Worst Running Gags - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

HauntedThunderman94 · 12-23-2014, 02:01 AM

The ultimate fear for the use of any running gag is not that it becomes an overly long Gag; rather, it is that it was never funny in the first place. Nothing is worse than starting a one hour show with a joke that bombs that you're going to use twenty times over the next hour.

Zoneboy · 12-23-2014, 02:04 AM

Warren Ferguson's Huh, yeah huh. routine on TAGS and anywhere else he did it.

Once is often and twice is endless.

principehomura · 12-24-2014, 10:57 AM

Never laughed at:

Bazinga!
or
Legend... wait for it... dary

Mace Dolex · 12-24-2014, 03:42 PM

Peter vs. the giant chicken on Family Guy.

I'm fine when it goes under a minute but there have been times when it goes on endlessly having nothing to do with the episode.

Edward216 · 01-01-2015, 02:56 AM

I thought of one from M.A.S.H. This was after the character of Charles Winchester came on the show in the later seasons, I don't remember in what season it started though. There's an episode where they find out they're getting wounded soldiers and everyone needs to go prep for surgery. Charles and Margaret are in the operating room and she says he can't operate and he needs to go back out and scrub up again because she saw him touch his nose, they argue back and forth a bit and then Colonel Potter orders Charles to go back out and scrub up again. They brought this up in several episodes again before the show ended. Margaret and Charles would get in an argument and it would come up, she'd insist "you touched your nose"! and Charles would insist that he hadn't and they both thought the other person was wrong about it. It wasn't funny in the first episode it was in and it wasn't funny in any other episode it was mentioned in either. It just wasn't funny and I can't understand why they kept writing it in. One of the dumbest and unfunniest things ever on the show.

Ed.

caladon · 01-01-2015, 11:53 AM

Early on in "Murphy Brown," they began an unfunny running gag where every time someone came through the door to Phil's, the bright light from outside would cause everyone to yell either "Close the door," or "Door." Thankfully someone realized how quickly that gag would become annoying and it was dropped.

treky · 01-02-2015, 02:12 AM

JOEYS HOW YOU DOIN' on FRIENDS

Marions "standing up" to Howard (it was funny the first one or two times but then she kept doing it), Fonzies "AYYYY!", Fonzies making the jukebox play just by hitting it, on HAPPY DAYS.

Ediths "standing up" to Archie on ALL IN THE FAMILY, again, it was funny the first one or two times but then she kept doing it.

icecream · 01-02-2015, 02:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by caladon

Early on in "Murphy Brown," they began an unfunny running gag where every time someone came through the door to Phil's, the bright light from outside would cause everyone to yell either "Close the door," or "Door." Thankfully someone realized how quickly that gag would become annoying and it was dropped.

I think Murphy Brown was trying to imitate Cheers where everyone yelled Norm!, but it didn't have nearly the same effect.

icecream · 01-02-2015, 02:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edward216

I thought of one from M.A.S.H. This was after the character of Charles Winchester came on the show in the later seasons, I don't remember in what season it started though. There's an episode where they find out they're getting wounded soldiers and everyone needs to go prep for surgery. Charles and Margaret are in the operating room and she says he can't operate and he needs to go back out and scrub up again because she saw him touch his nose, they argue back and forth a bit and then Colonel Potter orders Charles to go back out and scrub up again. They brought this up in several episodes again before the show ended. Margaret and Charles would get in an argument and it would come up, she'd insist "you touched your nose"! and Charles would insist that he hadn't and they both thought the other person was wrong about it. It wasn't funny in the first episode it was in and it wasn't funny in any other episode it was mentioned in either. It just wasn't funny and I can't understand why they kept writing it in. One of the dumbest and unfunniest things ever on the show.

Ed.

Hmm, I don't remember this gag.

treky · 01-02-2015, 03:35 AM

no, I don't either. And I watch it almost every night.

comedyfreak · 01-02-2015, 06:42 AM

Chachi's Wah, wah, wah's on Happy Days got on my nerves.

TMC · 09-05-2015, 12:33 AM

http://whatculture.com/tv/10-hilario...-long-time.php

Quote:

Brought to you by Vandelay Industries.

opus · 09-05-2015, 12:38 AM

Any catchphrase that had to be said EVERY episode.

MikeLutton · 09-05-2015, 02:51 AM

how about marion keep making fun of howard weight keep putting him on a diet like every episode or season got old

MrCleveland · 09-05-2015, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Brady's Hair

Not really a sitcom, but I've been watching the old Monty Python shows recently and the animated segments are excruciating.

I love the Monty Python animated segments!

But Friends "We Were On A Break" isn't funny...and it dragged the show!

12-23-2014, 02:01 AM	#1
HauntedThunderman94 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 09, 2013 Posts: 495	Worst Running Gags The ultimate fear for the use of any running gag is not that it becomes an overly long Gag; rather, it is that it was never funny in the first place. Nothing is worse than starting a one hour show with a joke that bombs that you're going to use twenty times over the next hour.

12-23-2014, 02:04 AM	#2
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,366	Warren Ferguson's Huh, yeah huh. routine on TAGS and anywhere else he did it. Once is often and twice is endless.
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12-24-2014, 10:57 AM	#3
principehomura Member Forum Regular Join Date: May 24, 2010 Location: SEA, Napa, Lanford, NY \| Rome (WI), Coeur d'Coeurs, Stars Hollow, Sunnydale \| Twin Peaks, BAL, Deadwood, WA \| Tardis, Galactica Posts: 757	Never laughed at: Bazinga! or Legend... wait for it... dary
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01-01-2015, 11:53 AM	#6
caladon Member Senior Member Join Date: Jun 30, 2001 Location: Massachusetts state home for the bewildered Posts: 1,151	Early on in "Murphy Brown," they began an unfunny running gag where every time someone came through the door to Phil's, the bright light from outside would cause everyone to yell either "Close the door," or "Door." Thankfully someone realized how quickly that gag would become annoying and it was dropped.
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01-02-2015, 02:12 AM	#7
treky star trek fan Eternal Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 14,490	JOEYS HOW YOU DOIN' on FRIENDS Marions "standing up" to Howard (it was funny the first one or two times but then she kept doing it), Fonzies "AYYYY!", Fonzies making the jukebox play just by hitting it, on HAPPY DAYS. Ediths "standing up" to Archie on ALL IN THE FAMILY, again, it was funny the first one or two times but then she kept doing it.
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12-24-2014, 03:42 PM	#4
Mace Dolex Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 12, 2013 Posts: 2,668	Peter vs. the giant chicken on Family Guy. I'm fine when it goes under a minute but there have been times when it goes on endlessly having nothing to do with the episode.

01-01-2015, 02:56 AM	#5
Edward216 Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 18, 2014 Location: Central Time Zone Posts: 4,634	I thought of one from M.A.S.H. This was after the character of Charles Winchester came on the show in the later seasons, I don't remember in what season it started though. There's an episode where they find out they're getting wounded soldiers and everyone needs to go prep for surgery. Charles and Margaret are in the operating room and she says he can't operate and he needs to go back out and scrub up again because she saw him touch his nose, they argue back and forth a bit and then Colonel Potter orders Charles to go back out and scrub up again. They brought this up in several episodes again before the show ended. Margaret and Charles would get in an argument and it would come up, she'd insist "you touched your nose"! and Charles would insist that he hadn't and they both thought the other person was wrong about it. It wasn't funny in the first episode it was in and it wasn't funny in any other episode it was mentioned in either. It just wasn't funny and I can't understand why they kept writing it in. One of the dumbest and unfunniest things ever on the show. Ed.

01-02-2015, 03:35 AM	#10
treky star trek fan Eternal Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 14,490	no, I don't either. And I watch it almost every night.

01-02-2015, 06:42 AM	#11
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,059	Chachi's Wah, wah, wah's on Happy Days got on my nerves.
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09-05-2015, 12:38 AM	#13
opus VB Forum Superstar Join Date: May 16, 2015 Location: VB Galaxy Posts: 32,319	Any catchphrase that had to be said EVERY episode.

09-05-2015, 02:51 AM	#14
MikeLutton Mike Lutton DVD Legend! Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 05, 2005 Location: usa pennsyvania Posts: 6,883	how about marion keep making fun of howard weight keep putting him on a diet like every episode or season got old
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