There was a time when television was still relatively new, but its influence on everyday British life stood out. With only three television channels for much of the 1960s and 1970s, millions would watch the same programmes. The most popular would regularly have audience figures of fifteen to twenty million; at Christmas, they would be higher.
Today, it is very different. There is far more choice and many ways to view “television” content. Audience figures, even for the most successful programmes, are much lower. Back in the nineteen sixties and seventies, if something was popular on television, chances were that a large proportion of the country had watched.
And that meant television catchphrases could quickly escape from the small screen and become part of everyday conversation. They could become popular overnight. Many were funny, and you didn’t necessarily have to explain the joke. Say the phrase in the right voice, and everyone knew exactly what you meant.
Here are five memorable examples.
“I wanna tell you a story.” — Max Bygraves
Max Bygraves was one of Britain’s best-known entertainers. He performed at a time when those in show business would often simply call themselves an entertainer. The “Jack of all trades” type of act. They would typically sing, dance, play instruments, tell jokes and stories, and even act in films. A bit of everything.
And if there is one catchphrase that people who lived through that time will remember Max Bygraves for, it was, “I wanna tell you a story.” It became closely associated with his stage and television performances.
Bygraves would often use the phrase before launching into a joke, story, or anecdote. His delivery was as important as the words themselves were slightly exaggerated, becoming part of the character. “I wanna tell you a story” was a simple, memorable and easy-to-imitate catchphrase. Children and adults alike would use it, and often did, when they had something to tell.
It became so popular that impersonators like Mike Yarwood did their own impression of “I wanna tell you a story” with exaggerated waving hands. Yarwood’s own television shows would regularly attract a big audience. If you watched Yarwood, then you didn’t need to be a fan of Bygraves to know about the “I wanna tell you a story” catchphrase.
And Bygraves himself thought highly of it, as he named his autobiography “I wanna tell you a story”.
It may be less well known today, but just about everyone might have said it at some point back then.
“Just like that!” — Tommy Cooper
Few comedians had a catchphrase quite as recognisable as Tommy Cooper’s “Just like that!” Cooper had a very distinctive appearance and a big physical presence, and he always wore a red fez. He was a magician.
His act was based on magic tricks. He would attempt a trick, fail spectacularly and then confidently announce, “Just like that!” He perfected the art of doing magic tricks badly, but he would often follow it up by actually doing the trick right with an add-on to his catchphrase.
“Just like that — not like that — just like that!” When he finally got it right.
Tommy Cooper’s timing was the best in the business. Actually, he was an excellent magician, but he also crossed over into telling funny stories and jokes and occasionally attempting to sing. He could turn a simple phrase into a punchline through his delivery and facial expressions.
“Just like that!” quickly became something people could use whenever something happened easily, unexpectedly or, perhaps, not quite as successfully as planned. It became something you could hear repeated in homes, workplaces, and school playgrounds.
Cooper himself will also be remembered by many for his final act.
He was appearing in a live broadcast on stage when he collapsed. The audience, thinking it was part of his act, laughed. I remember watching it at the time. Those backstage quickly realised that it was not part of his act and closed the curtains. Everyone thought, including those of us watching at home, that it was a joke — the sort of ending that Cooper would have done.
It was later announced that he had died of a heart attack.
“Oh, you are awful … but I like you!” — Dick Emery
Dick Emery was a hugely popular television comedian, particularly during the 1960s and 1970s. His comedy was sketch-based and built around a collection of memorable characters. The sketch often involved a misunderstanding, double meanings and cheeky suggestive humour.
One of his best-known lines was:
“Oh, you are awful … but I like you!”
It was usually delivered by Emery dressed as a young woman named Mandy. The scene would show her talking to a man, who was often younger. He would say something that was misunderstood and suggestive. “Oh, you are awful … but I like you!” would follow, with ‘Mandy’ pushing him so hard that he fell out of shot.
The line worked because it could be used in ordinary conversation. Someone made a cheeky comment, and you could respond in your best Dick Emery voice. At the time, this sort of humour became part of the national language. You didn’t have to watch the programme to understand the reference.“Nice to see you, to see you nice!” — Bruce Forsyth
Bruce Forsyth is another entertainer who will be remembered for his catchphrases, one in particular.
Few phrases are more closely associated with the history of Saturday-night television than Bruce Forsyth saying, “Nice to see you, to see you nice!” He used the phrase when presenting The Generation Game, which became one of Britain’s most popular family entertainment shows.
Saturday night television was often a family occasion. The television would be on, the family would gather around it and millions of viewers would be watching The Generation Game at the same time. I seem to remember that it was broadcast early enough for parents to watch just before a night out.
Bruce’s catchphrase became part of the Saturday night ritual, and he would use it for the rest of his time in show business. It was a catchphrase that stuck.
Even today, saying “Nice to see you …” might still invite a response from those old enough to remember “…to see you nice!”
“Don’t panic!” — Corporal Jones, Dad’s Army
“Don’t panic! Don’t panic!”
Perhaps the funniest thing about Corporal Jones’s shouting out “Don’t panic” was that he was the one almost always panicking. Played by Clive Dunn, Corporal Jones was an elderly member of the Home Guard in the BBC sitcom Dad’s Army. Whenever danger appeared, he would become increasingly frantic while desperately telling everyone else not to panic.
Dad’s Army was very popular and still is. Its characters quickly became familiar to British audiences. Anyone who watched it will have their own favourite catchphrase or line from the series, like “What’s your name?” the German officer asks. “Don’t tell him, Pike,” replies Captain Mainwearing.
“Don’t panic!” also had the advantage of being useful at times.
Someone dropped something? “Don’t panic!” The car wouldn’t start? “Don’t panic!” Parents were running late? “Don’t panic!” Saying it in a Corporal Jones-style voice made it even better.
Whatever the problem is — don’t panic!
I will simply end by saying, “Nice to catchphrase, to catchphrase you nice!”
Photo By Andy Scott - Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International - no changes made
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