14 of the most unforgettable 1970s TV lines ever written

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.

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.

Every large family in the ’70s was likely compared to the TV hit The Waltons, with 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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!”.

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.

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.

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.

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.