Comedy Catchphrases

"Chin chin!"

Oh, they're funny, aren't they? They don't half make me larff. But - and here lies the heated debate - are they gems of comedy nuggets, or are they a lazy and cynical device used to fill in time between the opening and closing credits? We are not afraid to tackle the most pressing issues.

It has been argued on other websites and within other forums that catch-phrases in recent times have degenerated into nothing more than substitutes for the more complicated process of *writing new jokes*. The example of the Blackadder one-off special recorded in a vain attempt to attract more than ten visitors to the Dome, was bandied (ahem) back and forth across these threads, particularly pointing out Tony Robinson's feeble attempt to deliver the once powerful catch-phrase 'I have a cunning plan.' Well, they might just have a point. But that shouldn't mean that Ben Elton's ennui should ruin the fun for everyone else.

"It's gonna be a bit tricky, it's got so tricky!"

Within comedy, repetition is an all-important ingredient. From a repeated gesticulation (like Joe Cornish's insistent hand gestures during the Media Chaos Collective inserts of the new Adam and Joe series) to a facial expression (Les Dawson's entire repertoire, but particularly during the Cissy and Aida segments), repetition is the new reiteration. And there is nothing most oft repeated than the catch-phrase.

The catch-phrase has been a sure fire winner since the early days of radio comedy. The first radio comedy programme, Our Lizzie, which was broadcast in 1922 spawned what is arguably the worst catch-phrase of the twentieth century - " 'Ullo me old ducks! 'Ere I am again with me old string bag." Following on from that, there have been literally millions of stupid phrases spawned from literally millions of television and radio show, some of them more irritating than others.

"You looking at my bra?"

The most widely repeated catch-phrases of recent years all seem to come from the same source - The Fast Show. It was first hurled at our screens in 1994 and was pronounced decidedly unfunny by most people - probably everyone who now sees it as the best thing ever in the world and yell "Suits You!" at each other in clothes shops. The programme was originally envisaged as a one off idea, a fast moving show with rapid sketches, and basic one dimensional characters leading up to one-line pay-offs. A fabulous idea for one programme, perhaps even for one whole series, but stretching the idea across three series, two Christmas episodes, two 'inside the Fast Show' specials and three 'last episodes' could be found to be trying anyone's patience.

The Fast Show did become increasingly conscious of the massive effect it was having on the nation, and even produced a character that reflected some of the more obsessive members of it's following, in the shape of Colin Hunt, the ginger-headed office nerd who annoyed his co-workers by spouting inane catch-phrases ("I'm a alien!") from a non-existent television show. Another post-modern, self reflexive response to their style of comedy came in the apotheosis of the running joke - where an entire family spent their short 30 second bursts on screen running through various public places with suitcases and shopping bags en-tow.

"Put it all behind you and move on, Mr. Richards."

But to dismiss any humour on the grounds that it repeats jokes from previous occasions is not a legitimate argument. The repetition of jokes can be an entirely valid mode of comedy, when used as a device to achieve a final end. Naturally, in a show with such strong writers as Charlie Higson, Dave Gorman, Graham Linehan and Arthur Matthews on the team, there did emerge the odd gem from the steaming pile of sketches. Indeed, one of the comedy classics of all time regularly appeared through the three series: that was the beauty that is Ted and Ralph. The problem with the majority of the sketches as I see it - and do feel free to disagree at any point - is that the audience reaction is a learned response, rather than a spontaneous effect. Spoon feeding the audience to get an automatic reaction to the expected punchline is lazy comedy at best. The laughter comes from recognition and the satisfaction of expectation. For the majority of the time, particularly during the later series, it does not come from actually being amused.

"I think I've got a bit of a bloody friend in here."

Perhaps the most prolific double act to have ever produced a catch-phrase or twenty seven are Lee and Herring. Throughout their varied career, they seem almost cursed to come up single lines that bear continual repetition. Gracing the front of cash-in t-shirts, people declared to the world that they wanted the moon on a stick, or argued 'Ah - Not Ah' with their own selves. Following them from radio to television were classics like "I am w*nking as I write this" and "Egg! I said egg!" Again, it has been suggested that this kind of overindulgence is a sign of laziness on the part of the writers. However, unlike the Fast Show where the situations virtually never changed, and certainly did not develop, Lee and Herring used the continual reiteration to carry forward and develop ideas. They interchanged phrases between sketches and characters - for example, the "Curse you God!" of the Curious Orange transferred nicely to Stew's "Curse you Gran!" in the final TMWRNJ. In the second series, they even pointed out exactly what they were doing with their comedy in the 'Lazy Comedy Slags' section, the point in TMWRNJ where they dissected the structure of comedy and the notions behind their own show. By doing this, they removed the fourth wall, revealing the formulas used in the programme - and then continued to use them.

"There'll always be milk!"

The entire last episode of the second series of TMWRNJ was then spent twisting the expected formulas - Jesus and his lily fixation appeared in the Alternative Comedy sketch, the Lettuce Family took over the Sunday Heroes and even the characters of Stewart and Richard changed social status and expected characterisation. The secret behind success of this series was because they continually sign posted the humour, and then continually subverted the expectations of the audience. By using catch-phrases and constantly repeated set ups, Lee and Herring illustrated clearly just how lazy some of their compatriots had become.

These days, more and more comedians using are catch-phrases as a self-conscious attack on this style of comedy. In Lee Mack's 2000 Perrier nominated show, one of the sketches showed his home life with a girlfriend, played by Catherine Tate. Taking on the irritating persona of an obsessive comedy fan, he rambled about the stage continually repeating Seinfeld catch-phrases, complete with guitar sting. In another sketch, he sit strying to work out Paul Daniel's old catch phrase, eventually coming up with "You're going to like this. No, you're not." Damn right, too.

"Stand up straight, soldier!"

Steve Coogan's stand up character Duncan Thicket took this parody a step further, showing the desperation with which some of these impossible phrases are thrust at an unwilling nation. "Hiya, you all right or what?" he yells at the audience, who reply as with one voice (in theory at least) "Not so bad, how about yourself?" Finishing triumphantly, he replies "I'm fine, thanks for asking." Genius.

Victor Meldrew, better known as Richard Wilson, is so sick of his catch-phrase, "I don't believe it", that he has begun charging fans who ask him to repeat it, the Guardian reported last October. And the writers of Father Ted - not against spawning their own catch-phrases, of course - played this to their advantage when they reacted to the viewing public's increasing apathy to the catch-phrase tradition. Casting Wilson in a cameo part, they had Fr. Ted approach him with his One Foot In The Grave catch-phrase so often that he finally lost his temper and attacked the bemused Ted.

"I shall be sick as a dog in the morning."

Even so, the poor misguided advertising whores have come along and presented us with yet more of the same. The Budweiser frogs we can live with. Papa and Nicole now have more of a resonance with Punt and Dennis aficionados than any car company, and the Ferrero Rocher people can be forgiven thanks to the comedy parodies that have since ensued. However, the bubble has finally burst. 'Whassup' is just too damned deliberate, too obviously and desperately aiming to be a catch-phrase and instead of being remotely funny, it is downright annoying.

"I'm going now, bye!"

Pull out quotes: The Two Dannys, The Mary Whitehouse Experience, Reeves and Mortimer, The Hollowmen, Terry Titter, Richard Herring, Tony Law, Punt and Dennis, Adam and Joe.