"Yabba dabba do!" "D'oh!" "Aaay!"
12/07/06 13:09
By ED BARK
TV Land's countdown of the 100 Greatest TV Quotes and Catchphrases begins Monday and will unfold throughout the week. But the cable channel already has released the complete list, so let's quibble.
It's all-time topper, which Uncle Barky certainly can live with, is Ed McMahon's halcyon "H-e-e-e-re's Johnny!" from The Tonight Show. But his fallback "Hi yo-h-h-h!" isn't listed at all. Wrong-o-h-h-h!
Fred Flintstone's "Yabba dabba do!", Homer Simpson's "D'oh!" and Arnold Jackson's "What you talkin' 'bout, Willis?" richly deserve their spots in TV Land's Top 10.
How did Donald Trump's "You're fired" get the No. 3 spot, though, while Fonzie's "Aaay!" and J.J. Evans' "Dy-no-mite" placed 11th and 12th? And isn't Theo Kojak's "Who loves you, baby?" ranked way too low at No. 64?
Also getting little respect: Sgt. Phil Esterhaus's "Let's be careful out there" from Hill Street Blues (No. 72) and Regis Philbin's climactic "Is that your final answer?" (No. 46).
Six Saturday Night Live catchphrases made the list, with "We are two wild and crazy guys" topping this subset at No. 13. But left out are "I'm Chevy Chase and you're not" and the show's weekly call to arms -- "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!"
Uncle B could go on and on, but will settle for listing the Top 10 catchphrases not included anywhere in TV Land's 100 Greatest. You're cordially invited to look at their list and this list before submitting your own lists -- or omissions. So "away we go!" which Jackie Gleason used to say on his old variety show. That didn't make the TV Land list either.
10. "Well, kiss mah grits" -- Flo Castleberry on Alice
9. "Go-l-l-l-ly!!" -- Gomer Pyle
8. "Chee-burger, chee-burger, chee-burger" -- Saturday Night Live
7. "Hello, Newman" -- Jerry Seinfeld on Seinfeld
6. "Tell 'em Groucho sent you" -- Groucho Marx on You Bet Your Life
5. "The devil made me do it" -- Flip Wilson on The Flip Wilson Show
4. "L-o-o-o-sie, I'm home." -- Ricky Ricardo on I Love Lucy
3. "You bet your sweep bippy" -- usually Dick Martin on Laugh-In
2. "Beam me up, Scotty" -- Capt. James T. Kirk on Star Trek
1. "I pity the fool!" -- Mr. T on The A-Team