List of longest-running American television series
Last updated
Parts of this article (those related to article) need to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(September 2023)
Longest-running non-news television program, the longest-running variety show, the longest-running religious television program, and the longest-running entertainment program in American television history.
Anthology television series featuring wide variety of topics ranging from Disney animation to live-action and documentaries. Walt Disney was the original host from show's inception until his death in 1966. From 1991 to 1997 and since 2008, the series only airs sporadically as a special presentation a few times a year.
CBS originally broadcast NFL games from 1956 to its merger with the AFL in 1970. It continued to broadcast NFC regular and playoff games until 1994 when CBS lost the rights to broadcast these games to Fox. The network returned its football broadcasts by 1998 after CBS acquired the rights to broadcast AFC regular and playoff games from NBC. It also airs Super Bowl matches.
GrandStand was the original name of the program. NBC originally carried many NFL games including the Pro Bowl. It later carried AFL/AFC games until 1997 when NBC lost its AFC contract to CBS. NBC later resumed its NFL coverage with NBC Sunday Night Football. It currently airs a Sunday night game every week and the NFL's kick-off games, along with the Super Bowl.
This version of the program was replaced by CBS This Morning, and later by The Early Show. The program was on hiatus for two years, then retooled and reintroduced in 1982.
Longest-running dramatic series (soap opera) of any genre. Longest-running daytime drama. *While its television debut was on June 30, 1952, The Guiding Light's first incarnation was as a radio show, which premiered on January 25, 1937, giving the production a total runtime of 72 total years.
Longest continuous running Public Television show on PBS, having started on its predecessor NET and carrying over to PBS, along with Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Sesame Street, and others in 1970.
Longest-running children's show.[note 18] While Sesame Street remains on the PBS schedule, new episodes now premiere on HBO and become available to PBS nine months later. This also applied to HBO Max starting to Season 51 when the show moved to HBO Max.[23]
Since 2016 and 2018 respectively, ABC has simulcast ESPN's coverage of its NFL Wild Card playoff game and the Pro Bowl. In 2020, ABC simulcasted three select ESPN Monday Night Football games. Starting in 2021, ABC will get expanded broadcast rights, including exclusive games, Week 18 Saturday doubleheader simulcasts, and Super Bowl rights. Per NFL Policy, all games that are broadcast via cable or satellite television on a Pay TV Network must also be made available on over-the-airtelevision stations in each participating team's local market.
NBC has had an evening broadcast since 1948, starting with Camel News Caravan, lasting until 1956, when it was replaced by Nightly News' predecessor the Huntley-Brinkley Report.
Syndicated version normally runs in the evening. 2nd longest-running game show. Hosted by Pat Sajak.
16
NBC
January 6, 1975
June 30, 1989
Network version normally ran in the late morning. Originally hosted by Chuck Woolery (1975-1981), followed by Pat Sajak (1981-1989), Rolf Benirschke (1989), and Bob Goen (1989-1991).
ABC: 10,712 (television) TOLN: 43 (internet and television) Total: 10,755
While the show had ceased airing as a television series it was still in production for a brief time after. On April 29, 2013, the show had resumed airing now as a web series on the internet and could be seen through Hulu, iTunes and YouTube until September 2, 2013, before being confirmed as being discontinued again on November 11, 2013.
1040 episodes, including at least 5,000 total shorts being aired, although many were re-runs.
Longest-running cartoon program on broadcast television, the last non-Disney ABC Kids show, and the last non-Educational and Informational (E/I) Saturday morning cartoon on broadcast TV.
Longest-running professional wrestling program on national television (while WCW Saturday Night ran for longer overall, the first 5 years of the program were only locally broadcast; some locally televised promotions such as Portland and Houston ran as long as 40 years).
Fox currently holds rights to NFC matches, the NFC Playoffs as well as select Super Bowl matches since Super Bowl XXXI where it rotates with other broadcasters. It has also aired Thursday Night Football Matches from 2018 to 2022 where it shares the rights with some matches with Amazon Prime Video and the NFL Network.
Longest-running animated series on PBS, longest-running animated children's series on U.S. television, and third longest-running animated series on American television.
Longest-running Nickelodeon series from the 90s, longest-running Nickelodeon animated series, the first and (so far) only Nicktoon to go past ten seasons, the second longest-running animated children's show on U.S. television, and the fifth longest-running animated series on U.S. television.
Of the court shows with a continuous, single series run, longest-running reality court show that is currently still in production, hosted by Greg Mathis.
Original series ran from 1976 to 1985 (on ABC and in syndication); an earlier revival aired from 1988 to 1995 (on CBS from 1988 to 1993 and in syndication from 1988 to 1995).
Big Brother has multiple versions known around the world; the U.S. version is the second-longest-running. Episode count also includes one Celebrity Edition.
Third longest-running Nickelodeon series, the ninth longest-running animated U.S. series, and the longest-running Nick Jr. series. The program was on hiatus from 2014 to 2019.
↑ 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 1951–1962, Walter Cronkite with the News 1962–1963
↑ Only its time on television is counted here; it began on radio July 15, 1929.
↑ Originally Hallmark Playhouse radio series, was Hallmark Television Playhouse (1951–1954)
↑ ABC Evening News 1953–1965 and 1967–1978; Peter Jennings and the News 1965–1967; World News Tonight 1978–2006; World News with Charles Gibson 2006–2009; ABC World News with Diane Sawyer 2009–2014
↑ There have been six major hosts of the Tonight Show during seven tenure periods.
↑ There were various other hosts for some short periods during the pre-Carson years. Please see the hosting history for further details.
↑ This listing counts different incarnations of the Scooby-Doo franchise on television. However, no new "Scooby-Doo" episodes were produced for 22 years of its on-air run.
↑ Season 44 (2013–2014) was the first time episodes were numbered in a seasonal order rather than the numerical and chronological fashion used since the show premiered. For example, episode 4401 means "the first episode of the 44th season", not "the 4401st episode" (it is in fact the 4328th episode).
↑ This only applies to the time that a children's program has broadcast nationwide. Technically, a few other children's programs may have run longer in years/seasons than Sesame Street without being broadcast nationwide.
↑ Previously The Robert MacNeil Report (1975), The MacNeil/Lehrer Report (1975–1983), The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour 1975–1995, & The News Hour with Jim Lehrer 1995–2009.
↑ Weekly broadcasts ended January 1, 1997; irregular airings afterward; officially ended with the absorption of ABC Sports into ESPN
↑ Evolved from The Iran Crisis – America Held Hostage (1979–80).
↑ Weekend editions are simulcast on the BBC Parliament channel with the name America This Week
↑ Was available to stations in both franchised and syndicated versions as Romper Room from 1953 to 1981; was retitled Romper Room & Friends in 1981 and became a syndicated-only series as the local versions ended production
↑ Other names: Live with Regis and Kathie Lee (1988–2000), Live with Regis (2000–2001), Live with Regis and Kelly (2001–2011), Live with Kelly and Michael (2012–2016).
↑ Date of first episode distributed nationally; was aired by WABC locally at The Morning Show, 1983–1988
↑ Only its time as its own television show is counted here; it began on The Tracey Ullman Show as animated shorts. It is currently the 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.
↑ ESPN2 started broadcasting major league baseball games in 2002 in addition to those offered by ESPN
↑ Original series ran for 15 seasons, four seasons of the revival.
↑ Also known as Dateline (day of week it airs), Dateline With Stone Phillips
↑ Broadcast locally on WQXI in 1971 and moved to WTBS starting in 1972. Went national when WTBS launched their satellite feed in 1976. Began as Georgia Championship Wrestling in 1971. Became World Championship Wrestling in 1981 and WCW Saturday Night in 1992. Ended as WCW Saturday Morning in 2000.
↑ Renamed "The Hee Haw Show" for 1991–92 season, and Hee Haw Silver for 1992–1993 season ("greatest hits")
↑ Started in 2008, Mystery! was absorbed into Masterpiece (the former Masterpiece Theatre) and airs under the banner Masterpiece Mystery!
↑ In 2010, in between the Power Rangers RPM season and the Power Rangers Samurai season of the show, Disney chose to create and broadcast a "newly re-versioned" season of episodes instead of an actual new season. Since this season is not actual new episodes in of themselves, but rather old episodes with new special effects thrown in them, this season is not usually counted by fans or the current owner of the show (Hasbro) towards the total season count (making the current season count one less than expected despite being on for 30 years). However, it is mentioned here anyway because the current owner of the show, from a production standpoint, does consider its existence as an official season in addition to the other seasons despite not including it in the total season count.
↑ While the show takes place in the same fictional universe for its entire run, it is often renamed on a yearly basis as the central location, theme, and characters change almost completely on a season-by-season basis.
↑ First broadcast episodes on August 28, 1993. Premiered new episodes from August 28, 1993 till August 10, 2002. Last broadcast episodes on September 7, 2002. In select markets was aired on another station other than Fox; such as independent stations, UPN or The WB (see Fox Kids broadcasting ambiguities).
↑ Costumes and footage loosely adapted from Super Sentai.
↑ First broadcast episodes on March 3, 2002. Premiered new episodes from February 14, 2004 till July 10, 2005. Last broadcast episodes on August 31, 2006.
↑ First broadcast episodes on February 14, 2004. Premiered new episodes from July 16, 2005 till November 3, 2008. Last broadcast episodes on February 12, 2009.
↑ First broadcast episodes on September 14, 2002. Premiered new episodes from September 14, 2002 till November 15, 2003; then again from March 7, 2009 till December 26, 2009. Premiered broadcasts of old episodes "newly re-versioned" from January 2, 2010 till August 28, 2010. Last broadcast episodes on August 28, 2010.
↑ First broadcast episodes on August 25, 2012. Never premiered a new episode and never reran new episodes as encore airings shortly after they premiered. All airings were reruns from an older season. Last broadcast episodes on January 12, 2013.
↑ First broadcast episodes on February 7, 2011. Premiered new episodes from February 7, 2011 till April 17, 2021.
↑ First broadcast episodes on February 11, 2011. As of the present[clarification needed] has never premiered a new episode, but does rerun them as encore airings shortly after they premiere. Also airs reruns from previous seasons. Has yet to make its last broadcast.
↑ Presently, each episode first airs on ESPN2 on Fridays, then is repeated on ESPN two days later.
↑ Originally The Dodge Dancing Party; reruns have been airing since 1982 on various PBS stations, oftentimes recut and spliced with new footage from surviving cast members to give the illusion of new episodes.
↑ Title through 1986. Subsequent titles: Siskel & Ebert & the Movies (1986–1989), Siskel & Ebert (1989–1999), Roger Ebert & the Movies (1999–2000), Ebert & Roeper and the Movies (2000–2001), Ebert & Roeper (2001–2007), At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper (2007–2008), At the Movies (2009–2010), Ebert presents At the Movies (2011).
↑ Also known as Showtime in Harlem, Showtime, and Live in Hollywood
↑ Originally titled The O'Reilly Report (1996–98).
↑ Originally ABC Press Conference; succeeded in time slot by This Week
↑ Originally Opening Soon at a Theater Near You (1975–1977); Sneak Previes Goes Video 1989–1991
↑ It was at one time, prior to The Simpsons succeeding them, known as the 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.
↑ Other names: Evans, Novak, Hunt, and Shields (1998–2001), Novak, Hunt, and Shields (2001–2002)
↑ Name changed to Friday Night 1994–2000, Late Friday 2001–2002. In both cases, the name change accompanied a change in program format
↑ Reruns only (no first-run episodes) in 1994, 1996, and 2001
↑ Each calendar year is defined as a season, this count includes the pilot season, but not the special season. On some listings and streaming/video-on-demand services, the season count is 19 for the original series.
↑ First U.S. network series to film all its episodes in color
↑ Includes series of specials, Jan. 1987 to May 1988
↑ Show was kept in production for four episodes beyond what Fox had ordered for the final season. Several months after the last broadcast on Fox, these four leftover episodes premiered in syndication from May 3 through May 7, 2010.
↑ Originally aired locally in Los Angeles, 1947–1950
↑ Began on radio as Ed McConnell and the Buster Brown Gang, 1929–1950; became Andy's Gang in 1954 when Andy Devine became host after McConnell's death
Related Research Articles
A rerun or repeat is a rebroadcast of an episode of a radio or television program. The two types of reruns are those that occur during a hiatus and those that occur when a program is syndicated.
Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a compère or host. The variety format made its way from the Victorian era stage in Britain and America to radio and then television. Variety shows were a staple of English language television from the late 1940s into the 1980s.
Broadcast syndication is the practice of content owners leasing the right to broadcast television shows and radio programs to multiple television stations and radio stations, without going through a broadcast network. It is common in the United States where broadcast programming is scheduled by television networks with local independent affiliates. Syndication is less widespread in the rest of the world, as most countries have centralized networks or television stations without local affiliates. Shows can be syndicated internationally, although this is less common.
Family Matters is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC for eight seasons from September 22, 1989, to May 9, 1997, then moved to CBS for its ninth and final season from September 19, 1997, to July 17, 1998. A spin-off of Perfect Strangers, the series was created by William Bickley and Michael Warren, and revolves around the Winslow family, an African-American middle class family living in Chicago, Illinois. Midway through the first season, the show introduced the Winslows' nerdy neighbor Steve Urkel, who was originally scripted to appear as a one-time character. However, he quickly became the show's breakout character, joining the main cast.
Step by Step is an American television sitcom created by William Bickley and Michael Warren that ran on ABC as part of its TGIF Friday night lineup from September 20, 1991, to August 15, 1997, then moved to CBS, where it aired from September 19, 1997, to June 26, 1998, with a total of 160 half-hour episodes spanning seven seasons. The series follows Patrick Duffy and Suzanne Somers who star as single parents Frank and Carol, respectively, each with three children, who wed and form a blended family.
In the U.S. television industry, 100 episodes is the traditional threshold for a television series to enter syndicated reruns. One hundred episodes are advantageous for stripped syndication because it allows for 20 weeks of weekday reruns without repeating an episode, and such shows can be sold for higher per-episode pricing.
Truth or Consequences is an American game show originally hosted on NBC radio by Ralph Edwards (1940–57) and later on television by Edwards (1950–54), Jack Bailey (1954–56), Bob Barker (1956–75), Steve Dunne (1957–58), Bob Hilton (1977–78) and Larry Anderson (1987–88). The television show ran on CBS, NBC and also in syndication. The premise of the show was to mix the original quiz element of game shows with wacky stunts.
Nick at Nite is a nighttime programming block on the American basic cable channel Nickelodeon. The programming broadcasts from prime time to late night. The block initially consisted of syndicated sitcoms and films from the 1950s to the 1970s. Nick at Nite gradually shifted its programming to primarily airing sitcoms as recent as the mid-1990s to the 2010s.
Death Valley Days is an American Western anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program was broadcast on radio until 1945. From 1952 to 1970, it became a syndicated television series, with reruns continuing through August 1, 1975. The radio and television versions combined to make the show "one of the longest-running Western programs in broadcast history."
The Magilla Gorilla Show is an American animated television series starring Magilla Gorilla. The series was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions for Screen Gems, and was originally sponsored in syndication by Ideal Toys from 1964 through 1967. The show had other recurring characters, including Ricochet Rabbit & Droop-a-Long and Punkin' Puss & Mushmouse. In syndication, the main and supporting characters from the Peter Potamus show were also added. Prior to the show's launch, the show made an interview on their "upcoming" series in between the middle-and-late December 1963 on first-run syndication entitled Here Comes A Star. Like many of Hanna-Barbera's animal characters, Magilla Gorilla was dressed in human accessories, sporting a bow tie, shorts held up by suspenders, and an undersized derby hat. After a year on airing its original runs, repeats of all 31 episodes were aired between 1966 and 1967 during ABC-TV's Saturday morning schedule and on Sunday mornings the following season.
Daytime television is the general term for television programs produced for broadcast during the daytime hours on weekdays; programs broadcast in the daypart historically have been programmed to appeal to a female audience.
The CW Daytime was the unofficial branding for an afternoon programming block that was broadcast on The CW. It was originally branded as Daytime WB, which aired on one of its predecessors, The WB, from January 2, 2006 to September 15, 2006. The CW programmed the block from September 18, 2006 until September 3, 2021.
FXX is an American basic cable channel owned by the Disney Entertainment business segment and division of The Walt Disney Company through FX Networks, LLC. It is the partner channel of FX, with its programming focusing on original and acquired comedy series and feature films for a primary demographic of men ages 18–34.
↑ The total number of episodes hosted by Jay Leno combined is 4,610.
↑ 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
1 2 Land, Gary (2005). Historical Dictionary of the Seventh-Day Adventists (Historical Dictionaries of Religions, Philosophies, and Movements Series). Scarecrow Press. p.310. ISBN978-1442241879.
↑ Michael Gershman; David S. Neft & Bob Carroll (1997). Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League. Harper Resource. ISBN0-06-270174-6.
↑ Crump, William D. (2019). Happy Holidays—Animated! A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Cartoons on Television and Film. McFarland & Co. pp.343–344. ISBN9781476672939.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
