Television in the 1980s was a plethora of sitcoms with wacky families getting into all sorts of trouble. It's part of the reason people are so nostalgic about the 1980s which makes ABC's The Goldbergs the perfect family sitcom. Set in the 1980s and inspired by the real-life of the show's creator, The Goldberg's follows Adam's family as they get into all sorts of shenanigans.
The series currently wrapped its eighth season and is still going strong. While a big part of the appeal of The Goldbergs is the nostalgia factor, the show is also downright hilarious. And like many family sitcoms, The Goldbergs knows how to reward its most loyal fans by including inside jokes and funny gags that resurface season after season.
Barry's Philadelphia Flyers Shirt
Characters wearing the same item of clothing is a staple often used in animation to keep costs down but it's rarely ever used in live-action TV. However, The Goldbergs has managed to break that rule by regularly and constantly dressing Barry in his iconic Philadelphia Flyers orange shirt.
Barry wears the shirt so much there's even an entire episode revolving around the love of his ratty shirt and everyone else's distaste for it. And while the shirt may have changed a time or two, one thing fans can expect is for it to make an appearance in nearly every episode.
"Shut Up, Dave Kim"
Like all good family sitcoms, The Goldbergs has a strong stream of reoccurring characters who play the Goldberg children's friend. One of the most iconic of these characters is Adam's best friend Dave Kim.
Not only is Dave Kim never without a turtle-neck shirt, a running gag of his own, but his presence also gives way to a running gag on the show. For starters, Adam only ever refers to him as Dave Kim and even more specifically, he's constantly telling him "shut up, Dave Kim." The expression usually comes from a place of frustrated love, when Dave Kim goes off on some random tangent.
Beverly's Sweaters
While Barry might spend entire seasons in the same orange shirt, Beverly has an eclectic collection of sweaters. No two sweaters are ever the same but the one thing they do share in common is their over-the-top and bright colors.
From light-up Hanukka sweaters to hand-knit ones, there's no telling what Beverly Goldberg will wear next. The sweaters have become a running gag of their own and almost a character of sorts. The best part about the sweaters is that most of them belong to or are inspired by the real-life Beverly Goldberg.
"I Coulda Been A Lawyer"
Beverly Goldberg has a lot of hilarious catch-phrases that she uses season after season but only one has become a true running gag. And that's her shouting: "I coulda been a lawyer" at any minor inconvenience that occurs in her life. From yelling it at her children when they do something wrong, to quietly whispering it to herself every time she says it, it's hilarious.
In fact, the catch-phrase has become so iconic that it even earned its own episode during season six where Beverly channels her lawyer potential into harassing the local government to putting up a stop sign on her street.
The Other Adam Goldberg
The entire premise of The Goldbergs revolves around Adam Goldberg retelling his childhood which makes it all the more hilarious that he has to constantly clarify who he is due to another student having the same name as him in school. Thus, Adam regularly calls himself Adam F. Goldberg so the two don't get confused.
The best part of this gag is that it arose due to a real-life struggle Adam F. Goldberg has had in the professional world. Since 2017, Goldberg has been in a feud with indie film actor Adam Goldberg which inspired "the other Adam Goldberg" to be mentioned on the show.
Erica's Gagging Face
Eldest child and only daughter Erica Goldberg has a special place in the Goldberg family. She's the future rockstar, no-nonsense daughter who is also the other half of the show's most iconic couple.
Erica also has her own running gag that involves her making a horribly hilarious face whenever she gags. The best part is she makes the face whether she's being sarcastic or serious making it even funnier. It's a gag that's been going since the very first season and continues to be played today.
Beverly Acting Like She's Adam's Number 1 Girl
While sitcom mothers are usually involved in their children's lives, Beverly Goldberg takes things to a whole other level. After all, she is a "Smother." Beverly's smothering tendencies have been played for laughs since the first season and have even spawned a running gag or two.
One of the best of these smothering gags is Beverly being convinced that she's the only girl Adam will ever love. This involves her regularly reminding his girlfriends that she's number one in his heart, reminding him that she was his first kiss, and most recently involved her convincing him to pull a mother-son senior prank.
Murray Calling His Kids Moron
If sitcom moms are often overly involved, sitcom dads are usually checked out when it comes to their kids' lives. That's certainly the case for the Goldberg's patriarch Murray who prefers to lounge in his recliner pantsless than deal with his kid's shenanigans.
However, Murray's hands-off approach to parenting has become its own running gag with him regularly calling his kids "morons." Sometimes it comes from a place of love like when he congratulates them for not being morons and other times it comes from a place of discipline.
Johnny Adkins Crush On Beverly
Avid The Goldbergs fans might consider Johnny Adkins a running gag all on his own. He usually pops up out of nowhere wearing his iconic Rush shirt and has been held back at least once before. However, Adkin's best running gag is that he is attracted to Beverly.
While it's definitely odd and not the best running gag, it is pretty funny to watch Johnny Adkins ask about Beverly every chance he gets. It's even more hilarious when he gets to talk to her and Beverly is completely indifferent to him.
Beverly's Unhealthy Cooking
As the self-proclaimed best mother ever, it's not surprising that Beverly loves to spend time in the kitchen cooking for her beloved family. The only problem is, her cooking isn't always the most healthy but it has become a hilarious running gag on the show.
From Beverly trying to "parm" everything from chicken to her famous shrimp to her banana bread that can be used as a weapon, Beverly knows how to make hearty home-cooked meals. In fact, her cooking even led to a real-life cookbook being released inspired by the real Beverly's recipes.