Running gags are a staple in sitcoms, but some get old quickly, and audiences have grown tired of them. The best sitcoms of all time include recurring jokes that come up frequently and are usually iconic quotes or references that make viewers roar with laughter. Some running gags in sitcoms never got old and, to this day, are often mentioned in popular culture and even parodied in other TV shows.

Because sitcoms rely so heavily on jokes, when they find one that audiences respond to, they tend to use them repeatedly. However, this can be fatal for a sitcom, and their running gags become so overused that they’re not funny anymore. Unfortunately, this is common in some of the longest-running TV sitcoms because writers try to keep the original spark alive. Although these running gags are hilarious initially, they turn stale after hearing them too many times.

10

We Were On A Break

Friends

Friends has several running gags throughout the show, but the most irritating one is between Ross (David Schwimmer) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston). Ross and Rachel’s relationship in Friends is definable with one quote – “We were on a break!” However, this statement gets irritating the more it is referenced. Although audiences are still conflicted about Ross and Rachel’s “break,” neither character can move on from it either. Ross and Rachel split in Friends season 3 after Ross cheats with Chloe (Angela Featherstone), as he believes his relationship with Rachel is over, but this reference crops up throughout all ten seasons.

In later seasons of Friends, even after the birth of Ross and Rachel’s daughter Emma, “We were on a break” is still heard often. While it’s funny to hear the exes bicker about their relationship shortly after its end, it doesn’t have the same impact years later. Even when Rachel returns to New York in the Friends finale, Ross can’t resist slipping the quote in one last time as they reunite. “We were on a break” may have begun as a hilarious jab between the pair, but it loses charm as each season of Friends progresses.

9

Pawnee Hates Libraries

Parks And Recreation

One of Parks and Recreation’s weirdest recurring jokes starts with Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) and eventually spreads across the entire Parks department. While the “Parks team hates libraries” joke gets dull over time, the main issue is that the gag is overly petty. Leslie hates libraries in Parks and Recreation more than anyone, but as the show advances, other characters start agreeing with her. Arguably, this is because Ron’s (Nick Overton) ex-wife Tammy 2 (Megan Mullally) runs the libraries in Pawnee. However, Tammy 2’s chaotic ways don’t explain why everyone in the Parks department hates libraries.

What’s odd about this gag, too, is that books are prominent factors in multiple Parks and Recreation storylines. For example, Kelly Larson (Will Forte) adamantly tries to get the Twilight books into the Pawnee time capsule in season 3, and Joan Callamezzo has a book club in season 4. Even Leslie publishes a book yet doesn’t acknowledge that it’ll likely go on display in a library. Although this is a funny reference in Parks and Recreation, it gets old because of how little context anyone gives about their hatred for public libraries.

8

Robin and Ted’s Mock Salutes

How I Met Your Mother

How I Met Your Mother is another sitcom that creates a running gag from a relationship between its characters. Ted (Josh Radnor) and Robin (Cobie Smulders) frequently recreate an inside joke in several episodes of the show. Any time someone says a word like “General, “Major,” or something resembling a military rank, Robin and Ted will salute one another and repeat the phrase. This supposedly starts while the two are still together, but it isn’t shown on screen until after their break up in the season 3 episode “Slapgiving,” when they make the pun for the first time with “Major Buzzkill.”

Although Ted and Robin’s mock salutes only appear a handful of times throughout the show, the running gag becomes old within moments of its first mention. This joke highlights the issues with Ted and Robin’s relationship in How I Met Your Mother, especially as it only seems to occur in moments when it’s clear that the two are forcing their friendship and pretending that things between them are okay when they obviously aren’t. It’s rare for a sitcom to ruin a running gag immediately, but it’s something that How I Met Your Mother easily achieves.

7

Bazinga

The Big Bang Theory

Sheldon Cooper’s iconic catchphrase, “Bazinga!” in The Big Bang Theory, is a staple in his character, but it swiftly gets annoying over time. Sheldon says, “Bazinga!” for the first time in the season 2 episode “The Monopolar Expedition” and uses it to explain to others that he is making a joke. In the Young Sheldon episode “A Stunted Childhood and a Can of Fancy Mixed Nuts,” audiences get to see where the phrase originates from, only to discover that it is from a marketing display in a comic book store and has no deeper meaning.

However, in later seasons of The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon’s sense of humor develops and changes, so he uses the catchphrase as an alternative to actually laughing. Unfortunately, this is what causes “Bazinga!” to become unlikeable. Sheldon uses the term so frequently and often in different contexts that it’s difficult to find it comical, and it loses all meaning. There’s no doubt that the use of “Bazinga!” is hilarious when Leonard (Johnny Galecki) retrieves Sheldon from the ball pit in “The Pants Alternative,” but every mention of it after that is painful.

6

Peter And The Chicken

Family Guy

Family Guy’s Peter Griffin (Seth McFarlane) has plenty of hilarious moments, but one of his best has become even more irritating over the show’s 25 seasons. In the season 2 episode “Da Boom,” Peter fights Ernie the Giant Chicken (Danny Smith) for the first time over an expired coupon. This scene results in a decades-long feud between the pair, with Ernie appearing at random points to punch and kick Peter. The first instance of this is brilliantly funny, and watching a vast chicken peck Peter’s eyes while he confidently hits back is nothing short of comedic genius.

However, every time Ernie returns to Family Guy, the fights between him and Peter get longer and longer. Even though Family Guy frequently relies on painfully long and repetitive gags, these fights go too far and quickly become mundane with no end in sight. For example, the “Da Boom” fight is roughly two minutes long, but in the season 10 episode “Internal Affairs,” their extreme combat scene lasts over six minutes. Although Family Guy keeps audiences engaged by mixing up the settings and outcomes of these fights, the length of time dedicated to them is exhausting.

5

Buster And Sugary Juice

Arrested Development

Arrested Development is a show that knows how to create recurring jokes well, but one that stands out for being less enjoyable is Buster Bluth’s (Tony Hale) obsession with juice. Throughout the show, Buster is treated like a child by his mother, Lucille (Jessica Walter), in several ways, especially regarding a juice box. When Buster has a sugary drink, it affects him like alcohol would, and he loses control of himself. While this is funny initially, it grows old over time.

Lucille and Buster’s odd mother-son relationship is one of Arrested Development’s best factors, but Lucille’s refusal to allow Buster to drink juice is another level of patronizing. During the investigation surrounding Lucille Austero’s (Liza Minelli) death in season 5, the show implies that Buster’s memory loss on the night of her disappearance is because of him drinking juice. At this point, Buster’s problem with the drink is so overused that it feels like a lazy way for writers to make him the villain.

4

The Broken Step

Modern Family

Modern Family’s broken step joke is one of the show’s best, but it also quickly loses its appeal. The broken step in the Dunphy house reflects Phil’s (Ty Burrell) personality, as every time he trips on it, he always follows up with “gotta fix that step.” These moments highlight Phil’s forgetfulness and how his mind is generally scattered, but the sheer repetitiveness of it gets irritating.

Phil is blind to the broken step and only remembers it when he gets caught on it. While this is funny the first few times, it eventually gets to the point where audiences wonder why Phil hasn’t fixed it yet. Another reason this gag gets old is that it’s too simple and has the potential to be so much more, yet it never progresses past “gotta fix that step.”

3

Dee’s A Bird

It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is known for its recurring jokes, but the gang’s constant reference to Dee (Kaitlin Olson) as a “bird” has become unimaginative over time. It’s worth noting that the show has delivered this joke in some intelligent ways, such as at the Halloween party in “Who Got Dee Pregnant?” where an Emu stands in Dee’s place while she is in the bathroom with Mac (Rob McElhenney).

However, when the guys just shout “Shut up, bird” at Dee, it is forced and lacks any thought. Although the joke isn’t as prominent in later seasons of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, every time it does return, it feels as if the show is trying to push nostalgia that is no longer relevant. Hopefully, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 17 will be more creative with insults about Dee.

2

Homer Strangling Bart

The Simpsons

One of The Simpsons’ earliest gags is Homer (Dan Castellaneta) strangling his son, Bart (Nancy Cartwright). As times change and society progresses, this joke is simply unfunny in the present day. Even the show realizes this, and in later seasons, this gag slowly disappears from The Simpsons. Even though Homer never causes any lasting damage to Bart’s vocal cords, and the two make up and forget about it all, Homer’s actions are child abuse.

While Homer strangling Bart is always light-hearted and for comedic effect, it also shows that the Simpson patriarch has anger issues and is less than an ideal parent. Despite The Simpsons being an animation, it doesn’t excuse that these moments in the show are uncomfortable and weird. Thankfully, The Simpsons realizes that its other running gags throughout the show have more comical value and focus on these instead of continuously pushing an out-of-date joke that has no place in the present day.

1

Morty Has Some Sort Of Disability Or Is Stupid

Rick And Morty

In several episodes of Rick and Morty, there is an implication that Morty Smith (Harry Belden) has some form of disability or is just plain stupid. This joke begins in the Rick and Morty pilot, with Beth (Sarah Chalke) and Jerry (Chris Parnell) claiming that Morty has “some sort of learning disability.” However, considering all of the sci-fi nonsense that Rick (Ian Cardoni) puts him through in the show, it’s not surprising that Morty’s mind isn’t up to par with other kids his age.

Rick and Morty’s intelligent humor is frequent, although there are plenty of moments where the comedy relies on stupidity as well. Morty’s family doesn’t help his self-esteem, though, and their repeatedly telling him that he isn’t smart or something is wrong with him simply feeds into the narrative. Over time, this gag becomes boring. Even though it makes sense that genius Rick’s sidekick is the opposite of him, the fact Rick and Morty don’t delve into Morty’s possible condition yet mock him for it feels cheap, and it gets old very quickly.