Some television programmes have what it takes to run longer than anyone could have ever imagined. While some people want to leave on top, like Seinfeld, others choose to continue well after their expiration date. When claiming something to be the “longest-running,” there are several factors to consider.
For instance, over 1300 episodes of WWE Monday Night Raw have been spent Sharpshooting, Stone Cold Stunnin’, Attitude Adjustin’, and Curb Stompin’, yet there is no offseason in the realm of wrestling entertainment. The same is true for Doctor Who, which has been exploring time and space since 1963, albeit with a few gaps of over ten years here and there. But how long have written prime-time TV series run continuously?
On January 17, 2022, Ben Hathaway updated: A beloved FXX series has acquired a noteworthy title as more time has passed. However, a number of television programmes have gone on to become even more well-known outside of Paddy’s Pub. Some shows have a cult following that can’t seem to get enough of them, and their status as the longest-running TV series has only enhanced. Additionally, a number of additional programmes have fulfilled (or surpassed) the standard necessary for proper regard.
Table Of Content
- 1 American Dad! (2005 – Present)
- 2 Bob’s Burgers (2011 – Present)
- 3 Cheers (1982 – 1993)
- 4 Criminal Minds (2005 – 2020)
- 5 C.S.I: Crime Scene Investigation (2000 – 2015)
- 6 E.R (1994 – 2009)
- 7 Family Guy (1999 – Present)
- 8 Frasier (1993 – 2004)
- 9 Greys Anatomy (2005 – Present)
- 10 Gunsmoke (1955 – 1975)
- 11 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia (2005 – Present)
- 12 Lassie (1954 – 1973)
- 13 Law & Order (1990 – 2010)
- 14 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999 – Present)
- 15 M*A*S*H (1972 – 1983)
- 16 NCIS (2003 – Present)
- 17 South Park (1997 – Present)
- 18 The Adventures Of Ozzie And Harriet (1952-1966)
- 19 The Jack Benny Program (1950 – 1965)
- 20 The Simpsons (1989 – Present)
American Dad! (2005 – Present)
It’s not often the case that a successful sitcom can spawn a successful spinoff series, but Seth MacFarlane did it with American Dad! It’s impressive that the sitcom, which debuted in 2005, has been renewed for seasons 20 and 2021 when you consider that MacFarlane’s other spinoff, The Cleveland Show, was cancelled after only 4 seasons.
Contrary to Family Guy’s circular firing squad-style of comedy, American Dad! is targeted at a particular audience, but that is sufficient to have sustained it this long. That’s a significant point in MacFarlane’s favour.
Bob’s Burgers (2011 – Present)
With its abundance of references and friendly, inviting tone, Bob’s Burgers is on course to become yet another extremely long-running animated sitcom. The Belcher family’s exploits consistently strike the proper level of irreverence, being more akin to The Simpsons than South Park.
But the planned big-screen adaptation of Bob’s Burgers is one way it resembles South Park. It seems sense that the movie won’t turn away any fans of the programme because the quality hasn’t changed over 12 seasons.
Cheers (1982 – 1993)
Cheers is currently among the first sitcoms that come to mind when someone is asked to identify one, despite the fact that it wasn’t initially a success.
Cheers always had a way of making viewers feel like they were cast members themselves, sitting at the bar where everyone knows their name. It had a sizable cast of up-and-coming actors, including Woody Harrelson, Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer, and Shelley Long.
Criminal Minds (2005 – 2020)
Criminal Minds, which is currently streaming on Hulu, features Morgan, Prentiss, Gideo, Garcia, Rossi, Reid, JJ, and Hotch in a promotional poster.
CBS’s Criminal Minds, which has aired for 15 seasons, is another popular crime thriller/drama series. There is a lot of programming to air in syndication because the series finale “And In The End” marked the final episode of the show.
Expect Criminal Minds to continue to rank among the most watched television shows, with tonnes of reruns to enjoy. In addition to a Korean version, the show has spawned other spin-offs, such as Suspect Behavior and Beyond Borders.
C.S.I: Crime Scene Investigation (2000 – 2015)
“So who are you? To whom? To whom?” When C.S.I made its premiere in 2000, The Who yelled that question at viewers. The show was a tremendous hit, bringing with it computer games and spin-offs thanks to its gritty secrets and charismatic leads.
Sadly, as Miami Vice and The Fonz from Happy Days have historically demonstrated, cool ages over time. The show’s one-liners and raised eyebrows nearly caused it to resemble itself before its run ended in 2015.
E.R (1994 – 2009)
This is the programme that launched George Clooney into stardom before Batman & Robin nearly quickly booted him out once more.
When E.R ran for another 10 years after the dashing doctor left in 1999, it showed that it was much more than the Dr. Doug Ross show. However, it serves as the model for the majority of hospital dramas.
Family Guy (1999 – Present)
Twenty years have passed since Peter Griffin and his family first appeared on television. Despite being twice cancelled, the show has managed to reappear on television because to its devoted fan base and DVD sales.
Family Guy’s plots were never really its strong suit; instead, it was always about the joke and parody rate, which is why it’s still around today despite having highly repetitive and uninteresting plot lines for quite some time.
Frasier (1993 – 2004)
The most popular spin-off of all time, Frasier is adored for both its running jokes and its snobby characters. The fact that a revival is anticipated on Paramount+ by the end of 2022 just serves to exacerbate this. But sadly, it won’t feature Martin Crane, who was portrayed by the late John Mahoney.
Frasier, which aired on NBC for 11 seasons and 264 episodes, came shockingly close to match ing the run of its inspiration, none other than Cheers.
Greys Anatomy (2005 – Present)
Grey’s Anatomy, which is currently in its 18th season, has received 38 Emmy nominations over the course of its long career. Shonda Rhimes, the show’s creator, stated in an interview with the New York Times that she wanted to create a programme that featured “brilliant women competing against each other.”
This concept clearly worked because Grey’s Anatomy is still the best-performing hospital drama in America today.
Gunsmoke (1955 – 1975)
The radio version of Gunsmoke, also referred to as “that old cowboy show that isn’t Bonanza,” premiered in 1952 before moving to television in 1955.
Originally known as “Gun Law,” the programme dealt with serious subjects including violence and drug abuse in its early episodes before shifting to a lighter vein as it progressed. Even yet, Gunsmoke had excellent episodes throughout each of its seasons, and the show maintained its popularity throughout its duration.
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia (2005 – Present)
Not every word from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia on FXX receives its due.
The R-rated Seinfeld mentality of the programme first appeared in 2005, making it the longest-running live-action sitcom of all time.
Over the years, the show has become deceptively in-depth, with insightful commentary on current social and cultural developments. It’s commonly known that in the second season, the gang enlarged by one outstanding member: Danny DeVito’s Frank Reynolds, who set the series on the path to long-term success.
Lassie (1954 – 1973)
In 1943, America welcomed Lassie into its hearts. Between 1953 and 1974, she continued her TV adventures, even pulling a Dorothy Gale and switching from black and white to colour.
Lassie is one of only three dogs to earn a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, along with Rin Tin Tin and Strongheart.
Law & Order (1990 – 2010)
The cop show genre was essentially pioneered by Law & Order, which grounded it in the realities of numerous departments as opposed to the one gun-ho hero that came before it (e.g. something along the lines of T.J Hooker).
There are more than a thousand hours of justice to be watched from one show alone, which has sprung off sister shows in other nations to create an extended world Stan Lee would be proud of.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999 – Present)
The Law & Order spin-off premiered nine years after the original and just surpassed it in terms of total episodes. The longest-running live-action TV drama of all time is currently SVU.
Given the success of its spin-off, Law & Order: Organized Crime, it might even be more popular than ever. The reappearance of Elliot Stabler was crucial to this triumph.
M*A*S*H (1972 – 1983)
The renowned series, which aired on CBS for 11 seasons, was a significantly more lucrative spinoff of Robert Altman’s timeless war comedy M*A*S*H.
M*A*S*H followed Hawkeye and the rest of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital as they attempted to survive the Korean War, much like the movie (but with less football). It’s interesting to note that the series lasted eight years longer than the actual war. Its finale, which continues to this day to be the most watched ending of any television series, was even more stunning (sitcom or otherwise).
NCIS (2003 – Present)
NCIS, a JAG spin-off, is one of many shows that outperforms its predecessor in terms of viewership and episode length.
The NCIS team is a unique team made up of a variety of intriguing personalities to combat maritime and naval crimes. Character-driven plots, ensemble acting, and humorous elements all contributed to the show’s success.
South Park (1997 – Present)
The ability to adapt and grow over time is the key to South Park’s success. Originally depicting the world from the perspective of children, episodes are now written, recorded, and animated just one week before they are scheduled to show.
This has contributed to the show being among the most current examples of political and pop-culture satire today. This entails continuously advancing with the times, an approach that has helped South Park rank among the longest-running TV programmes of all time.
The Adventures Of Ozzie And Harriet (1952-1966)
The Adventures Of Ozzie And Harriet was a television series that aired for 14 seasons, starting on CBS in 1952, and is likely little known to viewers. In a move that would be unthinkable by today’s standards, the show showed its creator Ozzie Nelson and his real family against the backdrop of their actual, real home in Los Angeles.
Nelson used many of the difficulties he faced while raising his real-life family as inspiration for his television series, which naturally expanded as his children grew older. The nuclear family values of the Nelson family were essentially put on hold when a significant cultural shift was introduced in the 1960s.
The Jack Benny Program (1950 – 1965)
At a period when TV hadn’t yet taken off, the original Jack Benny Program was a radio programme that became a huge hit with listeners. When other comedies were promoting racial stereotypes, Benny’s comedy stood out because it included real African American actors who were clever, classy, and smart.
The Jack Benny Program ran for 15 seasons before coming to an end in 1965 because fans were ready when Benny made the switch from radio to television. With an estimated 18 million viewers, it concluded on a positive note, but Benny was prepared to give up television permanently due to unpleasant encounters behind the scenes.
The Simpsons (1989 – Present)
What TV programme has had the longest runtime? Most people could reply to the query without having to look it up. It’s quite simple to criticise The Simpsons for getting worse with time, but the truth is that absurd cartoon from The Tracey Ullman Show has become a mainstay in America.
The Simpsons have been a part of generations’ upbringing, and 33 years later, iconic quotes are still making their way into slang and internet memes. Bart would be 40 right now if he were to age in step with the show.
Being a binge-watcher himself, finding Content to write about comes naturally to Divesh. From Anime to Trending Netflix Series and Celebrity News, he covers every detail and always find the right sources for his research.