From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of the longest running American television series, ordered by number of broadcast seasons.
[edit] 50 seasons or more
Number of
seasons |
Series |
Network |
First broadcast |
Last broadcast |
Number of
episodes |
60 |
Meet the Press [1] |
NBC |
November 6, 1947 |
present |
|
59 |
CBS Evening News [2] |
CBS |
August 15, 1948 |
present |
|
55 |
Today |
NBC |
January 14, 1952 |
present |
21,000+ |
55 |
Guiding Light [3] |
CBS |
June 30, 1952 |
present |
15,000+ |
54 |
World News Tonight [4] |
ABC |
September 1953 |
present |
|
53 |
The Tonight Show |
NBC |
September 27, 1954 |
present |
|
53 |
Face the Nation |
CBS |
November 7, 1954 |
present |
|
51 |
As the World Turns |
CBS |
April 2, 1956 |
present |
|
51 |
NBC Nightly News [5] |
NBC |
October 29, 1956 |
present |
|
50 |
Disney anthology
television series[6] |
ABC |
October 27, 1954 |
September 17, 1961 |
770+ |
NBC |
September 24, 1961 |
September 13, 1981 |
CBS |
September 26, 1981 |
September 24, 1983 |
ABC |
February 2, 1986 |
September 11, 1988 |
NBC |
October 9, 1988 |
September 9, 1990 |
Disney
Channel |
September 23, 1990 |
December 1, 1996 |
ABC |
September 28, 1997 |
present[7] |
[edit] 40-49 seasons
[edit] 30-39 seasons
Number of
seasons |
Series |
Network |
First broadcast |
Last broadcast |
Number of
episodes |
39 |
One Life to Live |
ABC |
July 15, 1968 |
present |
|
39 |
60 Minutes |
CBS |
September 24, 1968 |
present |
|
38 |
Sesame Street |
NET |
November 10, 1969 |
1970 |
4,134 |
PBS |
1970 |
present |
37 |
Monday Night Football |
ABC |
September 21, 1970 |
December 26, 2005 |
550+ |
ESPN |
August 14, 2006 |
present |
37 |
All My Children |
ABC |
January 5, 1970 |
present |
|
36 |
Masterpiece Theater |
PBS |
January 10, 1971 |
present |
|
36 |
Soul Train |
Syndication |
October 2, 1971 |
present |
|
35 |
Another World |
NBC |
May 4, 1964 |
June 25, 1999 |
8,891 |
35 |
Search For Tomorrow |
CBS |
September 3, 1951 |
March 29, 1982 |
|
NBC |
March 26, 1982 |
December 26, 1986 |
35 |
Wall $treet Week with Louis Rukeyser [9] |
PBS |
November 20, 1970 |
June 24, 2005 |
|
35 |
The Price Is Right [10] |
CBS |
September 4, 1972 |
present |
|
33 |
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood |
NET |
February 19, 1968 |
October 1970 |
|
PBS |
October 1970 |
August 2001 |
34 |
The Young and the Restless |
CBS |
March 26, 1973 |
present |
|
33 |
NOVA |
PBS |
March 3, 1974 |
present |
616 |
32 |
American Bandstand[11] |
ABC, Syndication, USA |
August 5, 1957 |
October 7, 1989 |
|
32 |
Saturday Night Live [12] |
NBC |
October 11, 1975 |
present |
604 |
32 |
The Victory Garden |
PBS |
April 16, 1975 |
present |
|
32 |
Good Morning America |
ABC |
September 1, 1975 |
present |
|
32 |
The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer [13] |
PBS |
October 20, 1975 |
present |
|
30 |
Inside the NFL |
HBO |
1977 |
present |
|
30 |
Austin City Limits |
PBS |
1976 |
present |
|
30 |
Live from Lincoln Center |
PBS |
1976 |
present [14] |
|
[edit] 25-29 seasons
Number of
seasons |
Series |
Network |
First broadcast |
Last broadcast |
Number of
episodes |
29 |
Love of Life |
CBS |
September 24, 1951 |
February 1, 1980 |
|
29 |
Captain Kangaroo [15] |
CBS |
1955 |
1984 |
|
29 |
Live from the Met [16] |
PBS |
1977 |
present [17] |
|
29 |
Wild Kingdom [18] |
NBC |
January 6, 1963 |
April 11, 1971 |
|
Syndicated |
1971 |
1988 |
Animal
Planet |
2002 |
present |
29 |
20/20 |
ABC |
June 6, 1978 |
present |
|
28 |
The Edge of Night |
CBS |
April 2, 1956 |
November 28, 1975 |
7,420 |
ABC |
December 1, 1975 |
December 28, 1984 |
28 |
SportsCenter |
ESPN |
September 7, 1979 |
present |
~30,000 |
28 |
CBS News Sunday Morning |
CBS |
1979 |
present |
|
28 |
This Old House |
PBS |
1979 |
present |
690+ |
28 |
Nightly Business Report |
PBS |
January 22, 1979 |
present |
|
27 |
Washington Journal [19] |
C-SPAN |
1980 |
present |
|
27 |
Nightline [20] |
ABC |
March 24, 1980 |
present |
|
27 |
Mystery! |
PBS |
1980 |
present |
|
27 |
The Lawrence Welk Show [21] |
ABC |
July 2, 1955 |
September 4, 1971 |
|
Syndicated |
1971 |
February 1982 |
27 |
Donahue [22] |
Syndicated |
1969 |
1996 |
|
26 |
The David Susskind Show [23] |
Syndicated |
1961 |
1987 |
|
25 |
What's My Line? [24] |
CBS |
February 16, 1950 |
September 3, 1967 |
2,191 |
Syndicated |
1968 |
1975 |
25 |
This Week [25] |
ABC |
1981 |
present |
|
25 |
The McLaughlin Group |
Syndicated |
1982 |
present |
|
25 |
Siskel & Ebert and the Movies [26] |
Syndicated |
1982 |
present |
|
25 |
Nature |
PBS |
October 10, 1982 |
present |
|
[edit] 20-24 seasons
Number of
seasons |
Series |
Network |
First broadcast |
Last broadcast |
Number of
episodes |
24 |
Frontline |
PBS |
January 17, 1983 |
present |
490+ |
24 |
Wheel of Fortune |
Syndicated |
September 19, 1983 |
present |
|
24 |
WCW Saturday Night[27] |
WTCG/WTBS/TBS |
December 17, 1976[28] |
June 24, 2000 |
|
24 |
Hee Haw[29] |
CBS |
June 15, 1969 |
July 17, 1971 |
|
Syndicated |
1971 |
1992 |
23 |
Death Valley Days |
Syndicated |
March 1, 1952 |
August 1, 1975 |
558 |
23 |
The Ed Sullivan Show [30] |
CBS |
June 20, 1948 |
June 6, 1971 |
|
23 |
Jeopardy! (revival) [31] |
Syndicated |
September 10, 1984 |
present |
5000+ |
22 |
Ted Mack and the Original Amateur Hour |
DuMont |
January 18, 1948 |
October 1949 |
|
NBC |
October 1949 |
September 1954 |
ABC |
October 1955 |
June 1957 |
NBC |
July 1957 |
October 1958 |
CBS |
May 1959 |
October 1959 |
ABC |
March 1960 |
September 26, 1960 |
CBS |
October 2, 1960 |
September 27, 1970 |
22 |
The Merv Griffin Show |
NBC |
October 1962 |
March 1963 |
|
Syndicated |
1965 |
1969 |
CBS |
August 18, 1969 |
February 11, 1972 |
Syndicated |
1972 |
September 1986 |
|
21 |
Issues and Answers [32] |
ABC |
1960 |
1981 |
|
21 |
The Mike Douglas Show |
Syndicated |
1961 |
1982 |
6,000+ |
21 |
Sneak Previews [33] |
PBS |
1975 |
1996 |
|
21 |
Sábado Gigante [34] |
Univisión |
May 20, 1986 |
present |
21 |
The Oprah Winfrey Show |
Syndicated |
September 8, 1986 |
present |
|
20 |
The Red Skelton Show |
NBC |
September 30, 1951 |
June 1953 |
|
CBS |
September 1953 |
June 1970 |
NBC |
September 1970 |
August 29, 1971 |
20 |
Gunsmoke [35] |
CBS |
September 10, 1955 |
September 1, 1975 |
635 |
20 |
The Secret Storm |
CBS |
February 1, 1954 |
February 8, 1974 |
5,195 |
20 |
Lassie |
CBS |
September 12, 1954 |
September 12, 1971 |
391 |
Syndicated [36] |
September 1971 |
1974 |
[edit] 15-19 seasons
Number of
seasons |
Series |
Network |
First broadcast |
Last broadcast |
Number of
episodes |
19 |
Friday Night Videos [37] |
NBC |
July 29, 1983 |
May 24, 2002 |
|
19 |
America's Most Wanted |
Fox |
February 1, 1988 |
present |
|
19 |
Live With Regis and Kelly [38] |
Syndicated |
September 5, 1988 [39] |
present |
|
19 |
Truth or Consequences |
NBC |
1956 |
1975 |
|
19 |
The Bold and the Beautiful |
CBS |
March 23, 1987 |
present |
|
18 |
The Doctors |
NBC |
April 1, 1963 |
December 31, 1982 |
5,280 |
18 |
COPS |
Fox |
March 11, 1989 |
present |
650+ |
18 |
The Simpsons [40] |
Fox |
December 17, 1989 |
present |
383+ |
18 |
America's Funniest Home Videos |
ABC |
November 26, 1989 |
present |
345+ |
17 |
Law & Order |
NBC |
September 13, 1990 |
present |
350+ |
16 |
The Jerry Springer Show |
Syndicated |
September 20, 1991 |
present |
3000+ |
16 |
The Montel Williams Show |
Syndicated |
1991 |
present |
3000+ |
16 |
Charlie Rose |
PBS |
September 30, 1991 |
present |
|
16 |
Wheel of Fortune (daytime) |
NBC |
January 6, 1975 |
June 30, 1989 |
|
CBS |
July 17, 1989 |
January 11, 1991 |
NBC |
January 14, 1991 |
September 20, 1991 |
15 |
I've Got a Secret |
CBS |
June 19, 1952 |
April 3, 1967 |
350+ |
15 |
Concentration |
NBC |
August 25, 1958 |
March 23, 1973 |
3,796 |
15 |
The Jack Benny Program |
CBS |
October 29, 1950 |
September 15, 1964 |
343 |
NBC |
September 25, 1964 |
September 10, 1965 |
15 |
Newton's Apple |
PBS |
1983 |
1998 |
|
15 |
Dateline NBC [41] |
NBC |
March 31, 1992 |
present |
|
[edit] 10-14 seasons
Number of
seasons |
Series |
Network |
First broadcast |
Last broadcast |
Number of
episodes |
14 |
The Adventures of
Ozzie and Harriet [42] |
ABC |
October 10, 1952 |
September 3, 1966 |
435 |
14 |
Bonanza [43] |
NBC |
September 12, 1959 |
January 16, 1973 |
430 |
14 |
Hollywood Squares |
NBC |
October 17, 1966 |
June 20, 1980 |
3,536 |
14 |
Knots Landing |
CBS |
December 27, 1979 |
May 13, 1993 |
344 |
14 |
Ryan's Hope |
ABC |
July 7, 1975 |
January 13, 1989 |
3,515 |
14 |
WWE Monday Night Raw |
USA |
January 11, 1993 |
September 18, 2000 |
700+ |
TNN/Spike TV |
September 25, 2000 |
July 30, 2005 |
USA |
August 6, 2005 |
present |
14 |
Late Show With David Letterman |
CBS |
August 30, 1993 |
present |
2,600+ |
14 |
Late Night With Conan O'Brien [44] |
NBC |
October 17, 1993 |
present |
2,300+ |
13 |
Survivor [45] |
CBS |
May 31, 2000 |
present |
192 |
13 |
Let's Make a Deal [46] |
NBC |
December 30, 1963 |
December 27, 1968 |
|
ABC |
December 30, 1968 |
July 9, 1976 |
13 |
Howdy Doody |
NBC |
1947 |
September 24, 1960 |
|
13 |
Armstrong Circle Theatre |
NBC |
June 6, 1950 |
June 1957 |
|
CBS |
October 1957 |
August 28, 1963 |
13 |
Dallas |
CBS |
April 2, 1978 |
May 3, 1991 |
357 |
13 |
ER |
NBC |
September 19, 1994 |
present |
268 |
12 |
To Tell the Truth |
CBS |
December 18, 1956 |
September 6, 1968 |
|
12 |
Divorce Court (original series) [47] |
Syndicated |
1957 |
1969 |
|
12 |
The People's Court (original series) [48] |
Syndicated |
September 1981 |
1993 |
2,484 |
12 |
My Three Sons |
ABC |
September 29, 1960 |
1965 |
|
CBS |
September 16, 1965 |
August 24, 1972 |
12 |
N.Y.P.D. Blue |
ABC |
September 21, 1993 |
March 1, 2005 |
261 |
12 |
Murder, She Wrote |
CBS |
September 1, 1984 |
May 19, 1996 |
264 |
12 |
Hawaii Five-O |
CBS |
September 26, 1968 |
April 26, 1980 |
284 |
12 |
Loving |
ABC |
June 27, 1983 |
November 10, 1995 |
3,169 |
12 |
Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous |
Syndicated |
January 1984 |
September 1996 |
|
12 |
MADtv |
FOX |
October 14, 1995 |
present |
264 |
12 |
The Danny Thomas Show |
ABC |
September 29, 1953 [49] |
July 1957 |
|
CBS [50] |
September 1957 |
September 2, 1971 |
11 |
Kraft Television Theatre [51] |
NBC |
May 7, 1947 |
October 1, 1958 |
|
11 |
You Bet Your Life |
NBC |
October 5, 1950 |
June 29, 1961 |
259 |
11 |
The Andy Williams Show |
CBS |
1957 |
1959 |
|
NBC |
1962 |
1971 |
11 |
Jeopardy! (original NBC series) [52] |
NBC |
March 30, 1964 |
January 3, 1975 |
2,753 |
11 |
The General Electric College Bowl [53] |
CBS |
1959 |
1962 |
|
NBC |
1962 |
1970 |
11 |
The Carol Burnett Show |
CBS |
September 11, 1967 |
March 29, 1978 |
278 |
11 |
M*A*S*H |
CBS |
September 17, 1972 |
February 28, 1983 |
251 |
11 |
Cheers |
NBC |
September 30, 1982 |
May 20, 1993 |
273 |
11 |
Late Night With David Letterman |
NBC |
February 1, 1982 |
June 25, 1993 |
1,810 |
11 |
Frasier |
NBC |
September 16, 1994 |
May 13, 2005 |
265 |
11 |
Married... with Children |
Fox |
April 5, 1987 |
June 9, 1997 |
259 |
11 |
Love Connection |
Syndicated |
September 12, 1983 |
July 1, 1994 |
|
11 |
The Jeffersons |
CBS |
January 18, 1975 |
July 23, 1985 |
255 |
11 |
7th Heaven |
WB |
August 26, 1996 |
September 18, 2006 |
221 |
CW |
September 25, 2006 |
present |
11 |
Access Hollywood |
Syndicated |
September 9, 1996 |
present |
|
11 |
Baywatch |
NBC |
September 22, 1989 |
August 28, 1990 |
243 |
Syndicated |
September 1991 |
May 24, 2001 |
11 |
Arthur |
PBS |
September 2, 1996 |
present |
135 |
11 |
Judge Judy |
Syndicated |
September 16, 1996 |
present |
|
11 |
Fox News Sunday |
Fox [54] |
1996 |
present |
|
11 |
King of the Hill |
Fox |
January 12, 1997 |
present |
200+ |
10 |
The Pink Panther Show [55] |
NBC |
September 13, 1969 |
September 2, 1978 |
|
ABC |
September 9, 1978 [56] |
September 1, 1979 |
10 |
The Arthur Murray Party[57] |
ABC |
July 20, 1950 |
September 1950 |
|
DuMont |
October 1950 |
March 1951 |
ABC |
April 1951 |
May 1952 |
CBS |
July 1952 |
August 1952 |
DuMont |
October 1952 |
April 1953 |
CBS |
June 1953 |
October 1953 |
NBC |
October 1953 |
September 1955 |
CBS |
April 1956 |
September 1956 |
NBC |
July 1957 |
September 6, 1960 |
10 |
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (original series) |
Syndicated / CBS |
December 10, 1987 |
November 2, 1996 |
193 |
10 |
Stargate SG-1 [58] |
Showtime |
July 27, 1997 |
May 17, 2002 |
215 [59] |
Sci Fi |
June 7, 2002 |
2007 [60] |
10 |
Alfred Hitchcock Presents [61] |
NBC |
October 2, 1955 |
June 26, 1960 |
366 |
CBS |
September 25, 1960 |
June 26, 1962 [62] |
NBC |
September 20, 1962 |
July 3, 1964 |
|
CBS |
October 5, 1964 |
May 10, 1965 |
10 |
Murphy Brown |
CBS |
November 14, 1988 |
May 18, 1998 |
247 |
10 |
The Amazing Race [63] |
CBS |
September 5, 2001 |
present |
122 |
10 |
Friends |
NBC |
September 22, 1994 |
May 6, 2004 |
236 |
10 |
JAG |
NBC |
September 1, 1995 |
May 22, 1996[64] |
227 |
CBS |
January 3, 1997 |
April 29, 2005 |
10 |
Beverly Hills 90210 |
Fox |
October 4, 1990 |
May 17, 2000 |
|
10 |
The People's Court (revival) [65] |
Syndicated |
September 1997 |
present |
1500+ |
10 |
South Park |
Comedy Central |
August 13, 1997 |
present |
152 |
[edit] See also
- ^ Only its time on television is counted here; it began on radio (as American Mercury Presents: Meet the Press) in 1945.
- ^ CBS Television News 1948-1951, Douglas Edwards with the News 1951-1963
- ^ Originally The Guiding Light. Only its time on television is counted here; it began on radio January 25, 1937.
- ^ ABC Evening News 1953-1965 and 1967-1978; Peter Jennings and the News 1965-1967; World News with Charles Gibson 2006-present
- ^ Originally Huntley-Brinkley Report, 1956-1970
- ^ Disney anthology television series aired under a variety of titles, including Disneyland, Disney's Wonderful World of Color and The Magical World of Disney. The current title is The Wonderful World of Disney. See the main article for a complete broadcast history
- ^ Regularly scheduled broadcasts ended September 2005; currently airs periodically
- ^ Originally Washington Week in Review
- ^ Became Wall $treet Week with Fortune after original host was fired in 2002
- ^ Originally The New Price Is Right; longest running game show in American television history.
- ^ Continuation of Bandstand, which aired on WFIL 1952–1957
- ^ Originally NBC Saturday Night
- ^ Previously The Robert MacNeil Report (1975), The MacNeil/Lehrer Report (1975-1983), The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour 1975-1995
- ^ Not currently on a regular schedule
- ^ Reruns aired in syndication, 1984-1992
- ^ Also known as The Metropolitain Opera Presents
- ^ Not currently on a regular schedule
- ^ Originally Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom
- ^ Weekend editions are simulcast on the BBC Parliament channel with the name America This Week
- ^ Evolved from The Iran Crisis - America Held Hostage (1979-80)
- ^ Originally The Dodge Dancing Party; reruns have been airing since 1982 on various PBS stations
- ^ Originally The Phil Donahue Show
- ^ Originally Open End; prior to syndication, aired on WNTA-TV 1958-1961
- ^ Longest-running game show in prime time network television
- ^ Succeeded Issues and Answers; full title throughout its run is This Week With (host's name), beginning with David Brinkley, 1981-1996
- ^ Also informally known as Siskel & Ebert; other names for the series: At the Movies (1982-1986), Roger Ebert & The Movies (1999-2000), Ebert & Roeper at the Movies (2000-2001), Ebert & Roeper (since 2001)
- ^ Previously Georgia Championship Wrestling (1972-1984), World Championship Wrestling (1984-1992)
- ^ Date when WTCG was distributed nationally via cable (WTCG evolved into TBS). Broadcast on WTCG started January 1972.
- ^ Renamed Hee Haw Silver for 1992-1993 season ("greatest hits"); reruns aired on The Nashville Network 1992-1997
- ^ Aired as Toast of the Town until 1955
- ^ Hosted by Alex Trebek
- ^ Succeeded in time slot by This Week
- ^ Originally Opening Soon at a Theater Near You (1975-1977)
- ^ Continuation of series that aired 1962-1985 on Chile's Canal 13
- ^ Longest-running prime time entertainment program with a consistent setting and recurring characters. While other prime-time shows have run longer, they are all news, sports, anthology or variety programs.
- ^ Syndicated title: Lassie and Timmy
- ^ Name changed to Friday Night 1994-2000, Late Friday 2001-2002. In both cases, the name change accompanied a change in program format
- ^ Other names: Live With Regis and Kathie Lee (1988-2000), Live With Regis (2000-2001)
- ^ Date of first episode distributed nationally; was aired by WABC locally at The Morning Show, 1983-1988
- ^ Longest running prime time animated program in the United States.
- ^ Also known as Dateline (day of week it airs), Dateline With Stone Phillips
- ^ Longest running live-action sitcom.
- ^ First US network series to film all its episodes in color
- ^ To end in 2009 as O'Brien succeeds Jay Leno as host of The Tonight Show
- ^ According to CBS.com, has two 14-week seasons per year, similar to The Amazing Race
- ^ original network series - syndicated version ran 1971-1977;short-lived "revivals" followed
- ^ With Judge Voltaire Perkins
- ^ With Judge Joseph Wapner
- ^ As Make Room for Daddy; NBC used the same name when airing reruns of this series, 1960-1965
- ^ As The Danny Thomas Show
- ^ Also known as Kraft Mystery Theatre (1958); another series of the same name ran concurrently on ABC, 1953-1955
- ^ Hosted by Art Fleming
- ^ Also known as G.E. College Bowl; on NBC radio, 1953-1955; pilot shot 1955
- ^ First-run broadcast on Fox; repeated in the afternoon of the same day on Fox News Channel
- ^ The Pink Panther Meets the Ant and the Aardvark 1970-1971; The New Pink Panther Show 1971-1974; The Pink Panther Laugh and a Half Hour and a Half Show 1976-1977; Think Pink Panther 1977-1978
- ^ As The All New Pink Panther Show
- ^ The first series to be shown on four US broadcasting networks
- ^ Longest-running science fiction series in the United States.
- ^ According to Sci Fi Wire
- ^ Cancellation announced by Sci Fi Channel, August 21, 2006
- ^ The Alfred Hitchcock Hour 1962-1965
- ^ One episode wasn't aired on network TV, but was included in later syndication packages
- ^ According to CBS.com, has two 13-week seasons per year, similar to Survivor
- ^ One episode made its premiere on USA network as part of a JAG rerun package. The episode, planned to be the first of a two-part story, never aired on NBC before cancellation.
- ^ Judges: Ed Koch (1997-1999), Jerry Sheindlin (1999-2001), Marilyn Milian (2001-present)