In the 1960s, television had firmly taken hold across America, with around 86% of households owning a TV set. As the audience expanded, TV programming became more diverse to appeal to different viewers. Many of the popular shows from this era featured memorable quotes that resonated with Baby Boomers and continue to be repeated by them today.
To find the most memorable lines or quotes from television in the 1960s, 24/7 Tempo consulted various culture-themed sites such as ClickAmerica, the website Quotecatalog.com, and media sites such as Reader’s Digest, and Internet Movie Database (IMDb) to compile our list.
Two of the biggest influences on television programming in the 1960s were the Cold War and the Space Race. Science fiction and the mysteries of the human mind were fertile ground for television programmers. Space-travel series “Lost in Space” and “Star Trek” captivated viewers, the latter of which followed a mission “…to boldly go where no man has gone before.” Rod Serling’s often macabre “Twilight Zone” invited audiences to “unlock this door with the key of imagination.”
The 1960s also offered the silliness of spy spoof “Get Smart” and the campy adventures of the “Batman” TV series, whose narrator invited viewers to tune in at the “same Bat-time, same Bat-channel.”
Nightly news anchors like Walter Cronkite on CBS and Chet Huntley and David Brinkley on NBC were highly trusted by the public. Cronkite ended his broadcasts declaring “and that’s the way it is,” while Huntley and Brinkley signed off by bidding each other good night. (Also See The Best Spy Shows of All Time.)
Scroll below to see TV lines kids from the 60s still remember.
“Good night, and may God bless”
- Who said it: Red Skelton
- Show: The Red Skelton Show
- Time on air: 1951-1971
“Goodnight, Chet. Goodnight, David”
- Who said it: David Brinkley, Chet Huntley
- Show: The Huntley-Brinkley Report
- Time on air: 1956-1970
“There are 8 million stories in the naked city. This has been one of them.”
- Who said it: Narrator
- Show: The Naked City
- Time on air: 1958-1963
“Picture if you will”
- Who said it: Rod Serling
- Show: The Twilight Zone
- Time on air: 1959-1964
“Yabba Dabba Do”
- Who said it: Fred Flintstone
- Show: The Flintstones
- Time on air: 1960-1966
“The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.”
- Who said it: Jim McKay
- Show: ABC’s Wide World of Sports
- Time on air: 1961-
“I’m smarter than the average bear”
- Who said it: Yogi Bear
- Show: The Yogi Bear Show
- Time on air: 1961-1962
“Oh Rob!”
- Who said it: Laura Petrie
- Show: The Dick Van Dyke Show
- Time on air: 1961-1966
“Y’all come back now, ya hear?”
- Who said it: Jed Clampett
- Show: The Beverly Hillbillies
- Time on air: 1962-1971
“And that’s the way it is.”
N/A
- Who said it: Walter Cronkite
- Show: CBS Evening News With Walter Cronkite
- Time on air: 1962-1981
“Heeeere’s Johnny!”
- Who said it: Ed McMahon
- Show: The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson
- Time on air: 1962-1992
“There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission.”
- Who said it: Narrator
- Show: The Outer Limits
- Time on air: 1963-1965
“Hey, little buddy”
- Who said it: The Skipper
- Show: Gilligan’s Island
- Time on air: 1963-1968
“You rang?”
- Who said it: Lurch
- Show: The Addams Family
- Time on air: 1964-1966
“Surprise, surprise, surprise!”
- Who said it: Gomer Pyle
- Show: Gomer Pyle: USMC
- Time on air: 1964-1969
“Danger, Will Robinson!”
- Who said it: The Robot
- Show: Lost in Space
- Time on air: 1965-1968
“Would you believe⦔
- Who said it: Maxwell Smart
- Show: Get Smart
- Time on air: 1965-1970
“I see nothing; I know nothing.”
- Who said it: Sgt. Schultz
- Show: Hogan’s Heroes
- Time on air: 1965-1971
“Holy ….!”
- Who said it: Robin
- Show: Batman
- Time on air: 1966-1968
“Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel.”
- Who said it: Narrator
- Show: Batman
- Time on air: 1966-1968
“… to boldly go where no man has gone before.”
- Who said it: Captain James Kirk
- Show: Star Trek
- Time on air: 1966-1969
“Live long, and prosper.”
- Who said it: Mr. Spock
- Show: Star Trek
- Time on air: 1966-1969
“And away we go.”
- Who said it: Jackie Gleason
- Show: The Jackie Gleason Show
- Time on air: 1966-1970
“This tape will self-destruct in five seconds.”
- Who said it: Unidentified government voice
- Show: Mission: Impossible
- Time on air: 1966-1973
“Mom always liked you best”
N/A
- Who said it: Tommy Smothers
- Show: The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
- Time on air: 1967-1969
“Just the facts, ma’am”
- Who said it: Joe Friday
- Show: Dragnet 1967
- Time on air: 1967-1970
“‘Sock it to me!”
- Who said it: Judy Carne, cast members, guest stars
- Show: Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In
- Time on air: 1967-1973
“Book ’em, Danno!”
- Who said it: Steve McGarrett
- Show: Hawaii Five-0
- Time on air: 1968-1980