14 of the most unforgettable 1970s TV lines ever written - how many do you still remember?


From Happy Days to Columbo and M*A*S*H, these famous '70s phrases from iconic TV shows are still used today, but how many are you still quoting and do you remember who said them?


Pam Dawber and Robin Williams in a promotional still for Mork & Mindy.© Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
Daisy Finch
Daisy FinchAudience Writer
37 minutes ago

From crime-fighting icons to sitcom stars, there was plenty to enjoy on the '70s television set. But some shows have stayed with us a little longer than most, thanks to a key line or repeated phrase that stuck in the cultural zeitgeist and will still get a laugh out of '70s kids to this day. Read on to see how many famous TV phrases from the decade you remember, and whether you can remember which character deserves credit for the iconic quote...

A black and white photo of Peter Falk in a rumpled suit and tie, standing in a doorway holding a cigar and looking off to the side.© Bettmann Archive via Getty Images

Peter Falk just needed one more thing to solve the case on 'Columbo'

"Just one more thing" – Columbo

The joy of a detective case normally comes in trying, as the audience, to beat the detective to the punch. There's surely no better feeling than outwitting Poirot or Miss Marple, but when it comes to Peter Falk's Columbo, there's a different kind of case to solve.

In the '70s hit, it's all about how the murder is solved as the audience – who already know exactly who did it – sees how Columbo finds his way to the same answer. "Just one more thing" is all he needs to break the case wide open.

Robin Williams, dressed in a red and silver alien costume, stands smiling beside Pam Dawber in a floral top, both posed against a starry backdrop with a glowing moon.© Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

Robin Williams and Pam Dawber were a powerful '70s sitcom duo

"Nanu Nanu" – Mork & Mindy

Every sitcom needs something a little different to stand out from the crowd. In the case of Mork & Mindy, a little intergalactic fun was all that was needed to make a hit – as well as Robin Williams' comedy talent for timing.

Robin played an alien from Ork, visiting to study human behaviour, while Pam Dawber played a young journalism graduate. "Nanu Nanu" became the show's catchiest phrase, functioning as 'hello', 'goodbye' and a giveaway for any '70s kid whose ears prick up.

A black and white group portrait of the cast of The Waltons, dressed in period clothing, posed on and around the steps of a wooden porch with a dog lying at the front.© Getty Images

'The Waltons' entertained us with their family exploits throughout the '70s

"Good night, John Boy!" – The Waltons

Every large family in the '70s was likely compared to the TV hit The Waltonswith the sitcom stars entertaining viewers as they tried to survive the Great Depression and WWII in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

It was the conclusion of almost every episode that became the show's most enduring legacy, with the house's lights switching off one by one and the family calling out their goodnights. John-Boy was the last on the list, and would always respond: "Good night, everyone."

A group of five people share a laughing group hug around a father figure in a kitchen filled with packed moving boxes.© Getty Images

Good Times was all about family fun and had every home regularly referencing the show's most famous line

"Dy-No-Mite!" – Good Times

This '70s sitcom didn't shy away from tougher issues like gang violence, discrimination and evictions – as well as including plenty of family fun and comedy moments. James 'J.J.' Evans Jr. became a favourite for his very versatile phrase, "Dy-No-Mite!"

As a spinoff of Maude, itself a spinoff of All in the Family, Good Times held some serious status in the cinematic universe of '70s sitcoms and was one of the first to explore the harsh realities of life in the US for a Black family.

Fred Rogers sits smiling at a table, wearing a green cardigan over a shirt and plaid tie, with a rocking chair and plant in the background.© Getty Images

Mister Rogers was a comforting sight for '70s kids throughout the decade

"Won't you be my neighbour?" – Mister Rogers' Neighbourhood

Mister Fred Rogers was a wholesome beacon of hope for viewers in the '70s, the sight of a cosy cardigan and tie bringing their stress levels down in seconds.

Mister Rogers' Neighbourhood invited children to journey into a land of imagination, his Neighbourhood of Make-Believe. With this pivotal question, you too could play neighbour to puppets and learn how to treat others with kindness.

A muscular green-tinted man with shaggy hair snarls and raises a clawed hand, wearing torn denim trousers against a blue studio backdrop.© Getty Images

Lou Ferrigno brought the angriest superhero to life in 'The Incredible Hulk'

"You wouldn't like me when I'm angry" – The Hulk

Radioactive spiders are all the rage nowadays, but in the '70s fans were excited to see the green, hulking result of a gamma radiation experiment gone wrong.

Bill Bixby took on the role of Dr. David Banner, but it was bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno who played The Hulk himself. This live action feat might not look impressive by modern standards, but they clearly did something right as we're still quoting the superhero today.

Five cast members of the sitcom Alice, dressed in diner uniforms, pose smiling together behind the counter of Mel's Diner, with a young boy in a purple jersey leaning on the counter in front.© CBS via Getty Images

Polly Holliday was a favourite with fans

"Kiss my grits!" – Alice

The sitcom world has brought plenty of memorable moments to the screen and in the '80s, it was hits like Alice that provided fans with a quotable comeback, appropriate for almost any argument.

Polly Holliday's Flo delivered this PG alternative to a more racy popular phrase. She was such a hit with fans that Flo had her own spinoff show, Flo, and Polly earned two Golden Globes for her performance.

Henry Winkler, smiling broadly, wears a brown leather jacket over a white t-shirt in a 1970s American high school set.© Getty Images

Henry Winkler was 'Happy Days's resident cool guy

"Ayyyy" – Happy Days

The Fonz, Fonzie, Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli: Henry Winkler starred as Happy Days' coolest cat, complete with a leather jacket and signature swagger.

His signature phrase could mean The Fonz was raring for a fight or hoping for supper. According to Henry, he used the phrase to reduce his lines when the script became too much to memorise, a struggle he now knows is linked to his Dyslexia diagnosis.

Black and white photo of Redd Foxx, wearing a flat cap and cardigan, standing beside Demond Wilson, who has his arm around him, both looking off to the side.© Bettmann Archive via Getty Images

Redd Foxx and Demond Wilson co-starred in 'Sanford and Son'

"You big dummy!" – Sanford and Son

A Los Angeles junk-dealing duo might sound like a strange premise for sitcom success, but Redd Foxx and Desmond Wilson brought the father-son set up to life and made the show a hit.

Desmond Wilson's Lamont often teased his father about his money-making schemes, but Redd Foxx had the perfect and ironic rebuttal.

Black and white photo of Johnny Carson in a suit and striped tie, seated at his talk show desk and smiling, with a microphone in front of him.© NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Host Johnny Carson smiling from behind his desk on 'The Tonight Show'

"Here's Johnny!" – The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson

Before Jimmy Fallon, before Conan O'Doyle, and even before Jay Leno, there was Johnny Carson. The Tonight Show host led the talk show between 1962 and 1992, putting in a 30-year shift at the front desk.

Thankfully, he had Ed McMahon on call to get the audience ready to laugh along with his signature introduction, "Heeeeeeere's Johnny!".

Three smiling actors in army fatigues lean over the bonnet of a military jeep in front of a tent marked with a red cross.© Getty Images

M*A*S*H became iconic for its ability to balance humour and heavier topics

"Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happy Hour" – M*A*S*H

M*A*S*H brought us tales from the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, packing in laughs and fun to take some of the psychological toll away from the stressful day-to-day faced by the central cast.

This famous phrase summed up their dedication to the cause and their own escape into lighter moments, away from the trauma of their camp in South Korea.

A bald man in a pinstripe suit and fedora looks off to the side with a slight frown, in a black and white photograph.© Getty Images

Telly Savalas became an icon of '70s crime-fighting drama

"Who loves ya, baby?" – Kojak

Aristotelis "Telly" Savalas starred in '70s hit Kojack as Lieutenant Theo Kojak, often spotted with his signature Tootsie Pop and intense presence on screen.

The star's iconic line "Who loves ya, baby?" served both as a reassuring phrase and as a snarky line, showing Telly's on-screen talent and making the quote doubly useful.

A group of young men in 1970s casual wear stand together in a classroom while a teacher in a beige suit looks on, with an American flag and chalkboard behind them.© Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

'Welcome Back, Kotter' brought an ex-student back to his old high school

"Up your nose with a rubber hose" – Welcome Back, Kotter

Gabe Kaplan starred as Gabe Kotter, a badly behaved former 'Sweathog' who returns to an unruly classroom of students – this time as their teacher.

This iconic line came from Grease's John Travolta as Vinnie Barbarino, a slightly more family-friendly variation on 'Up yours!'. If you're particularly cross, at least this '70s throwback will get a laugh.

A man in a dark suit holds a car radio microphone while standing at the open door of a Honolulu police car, with a uniformed officer looking on behind him.© Getty Images

Jack Lord coined this famous phrase on 'Hawaii Five-0'

"Book 'em Danno!" – Hawaii Five-0

The '70s brought some iconic crime-fighting prowess to our screens, but Hawaii Five-0 was one of its most famous. Jack Lord's Steve McGarrett and James MacArthur's Danny 'Danno' Williams starred as the legendary duo at its heart.

Detective Steve McGarrett used this signature line to close out a case, telling his junior officer it was time to take their suspect into custody. Now, it's just as likely to be used when booking in for a trip to the cinema.

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