Running gags can be especially rewarding for audiences who stick with a TV show for a long time, but they also run the risk of becoming stale over time. Thebest running gags on TVcan constantly be reinvented and remixed so that they remain fresh for years, but this isn’t easy. More often than not, audiences eventually get tired of running jokes, causing shows to drop them before they overstay their welcome.
If a joke isn’t particularly funny the first time, there’s a very slim chance that it will make for good material for a recurring gag. However, writers can sometimes seem determined to make a joke work, even if the audience is starting to grow weary of it. In other cases, a running joke can start to feel uncomfortable as times change. Even some of the funniest shows on TV are prone to misjudging certain recurring gags.
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Family Guyhas no shortage of long running gags, and it often makes fun of them by dragging them out. The show repeats some of its jokes to the point that they intentionally lose their spark, and then it keeps repeating them until the sheer audacity creates another level of humor.Family Guy’s older seasons are especially good at this, and it helps that so many of the show’s jokes come out of nowhere.
What’s different about Peter scraping his knee is that there is no variation on the joke.
Jokes like Peter fighting the chicken, the Conway Twitty interludes and the two vaudeville performers (“Play me off, Johnny”) all test the audience’s patience, but they tend to wrap around and become funny again. What’s different about Peter scraping his knee is that there is no variation on the joke, and it’s already obscenely long and boring to begin with. Sometimes,the show uses the knee joke as a way to bring the plot to a grinding halt, and this almost ruins some ofFamily Guy’s funniest episodes.
Many ofThe Big Bang Theory’s running jokes are based on the characters' frequent references to pop culture, especially comic books and superheroes. There are others which reveal a lot about the characters, like the Roommate Agreement’s complex bureaucracy, and some jokes which are surprisingly clever, like the fact that the broken elevator facilitates plenty of conversations between the characters as they walk upstairs.
While other jokes can develop in new ways, the knock rarely changes.
Sheldon’s peculiar habit of knocking on the door three times is one of his many character quirks, but it wears out pretty quickly. While other jokes, like Sheldon insisting on having his “spot” on the couch, can develop in new ways, the knock rarely changes.The Big Bang Theoryeventually explains that Sheldon picked up his habit as a child when he walked on his father with a strange woman in his bedroom.Young Sheldonshows this momentin its final season, but the woman in question turns out to be Sheldon’s mother in costume.
Ross and Rachel’s relationship inFriendsoften forms the backbone of the show’s drama. Many of the show’s most shocking moments come about as a result of the will-they-won’t-they dynamic between the couple, including Ross saying Rachel’s name during his wedding to Emily. However,Friendsalso tries to turn one of their biggest arguments into a running joke. Ross' repeated screaming of"we were on a break"becomes a little uncomfortable.
Friendstries to turn one of Ross and Rachel’s biggest arguments into a running joke.
WhileFriendshas some great running jokes, like Gunther’s love for Rachel or Ross being the favorite child, the"we were on a break"joke is less funny. Since the crux of the argument boils down to whether or not Ross cheated on Rachel, it’s strange thatFriendstries to play this for laughs. The way that Ross often shouts this catchphrase also makes it seem more aggressive, as if he’s trying to talk over Rachel’s perspective.
Charlie seems to have a tenuous grip on reality at best, and his illiteracy doesn’t help him. Despite misreading words like “private” as “pirate,” Charlie convinces himself that he’s an expert in “bird law,” which doesn’t exist. This gives him the confidence to go toe-to-toe with an actual lawyer, although his filibuster proves unsuccessful.As Charlie says, bird law in America is not governed by reason. Neither is he.
There’s no explanation of where Charlie gets his ideas about bird law from.
Charlie’s musings on bird law provide a hilarious punch line in the season 8 episode “McPoyle vs. Ponderosa: The Trial of the Century,” but it just isn’t as funny when it keeps being brought up elsewhere.It’s Always Sunnyhas developed many great running jokes over its long run, so it doesn’t need to keep bringing up bird law. The joke makes Charlie seem even weirder than usual, and there’s no explanation of where he gets his ideas about bird law from.
Although it has mostly held up well,there are a few jokes from the early years ofThe Simpsonswhich can come across as problematic by today’s standards.The controversy around Apu is the most high-profile case ofThe Simpsonshaving to reckon with its past, but there are some other things which haven’t aged well. One notable example is Moe’s constant suicidal thoughts, which are played for laughs in the early years ofThe Simpsons.
It’s harder to imagine a live-action show making fun of a character trying to commit suicide, while still retaining a family-friendly reputation.
Not only is Moe often shown as being depressed and lonely,The Simpsonseven shows him preparing to take his own life several times.The Simpsonscan be darker than its colorful cartoon facade suggests. It’s possible that the animation actually helps it get away with some of its riskier jokes, because it’s harder to imagine a live-action show making fun of a character trying to commit suicide, while still retaining a family-friendly reputation. Moe is one of thebest side characters inThe Simpsons, even since the show has dropped the jokes about his depression.
Arrested Developmentis one of the best sitcoms for running jokes, especially during its first three seasons. The show’s complex writing manages to reinvent running jokes and stack them on top of one another in increasingly creative ways. From the recycled musical clues to the iconic chicken dance,Arrested Developmentturns running jokes into an art form. Many of the show’s best episodes are built around repeated jokes, like the way Gene Parmesan keeps appearing in “¡Amigos!”
Tobias is strange enough and funny enough without the never-nude joke.
However, out of allArrested Development’s great jokes, there are a couple which are more controversial. The potential incest plotline between George Michael and Maeby definitely makes for some uncomfortable viewing at times, but Tobias' “never-nude” persona is even weirder. AlthoughArrested Development’s Bluth familyis filled with oddballs, the never-nude joke has no basis in reality whatsoever. Tobias is strange enough and funny enough without it. The fact that he finds a community of likeminded people is even harder to explain.
Gilmore Girlsis characterized by its fast-talking style of comedy, and Lorelai and Rory’s bond is so close that they practically develop their own language with one another. Fueling this blistering pace requires a lot of coffee, so the duo can often be seen at Luke’s. While coffee is clearly one of the things that the mother and daughter bond over, some of their quotes about it can come across as cringeworthy.
Thankfully, the show’s breakneck pace means that it tends to move on before it lingers on the subject for too long.
The joke about Lorelai and Rory loving coffee doesn’t have legs, and their pithy slogans get old very quickly. While it’s nice to see them sharing an interest, and the coffee is a convenient way to keep Luke close to the action in the early seasons, Rory and Lorelai are both far too interesting to constantly be trading quips about their caffeine-dependency. Thankfully, the show’s breakneck pace means that it tends to move on before it lingers on the subject for too long.
Ben Chang is the unpredictable livewire who keeps everyone at Greendale Community College on their toes. He starts out as a Spanish professor, but he sticks around in many guises, becoming a janitor, a student, and a wannabe Napoleon-style autocrat. No matter what, he always has the habit of replacing some words with his own surname. This seems to be the only facet of his personality that he remembers when he has “Changnesia”.
The Changuage joke is the exact same joke as Dean Pelton’s use of the word “Dean”.
The Changuage joke is the exact same joke as Dean Pelton’s use of the word “Dean”. The difference is that Dean Pelton is flamboyant and theatrical enough to pass this off as another element of his grand daily performance, whileChang’s version is purely obnoxious.Jeff is often the only character who calls Chang out on this. Ken Jeong is set to return fortheCommunitymovie, so his character could still have a Chang of heart.
BeforeChelsea Peretti leftBrooklyn Nine-Nine,Gina was one of the show’s most divisive characters. She’s the only one of the main characters who isn’t a police officer, and this means that she brings a different dynamic to the show. She also has one of the loudest personalities. Not everyone can get on board with Gina. One of the things that fans have often criticized about Gina’s character is her repeated inappropriate comments about Terry, played by Terry Crews.
Gina’s sexual comments about Terry are uncomfortable for many reasons.
Gina’s sexual comments about Terry are uncomfortable for many reasons. Not only is he clearly not reciprocating her attention, but he’s also a happily married man, not to mention one of her coworkers. Gina’s comments about Terry aren’t meant as anything more than jokes, butthe fact that she continues to make these jokes when he is clearly uncomfortable about them is a little creepy.Terry is a kindhearted man who should be left to eat his yogurt in peace.
Seinfeldis great for running gags, and the character-specific jokes are more similar to real-life. For example, Jerry’s use of"that’s a shame"or Elaine’s"get out!“These jokes contribute to the language of the show, but they also help to distinguish the characters in fun ways. Kramer is the most distinctive of them all, partly because of the running jokes he has, like his passionate obsession with fresh fruit and his business schemes which inevitably capitulate.
Seinfeldis great for running gags, and the character-specific jokes are more similar to real-life.
One of Kramer’s running jokes which fizzles out a little is his frequent references to Bob Sacamano, a friend of his who is often mentioned but never seen. Kramer always has a story about Bob that he uses to pass off some obscure wisdom which actually makes no sense. Bob clearly leads a varied life, as he has several botched surgeries, and jobs as a condom factory worker and a hat salesman.Since Bob is never seen, these stories are all fairly meaningless.
