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.
