us of their respective TV shows — even if you have never watched a single episode of The Simpsons or Lost in Space.
Not only have certain TV catchphrases become a part of pop culture and endured sometimes decades after the show’s initial run, but hearing one again can immediately spark nostalgic memories of what you were doing at the time in your life when you first heard it.
Although there are many more than 11 memorable catchphrases since the dawn of scripted television, the following keep popping up in pop culture references and have become part of our collective consciousness.
“D’Oh!” – The Simpsons
The animated series The Simpsons began its life as a segment on The Tracey Ullman Show before getting its own half-hour show on Fox. The antics of the Simpsons family and the quirky residents of Springfield have tickled audiences for decades.
Homer Simpson often blurts the exclamation “D’oh!” when he’s surprised or annoyed. Although there is no official tally, fans have heard the catchphrase hundreds of times over the show’s 35 seasons. Now “D’oh!” has become a popular exclamation used in other movies and TV shows as well as in everyday life.
“Yada, Yada, Yada.” – Seinfeld
On the sitcom Seinfeld, cocreator Jerry Seinfeld plays a fictionalized version of himself. Some have described the series as a “show about nothing” with the characters focusing on minutiae of everyday life. Seinfeld aired on NBC from 1989 to 1998.
On “The Yada Yada” episode from season eight, Marcy (Suzanne Cryer) repeatedly uses the phrase “yada, yada, yada” to gloss over uncomfortable details that she doesn’t want to discuss when telling a story.
How many times in your life have you uttered the handy phrase or heard someone use it?
“How You Doin’?” – Friends
The sitcom Friends ran from 1994 to 2004 and gave several generations unrealistic expectations about what living in Manhattan might look like during your 20s and 30s. Today, Friends is one of the most-streamed series on Netflix.
Joey Tribbiani, played by Matt LeBlanc, often uses the greeting “How you doin’?” as a flirtatious tactic. There is even an eight-minute video on YouTube of Joey’s best “How you doin’?” moments.
“Beam Me Up” – Star Trek
The original Star Trek series ran from 1966 to 1969 and introduced sci-fi fans to the continuing exploration of strange new worlds by the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise. The show spawned a franchise comprised of movies and TV shows that continue to this day.
When Captain Kirk (William Shatner) wants Chief Engineer Montgomery “Scotty” Scott (James Doohan) to teleport him back to the Enterprise from a planet below, he says, “Beam me up, Scotty” on his communicator, the design of which inspired flip phones decades later.
“Winter Is Coming.” – Game of Thrones
The fantasy-drama Game of Thrones, based on George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels, ran from 2011 to 2019 on HBO. A spin-off prequel, House of the Dragon, premiered in 2022.
On Game of Thrones, Winterfell’s House of Stark is known for its tenaciousness in the face of adversity. When characters say “Winter is coming” on Game of Thrones, they are not just referring to a literal harsh winter but also hardships on the horizon. The foreboding catchphrase also foretells the coming of the White Walkers and the threat that they pose to all of Westeros.
“Good Night, John-Boy.” – The Waltons
The Waltons follows the titular family living in rural Virginia during the Great Depression and World War II. The historical drama aired on CBS from 1972 to 1981.
Richard Thomas plays John “John-Boy” Walton Jr., the eldest of the seven Walton children. At the end of every episode, the children would say “good night” to each other from their beds. The catchphrase “Good night, John-Boy” came to represent the wholesomeness of the long-running family series.
“Kiss My Grits!” – Alice
The sitcom Alice follows the titular character, played by Linda Lavin, who starts a new life working as a waitress at a roadside diner in Phoenix, Arizona. The show ran on CBS from 1976 to 1985.
Polly Holliday plays fellow Mel’s Diner waitress Florence Jean “Flo” Castleberry, a firecracker who doesn’t put up with nonsense from anyone. When a customer or, more often, Mel irritates Flo, she often spits back the popular catchphrase, “Kiss my grits!”
Flo also popularized another catchphrase on the show: “When donkeys fly!”
“Danger, Will Robinson!” – Lost in Space
The sci-fi TV series Lost in Space follows the Robinson family of space colonists after the ship becomes — you guessed it — lost in space en route to its destination. The series that ran from 1965 to 1968 on CBS spawned a 1998 big-screen movie and a Netflix series of the same name.
One of the most beloved characters in Lost in Space is the ship’s wisecracking robot, imaginatively named “Robot.” The robot developed a close relationship with the youngest Robinson, Will (Bill Mumy). If Robot sensed an immediate threat to Will’s safety, he was quick to wave his arms and shout, “Danger, Will Robinson!”
The movie and Netflix remakes also recycled the iconic catchphrase.
“Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!” – The Brady Bunch
The sitcom The Brady Bunch ran from 1969 to 1974 and, like the song goes, tells the story of a “lovely lady” bringing up “three very lovely girls” in their new blended family after the lovely lady marries a man “with three boys of his own.”
Eve Plumb plays Jan Brady, the middle daughter who often feels upstaged by her older sister, Marcia (Maureen McCormick). In the season three episode titled “Her Sister’s Shadow,” Jan’s frustration about the attention Marcia receives boils over, causing her to scream out in frustration, “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!”
The unintentionally funny line became one of the most memorable quotes from The Brady Bunch.
“Dy-No-Mite!” – Good Times
The sitcom Good Times ran from 1974 to 1979 and focuses on a Black family living in the projects of inner-city Chicago. Although 26 at the series’ start, Jimmie Walker played 17-year-old James “J.J.” Evans Jr., who became one of the most recognizable TV teen characters of the 1970s.
To this day, people remember Good Times for J.J.’s catchphrase: “Dy-no-mite!” Unbelievably, someone has compiled a 13-minute YouTube clip of every time J.J. says “Dy-no-mite!” on Good Times so that future generations might better understand its impact on 1970s pop culture.
“Oh, My God! They Killed Kenny!” – South Park
Trey Parker and Matt Stone created the animated series South Park, which is about a group of grade school friends in the fictional town in Colorado. The controversial show that unapologetically skewers sacred cows and is unafraid to tackle hot-button issues live-action series wouldn’t dare touch debuted in 1997 and continues to this day.
One of the most popular recurring catchphrases and gags on South Park — at least during the early seasons — was for Kenny to get graphically killed, prompting a character to shout, “Oh, my God! They killed Kenny!”
Of course, Kenny always returns in the next episode with little acknowledgment of his previous “death.”
