TV shows have become a larger part of pop culture than ever before. Our favorite series never fail to make us laugh and cry, and they are a great conversation starter between peers. Besides speculating what the latest twist could mean or counting down the days until the next episode, one of the greatest rewards of watching a popular TV series is being able to recite some of its most memorable quotes.
With so many great TV shows out there, it's not very difficult to apply a quote to your everyday life. Whether it's comical, inspirational, or blatantly relatable, most people love indulging in the fun activity of reciting their favorite lines from the small screen. But which TV series has managed to conceive the most memorable quotes? There are entirely too many to choose from, but we gave it our best shot and narrowed down our search to a solid 15 entries.
See how many of these choice lines you'll recall by taking a look at the 15 Most Quotable TV Shows Of All Time.
15. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
For seven strong and marvelous seasons, Buffy the Vampire Slayer provided its audience with a perfect blend of action, laughter, romance, magic, and of course, a solid collection of creative one-liners and memorable quotes. Even though the show has been off the air for well over a decade, people are still quoting the show in their everyday lives.
Some of our personal favorite quotes from the show are mainly thought-provoking. Some examples include "There's moments in your life that make you, that set the course of who you're gonna be. Sometimes they're little, subtle moments. Sometimes they're not. I'll show you what I mean." and "To forgive is an act of compassion, Buffy. It's-it's... it's not done because people deserve it. It's done because they need it." There aren't many other TV series out there that are able to deliver such imaginative and enlightening quotes quite like Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
14. The Wire
People tend to forget how unique and spectacular The Wire is and just how much it did for television in its mere five season run. The show's intriguing sense of direction, fantastic cast, and extraordinary storytelling make it one of the greatest shows of the modern era -- perhaps even of all time. Its unforgettable nature isn't simply a reflection of its quality, however, but (at least in part) because of how quotable it actually is. Obviously, for a show that features such incredible characterization, you should not be surprised to hear that.
"You come at the king, you best not miss." "The tree that doesn’t bend, breaks. Bend too far, and you’re already broken." "Tomorrow ain’t promised to no one. Meanwhile, we go on." "Look the part, be the part, mother******." " There you go, giving a **** when it ain’t your turn to give a ****." In the end, whether it's an intelligent quote, a mind-provoking thinker, or a plain badass line, The Wire's incredible dialogue will not soon be forgotten.
13. How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother may be a hilarious show, but the reason why it's a great show extends far beyond its hilarity. In fact, the biggest takeaway that many fans have is the the number of meaningful quotes that teach us valuable lessons about, well, just about every aspect of life, including having a laugh. This perfect balance between humor and real-life influence is not something most television shows have been able to pull off. However, Barney, Ted, Robin, Lily, and Marshall share a very realistic friendship on-screen that results in many memorable (and of course, quotable) moments.
From "If you're not scared, then you're not taking a chance. And if you're not taking a chance, then what the hell are you doing anyway?" to "Because sometimes, even if you know how something's going to end, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy the ride", How I Met Your Mother truly delivers motivational tidbits that audiences members will abide by just like the characters that sit in one specific booth at MacLaren's. Pile all that deep stuff on top of Barney Stinson's endless array of one-liners and pickup lines, and you've got yourself a legen...wait for it...dary series.
12. Saturday Night Live
While Saturday Night Live might not be a TV series in the same mold as some of other entries on this list, it is certainly one of the most entertaining programs to watch on Saturday nights -- in any small screen era, really. For over 40 years, this show has never failed to keep up with everything going on in the world and put a smile on its audience's face. Aside from the obvious "Live from New York, it's Saturday night!" slogan that's kicked off the opening credits for decades, the hilarious skits have become deeply embedded into pop culture, and as a result, the show has gifted us pitch-perfect one-liners for just about any situation.
Some of the best quotes and catchphrases from the skits include "I am Hans, und I am Frans, and we just want to pump...you up!", "Yeah, that's the ticket" and "More cowbell." Even some of the more recent skits have already become classics, including “Can a bitch get a donut?!” and “Quick, somebody give that hologram a Holo-Grammy. Not my joke, guys, I’m just laser beams.” Four decades later, the series' quotability is alive and well.
11. Arrested Development
Arrested Development is a beloved American sitcom that was just too damn good to be cancelled forever. After its initial three year run wrapped up in 2006, Netflix revived the critically beloved show in 2013. The series stars some of the brightest comedic stars in Hollywood, such as Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Michael Cera, and David Cross. Given all of this star power, it's not surprising that the show has delivered some truly hilarious and relatable quotes that never fail to leave audiences rolling on the floor.
"Here's some money. Go see a Star War." "I've made a huge mistake." "There's always money in the banana stand." "Yes, he’s lost his left hand, so he’s going to be all right.” "I don’t want no part of yo’ tired ass country club, ya freak bitch!'' There are literally hundreds of lines we could have put there, by the way. This series is about as quotable as they come.
1o. Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones is easily one of the best TV shows of all time, and anyone who's seen even a few episodes can't really deny that the series is pure spectacle, the likes of which the small screen has never seen before. This high fantasy epic has undeniably changed television forever, but you mgiht be surprised by just how many spawned an endless amount of quotes that are memorable and sometimes even relatable.
"A Lannister always pays his debts." "I drink and I know things." "Winter is coming." "Never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor and it can never be used to hurt you." "You know nothing, Jon Snow." Every Game of Thrones fan worth his or her salt is able to recite these lines and many more off the top of their heads. Nerding out with your friends has never been this much fun.
9. Parks and Recreation
It doesn't come close to The Office, but Parks and Recreation is also one of the most binge-worthy TV series of the modern age (even though the show has been off the air for a couple of years now). Not only is this show funny and clever, but it's also highly quotable. With talents such as Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, and Aziz Ansari running around, it's hardly a surprise that the show produced as many great one-liners as it did.
"I have no idea what I'm doing but I know I'm doing it really, really well." "I am not a sore loser. I just prefer to win, and when I don’t I get furious." "Time is money; money is power; power is pizza; pizza is knowledge. Let’s go!" "If you don’t like what I post, don’t follow me." "History began on July 4, 1776. Everything that happened before that was a mistake." The likes of Leslie Knope and Ron Swanson proved to be an endless source of hilarity over the course of the show's 7 seasons, and fans will likely be spouting off quotes like these for years to come.
8. South Park
Much like Saturday Night Live, South Park loves making fun of every modern hot topic you can imagine. Whether it's politics, stupid trends, or your everyday pop culture references, this show never fails to live up to expectations and make its audience laugh. The characters featured in this animated sitcom are spot-on in the sense that they play off each other so well. As a result, the show features fluid dialogue, and it's flat-out hilarious to watch. It's certainly not for everyone, but the series' 20 season long run has produced a ton of raunchy (but hysterical) humor.
"Oh my god, they killed Kenny! You bastards!", "Screw you guys, I'm going home!", "TIMMAY!" and "Mmkay" are all classic catchphrases that fans love reciting. Some of the show's most memorable quotes include, "There’s a time and a place for everything, and it’s called college" and "Too bad drinking scotch isn’t a paying job or Kenny’s dad would be a millionaire!" In the end, South Park is one of the most quotable TV series of all time, especially if you enjoy immature and bawdy humor.
7. Drake & Josh
Bear with us; we know this may feel like a controversial include. You may be wondering just how this Nickelodeon show made it onto the list. But the show's fans (and anyone who takes the time to look back and give it a shot) know just how quoatable Drake & Josh was and still can be today. Even though the show's primary audience is now in high school and college, the fans of the series remain loyal and quote the show on a regular basis. This show is practically a source of bonding between millennials, and it's easy to find someone who shares the same passion.
"Hug me, brotha!," "Pip pip da doodly do!," "That is not my job!," "I just ran over Oprah!," and of course, "Megan!" are some of the show's most recognized phrases. Drake & Josh inspired a ton of laughs over its 4 seasons and 2 TV films, making it almost impossible to exclude this from the list. And yeah, that recent news about stars Drake Bell and Josh Peck stung quite a bit, but let's just pretend that didn't happen, shall we?
6. Family Guy
As stupid and insensitive Family Guy can be sometimes, we cannot help but laugh at the raunchy humor the show has to offer. Since 1999, Family Guy has consistently torn down celebrities and modern pop culture (well, not so much in the last few years, but you get the point). Seth McFarlane is a comedic genius, and he's able to get away with some of the most offensive jokes he can think of -- in the best way possible.
From Stewie's classic catchphrase "What the deuce" to Peter's saying "Shut up, Meg", there is a ton of famous quotes that Family Guy has created, and folks cannot resist repeating them over and over. And let's not forget some of the other classics such as "Mum mum mum mum mummy mummy mummy mummy Lois........ Hi," "Giggity, giggity, giggity!" and "It's peanut butter jelly time!" That last one definitely got annoying after a while, but you totally remember it, and it's totally playing in your head right now.
We're sorry.
5. The Simpsons
The Simpsons was recently renewed through to Season 30, making it the longest-running show on television. While it's definitely questionable whether or not the show should continue on, it wouldn't have been able to stay on the air this long without its unique and appealing characters and groundbreaking comical gags. Since the show has been around for so long, it was almost inevitable that it would manage to craft some famous excerpts that stood the test of time, but that in no way takes away from its legacy of quotability.
The most iconic catchphrases are easily Homer Simpson's "D'oh!" and Bart Simpson's "Eat my shorts!" Other than that, we have some really intriguing and captivating quotes such as, "To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems," "I can't promise I'll try, but I'll try to try," and “I didn't think it was physically possible, but this both sucks and blows.”
4. Seinfeld
Seinfeld has only become more of an iconic show as time goes on. In fact, more and more people are beginning to appreciate just how amazing the TV series really is. The show about nothing became a show about a whole lot of something: epic quotes that fans will be reciting for the rest of their lives.
"No soup for you!" "Yada, yada, yada."Not that there's anything wrong with that." "Hoochie Mama!" "It's not a lie if you believe it." Even if you have never watched the series, you have probably still heard of some of these quotes that generated from the talented writing staff. In the end, the fact that Seinfeld is still so incredibly quotable 20 years after it was taken off the air is an impressive accomplishment.
3. Friends
Friends is most likely the best TV show on this list for a handful of reasons. This hilarious sitcom follows the silly misadventures of six extremely likable characters attempting to live a normal life. In the end, we cannot help but laugh at how not normal their lives really are, but more importantly, we can all relate our lives to theirs.
"Welcome to the real world. It sucks. You’re gonna love it!" "How you doin?" "Don't you put words in people's mouths. You put turkeys in people's mouths!" "I don't like it when people take food off my plate, okay?" "You can't just give up! Is that what a dinosaur would do?" Looking back at Friends and these tremendous lines, we can all agree that this show deserves all the credit that comes its way.
2. The Office
Do we even need to explain ourselves here? The Office is the dictionary definition of a quotable TV series. It includes all of the fundamental elements a TV show needs to have in order to be filed under the quotable column. With it's hyper-interesting characters and seemingly mundane but somehow intriguing storyline about life in an office, you could watch The Office ten times over and still crack up at certain jokes and lines.
"That's what she said." "Did I stutter?!" "Bears. Beats. Battlestar Galactica." "I am Beyonce, always" "Nooooooooo! God no! No!" The list is endless when referring to iconic and memorable quotes from The Office. And since you can pretty much drop them into any conversation ever, they're insanely useful, too.
1. SpongeBob SquarePants
Yes, we totally understand that SpongeBob SquarePants is a show targeted for children. Having said that, the Nickelodeon cartoon is quoted every day. While most of the other entries on this list will inspire quotes to enter the conversation once in a blue moon, SpongeBob SquarePants is a cartoon that is mentioned constantly among the people who watched it as kids. Even with the show's primary audience being all grown up, SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, Mr. Krabs and the rest of the Bikini Bottom residents have dozens of quotes stored away in Bikini Bottom that are surprisingly relatable.
"I'm ready!" "Is mayonnaise an instrument?" "I'm ugly and I'm proud." "My leg!" "Big meaty claws!" "Can I be excused for the rest of my life?" "Take it away penny!" "I thought of something funnier than 24... 25!" "Do you smell it? That smell. A kind of smelly smell. The smelly smell that smells smelly." These are just a small handful of some of the best quotes that SpongeBob has to offer. With so many amazing shows on the air, it's hard to have a show that everyone watches and can relate to, but this may be the closest thing to it.
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What do you guys think is the most quotable TV show to ever grace the small screen? Tell us in the comments!