History RunningGag / LiveActionTV

!!Examples:

* ''RunnigGag/HowIMetYourMother''

* RunningGag/LiveActionTVAToG
* RunningGag/LiveActionTVHToP
* RunningGag/LiveActionTVQToZ

Works with enough material to fill their own page:

----
* ''Series/OurMissBrooks'': Many, including Mr. Conklin's huge sneezes and the 'glug' greeting of Boynton's pet frog Mcdougal. Miss Brooks' car was always in the shop (see WomenDrivers for the reason of the week).
* ''Series/{{Numb3rs}}'': In the later seasons whenever the FBI field agents go to a potential suspect, the suspects run, the agents tend to treat it more as an annoyance than an actual worry that the suspect might get away. Colby especially cottoned on to this to the point of becoming GenreSavvy and LampshadeHanging whenever it happened or was about to happen, making this an example of a literal ''[[IncrediblyLamePun Running Gag]]''.
* ''Series/YouCantDoThatOnTelevision'' built itself on running gags. For instance, any time someone on the show says "Water", they get water dumped all over them. Any time someone says "I don't know", they get covered in green slime (sometimes different colors).
** Each episode is "filling in" for some popular show of the time due to some silly reason. A few times, the show is replacing ''itself''.
** The locker room jokes.[[note]]Similar to ''Series/HeeHaw'' 's cornfield, or ''Series/LaughIn'' 's joke wall.[[/note]]
** The "Opposite" skits (where all the norms are reversed [[PlayedForLaughs for extra laughs]]).
** '''Barth the Cook:''' IIIIII ''heard'' that!
*** The punchline "What do you think's in the burgers?" followed by the kids throwing up and Barth saving it in a bucket.
*** Barth hitting assistant cook Zilch on the head with a frying pan with a loud ''CLANG''.
** '''Dad''': Don't encourage your mother! (and sometimes, it's the other way with the Mom going, "Don't encourage your father.")
** '''Principal''': For your detention, I want you to copy ''[insert page range here]'' from this dictionary. (Sometimes followed up by the kid getting out of it somehow and commenting, "Sometimes it's so easy, I'm ashamed of myself.")
** '''El Capitan''': Ready...Aim...! (Also, he tends to get himself shot and says as he falls, "That is one...sneaky kid.")
** Here's one more to wrap this all up: ''all'' of them (and several others like the Teacher, the Doctor, and Blip the Arkaid owner) played by Les Lye, who also played Ross the Stage Boss.
* "[[Series/{{Newhart}} Hi, I'm Larry.]] [[OneSteveLimit This is my brother Darryl.]] [[AvertedTrope And this is my other brother Darryl.]]"
* ''Series/TheHollywoodSquares''. Creator/GilbertGottfried. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozEIsWWngJo YOU FOOL!]]
** Ironically, while Gottfried is now remembered for the gag, due to that one epic episode, he was actually mocking Penn Jillette's frequent use of "YOU FOOL!" (to tweak contestants he didn't like). It was turning into an OverlyLongGag before this episode aired.
* In early seasons of ''Series/{{Frasier}}'', Eddie's staring at Frasier was very much a running gag, much to the annoyance of Frasier. Revealed to mean Eddie was staring at him in adoration, as we see him gazing at a framed photo of Frasier at the end of an episode.
** Niles's intense crush on Daphne was also a running gag and major character arc.
** Also, Niles's increasingly unrealistic physical descriptions of his first wife Maris, culminating in him getting an extremely thin whippet because it reminded him of her.
** Maris' numerous trips to distant places for weird cosmetic treatments.
* ''Series/TheCosbyShow'' had a few running gags.
** Rudy's friend Peter was known to run away from the Huxtable Residence whenever any sort of trouble was getting out of hand.
** Cliff Huxtable had a habit of always trying to sneak in some unhealthy snack.
* ''Seriews/{{Seinfeld}}''
** Kramer's mentions of his unseen friend Bob Sacamano
** The re-use of the name ''Art Vandelay'' as a false name or, in the finale, as the name of a judge.
** There is a reference to Superman, a Superman model/action figure in the back of the shot, or a reference to the Superman 'verse in absolutely [[OnceAnEpisode every episode]], in one way or another.
** Also in [[OnceAnEpisode every episode]], there is either a mention of food or a scene where the characters are eating. There is also usually some attention paid to an article of clothing, either with a character mentioning it or making a point of touching another character's clothing.
** George's childhood ambition to become an architect and, later, a marine biologist.
** Individual episodes often had their own running gags of the same phrase or idea being repeated by different characters (see protégés and mentors in "The Fatigues" episode).
**
-->"Hello, Jerry."\\
"... Hellooo, Newman."
* There are loads of them in ''Series/EverybodyLovesRaymond'':
** Raymond:
*** "DEBRA!!!"
*** "Oh noooooo!!!"
*** Many times when he asks Debra for sex, he gets denied.
** Debra:
*** "Idiot." (after Ray does or says something stupid)
*** "Your MOTHER!"
** Robert:
*** "Is this about me?" (whenever entering a room to find the other characters having a discussion)
*** "Raymond, Raymond, Raymond..."
*** "...Everybody loves Raymond."
*** "MA!"
*** "OH MY GOD!"
*** Speeding up his speech and making sudden, crazy gestures whenever angry, nervous or frustrated.
** Marie:
*** Her frequent criticisms of Debra, especially ones relating to cooking.
*** "I don't like that."
*** "My Robbie!"
*** "Oh, Raymooond!"
*** "FRAAAAAAANK!!!"
*** Randomly entering Ray and Debra's home uninvited.
** Frank:
*** "Holy crap!"
*** "Jeez-a-loo!"
*** "MARIE! (food name)!"
*** Making fun of Marie's age and nagging personality.
*** Like Marie, entering Ray and Debra's home uninvited (usually to watch their television, unzipping his pants before doing so).
** Other characters:
*** One of Frank's lodge friends saying "Hey, Ray's here! Ha-ha-ha!!!" whenever he sees him.
*** Amy's Christian parents, Hank and Pat, bringing up God or Jesus.
*** Peggy calling Ray "Ally's Dad" instead of his actual name as a sign of smug disrespect.
* ''Series/ICarly'': A LOT. The "could that happen"-"will not happen" exchange between Freddie and Carly; anything Spencer sculpts or fixes has a high chance of bursting into flames; Gibby almost always takes off his shirt in every appearance; Sam equipping her locker with cooking or entertainment appliances; T-Bo's serves various food items by the stick.
** Every episode has a "unique" gag or dialogue that will be mentioned at least twice throughout that episode. This also happens in Dan Schneider's other shows, like ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'', ''{{Series/Zoey 101}}'' and ''{{Series/Victorious}}''.
** The frequent mention of hobos, ointments, Ryan Seacrest, and David Schwimmer.
* ''Series/SamAndCat'' has the inability of the latter to remember the former's last name (and the one time Cat ''does'' get it right, she's using Sam's name to replace her own - long story).
* ''Series/KenanAndKel'' has many:
** Kenan's requests for NoodleImplements at the [[BookEnds end and beginning]] of [[OnceAnEpisode each episode]], followed by Kel's frustrated reaction: "Aww, Here it Goes..." (the full collection of "Aww Here it goes.." scenes can be seen [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_BqoQ7LoZ0 here]].
** Kenan screaming "WHY?" when something goes wrong.
** The long, drawn-out routine about Kel's [[TrademarkFavoriteFood love of orange soda]].
* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'':
** The Cheese Man who appears throughout "Restless", the fourth season finale. Also, on a larger scale, is Anya's fear of bunnies. Some gags even crossed over into ''Series/{{Angel}}'', such as the parallel universe made entirely of shrimp and the supernatural-savvy characters' insistence that leprechauns don't exist
** Anya's love of money
** Season 8 gives us two from Dawn, her insistence that what she was turned into was [[InsistentTerminology not a centaur but a centaurette]] (girl centaur) and the VERY GenreSavvy (since she had a her-focused episode based on it) instance of "Monkey's Paw" after Buffy starts developing new powers (her point being that nothing good comes without tacked on bad).
** One episode has Buffy looking to get drunk. She goes out drinking with Spike, hitting the whiskey hard. No matter how many times she drinks it though, (including when she grabs a bottle from a bartender's hand and takes a big swig right from it) she has a funny grossed out reaction every time. A later episode has Spike offer her a drink; her response is, "A world of no."
** On both ''Buffy'' and ''Series/{{Angel}}'', Angel's tendency to [[StealthHiBye disappear]] during a multiperson conversation without anybody noticing is often [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]]. "Someone ought to put a little bell-and-collar on that guy!"
** [[ButtMonkey Xander]] the demon magnet. He becomes a literal one in "Something Blue". {{Lampshaded}} again in Season Seven
** Andrew in Season 6, and into Season 7, when he becomes a much more prominent character. "Who?" "Tucker's brother." "Oh."
** In her first appearance, Faith borrows Buffy's stake to dust a vamp. This becomes a running joke, with Faith constantly borrowing Buffy's weapons. Used quite effectively in the series finale,[[spoiler: when Buffy, mortally wounded, quietly hands Faith the Scythe, a sign that all is forgiven.]]
*** Also inverted in the third season finale, where Buffy takes Faith's knife mid-fight.
---> '''Faith:''' That's mine!
---> '''Buffy:''' You're about to get it back. [[spoiler: (she then stabs her with it)]]
** In Season 4, various people just walking into Giles's house, [[YourDoorWasOpen even when he was sure he locked the door.]]
** Coffee: the non-relationship drink of choice!
** Especially in the early seasons, whenever he was present at a fight, Giles was usually knocked out and unconscious for the entire incident.
*** Lampshaded a few times, including in Season 7 when Giles says he knows he's back in America because he's been knocked out.
** In ''Bedroom Follies'' from Season 8: "What are you doing in my room?!"
** The eleven pounds Dracula owes Spike.
** Spike's fondness for the Bronze's flowering onion dish. He and Andrew bond over it in Season 7.
** Giles is often seen cleaning his glasses, which he reveals later is so he doesn't have to see what the rest of the Scoobies are up to.
** In Season 7, Spike (and Angel)'s insistence that they are not alike despite both having souls. This continues onto Angel.
* ''Series/{{Angel}}'':
** There's Angel's liking for Barry Manilow songs. Especially "Mandy." There is also his lousy singing of the song.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCYlsFagq_k But he won't dance to it]].
** And in a fifth season episode, Angel and Spike apparently have a 40-minute fight about whether cavemen or astronauts would win in a fight. They proceed to get everyone else in the office involved in the debate. As the episode gets much darker, this SeinfeldianConversation gets an IronicEcho at the end.
** Also, Angel would like it to be known to everyone that he is not a eunuch.
** Wolfram & Hart's [[SwissCheeseSecurity security (or nonexistence thereof)]] is a running gag, especially in Season Five.
** For a while, every other episode would open with some apparently grave situation, which would then turn out to be redecorating or playing board games. "Eternal" begins with this situation; Angel and Wesley are sitting in the audience and are forced to watch [[BadBadActing Cordelia's acting]]. Angelus makes fun of her acting later in the episode.
** Regarding the Angel Investigation business cards, "Is that supposed to be an angel? It looks like a lobster."
** Someone making fun of Angel's hair. When in an alternate dimension, he was able to his reflection and complained about how bad it looked and that no one told him. In ''[[ComicBook/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Angel and Faith]]'', one of Giles' aunts made fun of Angel's hair. There's also Cordelia's hair, which she changed frequently. No one told her outright that it looked bad, but one episode had her lose her memory of the last few years and complain about how horrible it looked.
** Angel's "caveman brow". The leather pants he wore when he was evil. And his occasional pettiness despite his advanced age.
* ''Series/{{Friends}}'':
** Ross's repeated cry of "We were on a break!" whenever anyone mentions that he once cheated on Rachel.
*** This running joke faded over time but resurfaced some years after it began when, in response to Chandler discovering his girlfriend had cheated on him, Ross hesitantly commented "maybe it was okay, you know, if she thought you were on a break," provoking a rapturous response from the audience--a prime example of how a well-implemented running gag can lead to eternal love for a show from its fans.
*** This gets a crowning moment in either season 4 or 5, when Ross is about to marry Emily. Rachel's on a plane, venting her entire history with Ross to unwilling passengers when guest star [[Series/{{House}} Hugh Laurie]] snaps, takes off his earphones, and calls her shallow, topping it off with "And I think it was quite clear that you guys ''were'' on a break." Cue shocked face by Rachel.
** After an episode in which Joey showcases his greatest chat-up line, "How you doin'?", on Phoebe proved extremely popular, it became synonymous to viewers with his terrier-like libido, and he goes on to use it repeatedly whenever he suddenly realized that he might have a chance with a woman.
** It was also a well known fact that Joey had an ongoing love affair with sandwiches of every kind.
** Phoebe's liking for kinky sexual practices were discussed regularly.
** There were regular gags about Rachel's pre-surgery nose, leading eventually to a flashback episode in which a teenage Rachel appeared with an enormous arch on the bridge of her nose.
--->'''Monica:''' ''[while discussing Rachel's pregnancy]'' Are you afraid she'll have your nose?\\
'''Rachel:''' ''[piteously]'' I am. I really am.
** The references to Monica's previous fatness, and, in the last few seasons, Chandler's gay "qualities".
--->'''Chandler:''' Wow, we were meant to be together. We both have the soundtrack to "Annie"!\\
'''Monica:''' Honey, those are both yours.
** Ross' numerous marriages (and divorces) are brought up in conversation ''very'' often.
** The duck and the chicken appearing at odd moments.
** Chandler's cog-in-the-machine, corporate drone job, and the fact that no one can remember what it is. (It seems unlikely that he [[Film/OfficeSpace has people skills]]...)
*** And then lampshaded when years into the show, Chandler finally changes his job, and Monica suddenly rattles off the job he used to do.
---> '''Monica:''' You deserve to do something you love. Not statistical analysis and data reconfiguration.\\
'''Chandler:''' I quit and you learn what I do?!
** Phoebe using the fake name "Regina Phalange".
** Joey's increasingly absurd list of non-existant "talents" listed on his acting resume.
** Ross and Monica's childhood fist-bumping substitute for the middle finger pops up in several episodes.
*** To the point that the other members of the group start using it, too.
** For the few times he appeared, Mr. Heckles' appearances always ends up like this whenever he complains:
---> '''Heckles''': You're disturbing my X.\\
'''One of the Friends''': You don't have X.\\
'''Heckles''': I could have X.
** Janice's "Oh, my God!" and annoying laugh. Also, her showing up at unexpected moments.
** The Ugly Naked Guy living across the Street for the first 5 seasons
* ''Series/FatherTed''
** In virtually every episode Mrs. Doyle obsessively offers somebody some cake, a sandwich, a little tiny drop of sherry or, in most cases, a cup of tea. It's funniest when it's subverted; e.g. she offers Ted cake, which he turns down. She reels off the list of ingredients (including cocaine), trying to tempt him, but still he declines. Until she says it has cinnamon in it, at which he says "I love cinnamon! Go on, I'll have a small piece" -- at which point she [[OffTheTable refuses to give him any]] as she realises she's forcing it on him.
** There's a gag whereby Ted would ring his friend Father Larry Duff on his mobile at the most inconvenient moments (When Larry Duff was skiing, being held up at gunpoint etc.). Duff would suffer the inevitable consequence only for Ted to conclude that Duff had his mobile switched off.
** Ted's constant insistence that 'The money was just resting in my account!"
** Father Jack Hackett, most of the time
** the priests from Rugged Island, who are mirror images of the Craggy Island lot
* ''Series/{{Firefly}}'': In "War Stories", Jayne twice says "I'll be in my bunk" after seeing a beautiful woman that Inara is entertaining. At the end of the episode, Wash takes Zoe away, saying to the captain, "We'll be in our bunk".
** In the pilot, every time Mal mentions dealing with Patience, someone brings up the fact that she shot him the last time they did so. Mal insists that it was a legitimate disagreement and that it's in the past, growing more and more frustrated the more times it's brought up.
-->'''Wash''': Didn't she shoot you once?
-->'''Mal''': Everybody's makin' a fuss.
* On ''Series/{{Bones}}'', Dr. Brennan often doesn't get pop-culture references (generally made by Agent Booth), saying "I don't know what that means". This is in part [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] when she makes a reference to a movie from the early 20th century and Agent Booth doesn't get it.
** This is self-referenced again in an episode of Season 2 when Dr Brennan is absent and the team need to think like her. Booth says to Zack, "OK, be Dr. Brennan," and Zack replies, "I don't know what that means."
** There's also repeated references (in Season 1 only, it seems) to the time in the {{pilot|Episode}} that Bones shot an unarmed man. The inevitable response:
--->'''Bones:''' He was trying to light me on fire!
** Same vein, referenced for far longer, Booth once shot a clown.
--->'''Booth:''' It wasn't a ''real'' clown!
** Hodgins and Zack (and, following Season 3, the interns that replace him) perform ridiculous and often dangerous experiments, Mythbusters-style, to prove something about the Case of the Day. Dr. Goodman, and in later seasons, Cam, have a habit of walking in just as the explosion/impact/etc happens, splattering them with debris.
** King of the lab.
* ''Series/{{House}}'':
** Almost every time they begin a diagnosis, someone invariably suggests lupus and House casually comments, "It's not lupus." This becomes a RunningGag that finally culminates in a LampshadeHanging:
--->'''Foreman:''' You stash your drugs in a lupus textbook?!\\
'''House:''' It's ''never'' lupus.
*** This went on so long that ''Series/{{House}}'' was recognized by a lupus advocacy group for raising awareness of the disease.
*** They went so far as to have a ''janitor'' (House had no assistants at the moment) suggest lupus. He only knows about the disease because his grandma had it.
*** It's justified in that lupus has a large constellation of potential symptoms, making it a reasonable hypothesis for many of House's cases.
*** In Season 4 [[spoiler:episode "You Don't Want to Know", it turns out it's lupus. House [[LampshadeHanging hangs a lampshade]] on the gag with the comment, "I finally have a case of lupus." He's very pleased about it.]]
** Another running gag is House talking about Chase's great hair. Examples include:
--->'''Stacy:''' If Chase screwed up so badly, why didn't you fire him?\\
'''House:''' He has great hair.\\
''[...]''\\
'''House:''' Genetics are a powerful force, Chase. That's why your sister has great hair.\\
''[...]''\\
'''House:''' ''[regarding a patient that was flirting with Chase]'' Here's an idea. She has been molested, and takes refuge in romantic fantasies with older men with great hair.\\
''[...]''\\
'''Chase:''' ''[after House and Wilson point out he is good looking]'' So you attribute every relationship I've ever had to the height of my cheekbones?\\
'''House:''' Just the beginning. The rest is your hair.
*** This even shows up in outtakes. The season two gag reel has an outtake where Hugh Laurie forgets his lines when House is supposed to be yelling at Chase. Instead of the scripted line, Laurie ends up saying, "The hair is great! I don't deny that!"
* ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'' is famous for this, with jokes running over not just multiple episodes but multiple seasons. In the first episode Gob claims that magicians perform [[InsistentTerminology illusions.]] Tricks are something a whore does for money... also cocaine. This is referenced in Season 3 with Gob claiming he was pimping "Turns illusions for money".
** "I've made a huge mistake."
** "Going to Portugal... down ole' South America way..."
** "Have these people ever even seen a chicken?"
** "Her?"
** "If Tobias is straight, I'm sober..."
** "Where did the lighter fluid come from?"
** Never-nudes
*** "There are dozens of us. DOZENS!"
** George Michael is ''StarWars'' Kid
** The Board is incompetent.
** "Come on!!"
** "And say goodbye to these, because it's the last time!"
*** "Spring Break! Woo!"
** ♪ "It's the final countdown..."
** "Marry me!"
** "Look at Banner, Michael!"
** Family love Michael.
*** Michael love family.
*** Michael love Marry
** "You're killing me, Buster."
** "You can't do that on the ''balcony'', buddy?"
** "There's always money in the banana stand!"
** "''NO TOUCHING!''"
** "Hey, brother.." and other variations.
*** "Hey, Hermano..."
** All the Bluth men's love of ice cream
** [[{{Leitmotif}} Dramatic music playing whenever Oscar says something that reveals he might be Buster's father]].
** Variations of "Watch out for the hop-ons. You ''will'' get some hop-ons."
*** "Watch out for live-ins."
** Gene Parmesan
*** "AAAAAHHHHHH"
** Bob Boblaw
** "MR. F!"
** "For British eyes only"
** "Annyong!"
** Tobias' constant accidental double entendres
** The Literal Doctor
** "Bees?"
** Cops tackling George Sr. or Oscar and one of them hitting him with a baton
** The model house falling apart
** Season 4 has ♪ "Hello darkness, my old friend..."
** ♪ "It ain't easy bein' white..."
** "STEVE HOLT!"
** "Well, that was a a freebie"
** ''Peanuts''
** Dead doves
** Lindsay's "Slut" shirt
** The Hot Cops
** J. Walter Weatherman
** The Cornballer
** "I've got the worst [bleep] attorneys"
** "Baby, you got a stew going"
* ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'' Holmes [[HeterosexualLifePartners and]] [[DeadpanSnarker John Watson]] constantly being MistakenForGay.
--> '''John:''' "I'm not his date!"
* ''Series/DueSouth'': Fraser's autobiographical introduction, "My name is Constable Benton Fraser, Royal Canadian Mounted Police. I first came to Chicago on the trail of the killers of my father and, for reasons that don't need exploring at this juncture, I have remained, attached as liaison officer with the Canadian Consulate." was a RunningGag throughout the third and fourth seasons of the show. It was often started by Fraser and finished in varying ways by other characters.
** It was once hijacked by an FBI agent in the first season:
--->'''FBI Agent:''' Who the hell is he?\\
'''Police Lt:''' He's a Mountie.\\
'''FBI Agent:''' What's he doing here?\\
'''Police Lt:''' I'm never entirely sure.
* ''Series/DoctorWho''
** "Harriet Jones, MP, Flydale North / (former) Prime Minister." "Yes, I know who you are." Even two types of genocidal alien baddies know her.
** The inability of the Tenth Doctor's companions to fake accents or modes of speech, and his pained reaction ("No. Don't... don't do that.") has been used four times; once in Season Two (Rose doing Scots), once in Season Three (Martha doing Elizabethan English), once in the animated special (Martha doing pirate talk), and once in the fourth season, when Donna Noble attempts to blend at a 1920s upper-class party). The Doctor being horrified by Rose's attempts at a Scottish accent in the Season 2 episode "Tooth and Claw" is also a slight reference to the fact that Tennant himself is Scottish.
*** This gag is nicely subverted in "Midnight", where, [[spoiler: after suffering a traumatizing experience with a monster that mimicked and eventually stole his speech, the Doctor tells Donna "Don't. Don't do that" with DEAD seriousness when she repeats one of his catchphrases.]]
** The Tenth Doctor's season finales have a habit of ending with the Doctor sulking after his companion has left, only for something ''completely'' unexpected to appear in the TARDIS, [[MoodWhiplash ruining the moment]] and setting up the next episode. [[spoiler: Heartbreakingly averted in "Journey's End", which ends with the Doctor in the TARDIS, sopping wet, reeling with the loss of Donna. Nothing else happens.]]
** Running gags aren't restricted to the new series, either. People have been asking "[[TitleDrop Doctor who?]]" since the very first episode (The Doctor himself delivers it when he is referred to as "Doctor Foreman"). It's been asked so many times that it's [[spoiler: the oldest question, the one hidden in plain sight, which must never be answered, or silence will fall.]]
** ''Everything'' important in Time Lord society and culture is named after Rassilon; Time Lords also tend to invoke him (and the other Founders) the same way a human would when swearing by God. Gets a LampshadeHanging in Creator/BigFinish, when the Doctor is tired of Rassilon's games:
-->'''The Doctor:''' So what have you got squirelled away [here]? The Hairdryer of Rassilon? The Hoover of Rassilon? The Rassilon Patent Trouser Press? "These creases last ''forever''!"
** Not to mention that anytime someone goes into the TARDIS for the first time, they have to say something along the lines of "It's {{bigger on the inside}}!"
*** Darkly used by the astronauts' absolute horrified reactions to it in The Waters of Mars.
*** Subverted in "The Three Doctors" when the Third Doctor asked Sergeant Benton why he hadn't said it yet, and Benton replied that it was obvious. And then {{lampshaded}} in "Smith and Jones" when the Tenth Doctor mouthed the words along with Martha, before saying, "[[DeadpanSnarker Is it? I hadn't noticed.]]" Also subverted when Rory first enters the TARDIS he correctly guesses that it's another dimension, to which the Doctor says, "I like the bit when someone says, 'It's bigger on the inside.'"
*** Lampshaded in the [[AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho audio drama]] ''Legend of the Cybermen'', when a character enters the TARDIS, she is just about to finish delivering the line when both Jamie and Zoe in unison say "Yeah, yeah, ''we know''..."
*** Inverted by Clara in "The Snowmen."
---->'''Clara:''' It's smaller on the outside!\\
'''The Doctor:''' ''[taken aback]'' Okay... That is a first.
*** Touchingly inverted by the TARDIS herself in "The Doctor's Wife", when the mind of the TARDIS inhabits a human body.
---->'''Idris/The TARDIS''': Are all people like this?\\
'''The Doctor:''' Like what?\\
'''Idris/The TARDIS:''' So much bigger on the inside...
*** Sent up in "The Husbands of River Song", when River doesn't recognize the Doctor's twelfth regeneration, she enters the TARDIS and tells him to prepare himself. The Doctor breaks into a huge grin and says "Finally, I get to have a go." He enters the TARDIS and goes on an epic, [[LargeHam ham-filled]] rant about how his entire mathematical concept of space was just torn apart, then quietly says "I've always wanted to see it done ''properly''."
** Duggan breaking things or knocking people out in ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS17E2CityOfDeath City of Death]]''
** The continued references to [[IncrediblyLamePun running]], though it might be ArcWords rather than this trope.
** Series 5 adds the Eleventh Doctor's insistence that "Bowties are cool".
** Let's not forget that every time the Doctor regenerates, they spend a couple of minutes criticizing their new looks (Creator/ChristopherEccleston's ears, Creator/MattSmith's chin, Creator/JonPertwee's nose...) As of the revival, they also complain they're STILL NOT GINGER!
** Another is the Doctor's [[NoSenseOfDirection complete inability to direct the TARDIS]] (though it's not so much [[spoiler: their inability as the TARDIS's unwillingness to co-operate]]), so that they often step outside in full tour-guide mode only for the companion/s to point out that they are not, in fact, in Rome/Mars/Peladon/1980/Croydon/Rio.
*** From the specially-shot Series 6 teaser for BBC America:
--->'''Doctor:''' But now I have been to the most amazing place of all - Paris, France!
--->'''Amy:''' [[EpicFail America, in fact.]] ''[slips a Stetson onto the Doctor's head]''
--->'''Doctor:''' [{{Beat}}] [[BlatantLies I was gonna say America]].
--->'''Amy:''' [[SarcasmMode Yeah.]]
*** One of the arcs/running gags of the entirety of Season 10 would be the Doctor's desire (and inability) to make it to Metebelis Three. Much of the first episode of "Carnival of Monsters" was spent with the Doctor obstinately believing he had arrived on the planet, and not on a cargo ship bound for Asia, circa 1926. The joke carried till "The Green Death" at the end of the season [[MoodWhiplash when it became deadly serious for him]].
** "[[CatchPhrase Hello, sweetie!]]" Hi, River Song!
*** Another one related to River that may or may not develop. Every time the Doctor finds a hat, he'll say "It's a(n) X. Xs are cool," and River will shoot it (often right off his head.) It's happened with the poor fez, and in the preview for Series 6, it happened to a Stetson.
** Eleven likes hats, and obtains one whenever he can. Especially a fez.
*** [[OlderThanTheyThink Even that]] was a reference to the Seventh Doctor serial ''Silver Nemesis''.
** Doctor Donna. [[ShesNotMyGirlfriend Not a couple]].
** Also, the Doctor telling Jack to knock it off any time he says hello to anyone. Because when it comes to Jack, hello is [[AnythingThatMoves never just hello]].
** In the new series, each of the Doctor's companions has encountered a prominent British writer under bizarre circumstances.
*** In "The Unquiet Dead", the Doctor and Rose meet Creator/CharlesDickens on Christmas Eve and encounter [[Literature/AChristmasCarol ghost-like aliens]].
*** In "The Shakespeare Code", the Doctor, Martha and Creator/WilliamShakespeare meet aliens that resemble [[Theatre/{{Macbeth}} witches]].
*** In "The Unicorn And The Wasp", the Doctor and Donna help Creator/AgathaChristie solve a locked-room mystery (and Donna [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] the situation, bringing up the Doctor's encounter with Dickens quite by accident).
*** In "Victory of the Daleks", the Doctor, Amy and UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill save London from the Daleks (Churchill was not primarily known as a writer but in his later years he did write a comprehensive history of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII).
*** This later carried over to the IDW ''Doctor Who'' comic book, where the Doctor and Rory meet Creator/IanFleming, and Rory (who was wearing a tux at the time) apparently inspires the creation of Literature/JamesBond.
** Clara (and [[spoiler: her echoes]]) and her inability to make souffles. The running gag only survived until the end of phase 1 of her story arc at the end of Series 7 and was abandoned as the character matured.
** In the very earliest era, the First Doctor coming up with different mispronunciations of "Chesterton". This was broadened in some stories to aliens and non-English-speaking human characters having difficulty pronouncing "Ian". (Legend has it this started out with Doctor actor William Hartnell occasionally getting the name wrong during recording, to the point where it was adopted as a character tic.)
** References to UNIT-related incidents happening in the 1970s, "Or maybe the 80s" (and variants thereof). This is due to the fact the original 1963-89 series was inconsistent as to in what decade the earth-based UNIT stories of the Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker eras actually took place. This uncertainty has since been incorporated into the show itself.
** The phrase "You've redecorated! [[BrutalHonesty I don't like it]]!" is often used by the Doctor to criticize the TARDIS-theme of their successors. Also used by Eleven in "Closing Time" regarding Craig's house.
* In "You Kill Me", ''Series/{{CSI}}'' did a {{Lampshade|Hanging}} of an existing running gag (David's tendency to say "No signs of sexual trauma.") and a episode-specific running gag (Hodges making Bobby a suspect in his murder simulations and Bobby exclaiming his innocence). This second gag was even {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d by Grissom.
--> '''Grissom''': What have you got against Bobby? \\
'''Hodges''': Nothing. Running gag.
** That same episode also had Captain Brass turning his chair around whenever he interviewed someone.
** Speaking of Brass, there was "Ending Happy" which featured a RasputinianDeath. Every time Brass thought he'd gotten the murderer to confess, Doc Robbins called to tell him that Happy Morales-- [[CaptainObvious the victim]]-- was killed by something else. Brass's reactions got to be quite entertaining, after the second instance.
* In ''Series/WizardsOfWaverlyPlace''
** Almost every function seems to be occupied by the same female slacker character who speaks in a very dull and slow voice.
** Justin forcefully grabbing Alex's arm and dragging her after him to tell her something in private, or pull her away from a certain situation. The same for Alex, who usually snatches him to complain about her problems. Lampshaded in "Delinquent Justin".
** The lamp on the bookshelf in the living room goes through a never-ending cycle of being broken, usually because of some use of magic, and replaced by a similar lamp.
*** Which became a wonderful point of ContinuityPorn in ''The Wizards Return'', when she and her EvilTwin battle through the living room, blowing things up - but when they simultaneously zap the lamp nothing happens.
--> '''Alex:''' "That's ''weird'', right? "
--> '''Evil Alex:''' "''Really'' weird."
*** They then both push the lamp over to break it.
* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' has Dean with the magic fingers and his massive appetite.
** There's also a RunningGag with two names of fictitious porn publications/video titles/websites: Casa Erotica and [=BustyAsianBeauties=].com (seen in the Season 4 premiere as a print magazine labeled "Busty Asian Beauties").
** "Busty Asian Beauties" is seen as late as Season 8 in the form of a mid-1900s porn magazine called "Voluptuous Oriental Lovelies".
** "Bitch." "Jerk."
** Dean and Sam getting mistaken for a gay couple at least once every season.
** The fifth season has the continuing battle between Castiel and the mysterious "voice" on his cell phone.
** There's also the guys using ridiculously well-known names when disguised as detectives/FBI/homeland security/etc. Even going so far as to have "Agent Bachman" and "Agent Turner".
*** And "Agent Lennon" and "Agent [=McCartney=]"
*** Early in season one Dean uses "Agent Ford" and "Agent Hamill", referencing StarWars.
*** At one point Sam is "Special Agent Han Solo"
*** They've also been [[Film/TheAvengers2012 Agents Stark and Banner]].
*** When the Leviathans have infiltrated the government and are using its resources to track the Winchesters, they go to a guy who can help them disappear more thoroughly than usual, and one of the first things he says is to stop using aliases like the above.
** Another running gag is that Dean never gets his [[TrademarkFavoriteFood pie]]
* ''Series/NoahsArc'': The main group finishing a statement in unison is probably the most common running gag, occuring three times in the first episode alone. Typically one of the four main cast starts the sentence and the other three finish it together.
* On ''Series/NewsRadio'' there was a RunningGag of characters always forgetting Joe's last name. A reference was shot for every episode but most of them ended up getting cut out meaning that the cast in the commentaries think of it as a big RunningGag but the viewer only ever sees the joke a few times.
* ''Series/TheDailyShow'', and the [[FunWithAcronyms North American Man-Boy Love Association]]. Or, as it's known, the GOP.
** Generally Jon will mention an organization with a sizable name and then abbreviate it to [[http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-july-27-2006/10-f--king-years---nambla "NAMBLA"]], often quickly and seriously enough that those not listening carefully could fail to notice it. This also evolved into other NAMBLA-esque names, such as referring to the National Rifle Association as "BLAMBLA".
---> "Dean suffered another setback over the weekend with an announcement by the 1.5 million member American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees or NAMBLA."\\
"Organizers from the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences, or NAMBLA"\\
"I speak of course of the AARP, or (old voice) NAMBLA."\\
"The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or NAMBLOPEC..."\\
"However, for the record, ''The Daily Show'' has absolutely no affiliation with the North American Man-Boy Love Association, or, as it's called, UNICEF."
** There's also the Bush hunch'n'chortle, the Joe Lieberman Droopy voice, and the strange quacking noise for Dick Cheney, portraying Dick Cheney as the Penguin (specially Burgess Meredith's version from the 1960's Series/{{Batman}}). Though lately he's replaced this with playing the Imperial March and showing Dick Cheney rolling past in a wheelchair almost every time he does a story involving Dick Cheney.
** {{Pixellati|on}}ng everything Dick Cheney touches.
** The Imperial March gag was stopped for a while after Bush left office. Vader called and complained about the comparison.
** More recently, Baconnaise -- mayonnaise with bacon flavoring -- has become a running gag on the show.
** And any time the pride of America turns up ironically in a news story, they bring out the pride of American cuisine: [[http://www.tfs2m.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/thumb_jimmy_dean_pancake_sausage_chocolate_chip_736804.jpg Jimmy Dean's Chocolate Chip Pancakes and Sausage on a Stick.]][[note]]the last two gags are both examples of BreadEggsBreadedEggs, so naturally, he once dipped one into the other.
** Roll 212, a gag which grew out of the show's most recent [[http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-march-12-2009/jim-cramer-extended-interview-pt--1 Crowning Moment Of Awesome]].
** "Meet me at Camera Three."
* ''Series/TheColbertReport'' has a number of {{Running Gag}}s, from the host's fear of bears to his Mexican counterpart Esteban Colberto to his insistence that he "doesn't see race" (cannot tell which race a person is) to his frequent question of interview subjects, "George W. Bush: great President or ''the greatest'' President?"
** One recent gag stemmed from an offhand comment Colbert made while listing off John [=McCain=]'s campaign stops, insisting that the Canton he was visiting was in Ohio, not "the crappy Canton" in Georgia. When Canton, Georgia reacted with outrage, Colbert apologized a few shows later, insisting he had confused it with Canton, Kansas, which is a "shithole". He apologized for that one before showing an elaborate music video insulting Canton, South Dakota. When a real newspaper article showed that many residents of the latest Canton more or less agreed with Colbert's sentiments, he apologized for "taking the piss out of a town with no piss to take out" and went on to equate Canton, Texas with being sodomized by a monkey. The gag came full circle when UsefulNotes/BarackObama held one of the last campaign speeches in Canton, Ohio, upon which Colbert was naturally forced to find that one shitty.
* An episode of ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' featured Palmer hunting for a piece of lingerie that Agent Lee had misplaced during one of their frequent secret sex sessions. He kept turning up everywhere in the episode, to the consternation of the other characters who wondered what he was doing... also revealing (to the audience) that if Abby knew about it, she could find Palmer and Lee's DNA all over the building. The affair itself is a running gag.
** Every member of the team getting [[DopeSlap "Gibbs-slapped"]] for doing or saying something stupid.
** Along with Gibbs' ability to [[StealthHiBye seemingly appear out of nowhere at very opportune moments]].
** The Boat.
*** How ''does'' he get those boats out of his basement?
*** He doesn't... In one episode (don't know which anymore, sorry) that is asked by another character. Answer: He takes them apart and starts on a new one.
*** Except that we've seen one of them outside of the basement, so it's possible the answer about taking them apart was just another way of saying "you'll never know."
** The meeting elevator.
** Tony's fondness for superglue in his [=McGee=] pranks. Which is why Gibbs keeps a bottle of nail polish remover in his desk.
--->''(to Abby as [=McGee=] sleeps at her desk)''\\
'''Tony:''' You got any superglue, Abbs?\\
'''Gibbs:''' ''([[DopeSlap Gibbs slaps]] Tony)'' What did I tell you about that, [=DiNozzo=]?\\
'''Tony:''' The skin might not grow back?
** Also, Tony referring to [=McGee=] as a random word that's relevant to what's happening, just with "Mc" in front of it. Examples: [=McSneaky=], [=McSniper=], [=McGoogle=]... the list goes on.
** In the episode ''Bloodbath'', someone is after Abby, and on several occasions, different people ask why anyone would want to kill her, it's not like she's Tony... Which is funny both because so many people say it, and because Tony actually has an impressive list of people who hate him.
** Gibbs asking someone how long something will take, they tell him and he says they have considerably less time than they said they would need. Example:
--->'''Gibbs:''' "How long will it take?"\\
'''Kate:''' "Two, maybe three days, tops.\\
'''Gibbs:''' "You got four."\\
'''Kate:''' "Four days?"\\
'''Gibbs:''' "No, hours."\\
'''Kate:''' "That sounds about right."
** Ziva's crazy driving and inability to understand American sayings.
** No one outside the Marine Corps and the Navy knowing what NCIS is.
** An in-episode one in "Jack Knife" where after trying so much to keep up with his boss, [=McGee=] keeps falling asleep.
* The British motorhead show ''Series/TopGearUK'' has at least five running gags:
** In almost every episode, presenter Jeremy Clarkson introduces the Power Lap segment of the show by introducing the show's "tame racing driver", The Stig, with a stylized humorous introduction. For example: "Some say that he once [[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7112929.stm lost a canoe on a beach in the north-east,]] and that he once did some time in a prison in Canterbury, because [[http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/dec/03/aidanjones his teddy is called The Baby Jesus.]] All we know is, he's called The Stig."
*** Two other gags have developed from this; the first is whenever they are in another country (usually during, although not restricted to the specials)they begin the "tame racing driver" introduction as above, "But it's ''not'' the Stig...it's his *insert nationality here* cousin!". The second has appeared after episode 3 in series 15, in which [[spoiler: Formula One driver Rubens Barrichello reached the top of the Formula One stars in a reasonably priced car board-including the Stig]]. In subsequent episodes, half of the Stig's "Some say..." introduction refers in some way to his apparent hatred for [[spoiler: Barrichello]]...
*** The original Stig was introduced with "Unleash [insert national/national sounding definite article of choice] Stig".
** The Stig - most prominently, since his introduction was changed to the "Some say..." format - also listens to different music inside the car he is driving around the test track each season. That is, if the car in question has a stereo:
*** Series 8: "Teach Yourself <Language>" [=CDs=].
*** Series 9: Romantic fiction audiobooks.
*** Series 10: Self-help/motivation [=CDs=].
*** Series 11: Elton John music (primarily the song "Daniel").
*** Series 12: Morse code messages.
*** Series 13: Bagpipe music.
*** Series 14: "Cockney London" music (Chas 'N Dave, etc.)
*** Series 15: Vuvuzelas. Lots of them.
** ...and so on.
** Presenter James May is affectionately ridiculed by his co-presenters Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond for his generally unaggressive and leisurely driving style; often Clarkson and Hammond will refer to him as "Captain Slow" or similarly. The gag was inverted in the 9th season episode where May was given the chance to drive the Bugatti Veyron on Volkswagen's maximum security European test track. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT0ou-ZEcx0 May took the Veyron to its top speed of 253.45 mph/407.90 km/h]] (about Mach 0.333333)--quite possibly the fastest anyone has driven a production automobile.
*** Clarkson lampshaded this when May topped his previous record in a new version of the Veyron in Series 15, reaching 417km/h/259 mph.
** It's not just May. Much amusement is also had from Hammond's size, Clarkson's bad back, and love of [[TimTaylorTechnology POWER and SPEED]] etc etc. They all affectionately ridicule each other.
** The presenters have a distinct hatred of caravans (trailers), and often use challenges as excuses to destroy them.
** Ditto for the Morris Marina. Five have appeared on the show so far, and of those one was set on fire and three had pianos dropped on them. Richard Hammond attempted to protect their latest Marina from falling pianos by pre-positioning a piano on its roof. It didn't work. The fifth one was dropped onto another terrible car in a special.
*** In addition to the destruction of the cars, the presenters would always claim they got heat from the Morris Marina Owners Club and were trying to be accommodating by treating the cars well. The three piano incidents were also blamed on "Careless Airways".
** Quite possibly a CatchPhrase, whenever the ''Series/TopGearUK'' presenters are given a challenge for the program (e.g., purchase a used vehicle, modify it to be amphibious, and then sail it across the English Channel), Jeremy Clarkson often jumps into the task with the enthusiastic rhetorical question, "[[NothingCanStopUsNow How hard can it be?]]" Usually, very hard (e.g., the two times the ''Top Gear'' presenters were told to convert vehicles into amphibious vehicles, Richard Hammond's conversion sank. Both times).
---> '''Hammond:''' Oh, how I've missed the pang of dread I feel whenever you mention the words, "how hard can it be"!
** Whenever something doesn't quite go according to plan, Clarkson optimistically notes: "Still, could be worse." It gets worse.
** They always present their challenges with "where we would be given a series of challenges." After so many of their experiences going wrong, they can hardly say the phrase "a series of challenges" without cracking up.
** Related to this is Top Gear's RunningGag[=/=]CatchPhrase that all of their challenges/projects (usually involving modifying second hand cars, such as the convertible people carrier, the limos etc) are 'ambitious but rubbish'.
** Clarkson's inability to use any tool except a hammer. There's one challenge where all three of them open large toolboxes: Hammond's and May's are full of an assortment of spanners, etc, but Clarkson's box just has an assortment of different sized hammers.
** Inverted with their trip to the Bonneville Salt Flats, which Clarkson declared as "Ambitious and for the first time, successful!"
** Series 11's running gag: "I went on the [[TheInternetIsForPorn Internet]]... and I found ''[[TakeOurWordForIt this]]...''"
** Don't wanna know what "this" is? Then don't go [[http://s153139690.websitehome.co.uk/fuck%20a%20car.jpg HERE.]] (horribly, horribly {{NSFW}})
** In series 12 "Are you wearing that for a bet?" "Of course."
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0J35f0XjAM GREAT NEWS!]] The Dacia Sandero is in that video!
** [[BerserkButton "I have not gotten my teeth done!!"]]
** Jeremy Clarkson's love for Will Young
** And on that bombshell, let's end the ''Series/TopGearUK'' examples.
* Most episodes of ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' have their own RunningGag. Even the pilot had one -- with someone keeping a score of Pigs vs Admiral Nelson on a blackboard. The Cycling Tour episode included the endlessly repeated phrase "my pump got caught in my trouser leg". The Hamlet episode had all of Hamlet's faux psychiatrists trying to get him to admit to his frustrations -- "you've got the girl on the bed, she's all ready for it, you've got her legs up on the mantlepiece..." It ended with Ophelia doing the same routine ''on stage''. Another one had most sketches ending with participants admitting that what they really wanted was "dirty books, please".
** The most famous is one involving the Spanish Inquisition. Every now and then within a skit, a character would respond to sudden questioning with "I didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition!" or something along those lines. At that point, there would be a crashing chord as Cardinals Ximenes, Biggles and Fang entered. It was announced by the high-pitched Ximenes that "Noooooobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!" He would then go on to list the chief weapons of the Spanish Inquisition, realize he had listed one more thing than he had counted, and have to say it all over again (generally about five times).
-->'''Ximenes:''' Our chief weapon is surprise, surprise and fear... Our TWO chief weapons are surprise, fear, and a ruthless efficiency... Our THREE chief weapons are...
** After several attempts, Ximenes would say, "I'll come in again," leave the room, and force the original character to say his line again, prompting a repeat of the entire thing (with variations). This would often happen two or three times until they gave up.
** Another factor in the Spanish Inquisition RunningGag was their inability to torture anyone -- often Ximenes would ask for a torture items that turned out to be pathetic (e.g. the rack would turn out to be a dish-drying rack), or actually outright ask for something that clearly was ridiculous.
--->'''Ximenes:''' Bring on... the Comfy Chair!!!
** And now for something completely different, the end of the Monty Python examples.
** We've already done that one!
*** You're a loony.
** "The Larch."
** ''Creator/MontyPython'' also often has certain themes in episodes as running gags (such as "this sketch is getting too silly" or "you're no fun anymore") and other running gags that lasted the entire series (such as the knight with the chicken and Carol Cleveland's exclamation of "But it's my only line!")
*** This was actually an inspired solution to the fact that many sketch shows have skits that run out of steam and stop being funny, quite often long before they end. Monty Python's solution was to abruptly end a sketch while it was still funny.
** The introduction to the show typically featured a running gag, such as the nude organist or quite possibly the world's shortest CatchPhrase, "It's..."
** One RunningGag was a prop: a huge, foot-long fake nose held in place with a string.
** Several skits (not all of them animated!) ended with characters being crushed by either a 16-ton weight or a giant hammer.
** Or a foot, often followed by the sound of flatulence.
* ''Series/TheTenthKingdom'': After entering New York and discovering what Earth culture was like, the three Troll siblings come upon a CD boom box with the Bee Gees' ''Saturday Night Fever'' soundtrack in it. Upon hearing it, they immediately become instant fans, toting it everywhere with them and singing along as loudly and annoyingly as possible until the batteries on the boom box die. They attempt to explain the music and its origin to their father, with genuinely hilarious results -- although the usage of the Bee Gees' full name as the Brothers Gibb, hardly common knowledge, seems rather out of place, especially coming from such moronic characters who can't even read properly. (See: ''East Eighty-onest Street''.) Presumably this was included in order to avoid being obvious or [[RuleOfFunny to make it funnier]]. (And it works.) They then proceed to continue singing the song ''for the rest of the miniseries''.
* Even ''Franchise/StarTrek'' has some running gags. Chekov would often comment on a device or discovery and say it was invented by the Russians. (This is a topical joke; in the 60's the Soviets were "known" for taking credit for new discoveries.)
** "I'm a doctor, not a troper."
*** And occasionally another character will reverse it with, "I'm a troper, not a doctor."
** "HesDeadJim."
** Kirk threatening to fire Scotty in a tongue-in-cheek manner.
** Scotty's drinking.
* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' has Data over-explaining things and just generally talking too much.
** Lampshaded in "The Naked Now", where even the ship's computer becomes annoyed with him.
** [=LaForge's=] ineptitude with romance.
** Picard's almost pathological discomfort around children.
* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''
** Self-sealing stem bolts. Nobody quite knows what they do, but they certainly pop up everywhere.
*** And related to this are reverse-ratcheting routers. No-one really knows what they are either, but they always crop up, and most of the time, it ties into self-sealing stem bolts in some way.
** Cardassian Yamok Sauce and how disgusting it is to non-Cardassians will come up when characters discuss food.
** Non-Federation species disliking Root beer. In one episode it's even used as a metaphor for the Federation itself:
-->'''Quark''': What do you think?
-->'''Garak''': It's vile.
-->'''Quark''': I know. It's so bubbly and cloying and happy.
-->'''Garak''': Just like the Federation.
-->'''Quark''': And you know what's really frightening? If you drink enough of it, you begin to like it.
-->'''Garak''': It's insidious.
-->'''Quark''': Just like the Federation.
** Plain and simple Garak.
** Garak's delight whenever he discovers someone doesn't trust him: "There's hope for you yet" is his stock reaction. (The RunningGag is lampshaded later on in the show when he's deeply unnerved to discover that everyone's started to trust him.)
** O'Brien's complete lack of a green thumb.
** O'Brien's shoulder and its habit of dislocating. This, along with the green thumb issue, is an example of a RunningGag that crosses shows. It first started on ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' and carried over into ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' when the characters of O'Brien and his family transferred from one show to the other.
** O'Brien and Bashir's close relationship.
** How uncomfortable Starfleet personnel find Cardassian beds.
** The Cardassian fascination with Odo's "Cardassian neck trick". Also a tease, because the show never does reveal what this trick actually is.
** Other characters remarking that Morn said something ''very'' interesting and/or hilarious, yet he never says a word on-camera.
* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''
** Neelix's [[LethalChef creative cuisine]], especially when it comes to tha thousand uses of leola root. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] since Voyager is lost in an unhospitable quadrant of space: tasty ingredients and replicator energy are a luxury there.
** Captain Janeway's replicator keeps giving her [[Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy almost, but not quite, entirely unlike]] wathever she asked for.
** Janeway's coffee addiction. She'll go staight into an unknown nebula to get a cup of coffee.
** Janeway burning pot roast. No matter how she cooks it, even in a replicator, it comes out a smoking, inedible ruin.
* ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'':
** One RunningGag was originally a plot point. The Andorian Commander Shran apparently cannot stand owing someone a debt, so he went out of his way to help Archer after Archer had helped him. Later, as the two formed a friendship, Shran began to keep track of who owed who a favor. In one Season Four episode, he hailed the ''Enterprise'' in the middle of a heated battle with the [[spoiler:Vulcans]], just to tell Trip the following message:
--->'''Shran:''' Tell Archer, that's ''two'' he owes me!
** Also, everywhere they go, these Terrans meeting new species for the first time are constantly having those aliens asking them what species they are and what's their planet of origin. Inevitably, when told about these "humans" from this "Earth" place, the aliens who asked these questions in the first place will say some variant of "Never heard of it/you."
* ''Series/HowIMetYourMother''. The slap bet between Marshall and Barney.
** "Kids..."
** Also, Canada is weird.
** It's going to be legen-- wait for it...
** Barney's continuing refusal to say what his job actually is.
** Interventions were a major running gag during one episode, and have been seen in flashbacks as well.
** "Major Running Gag" *salutes*
** "Haaaaave you met Ted?"
** Barney [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg And Zoidberging]] Ted.
** Lily's [[LesYay lesbian crush]] on Robin.
** The group's telepathic conversations with one another
** [[MemeticMutation True story.]]
** Sandwiches, or just Ted's censoring the stories for his children in general
** Lily's fascination with Barney's sex life
** I said a Bang Bang Bangity Bang, I said a Bang Bang Bangity Bang.
** The size of the men in the Erickson family, especially as babies
** Robin Sparkles
** "And if it wasn't for (insert mundane event) I never would have met your mother"
** Ted's constant need to correct people
** Sven, the Swedish architecture collective
** Robin's dislike of children
** Barney's giant [=TVs=]
** Ted's love of StarWars
** Most of the main characters' oddball siblings
** [[BrickJoke --dary! Legendary!]]
** Scooter
** Marshall's law school friends
** "But I'll get to that later"
** Bro Code
** Barney's Blog
** Ranjit, the taxi/limo driver
** Lily ALWAYS breaks up people's relationships when she thinks they're bad ideas.
** 83 percent of statistics are made up.
** Barney's many catchphrases.
** Who is Ted's best friend?
** The Ducky Tie.
** "Don't ask, you're not ready"
** "Youuuu sonuvabitch!!"
** Marshall being amazingly awesome at every game he plays.
** Where did that pineapple come from?
* ''Series/LALaw'''s Arnie Becker couldn't keep his pecker in his pants. Being a successful divorce lawyer meant he had lots of clients that he could bed.
* "Dirty!" is [[Series/GilmoreGirls Lorelai Gilmore's]] favorite running joke. She's passed it along to Rory and Luke.
** No love for Kirk, who occupies every job in town and still lives with his controlling mom?
*** Eventually lampshaded in an episode when it's revealed Kirk is rich. When asked how that's possible, he comments "I don't know if you've noticed, but I have about 90 different jobs."
* On ''Series/{{Martin}}'', whenever Tommy mentioned that he got something expensive from "his job", somebody (usually Martin) will emphatically remind him that he "ain't got no (damn) job".
* ''Series/PardonTheInterruption'' has a few, including Tony Kornheiser's declaration of "winning" Toss-Up, and his introduction of "stat boy" Tony Reali as "[[FullNameUltimatum Anthony Joseph (name of newsworthy-celebrity-of-the-moment) Reali]]" during "Odds Makers". "Good night, Canada."
* ''Series/TheLateLateShow with Creator/CraigFerguson'': Whenever Craig mentions Music/PaulMcCartney, a photo of Creator/AngelaLansbury is displayed, and vice versa. Also, Ohhh.
* ''Series/TheATeam'' has several, most notably them drugging B.A. so that they could fly a plane. Most of the show's running gags actually develop, as B.A. gets harder to drug each time they need to do it, and whenever Colonel Decker has the team cornered, he gives them a certain amount of time to surrender. He always gives them less time than he did before.
* There are a few throughout ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'', especially since multiple episodes refer to previous episodes, but a memorable one occurred during the movie, ''Eegah''. An archaeologist and his daughter are wandering some foothills. The two walk out of the shot, and someone (presumably the archaeologist, but it doesn't sound like him) says, "Watch out for snakes!" off-camera. Joel and the bots wonder who said that, and repeat it at random intervals throughout the rest of the episode. For several episodes afterward, even into other seasons, Tom will say, "Watch out for snakes!" at completely inappropriate times during whatever movie they're watching.
** Also, the episode featuring ''Film/PumaMan'', the title character early on pauses nervously, and notes [[MySignificanceSenseIsTingling "I always get this way when I sense danger!"]] Tom Servo helpfully adds "I sense danger!" every time from then on that something dangerous happens to him that he ''doesn't'' sense. It happens an awful lot.
** "He tried to kill me with a forklift!"
** "Mister Beardsly!"
** (Character bursts through the door) "''[[Creator/MontyPython No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!]]"''
** "By then, my lungs were aching for air!" (A reference to [[strike: another show featuring a character named Michael Nelson]] the classic television show "Sea Hunt" with Lloyd Bridges as scuba diver Mike Nelson.
** "Hi-keeba!"
** (EstablishingShot of a mansion) "[[Film/CitizenKane Xanadu, stately home of Charles Foster Kane. Cost: no one can say.]]"
** '''''"SLEEEEEP!!''''' (said by Tom Servo every time [[HypnoFool hypnotism]] comes up)
** "''At first!''" (In response to any line that "s/he seemed like...")
** From ''Space Mutiny'':
---->"We put our faith in BLAST HARDCHEESE."\\
"BIG MCLARGEHUGE."
*** And while not quite as excessive as the names, the topic of railing-kills was also a running gag in the same episode.
** From the short ''Junior Rodeo Daredevils'':
---->'''Joel:''' And the crowd goes wild!\\
'''Bots:''' [[DullSurprise Yay.]]
** "Sampo!"
** ''The Indestructible Man'', featured several jokes about cops eating donuts. The episode ended with Joel, Mike, and Servo signing an affidavit promising that they would never make cop-donut jokes again.
** Pearl's OnceAnEpisode mangling of Mike's surname: Nelkirk, Nelbell, Smellson, Nelson-of-a-. Once he got her back by calling her "Pearl-ez vous."
** Pearl also frequently calls Crow "Art," harkening back to a picture a child had sent in during season 4 that labels Crow as Art. (The confusion was presumably caused by Joel calling him Art Crow in a prior episode.)
** [[Film/DirtyHarry "It was Callahan. The big one. He did this to me!"]]
** One of [=MST3K=]'s stranger running gags - a shot of hands getting coupled with "I thought you were Dale!" - is admittedly a mix-up of commercial references, involving an Ivory ad that focused on the restorative power of hand soap and a Grape-Nuts ad where a teen paramour mistakes his date's mom for his date thanks to the restorative power of cereal (the actual source of the quotation).
** "Hello!"
*** "Thank you!"
** In the revival series, whenever the crew of the SOL are making a riff in-character as a horse, they imitate the voice of Series/MisterEd.
* ''Series/MrBean'' has the blue three-wheeled [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliant_Regal Reliant Regal]] repeatedly falling victim to the title character's vehicular hijinks throughout the series (and sometimes several times in the same episode).
* On ''Series/{{Farscape}}'', whenever the crew of Moya had to rely on John or one of John's plans for anything, Aeryn would remark in a completely flat voice, "We're dead."
* ''LastWeekTonight'': [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-_O7nl0Ii0 The "you think so little about gag"]], the gag you think about so little, [[spoiler: you didn't realize, THAT'S NOT THE LINK, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu1PRyGKggI THIS IS!]]]]
* ''Series/TheOfficeUK'' has a running gag about Gareth's title. Gareth: "As I'm Assistant Regional Manager" David (interrupting): "Assistant '''to''' the Regional Manager." The gag ran so far that they've been continuing it with Dwight in the American version.
* ''Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway'' had a RunningGag that actually was a running gag: in practically every game of Sound Effects, Ryan (providing the sounds) would make whatever animal Colin (who acted in response to the sounds) was riding run away, forcing him to catch up; he even managed to do this in the ''StarWars''-themed game with Jedi Colin's spaceship. Similarly, Ryan would often play someone providing music (a Roman coliseum trumpeter, an Old West pianist, etc) whom Colin would grow annoyed with and eventually kill.
** How about members of the cast somehow managing to work in Colin's baldness into a sketch? Or Drew Carey's supposed inability to get a date?
** Wayne Brady being black and going to UPN where he wouldn't be on a show to begin with or get cancelled pretty quickly.
*** And in great moment of irony, the show was revived on the CW, the merger of the WB and UPN, with Brady as an executive producer.
** Ryan's shoes.
** Ryan's height.
** ''Gepetto''. Great film that was.
** [[CatchPhrase "Everything's made up and the points don't matter.]] That's right, the points are like notability on Wiki/TVTropes."
** Colin's Baldness.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a83PLYXqiIk "Meow!]]
** Colin's variations on CRAP! in every [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcyyE06xhEY Hollywood Director]]
** All the bouts of Riverdance.
** Whenever one of the performers comes up with a particularly hilarious line during a game, expect it to be repeated (regardless of the context) in some form in every other game throughout the remainder of that episode.
** Colin always being chosen to be the woman.
** For whatever reason, Ryan was always the go-to guy for Carol Channing impressions. Game of Party Quirks calls for Carol in some way? Ryan's got it covered. Carol Channing one of the Multiple Personalities? Ryan usually started the game holding her item. The other cast members would even find ways to make him preform a Carol Channing impression when it wasn't specifically called for during a game.
* ''Series/RebeldeWay''. Second season. Francisco kissing Laura. Again and again, on improbable circumstances. Notable on that it has actual running and actual gag.
** On the first season, it's the boys drooling and going crazy over a pretty, older girl they meet, usually a teacher or a date they get.
* ''Series/TheCloser'''s Brenda Leigh Johnson fails terribly at driving in LA.
** She and Fritz can't agree on [[YourTomcatIsPregnant which pronoun to use for Kitty]]. [[spoiler:Continued with their new cat, Joel, but with the genders reversed.]]
*** It's not so much that they can't agree, its just that Brenda is [[BunnyEarsLawyer completely incapable of managing her day-to-day life]]--a running gag in itself. She was simply unable to associate Kitty with the appropriate female pronouns.
** In Season 6, Commander Taylor's office is non-existent/hard to find/too small/[[spoiler:being used by the MCD]]. Enforced by the other characters; Flynn notes that they "haven't heard much complaining from the super-cubicle lately" and decides that that's a good reason to dump a large amount of evidence (mainly safes) in Taylor's office.
* Series/TheArmstrongAndMillerShow: (click) "Kill them!"
** And a character pulling off some impressive feat, then revealing "I'm wearing my wife's underpants".
** "It's kicking off!"
* Plenty of these in ''Series/HarryHillsTVBurp'', like the fights, cameos and ear cataracts (don't ask why). Recently, Harry has been repeatedly attacked by a puppet shark living under his desk. Wagbo, Heather, the bush push and the verge emerge from the new series.
* ''Series/NedsDeclassifiedSchoolSurvivalGuide'' had Ned and Moze accidentally kissing, and Ned going into the girls' bathroom. For starters...
* Half the things Hyacinth Bucket said on ''Series/KeepingUpAppearances'' were either this or a CatchPhrase.
** ''Keeping Up Appearances'' has multiple other running gags, including: Onslow's garden gate falling down, Richard picking it up, and Hyacinth saying "leave it, leave it"; Hyacinth being startled by Onslow's dog and falling into the hedge; Elizabeth spilling coffee on Hyacinth's rug/table/holiday brochures; and many others.
** "It's pronounced 'Bou-QUET'."
** "The Bouquet residence! The lady of the house speaking..." whenever Hyacinth answers the phone.
* ''Series/RedDwarf'' has two. One begins with Rimmer invoking a specific paragraph or section of the Space Corps. Directive by number. Kryten would then explain the instruction (often something sex-related or otherwise strange) and how he fails to understand its relevance to the events. Rimmer would then cite the correct one - one section or paragraph different. The other one again involved Kryten correcting someone; Cat would propose an unusually intelligent solution to a problem. Kryten would then [[AsymmetricDilemma point out the two flaws in that particular plan, smallest first]].
** ''Series/RedDwarf'' also has one where Kryten will give an incredibly long and complex explanation of or solution to a problem, starting "So, basically..." and ending "...so, is that clear?" Cat will then say "I was with you right up to 'basically'!"
** There is also the running gag of Kryten being not-quite able to call Rimmer a "smeghead," resulting in him haltingly calling Rimmer a "Smu! Smee!"
* ''Mail Call'': [[Creator/RLeeErmey Gunny Ermey's]] ongoing vendetta against watermelons, and extensive use of MoreDakka to destroy them...
-->'''Ermey:''' Watermelon, you will die.\\
''(of course, [[CompletelyMissingThePoint watermelons are]] ''[[CompletelyMissingThePoint already]]'' dead...)''
** His new show 'Lock And Load' simply continues this.
** There are three practical reasons for using watermelons. First, watermelons are cheap. Second, they are a fairly decent analogue of human flesh. Finally, blowing them up looks [[RuleOfCool awesome]].
* Vince is constantly being mistaken for a girl in ''Series/TheMightyBoosh''.
** Not just any girl. He's assumed to be Howard's ''wife'', more often than not.
** Whenever a Richard Fulcher character is being attacked, "a little to the left."
** "___, What is ____?"
* In ''Series/{{QI}}'', tons of stuff involving Alan Davies: his constantly setting off the klaxons and coming last (although he's started to actually play the game more seriously lately, and thus that's been happening less frequently), his buzzer noises always being ridiculous and his repeatedly giving the blue whale as an answer and it always being wrong [[spoiler: except for the one time when it was the right answer, but he didn't get it because the question was asked in French]].
** Phill Jupitus' personal RunningGag[=/=]CatchPhrase/fake answer, also comes from QI. It made its way onto is captaincy gig on ''Series/NevermindTheBuzzcocks''.
* In ''Series/BearBehavingBadly'', Mr. Prank will often accidentally call Aunt Barbara "sir" rather than "ma'am".
* ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'': Hooch is ''crazy''.
** [[CharacterTics *nose tap*]] Look here, [[Franchise/NancyDrew Nancy]], why don't ya just [[VerbalTic go ahead and]] drop the {{Running Gag}}s before [[TheNicknamer Gandhi]] [[HeterosexualLifePartners leaves you]] [[RuleOfThree for another woman]]? Now, heh, I know it was probably really cute in your old sorority, but this is the real world, [[OverlyLongGag newbie]], and the real world doesn't [[IncrediblyLamePun run on]] [[SubvertedTrope jokes]].
*** That was awesome! [noun, verb, adjective or long phrase] five!
** [[FriendsWithBenefits Sex buddies.]] *FANFARE*
** Hey! [Girl's name!]
** Frick! Frick frick frick, frick on a stick!
** Turk and JD (especially JD) are big fans of the movie ''Film/JudgeDredd'' and occasional references are made to their viewing habits and [[SawStarWars27Times the absurd number of times they have watched it]]; in "My Déjà Vu My Déjà Vu," for example, Turk invites JD to watch the movie at his place, at which point they both loudly proclaim, "NINETY-NINTH VIEWING," before they high-five each other.
*** At the conclusion of "His Story II", JD is initially more interested in the movie than Elliot's sexual advances.
--> '''JD:''' What is she doing?! It's the Judge!
** They watch ''Red Dawn'' on a regular basis, too. ''"Wolverines!"'' *lifts cups*
* These are numerous in Series/DadsArmy, most of them relate to Lance Corporal "They Don't Like It Up 'em" Jones.
* In the 1970s ''Series/TheFallAndRiseOfReginaldPerrin'': "Super" (usually said in a deadpan or bored voice), "I'm not a X person" (for various values of X), "I didn't get where I am today by..."
* ''Series/HaveIGotNewsForYou'' has had dozens that only lasted a few seasons each, to avoid them becoming {{Overused Running Gag}}s. Some include:
** Paul Merton insisting that the government (and the royal family) are stockpiling jetpacks and his demand for one of his own.
** John Prescott's weight
*** Since the end of the Labour government, these jokes have largely (no pun intended) been shifted onto Eric Pickles, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
** Showing a clip of Robert Kilroy Silk's game show Shafted, every time he was in the news.
** Lampshaded in one of the later series when, after the clip was played, Paul Merton said, "There was a time a few seasons ago when we used any excuse to play that clip. I've really missed it."
** The Working Class v Middle Class dynamic between the captains, typified by Paul Merton's Ungraded CSE in metalwork.
** Playing the news clip of Lord Alan Sugar saying 'Oh, shit' after a reporter asks him how the UK gets out of recession.
** Ian Hislop complaining about the British transport system, mainly trains.
** The last episode to be hosted by Angus Deayton, after the scandal involving him and a prostitute broke, featured Ian and Paul constantly trying to drag attention back to the scandal. Ian kept pulling out a copy of the newspaper with the story in it, and towards the end of the episode, Paul took off the hoodie he was wearing to reveal that he was wearing a t-shirt ''with the article printed on it''.
* ''Series/PopUpVideo'': Popping up "But" as a single word on somebody's butt.
* Franchise/StargateVerse:
** One character explaining how they have to do something really complicated to solve a problem, and another character pulling a gun or a grenade and [[CuttingTheKnot shooting the problem]]. It becomes a DiscussedTrope in "Wormhole X-Treme!", when a [[ExecutiveMeddling network exec]] vetoes the part of the script where Col. Danforth becomes weightless. Martin Lloyd asks how Danforth is supposed to get past a GiantMook without being weightless. Jack suggests Danforth JustShootHim.
** Being beamed without warning. The Asgard don't feel the need to establish communications before beaming someone up to their ship. Amusingly, when humans get beaming technology they copy this foible.
--> Jack: Normally I am a man of very few words. {Vanishes}
--> Daniel: There is no magic. {Vanishes, to the astonishment of medieval villagers. ''Twice.''} Boy, my timing's off today!
** ''Series/StargateSG1'':
*** As a result of the original film, Daniel begins the show married to a woman from another planet. Throughout the early series, women they encountered on other planets would often be attracted to him. Eventually, Jack declares in exasperation that Daniel's going to have a woman on every planet.
*** O'Neill always using "magnets" as a catch-all explanation for how advanced technology works.
*** Frequent references to either ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' or ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''.
*** Teal'c saying "Indeed" all the time. It even becomes the final joke of the series, where every character ''but'' Teal'c says "Indeed!" in unison.
*** Usually treated seriously (the team cares about him a ''lot'', after all), but Daniel [[spoiler:coming back from seeming death]] all the time eventually reached these proportions, complete with plenty of lampshading.
*** [[NeverLiveItDown Is it true they]] [[RememberWhenYouBlewUpASun blew up a sun]]?
*** The phrase "Jaffa! Kree!", which is said all the time by Goa'uld in a variety of different situations, making it rather unclear what exactly it means. The best translation fans have come up with is "Respond to this situation in the manner you have been trained!"
*** Episodes involving the Unas consistently begin with an Unas POV shot followed by a person throwing up their arms and being dragged through a forest by one leg.
** ''Series/StargateAtlantis'':
*** The need for the SGA-1 team to be the first to name something newly discovered, to the point where they'd pause in the middle of fights or life-threatening situations to argue about it, culminating in Sheppard usually breaking it up with either "We can name it later!" or "You don't get to name it!". Sheppard would also assign the first human name that popped into his head to every single Wraith they captured or had to deal with over an extended period of time (Bob, Steve, Michael, Todd, Kenny, etc.). The naming gag extends to the Ancients - when the team discover what the giant whale-like fish in the ocean is called, they agree the Ancients were terrible at naming things.
*** Rodney's citrus allergy, and his hypochondria more generally. Also, his physical fitness tended to be the butt of a joke.
*** In one episode, Rodney was shot with an arrow in the "gluteus maximus". He never did live it down.
*** Rodney will never live down the fact that he blew up a solar system.
--->''It was uninhabited, and it was only five-sixths of a solar system!''
*** Zalenka ranting [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CmaE4oILck in Czech.]] Usually because of something Rodney's said or done. In fact, Zalenka and Rodney winding each other up becomes its own running joke.
--->'''Zalenka''': "I'm ''trying'', [[PrecisionFStrike doprdele!]]"
* The fact that everybody on ''Series/GossipGirl'' but Blair seems to dislike her headbands.
** The oddities of Chuck's conquests. "''She can hold her breath for five minutes''", "''Tonight's entertainment got held up in customs''", etc...
* ''Series/AreYouBeingServed''
** [[DoubleEntendre Mrs. Slocombe's pussy]].
** Mr. Humphries', uh, leisure activities.
** Captain Peacock's war record.
** Mr. Humphries, are you free?
* Even ''Series/{{Lost}}'' has some. Just ask Scott. Or is it Steve?
** Nobody being able to pronounce Mr. Arzt's name was a running gag for an episode or two, but then he blew up.
*** Dynamite is volatile. If you're carrying some, you should move as little as you can: people ''tend'' to forget this and casually blow up mid-sentence.
** Sawyer nicknaming ''everyone'' in every single conversation. It got so bad that, in season 3, Sun got him to bet that, if he lost a game of ping-pong to Hurley, he couldn't nickname anyone for at least a week. He lost. HilarityEnsued.
*** He did start this again a couple of episodes later though.
* ''Series/{{Alias}}'': While it doesn't start out a gag or even particularly funny, Sark's talent to escape ''any'' bad situation becomes universally acknowledged by both the creators, characters and the fans. Hell, it's outright highlighted in the last few minutes of the series finale.
* The old Western spoof ''Series/FTroop'' has quite a lot.
** Cpl Agarn inadvertently makes a suggestion; O'Rourke: "Agarn, I don't know why they say you're so dumb!" A few minutes later -- long after anyone else would have caught on -- Agarn shouts: "''Who'' says I'm dumb?!"
** The fort cannon, when lit, always fails to fire. Agarn kicks the wheel in frustration, it falls off, the cannon fires as it hits the ground, and shoots down the guard tower.
** The war of insults between Agarn and Trooper Dobbs, which always ends with the insultee saying "I'm warning you, Dobbs/Agarn..."
** Trooper Duffy's old war story, which always starts: "There we were at the Alamo, me and Davy Crockett, shoulder to shoulder and backs to the wall..." That's where someone else cuts him off. Presumably, they know that no Americans really survived the Alamo.
** Agarn has numerous relatives who come through town, all of whom look like him (and are likewise played by Larry Storch).
** Most of the troopers are background characters, but occasionally roll is called, with names like: "Dobbs, Duffy, Anderson, Henderson, Gilbert, Sullivan, Lewis, Clark, Holmes, Watson, Livingston -- where ''is'' Livingston?" "Don't worry sir; Stanley will find him."
* When Johnny Carson hosted ''Series/TheTonightShow'', one of his recurring skits was the all-knowing "Carnac the Magnificent", who would "predict" the answers to questions in sealed envelopes. There were several running gags:
** Carnac tripping over the edge of the stage when entering.
** "I hold in my hand the envelopes. As you can see, they are hermetically sealed. They have been kept in a mayonnaise jar on Funk & Wagnalls' back porch since noon today ..."
** Carnac getting annoyed with Ed [=McMahon=] and throwing out a topical insult, such as "May Kareem Abdul-Jabbar slam-dunk your sister."
** "I hold in my hand ... the '''last envelope'''," followed by thunderous applause.
** In Creator/JimmyFallon's run, [[spoiler: former host Jay Leno murdering (''[[Series/HouseOfCardsUS House of Cue Cards]]'') or wanting to murder (''[[Series/BreakingBad Joking Bad]]'') Jimmy's character]] at the end of a parody film.
* ''Series/QueerAsFolk:''
-->'''Michael/Justin/Brian (depending on which season it is):''' "Hey, Todd! How's it going?"
-->'''Todd:''' "Fiiine!"
** Which is made even funnier (and stranger) by the fact that those are the only times Todd ever appears. They obviously know his name, but don't seem to ever hang out with him.
* Brazilian group Casseta & Planeta has many. A notable one, which was constantly lampshaded and self-lampooned, involved the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_tapping rubber tapper]], who spends [[DoubleEntendre the whole day taking milk out of a stick]].
* In ''Series/AlloAllo'':
** This is a series ''made'' of running gags, played with, stolen and inverted. Take them out and you'd be left with about 10 minutes an episode (and that includes the credits)
** Rene's wife Edith finding him in a compromising situation with Yevette Carte Blanche and his zany excuses, which Edith always believes
** Lt Gruber always finding Rene bending over
** The Fallen Madonna with the Big Boobies by von Klempf
** Michelle and her catch phrase "Listen very carefully, I shall say this only vunce"
** Officer Crabtree had two. He always greats everyone with "Good Moaning" no matter what time of day and his spoonerisms. Some of which would make some kind of sense, but not much.
** "It is I, [=LeClerc=]."
** The really odd sexual perversion involving an egg whisk and some wet celery. And an aviator's helmet.
** The names of the German higher level officers, which got weirder as the series went on.
* In ''[[Series/{{MASH}} M*A*S*H]]'', how terrible the Mess Tent food is.
* ''Series/Studio60OnTheSunsetStrip'': Writer/creator Creator/AaronSorkin loves to incorporate throw-away running gags, often with each instance rephrasing the joke from a different angle. In "The Option Period", off-camera guest-host (and real-life {{Malaproper}}) Music/JessicaSimpson supposedly had to fill in extra airtime at the end of the fictional show's live broadcast, as described by Cal:
---> '''Cal''': Nice girl, nice performer... don't want her to extemporize on our air. She had time to thank her pets, and then she asked us all to pray for peace in the Mid''west''.[[note]]She should have said "Middle East".[[/note]]
--> [+The regulars continue wisecracking about this as the (real) show continues.+]
--> '''Matt''': Indiana, Illinois, Missouri... are rebel forces gathering?
--> '''Danny''': No.
--> '''Matt''': Then why are we praying for peace in the Midwest?
--> '''Danny''': Girl's nice to look at.
--> [+...and finally...+]
--> '''Jordan''': Good show! ... I saw the end, and I think we should all take a moment to consider the suffering in Des Moines.
* From ''Series/{{Reba}}'': Reba telling one of her offspring: "Have I told you you're my favorite?"
* In season one of ''Series/TalkinBoutYourGeneration'', the trophy each week was something different. It may have been a soccer trophy, a "World's Best Lover" coffee mug, or the Nobel Prize for Chemistry, according to Shaun Micallef.
** The mysterious ways in which the End Game envelope will make it to Shaun Micallef; it may involve ninjas, monks, pandas or -- frequently -- Shaun's pet lady-hawk Isabeau.
** As is typical for a [[GameShow quiz show]], the host has a phone next to him which the producers can ring him on to allow for corrections. Unlike in most, Shaun Micallef invariably hangs up the phone without answering whenever it rings.
*** This invariably happens after Shaun has made a particularly-bad [[IncrediblyLamePun pun]].
** [[ThePointsMeanNothing ''That means anybody could win!'']]
** Music/{{Enya}}
* The 90's blooper show ''Roggin's Heroes'' featured the Gallery's guard, Officer Feldman. No matter what happened, no matter what he did, he kept [[TheSilentBob absolutely silent with a straight face]], and usually staring straight at the camera (though he may occasionally mime or have a voiceover).
* ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'': Every time FBI Agent Dana Lewis shows up, Stabler somehow or another winds up in the hospital. The second and third time it happens Stabler lampshades this fact.
** People mistaking Benson for a lesbian. Lampshaded in a later season episode.
* On ''Series/{{Chuck}}'', Chuck said Sarah had a "spastic colon" to justify her absence. Afterwards, this was always used as an excuse when she couldn't make it to something. Chuck also used it in Season 3 to explain why the band member he was replacing wasn't available.
* [[Series/{{Glee}} Sue Sylvester]] does not approve of Will Schuester's hairstyle.
** Finn's complete ineptitude at dancing.
** Blaine's love of hair gel.
** Brittany's constant, MemeticMutation-inducing one-liners.
** Mercedes' CatchPhrase of "hell to the no" (which even gets its own song!)
** People overhearing others sing for the first time in the shower. Will hears Finn in the pilot; Finn hears Sam in "Audition"; Rachel hears Brody in "The New Rachel"; etc.
** Brad, the pianist who never speaks and yet magically appears in each musical number.
** Finn kicking over chairs.
* The demons in ''Series/{{Charmed}}'' make a point to keep destroying the grandfather clock whenever they attack the manor. Piper lampshades this a couple of times saying "we can't afford to keep fixing that thing". When they go to the 20s, past-life Piper smashes the grandfather clock to the floor.
** Leo orbing out while he's kissing Piper. Some episodes reveal that he sometimes orbs out during more intimate moments. A funny variation on this happened when he orbed out while hugging Phoebe. Also lampshaded: "I hate when he does that!"
** It's mentioned a few times that Piper freezes Leo "in bed for her own personal pleasure."
** Characters referring to Piper as "Pipper" or "Peeper."
** Demons sometimes like to point out that Piper "is just plain mean," despite the fact that she's probably the nicest character on the show.
* ''Series/That70sShow'' had Kelso falling off of the water tower nearly every time the gang climbs it. One episode featured [[spoiler: a minor character dying this way]], much to gang's amazement.
** Every time Kelso and Hyde fight Kelso injures his eye.
** Laurie's promiscuity is a running gag.
** Red's recurring threat of putting his foot in someone's ass or making them wear their ass as a hat, and calling people Dumbasses.
* ''Series/HomeImprovement'' had a ton of these:
** The most prominent one was that whenever Tim would pass along Wilson's advice he would mangle it into incomprehensible gibberish.
** "I don't think so, Tim."
** TimTaylorTechnology
** No matter what, something always blocks the bottom half of Wilson's face from the camera.
*** Actually one episode had the top half of his face covered.
** Tim consistently hits his head on the same pipe every time he goes into the family's basement. Then he hits his head again on his way back up the stairs. There are also a few scenes where he enters someone else's basement and smacks his head on a pipe there too.
** Tim saying something sexist on ''Tool Time'' and Al holding up a sign with the show's mailing address so that female viewers can write in and complain.
** Tim causing some kind of major accident on ''Tool Time'' and then [[IMeantToDoThat saying he did it on purpose]] to show the viewers what not to do while working with tools.
* ''Series/KathAndKim'' has its fair share of running gags:
** "It's noice, it's different, it's unyoosual"
** "Look at moi. Look at moi. Now, I have one word to say to you..."
** Kim's habit of mispronouncing or misusing words in a sentence.
--> '''Kim:''' Well, Brett sort of explained it like he's kind of like an octopus. You know, spreading his testicles over all departments.
--> '''Kath:''' Oh, that sounds like a big job.
** Also, Kim's tendency to spell out words for emphasis...only to get the spelling wrong:
---> '''Kim:''' That's it, Brett. I want a divorce. D-I-V-O-R-S-E!
* ''Series/{{Community}}'' has a few:
** The Dean's dalmatian-furry fetish is first seen about halfway into the first season ("I hope this doesn't awaken something in me"), and escalation (dalmatian mugs, posters, and rugs) every episode, to its exposure in [[Recap/CommunityS1E25PascalsTriangleRevisited Pascal's Triangle Revisited]] when two men in dog costumes show up for a school dance.
** Pop! Pop!
** Shut up, Leonard!
** Pierce thinking Jeff is gay/Britta is a lesbian
** You're the worst!
** Ben Chang's Chang-related puns
** Dean Pelton's Dean-related puns
** Dean Pelton's outfits
** In Season 2, Pierce sundowning
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnPlHvXIJPs Troy's ridiculous crying]]
** Annie's Boobs
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuxMkzaTlRY Bueller, Bueller, Bueller? Anyone? Anyone?]]
** "Micronipples"
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09InPHAKJko Daybreak]]
** Britta's name used as a verb, meaning [[spoiler: fucking up]].
* ''Series/{{Parks and Recreation}}'' is practically built on running gags.
** Ron dressing like Tiger Woods after having sex.
** Duke Silver.
** Councilman Howser appearing in the nick of time to see Leslie's out-of-context unprofessional behaviour.
** April's unusual love for animals (including Champion, the three-legged dog).
** Jerry being...well, Jerry.
** Leslie over-exaggerating Ann's role as a nurse.
** Leslie's weird yet flattering compliments to Ann.
** Donna's colorful yet elusive personal life.
** Li'l Sebastian.
** Andy's numerous amount of jobs.
** Breakfast food being favored by ''everyone''
** And tons more....
* ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld'' had Eric's "Feeney call".
* [[Series/TheITCrowd Hello, IT. Have you tried turning it off and on again?]]
* ''Series/RoundTheTwist'', during one episode in which Bronson found himself with a "whirly willy" (ItMakesSenseInContext):
--->'''Character Just Learning About This''': He's got a whirly ''what''?\\
'''Other Characters''': Exactly.
* ''Series/DickAndDomInDaBungalow'' built up lots of these, mostly running for a season or two and then being dropped. The Butt Dance lasted longer. And then there was the Garlic Mayo Saga, which started when one of the hosts faked eating garlic mayonnaise (in an [[EatThat "eating something gross"]] competition), and the producers sent [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7K3Trn1RDY the law]] after him, in the person of Detective Harry Batt, possessor of the worst [[OopNorth Geordie]] accent in television... and he was still trying to get his man right up until [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT_K4CjqAro the final episode]].
* ''Series/AllThat'' has the Big Ear of Corn in the Green Room.
* Series/GetSmart has a lot of these.
** That's the second biggest running gag I've ever seen!
** The Cone of Silence.
*** "What?"
*** THE CONE OF SILENCE!
** In later seasons, anytime Agent 99 got tapped or otherwise touched on the shoulder, she would turn around and punch them in the face, no matter who it is, then she would apologize, saying that it was a reflex.
** Speaking of Agent 99, the fact that the viewers never learn her name, [[TheUnreveal even when it looks like they will]]. This continues even after she gets married, where she's either Agent 99 or simply "Mrs. Smart".
* Walter constantly getting Astrid's name wrong on ''Series/{{Fringe}}''.
** Charlie's insistence that "They're not worms; they're arachnids!" in the parallel universe.
* In ''Series/TwoAndAHalfMen'' the brand of coffee seen in the kitchen is a different in every episode.
* ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' has a lot:
** Penny's check engine light
** Raj not being able to speak to women without alcohol (or at least believing it was alcohol)
** Whenever Sheldon knocks on a door, he does it by doing three knocks and calls out the name of the person in the room before repeating the process twice. [[FreudianExcuse This is because he accidentally caught his dad having an affair without knocking, so his extra knocks are more of a warning.]] Typically, he often does this to Penny, so the gag usually consists of *''Knock knock knock''* "Penny?" three times.
** Howard's mother and her horrifying beauty routine and list of ailments
** "Bazinga!"
** Soft Kitty
* ''Series/OnlyFoolsAndHorses'': Albert's "During the war..." in the later series, especially the specials - in which any mention is automatically followed by groaning from everyone else in the vicinity. "Mum said to me on her death bed..." from Del is another gag from start to finish - to believe Del, Joannie spent her last three weeks doing nothing but saying anecdotes that Del could use through the rest of his life. It's unclear what she actually said at that time. Both are {{Lampshaded}} increasingly often as time goes on - causing the former to be subverted when Del threatens Albert with violence if he says it, so... "During the 1939-1945 conflict with Germany..." in "Time On Our Hands". Strangely enough, this moment by itself may qualify as a CrowningMomentOfAwesome for Albert, if only because he gets so few of them.
** As for the latter, in "It's Only Rock and Roll", Rodney reminds Del about a row they had on whose turn it was to go and get the fish and chips, and Del claimed that Joannie said on her death bed, "Send Rodney for the fish."
** Trigger calling Rodney Dave, various others come up in individual episodes.
* ''Series/{{Merlin|2008}}'':
** Merlin getting sent to the stocks was a running gag for a while. Especially in one season 1 episode.
** Gaius explaining Merlin's absences by saying he was at the tavern.
** Arthur getting knocked out while Merlin uses his magic.
** "Shut up, Merlin." "Merlin, you idiot." Arthur throwing things at Merlin. Arthur abusing Merlin in general.
** In season 4, Arthur losing his trousers.
** "Dollophead" started out as Merlin's word for Arthur, and has now become one of Arthur's go-to insults for Merlin -- in one deleted scene, Arthur even refers to Merlin as "that dollophead," and the courtiers know exactly who he's talking about.
* ''Series/{{JAG}}'': Whenever a promotion is announced, there are accusations of the person in question beeing "out of" or in "incorrect" uniform.
* ''Series/TeenWolf'': Stiles' increasingly desperate attempts to find out if [[AmbiguouslyBi gay guys find him attractive]] and his seemingly sincere worry that they might not. This leads to him being ''very'' irritated when he and Scott [[ItMakesSenseInContext end up at a gay bar]] and someone buys ''Scott'' a drink.
-->'''Scott:''' ''*smug smirk*''
-->'''Stiles:''' Oh, shut up!
-->'''Scott:''' I didn't say anything.
-->'''Stiles:''' Yeah, well, your face did!
** Also, coach Finstock's dislike of [[ButtMonkey Greenberg]], despite the fact that Greenberg himself has as of season 2 yet to appear on-screen.
** The Baseball Bat and the almost hitting of Stiles with it by members of the [=McCall=] family. Stiles's reaction is always to question why they have baseball bats if no one in the house plays baseball.
* ''Series/ImpracticalJokers'': The unseen fifth-person in the troupe is either '''LARRY''' or (that bitch) Irene.
* ''{{Series/Highlander}}'' had an episode with an immortal who sneezed every time he felt the buzz of another immortal nearbye.
* [[Series/MyNameIsEarl Earl Hickey]]'s eyes are closed in every picture ever taken of him. This includes childhood pictures shown being taken in [[{{flashback}} flashbacks]], and there's [[UpToEleven even a painting]] of him in an unspecified Latin American country of him with his eyes closed.
* [[MatchGame "Dumb Dora is so dumb..." (Audience: "How dumb is she?")]]
* On ''Series/WinBenSteinsMoney'', Jimmy Kimmel would tell the contestant in the booth during the Best of Ten Test Of Knowledge that "as host I must remain impartial, but since Ben is under the headphones and can't hear me...smoke him like a cheap cigar!"
* The Range Game on ''Series/ThePriceIsRight'' as per Bob Barker's instructions: "Don't hit the button until you want to stop it because we can't start it again for 37 hours."
* On Conan O'Brien's TBS show, whenever he puts up a website address on screen, instead of the slash he puts up the face of Slash from the group Guns 'N' Roses.
** Conan has been subjected to one for years now by Paul Rudd. Whenever Rudd visits one of Conan's shows, he will claim that he has a clip from the film he's promoting, only for the clip to be from the atrocious ''Film/MacAndMe.''
* ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' "Read chapter fourteen"
** Lampshaded once when a Sweathog told Kotter they already read chapter fourteen. "Then read chapter seven twice."
* In ''That's So Raven'', the episode '''Clothes Minded''' had a running gag where Raven kept accidentally making her visions happen by asking people if what she saw in her vision was what they intended to do about what was currently being discussed, to which the characters reveal they had a different plan in mind, but that they like her idea better.
* Jimmy Kimmel is all out of time, apologies to Matt Damon.
* ''Series/MythBusters'' has quite a few. Examples are, but not limited to:
** Nearly every time a test involving a vehicle takes place at the Alameda Naval Air Station, one should expect said vehicle to collide with a fence at some point.
** "[[WildlifeCommentarySpoof And here we see the Hyneman in his natural environment...]]"
---> '''Jamie:''' [[LampshadeHanging Is he doing his David Attenbrough thing again?]]
** [[IconicOutfit Jamie's signature outfit]]. [[LimitedWardrobe Which he almost always wears]]. Including [[BulletproofFashionPlate the white shirt]].
** Saying something that's just been [[StuffBlowingUp exploded spectacularly]] "went away."
* ''Series/DocMartin'': The dog that follows Martin around.
* ''Series/TheXFiles'': Mulder's habit of dropping or otherwise losing his gun. Eventually, he starts carrying an extra in an ankle holster and lampshades it.
** Scully's healthy eating habits, eventually Flanderized into Scully eating some pretty bizarre health foods, including bee pollen stirred into yogurt and "non-fat tofutti rice dreamsicles." There's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it funny moment in season 8, where a pregnant Scully has apparently given up her healthy eating habits because she's craving pizza.
** Frohike's ongoing crush on Scully.
** Mulder's porn stash.
** The fact that Mulder doesn't even own a bed until season 7, much less sleep in one.
** No matter how crazy Mulder's theory is or how sound Scully's scientific research to debunk it, Mulder is ''always'' right.
* ''[[Series/KungFu Kung Fu: The Legend Continues]]'': In most episodes, Caine quotes a piece of wisdom to another character, usually his son Peter, who guesses that it's from an Eastern philosopher. Caine then reveals that it's from a modern-day celebrity, often a direct quote from a popular song.
* ''Series/HouseOfAnubis''. Patricia dumping drinks on people when she's angry, characters being late for curfew and thus getting yelled at by Victor, Sibuna characters being late for classes, Joy being "Joyless," Alfie freaking out about some imaginary threat, Jerome and Alfie teaming up, and more.
** Each season has their own, as well.
*** Season 1 - Patricia asking where Joy is, Nina stating the fact that she's American, Jerome walking in on Sibuna meetings, Nina trying to lie
*** Season 2 - Fabina failing to have an actual date, Eddie and his love for pancakes, Patricia failing to be romantic, Fabian being teased for being a nerd
*** Season 3 - Alfie interrupting Jerome and Mara, KT stating that she's at the school to "stop a great evil", Willow "Squee-ing", Eddie claiming he's the Osirian.
*** Touchstone Of Ra - The new kids interrupting things, characters making fun of Patricia's dress, lampshading.
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'':
** Season 4 has Davos Seaworth repeatedly explain the difference between a pirate and a smuggler to a rather unconvinced audience.
** During the first two seasons, Cersei tears up any paper she doesn't like. Tyrion lampshades it by asking if she has perfected the art.
** Tyrion slaps Joffrey and gets away with it many times in the first two seasons.
** Theon being trolled by the blowing of a horn. A very effective use of MoodWhiplash.
** WHAT did Podrick do to those whores!?
** Cersei is the curtsy police. When Shae sketches an awkward curtsy, Cersei calls her on it and instructs her how to do it properly. When Brienne bows rather than curtsies to Joffrey, Cersei interrupts to scoff at her.
** Wildings referring to Jon Snow as pretty.
** Lord Tyrell is apparently a character so incredibly pathetic that he gets interrupted at least once in ''every single conversation'' he attempts to hold with anyone.
* In ''Series/SonsOfAnarchy,'' people walking in on Half-Sack with his pants down.
* ''Series/PersonOfInterest'':
** Shaw stating that she's only with Team Machine because of Bear, the team's dog.
** Whenever the show doesn't want to show a fight scene in its entirely, [[BattleDiscretionShot the camera will simply cut to an exterior shot]] to show the mook [[DestinationDefenestration crashing out of a window]].
** Reese starting a BarBrawl or [[PunkInTheTrunk throwing someone in the trunk of his car]]. When he's not ending up in the trunk himself.
** Reese annoying Detective Fusco by flashing Detective Still's badge (whom he killed in the pilot episode).
** Shaw grumbling about not being allowed to solve the problem [[MurderIsTheBestSolution by just shooting everyone]]. Often [[InappropriateHunger while eating.]]
** Root saying something odd, and when everyone else is confused, she just says "I wasn't talking to you." [[spoiler:She was talking to the Machine in her earpiece]]. In Season 4, Root constantly baffling Finch with her [[MasterOfDisguise new and often bizarre identities]], [[NoodleIncident none of which are ever explained]].
* ''Series/{{Elementary}}'':
** Sherlock devising various ways to wake up Joan. This includes placing clucking roosters by her bedroom door, flashing a lamp on and off on her face, blaring a bugle in her ear, and plopping their shared pet tortoise, Clyde, on her bed. Joan also gets her revenge on him by slamming a heavy book onto a table to wake him up.
** The Anonymous-{{Expy}} Everyone making Sherlock perform humiliating tasks in exchange for tracking stuff down for him.
* ''Series/MadamSecretary'': Presidential Chief of Staff Russell Jackson coming into Liz's office unannounced, with her aide Blake running after him to try and beat him there and announce him. {{Lampshaded}} in "Spartan Figures": Liz snarks they should put a lock on the door and post a Marine guard.
* In ''Series/BreakingBad'', there are several consecutive episodes where Hank [[InsistentTerminology insists that he's not collecting rocks, but minerals]].
* In ''Series/BetterCallSaul'', the first five episodes of season 1 see Jimmy repeatedly unable to get past Mike's parking lot booth because he doesn't have the right amount of cash or number of validation stickers.
* ''Series/SuperStore'': Amy is seen wearing a different name tag every episode.
* ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'' has this in spades:
** The Gang calling Dee a bird
** Macs TransparentCloset and the fact that he is convinced to be "tough"
** Rickety Crickets downwards spiral: Whenever he appears on the show, he looks more bizarre and disfigured
** Dennis' justifications of what is basically borderline rape
*** ''It's all about The Implication ... ''
** The Gang constantly trashing Dee's cars
** Mac (and sometimes Charlie) using words like "more bigger", "most better", "more smarter"
* ''Series/TheWire'':
** Jimmy [=McNulty=] being called out on some crazy/stupid thing that he's pulling by one of his partners. Of particular note is his partner in the Homicide department, Bunk, who says "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv063nzZIEk You happy now, bitch?]]" to Jimmy at least four times during the first season alone in response to Jimmy's antics blowing up in their faces.
** Bunk being unable to hold his liquor, and usually winding up sloppily drunk or puking in front of others as a result.
** Omar's constant attempts and perennial failure to get [[TrademarkFavoriteFood Honey Nut Cheerios]].
** Someone will talk about [[CoolOldGuy Lester Freamon]] being [[ReassignedToAntarctica reassigned to the Pawn Shop unit]] for 13 years, and Lester will add "And 4 months" in a way that makes it clear that he begrudges every single day he spent there. This one goes all the way from the first season to the very last episode in Season 5, when Lester is jokingly called "Mr. 13 years" and Lester's lover Shardene adds "And four months."
** Stringer Bell giving his dimwitted criminal underlings business lectures complete with fancy terminology about their failings. It gets to the point where just before Stringer gets rolling they start shooting each other looks that clearly say things like and ThisIsGonnaSuck, and OhNoNotAgain
** Herc's issues with surveillance, including his tendency to get expensive surveillance equipment lost or broken.
** Clay Davis' way of saying [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70eU840lc38&nohtml5=False sheeeeeeeeeeit]]. This became such a big meme that [[https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1556507886/isiah-whitlock-jr-talking-bobblehead/description the actor actually did a kickstarter to make a bobblehead doll that would say the line]]. And it got about 8 times the funding that it needed.
** A cop presents some vital piece of information which more or less just fell into their lap. Another cop is startled, and asks how the hell they got it. The answer is inevitably "Police work" rather than "I got really lucky and someone walked up to me with it."
** In season 2, Jimmy apparently being the only person in Baltimore who knows absolutely nothing about boats, (even Bunk, who practically has a phobia about boats due to his inability to swim, corrects him on terminology at one point) and especially [=McNulty's=] inability to tie up a boat properly, which is mocked by several people you wouldn't expect to know the first thing about it.
--->'''Jimmy:''' Here, Bubs, tie this to that thing, will ya?\\
'''Bubbles:''' The cleat? Ain't you know nothing? [ties it off perfectly, then looks at [=McNulty's=] knot on the other cleat in disgust] What the hell is that?\\
'''Jimmy:''' [Dismissive hand wave] Baltimore knot.\\
'''Bubbles:''' Baltimore knot? What the hell is a Baltimore knot?\\
'''Jimmy:''' I don't know, but it's never the same thing twice.
** When a homicide detective is caught sleeping on duty, he gets his necktie cut and pinned to a board.
** The fact that no one in the police can properly type or even spell is a recurring joke throughout the series. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QbqyArOTdI&nohtml5=False Here's one of the more memorable examples]].
** Poot's inability to keep it in his pants leading to his many trips to a clinic for treatment of venereal diseases.
** Donut (a middle school kid who has nearly a physical compulsion to steal cars) making intermittent, and frequently hilarious, appearances in various high-priced [=SUVs=]. Especially that time that when [[TheDreaded Chris Partlow and Snoop]] are trying to intimidate Bodie and making an ImpliedDeathThreat to Bodie, and Donut rolling past in an SUV briefly provokes ATruceWhileWeGawk.
* Being the [[PlayedForLaughs comedic farce]] that it is, ''Series/AngieTribeca'' is filled with these.
** Almost every episode features a cop who vomits at the sight of every crime scene, even when it's something tame like a missing painting.
** Also, the opening credits have a loud scream over them, which often cuts to the same cop having injured himself in some way.
** When they get out of their car, either Angie or Geils rants about no longer wanting to hear about a personal aspect of the other's life, with the other replying that they just asked about the time or weather.
** Angie will begin a line with "let's just say..." and everyone around will repeat the sentence with her.
** Dr. Elderweiss will enter the forensics lab acting as if he has a handicap (in a wheelchair or blind), but then turns out to be perfectly fine.
* In ''Series/OliversTravels'', Oliver tells every new person he meets that he knows a strange and amusing fact about sex, in the hope that someday somebody will ask him what it is. The LoveInterest eventually does just before they have their RelationshipUpgrade.
* ''Series/InLivingColor''. One of its recurring skits was "The Magenta Thompson Show", about a washed-up actress who claim to fame was being an extra in numerous blaxpoitation movies, whose character always got shoved out of the way and told, "Get out of my way, bitch!" To the point where even ''[[Franchise/FridayThe13th Jason Voorhees]]'' [[SuddenlyVoiced said]] this to her because she was blocking his path to a victim.
* ''Series/{{Victoria}}'' manages to establish a running joke despite being a biographical drama, in this case the queen's repeated - and sometimes ridiculous - attempts at visiting incognito, which inevitably results in someone pointing out that she was fooling no one.
* ''Series/DragonsDen''
** Theo Paphitis breaking the inventors' prototypes.
** On the U.S. ''Shark Tank'', Kevin O'Leary's supposed experience in a wide variety of industries and occupations that you wouldn't expect him to know anything about. By the eighth season, when O'Leary says that he has experience in the maple syrup industry, the other Sharks JustSmileAndNod and say something like "of course, you do."
* Whenever ''Series/KalkofesMattscheibe'' mocks a music clip somebody posted on the Web, one of the fictional comments will be Ralph Siegel accusing them of having plagiarized an old ''[[Series/EurovisionSongContest ESC]]'' entry written by him.
* ''Series/TheFlash2014'' has several.
** Barry will always be late for a meeting. Before and even after getting SuperSpeed. As well as everyone taking some of Barry's AmusingInjuries for granted. There's even a PhraseCatcher for it.
-->''I heard you heal fast.''
** Cisco naming their superpowered enemies, to the exasperation of his friends. And for a RunningGag within a RunningGag, Cisco's disapproval of some of those criminals naming themselves. Also, as a TV buff, Cisco comparing the adventures he and his friends have to certain film and/or TV series.
** Historical figures and celebrities on Earth-1 have their AlternateUniverse counterparts with ''very different'' occupations on Earth-19. Like Al-Capone becoming vice-president; Weird Al as a poet; ''Saint'' Shaquile O'Neil, etc.
** Harrison "Harry" Wells of [[AlternateUniverse Earth-2]] being a victim of MistakenIdentity, especially being compared to his Earth-1 counterpart, [[spoiler:a.k.a. the BigBad of Season 1.]] Although there are times early in Season 2 (Harry's debut appearance) that this is PlayedForDrama, eventually the characters made jokes out of it. When Harry finally gets fed up after another MistakenIdentity, this time of his temporary substitute from Earth-19 [[spoiler:who pulled a HeroicSacrifice]], he replies with [[OverusedRunningGag "I get that a lot."]] in a tired tone.
** A dark version of the RunningGag is Caitlin's OnceASeason CartwrightCurse. [[spoiler:Her lover, Ronnie Raymond (one half of ''ComicBook/{{Firestorm}} I'') pulls a HeroicSacrifice at the end of Season 1 on their wedding day, even; "Jay Garrick" from Season 2 is merely a time remnant of that season's BigBad Zoom, and was killed to end the ruse; Julian Albert in Season 3 fares a little better, if by better you mean Caitlin (or rather, her SuperpoweredEvilSide, Killer Frost) outright rejects him.]] For a lighter, true example of a RunningGag for Caitlin, there's Killer Frost's (post-HazyFeelTurn) and her very different tastes in clothing; for starters, they're the TomboyAndGirlyGirl, respectively. Frost will ''always'' complain of her alter-ego's wardrobe whenever Caitlin has to transform into her.
* On ''Vivasion'', at least during its later years, whenever a guest said they were fluent in some foreign language, Creator/StefanRaab would instantly ask them to translate the term "arch support" (in the original German: [[spoiler:[[InherentlyFunnyWords Senkfußeinlage]]]]).
* ''Series/{{Lucifer 2016}}'':
** Lucifer (white with a British accent) introducing Amenadiel (black with an American accent) as his brother, and mortals doing a double-take.
--->'''Lucifer:''' I know, shocking, isn't it, he's much less handsome than I am.
** Lucifer's constant disappointment at people's deepest desires. Every time he expects it to be something salacious but most of the time it is petty and irrelevant.
** Linda trying to subtly guide a patient (usually Lucifer) towards an emotional breakthrough, only to have them [[ComicallyMissingThePoint have entirely the wrong epiphany]] - whereupon them trying to put it into practice becomes, in turn, a RunningGag for the rest of the episode.
** People keep stealing Dan's pudding.
* ''Series/TheGreatBritishBakeOff'':
** Paul's obsession with "soggy bottoms" in any challenge involving pastry (which is quite a lot of them). He checks for it first chance he gets, and ''will'' call the contestants on it.
** Beginning in series 3, Mel and Sue's bizarre accents and intonations when declaring "On your marks, get set -- bake!", frequently elongating the last word. By the end of series 4, the notion of the word being pronounced normally was a long-forgotten memory.
** Also beginning in series 3, the same duo's occasional insinuations while dismissing them for the technical challenge that Paul and Mary are leaving to carry on their steamy love affair... despite the fact that Mary is about thirty years Paul's senior.
** At one point mid-series 5, [[OopNorth very Northern]] contestant Nancy refers dismissively to "''him''... you know, the male judge," in an aside to Mel. Naturally, both hosts pick this up and run with it, creating a mock-feud that lasts the rest of the series. Made even funnier when Paul himself starts playing along.
-->'''Paul:''' Ah, can the male judge please ask a question?
** Candice wearing a different shade of lipstick every week in season 7, after Mel suggested it in the first episode.
** Starting in series 8, Noel's crazy shirts.
* ''Series/KamenRiderRyuki'': Ren presents Kido with a bill for the window that was broken because of Kido and that Ren paid for early into the story. Sometimes, he would add something to the bill, like ''general annoyance'' fee or ''[[ItMakesSenseInContext keeping me awake]]'' fee.
* ''Series/KamenRiderOOO'':
** Ankh being bribed with ice pops so he would behave like a half decent human being for five minutes.
** Hina using her super strength to move heavy objects or punish Ankh, all without meaning to.
* ''Series/KamenRiderWizard'':
** Something stops Haruto from eating a whole bag of donuts. Common causes range from someone snatching the bag from him to [[MonsterOfTheWeek Phantoms]] attacking.
** Nitoh interrupting someone by saying ''Stop! Don't say that!''
*** This was inverted once when Haruto used those words against him in the same fashion.
* ''Series/KamenRiderGhost'':
** Alain complaining about stuff humans usually don't give a second thought like hunger, muscle ache, hiccups etc.
** [[MadScientist Igor]] getting [[ArmorPiercingSlap slapped]], usually by [[BadassBookworm Akari]].
* ''Series/KamenRiderExAid'':
** Emu tripping over himself or nothing and falling on his face.
** Hiiro cutting food (usually cakes or cream puffs) with surgical precision while someone looks on in confusion.
** Taiga cleaning up his office and arguing with Nico over her littering in said office.
** Nico pushing people hard enough to knock them off their feet. Also, her hiding behind Taiga when someone (e.g. Kuroto Dan) scares her.
* ''Series/KamenRiderBuild'': The sudden sound of [=FullBottle=] Purifying Machine causing someone to yelp. 90% of time it's [[ScreamsLikeALittleGirl Ryuga]].
* ''Series/{{Leverage}}'':
** Eliot being able to identify something or somebody from a minor detail: "It's a very distinctive sound/bootprint/haircut/fighting style."
** Parker taking pride in not stabbing somebody.
** Someone telling the team "You can't just do that!" when, in fact, "It's what we do."
** Hardison being thrown from a high place by Parker.
* On ''Series/WouldILieToYou'', a panel shows where two teams of celebrities must figure out whether or not statements made by each panellist are true or false, it has become a running gag for regular team captain Lee Mack to be landed with claims that are totally absurd and obviously untrue (the panellists read the claim off a card they have never seen before, so they don't know the lies ahead of time). In later series this has developed into a specific subsection of ludicrous claims where he has to claim he can instantly perform some kind of talent (perhaps the most memorable of which was his claim that he was able to smell if there is a dead fly in the room).
* ''Series/TheGoodPlace'':
** Eleanor frequently proclaims in the first season that she deserves to be in a Medium Place, until she actually finds it.
** The clown door to Eleanor's bedroom playing cheery music at inappropriate times.
** Janet appearing in the opposite direction of whoever's summoning her, usually startling Eleanor.
** Jason telling stories about his dance crew in Florida, which somehow relate perfectly to the situation at hand.
** Janet helpfully pointing out that she isn't whatever she was just described as - e.g., she is not a "girl," a "woman" or even a "person," nor is she a "robot" or a "computer." Towards the end of Season 2, she even denies being a "Janet" anymore, saying she's not sure herself [[GrewBeyondTheirProgramming what it is that she's become.]]
** Whenever Chidi (who was a moral philosophy professor) spends too much time dithering over the ethics of a decision, someone else will groan and say "this is why everyone hates moral philosophy professors."
** [[RunningGag Every time]] Chidi reacts to [[spoiler:the realization that he might be in the Bad Place]] by blaming some incredibly minor "vice" like using almond milk even though he knows it's not the best alternative for the environment. [[spoiler:In truth, it's this exact obsession with minutiae, and the indecision arising from that, that led him to the Bad Place to begin with.]]
* In ''Series/ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents'', any word that the audience may not know (and some others) is explained by whoever said it, either with the obvious explanation or one which only applies in this specific situation as shown in this review: [[https://www.bustle.com/p/a-series-of-unfortunate-events-books-vs-tv-show-are-incredibly-similar-with-a-few-great-exceptions-30144 There are major spoilers, a word which here means click away if you don't dare to know what happens]], almost always followed by whoever it was said to following up with 'We Know what X means'

** The locker room jokes.[[note]]Similar to ''Series/HeeHaw'''s cornfield, or ''Series/LaughIn'''s joke wall.[[/note]]

** The locker room jokes.