10 Most Quotable Shows of All Time, Ranked
You know it when you instantly hear them, the quotes from famous TV shows that seemingly get stuck in your mind, and you will forever use these quotes in everyday situations for the rest of your life. They’re icons, and also keep you watching these shows every week, just to hear the next catchphrase that will catch fire with TV audiences.
While there are certain quotes that will forever be immortalized, there are TV shows in which iconic, quotable dialogues are sprinkled throughout the series. Whether it’s Michael Scott’s numerous, hilarious sayings in NBC’s The Office, or the numerous quotes from HBO’s Game of Thrones that don’t really make sense, but sound cool to repeat, these TV shows are perhaps the most quotable shows of all time. We didn’t just make up this list on the fly; we went to message boards and social media to see what TV fans thought were the most quotable shows on the air. Armed with this, and using our own wealth of TV knowledge, we’ve come up with of the most quotable TV shows of all time. So, sit back, relax, and get ready to quote some lines!
10
‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ (1999–)
Most iconic quote: “I’m ready! I’m ready!”
It doesn’t matter where you are or how old you are; chances are, you have heard at least one quote from the long-time Nickelodeon animated series SpongeBob SquarePants. Premiering in 1999, SpongeBob SquarePants is part of the lives of many, with its memorable characters and its numerous quotable lines.
Each character has had at least one quote that we keep stuck in our minds, from SpongeBob’s “I’m Ready, I’m Ready, I’m Ready!,” to the random fish heckling SpongeBob at his first stand-up comedy gig (“Oh, brother, this guy stinks!”) that has become a classic meme. Just pick a quote, and you know it’s from this iconic show. And brother, this entry sure doesn’t stink.
9
‘South Park’ (1997–)
Most iconic quote: “Oh my God! They killed Kenny!”
More often than not, you would have responded to the iconic quote about killing Kenny from Stan Marsh with “you bastards!” That’s the beauty of South Park, the long-running animated sitcom on Comedy Central that is a show filled with quotable moments on the same level, or exceeding, that of its peers. Not only is the “they killed Kenny” quote iconic in modern pop culture, but there are other great quotes that are still said to this day.
Most of the iconic lines come from Eric Cartman, who has said some gems such as “Screw you guys, I’m going home!” There are other South Park characters who have also had some pretty memorable lines, from Randy Marsh’s tirade on people who read books (“You know, it’s the snobbery of the people who believe reading a book is better than television”), to the quote about American democracy (“Democracy is ultimately just a choice between A Douche and a Turd”). South Park is filled with so many iconic, quotable moments.
8
‘Parks and Recreation’ (2009–2015)
Most iconic quote: “Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing.”
The iconic quote about how you should “whole-ass one thing,” from Nick Offerman’s Ron Swanson, is one of the major reasons why NBC’s Parks and Recreation is such a great quotable sitcom. The series, which follows a documentary crew as they document the inner workings of Pawnee, Indiana’s Parks Department, is a hilarious mockumentary that often met the moment when it came to quotability.
In addition to Swanson’s “never half-ass two things” quote, some other famous quotes come from Amy Poehler’s Leslie Knope, with the especially hilarious quote of, “I stand behind my decision to avoid salad and other disgusting things,” to Donna Meagle (Retta) and Tom Haverford’s (Aziz Ansari) memorable ‘treat you self,” you’ll never be short of iconic quotes from a classic sitcom.
7
‘Breaking Bad’ (2008–2013)
Most iconic quote: “Say my name.”
One of the most iconic shows of all time, AMC’s Breaking Bad was the standard-bearer of what a neo-Western crime drama should be like. From its unique tale of a teacher-turned-meth dealer to the iconic characters it sprouted, Breaking Bad is the definition of a show that you can easily watch over and over again, especially for the many memorable quotes that continue to live on today.
In fact, this series is one of the most quotable in TV history, with every character saying at least one iconic line that will live rent-free in your mind. From Walter White’s (Bryan Cranston) “I am the one who knocks,” to Mike Ehrmantraut’s (Jonathan Banks) Jessie James quote (“Just because you shot Jesse James, don’t make you Jesse James”), you will be neck-deep in quotes that are still popular in internet memes to this very day.
6
‘Family Guy’ (1999–)
Most iconic quote: “Heheheheheheheh”
When Family Guy premiered on Fox in 1999, we didn’t know that we would soon have, in our midst, one of the most quotable shows ever. For starters, Family Guy, created by Seth MacFarlane, is one of the most hilarious animated sitcoms ever, even besting its neighbor, The Simpsons, at times when it comes to both sheer comedy and quotable lines.
And it’s indeed the legendary quotes that make Family Guy beloved by millions. Everyone has that one line that they often quote. Maybe it’s Quagmire’s famous “Giggity giggity,” to the numerous hilarious quotes from Peter Griffin, including “Oh my God, WHO THE HELL CARES??” quote, which has become one of the internet’s most famous lines to make memes from. You can go to Reddit boards, and you’ll see countless other examples of great Family Guy quotes, just waiting for you to relive them.
5
’30 Rock’ (2006–2013)
Most iconic quote: “What a week, huh?”
While digging into the legacy of NBC’s 30 Rock, it becomes immediately clear that this series, created by Saturday Night Live alum Tina Fey, stands as one of the most quotable shows in modern television history. Its rapid-fire jokes, absurd scenarios, and razor-sharp satire combine to deliver dialogue that’s as unforgettable as it is hilarious. Every line feels like it was written to be repeated, meme’d, and recited by fans who know the rhythm of the show like a well-loved song.
What sets 30 Rock quotes apart from the others is how it perfectly represents the show it wanted to be, a zany parody of the network that produced it. Just pick a quote, and you’ll know it’s iconic. From Jenna Maroney’s (Jane Krakowski) “Listen up, fives, a ten is speaking!,” to Jack Donaghy’s (Alec Baldwin) warning about hipsters (“Never go with a hippie to a second location”), the quotes of 30 Rock are some of the most memorable ever, and will have you laughing until your tummy is sore.
4
‘Friends’ (1994–2004)
Most iconic quote: “How you doin’?”
Heck, even the theme song lyrics to NBC’s Friends are iconic. That goes to show you just how memorable this sitcom truly is. Premiering in 1994, and a catalyst for making the network’s “Must See TV” Thursday night block one of the most-watched in history, Friends is a sitcom that never gets old or repetitive with the audience that grew up with it. Friends is centered on a group of 20 and 30-somethings as they navigate their lives together in New York City, and with an iconic sitcom comes some of the most iconic quotes in TV history.
Each character has one classic line that will live on into eternity. While we don’t have the room to include all of them, some of the highlights include Monica Chandler’s (Courtney Cox) “Welcome to the real world! It sucks. You’re gonna live it,” to Phoebe Buffay’s (Lisa Kudrow), “They don’t know that we know that they know that we know,” there are hundreds of iconic lines that fans can say just off the top of their heads, and it still makes them laugh. That’s the hallmark of a legendary, quotable show, one that Friends fits like a glove.
3
‘The Office’ (2005–2013)
Most iconic quote: “That’s what she said!”
While Friends was the standard-bearer for how to create iconic, quotable sitcom dialogue, The Office, which premiered a year after Friends said its heartfelt goodbye, basically perfected it. The Office was one of the pioneers of the “mockumentary,” with The Office detailing the day-in-the-life of workers at Dunder Mifflin, and the film “crew” that’s there to film their lives for a documentary about life in an office.
What makes The Office such a joy to watch is the many iconic quotes that it has. We can make an entire list of the most iconic quotes from The Office and still not scratch the surface of one of the most quotable shows ever. From Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) berating Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) on identity theft (“Identity theft is not a joke, Jim! Millions of families suffer every year,” to Jim’s hilarious impersonation of Dwight (Bears, beets, Battlestar Galactica”), to Michael Scott’s (Steve Carell) iconic “STAY F*****G CALM!” after Dwight’s infamous fire drill (which you can relive above), everyone has that one quote from The Office that will occupy a special place in their hearts.
2
‘Game of Thrones’ (2011–2019)
Most iconic quote: “Winter is coming.”
Chances are, you have read the “winter is coming” quote in memes everywhere and have even said it yourself once winter comes around. This quote is just part of a plethora of others that make HBO’s legendary high fantasy series Game of Thrones one of the most quotable shows in history. Premiering in 2011, Game of Thrones was no short of a television phenomenon in the 2010s, thanks to its incredible story and cinematography, and its famous quotable lines.
You can’t look anywhere on the internet and not see a Game of Thrones quote. Some of the most famous include Cersei Lannister’s (Lena Headey) “When you play the game of thrones, you win or die. There is no middle ground,” to Melisandre’s (Carice van Houten) chilling, “the night is dark and full of terrors.” There are so many awesome quotes in Game of Thrones, quotes that we will be saying until the end of time.
1
‘The Simpsons’ (1989–)
Most iconic quote: “D’oh!”
When you see that famous intro for The Simpsons, you know you’re going to be in for sitcom gold. Premiering in 1989 after gaining popularity as a short on The Tracey Ullman Show, The Simpsons has gone on to become one of the most legendary shows in television history, easily the longest-running scripted primetime series in history, and this is largely thanks to its iconic characters that produced some of television’s most memorable quotes.
We don’t have the space here to include every iconic quote, but some of the highlights are the legendary “D’oh!” from Homer Simpson to Bart Simpson’s “Eat my shorts.” There are some other memorable quotes from some of The Simpsons’ legendary side characters, from Ralph Wiggum explaining that his cat has cat food breath (“My cat’s breath smells like cat food”), to a random kid shouting at someone beating a corpse (“Stop! Stop! He’s already dead!”), The Simpsons is easily one of the most quotable shows in history, without question.
The Simpsons
- Release Date
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December 17, 1989
- Network
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FOX
- Directors
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Steven Dean Moore, Mark Kirkland, Rob Oliver, Michael Polcino, Mike B. Anderson, Chris Clements, Wes Archer, Timothy Bailey, Lance Kramer, Nancy Kruse, Matthew Faughnan, Chuck Sheetz, Rich Moore, Jeffrey Lynch, Pete Michels, Susie Dietter, Raymond S. Persi, Carlos Baeza, Dominic Polcino, Lauren MacMullan, Michael Marcantel, Neil Affleck, Swinton O. Scott III, Jennifer Moeller
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Homer Simpson / Abe Simpson / Barney Gumble / Krusty (voice)
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Julie Kavner
Marge Simpson / Patty Bouvier / Selma Bouvier (voice)
