Some of the best jokes on television are the ones that just won’t die. In long-running shows, the funniest and most nostalgic parts simply revisit quips that just won’t stop coming.
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The jokes keep building on and on until they become an irreplaceable part of the series that we love and look out for it. In fact, it can even shed light on a show that is otherwise serious and dramatic.
We’ve created a slideshow below of 17 of our favorite running gags on television!
Greenberg – Teen Wolf
To this day we still wish we knew who Greenberg was. Instead, he remains the faceless student who always got on Coach Finstock’s nerves.
Robin vs. Patrice – How I Met Your Mother
The Slap Bet was definitely a funny one, but for us, the Robin and Patrice feud takes the cake. Mostly because it wasn’t actually a feud and Robin was basically feuding with herself.
Ross’ (many) marriages – Friends
We considered putting, “WE WERE ON A BREAK!” on here but really, that was just more annoying than funny. Instead, we went with Ross’ many marriages and engagements and how many times the group liked to make a joke out of it.
“Title of your sex tape.” – Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Any time Amy makes a remark that could somehow possibly be said during sex, Jake immediately yells “title of your sex tape!” But now that they’re a married couple he’s altered the phrase slightly to “title of our sex tape!” Is it weird to find that kinda adorable?
Cussing – The Good Place
The inability to cuss in The Good Place has created new unofficial curse words all across social media. Instead of dropping an F-bomb, try saying “What the fork?” instead. It’s surprisingly just as satisfying.
“How rude!” – Fuller House
Stephanie Tanner’s famous catchphrase on Full House was always “how rude!” She may no longer be a kid in the reboot, but she really hasn’t changed a bit.
“That’s what she said.” – The Office
This is probably one of the most famous running gags in television history. Anytime any kind of sexual comment was made on the show, someone would immediately jump in and yell “that’s what she said!”
The Douchebag Jar – New Girl
Anytime Schmidt said something particularly idiotic, he was forced to put money into what his roommates called “The Douchebag Jar.” Whether it actually served its purpose or not is up in the air, but it was definitely hilarious.
Dean and pie – Supernatural
Dean Winchester still loves himself some pie to this very day. In fact, sometimes we wonder if pie is Dean’s one true love.
Leslie and libraries – Parks and Recreation
Because of an experience she had in the past, Leslie Knopps is not a big fan of libraries. In fact, she hates them. Like, literally despises them throughout the entire show.
The Plastics Posse – Grey’s Anatomy
Even after Mark Sloan’s death, Jackson makes sure that the Plastics Posse will live on. We’re sure Mark looks down proudly at Jackson in the afterlife while he kicks surgical ass and takes names.
“My leg!” – Spongebob
No matter what kind of chaos is happening on the show, someone always somehow manages to get hurt and yell “my leg!”
“Fix that step!” – Modern Family
There is just that one step that never gets fixed in Modern Family no matter how many times someone yells, “Fix that step!”
The Chicken Dance – Arrested Development
Almost every member of the Bluth family has their own Chicken Dance on Arrested Development. While we don’t really understand where it came from, they always use it to mock other people.
Wilson’s face – Home Improvement
Over the course of the show, you never see all of Wilson’s face. Whether it’s hidden by a fence or something else, we never actually see a shot of Wilson in full.
Where is Fez from? – That 70’s Show
We’re still extremely confused about where Fez was from, but that seems to be the whole point. All we really understand is that he’s from an island but he managed to make even that hard to understand.
Josh’s love for Oprah – Drake and Josh
Josh and his obsession with Oprah was always one of the funniest parts of the show. Let’s not forget the time he hit Oprah with his car and freaked out because her “autograph” was on the restraining order.
