List of longest-running American cable television series

Last updated

This is a list of the longest running United States cable television series, ordered by number of broadcast seasons.

Contents

To qualify for this list, the programming must originate in North America and shown nationally in the United States and be first-run (as opposed to a repackaging of previously aired material or material released in other media). For the purposes of this list, series that were available only on a local or regional basis will be excluded, along with hybrid broadcast/cable networks such as The WB 100+/The CW Plus. For series that originated on U.S. broadcast networks (or broadcast syndication) and then was picked up by a national cable network, only the amount aired nationally on cable as original programming is represented here. A season for the purpose of this article is defined as a given year, not a production cycle (as in America's Next Top Model ) which is defined as a season by the network or the program's distributor.

List

Series shaded in light blue are currently in production.

25 or more seasons

Number of
seasons		SeriesNetworkFirst broadcastLast broadcastNumber of
episodes
46 Inside the NFL HBO September 1977February 2008
Showtime September 2008February 2021
Paramount+ September 2021April 2023
The CW September 5, 2023present
43 SportsCenter ESPN September 7, 1979presentOver 60,000
43 Washington Journal [1] C-SPAN October 7, 1980present
42–43 NASCAR on ESPN ESPN/ESPN2 19812002
20072014
40–41 Gilad's Bodies in Motion ESPN19831994
Fox Sports 19941995
Discovery Health 19952004
FitTV 20042011
Discovery Fit & Health 2011present
35 Bobby Jones Gospel BET January 27, 1980July 31, 2016
33 The Real World [2] MTV May 1992January 2017614
39 The Challenge [3] MTVSeptember 28, 1997present545
38–39 National Geographic
Explorer [4] 		Nickelodeon 19851986233
WTBS/TBS 19861999
CNBC 19992001
MSNBC [5] 20012005
National Geographic 2005present
38 Grand Ole Opry Live [6] TNN April 20, 1985August 2001
CMT August 20012003
GAC [7] 20032011
38 Sunday NFL Countdown [8] ESPNSeptember 7, 1985present
36–37 College GameDay
(football series)		ESPNSeptember 1987present
36–37 NFL Primetime ESPN1987present
37 Biography [9] A&E April 6, 1987 [10] August 2006
Biography Channel August 2006present [11]
30 Moneyline [12] CNN June 1, 1980November 11, 2009
34 NBA on TNT TNTNovember 4, 1989present
28 The Sports Reporters ESPN [13] October 9, 1988May 7, 2017
26 ESPN SpeedWorld ESPNJanuary 14, 1979November 19, 2006
25 Power Rangers Fox Kids August 28, 1993August 10, 2002905
ABC Kids September 14, 2002November 15, 2003
Jetix (ABC Family)
Jetix (Toon Disney)		February 14, 2004July 10, 2005
February 5, 2005November 13, 2006
Jetix (Toon Disney)February 26, 2007November 3, 2008
ABC KidsMarch 7, 2009August 28, 2010
Nickelodeon/Nicktoons February 7, 2011December 18, 2021
Netflix June 15, 2021present
25 Larry King Live CNNJune 3, 1985December 18, 20106,120 [14]
25 South Park Comedy CentralAugust 13, 1997present 325

20–24 seasons

Number of
seasons		SeriesNetworkFirst broadcastLast broadcastNumber of
episodes
24 Baseball Tonight ESPNMarch 19, 1990present
24 ESPN Major League
Baseball [15] 		ESPN, ESPN2 [16] April 15, 1990present
24 Outside the Lines ESPN1990present
24 WWE Monday Night Raw USA January 11, 1993September 18, 2000 1,000+
TNN/Spike TV September 25, 2000September 26, 2005
USAOctober 3, 2005present
24 The Daily Show Comedy Central July 22, 1996present3,873
24 WCW Saturday Night [17] WTCG/WTBS/TBS December 17, 1976 [18] June 24, 2000
23 Crossfire CNN 1982June 3, 2005
22 E! News [19] E! September 1, 1991present
22 Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel HBO 1995present
22 Inside the Actors Studio Bravo August 14, 1994present276
21 Reliable Sources CNNMarch 7, 1992August 21, 2022
21 Nick News with
Linda Ellerbee 		Nickelodeon April 18, 1992December 15, 2015
21 Style with Elsa Klensch CNN June 1, 1980January 2001
20 NFL Matchup ESPN, ESPN2 [20] September 5, 1993present
20 Monday Night Countdown ESPNSeptember 6, 1993present
20 Evans and Novak [21] CNNSeptember 1982November 9, 2002
20 Total Request Live MTV September 14, 1998November 16, 20082,254
October 2, 20172019

15–19 seasons

Number of
seasons		SeriesNetworkFirst broadcastLast broadcastNumber of
episodes
19 Squawk Box CNBC 1995present
19 Modern Marvels History January 1, 1995April 11, 2015690
19 ESPN Sunday Night Football [22] ESPN November 8, 1987 [23] January 1, 2006
19 NASCAR on TBS TBS19822000
20 Keeping Up with the Kardashians E!October 14, 2007June 10, 2021280 + 6 specials
18 Golf Talk Golf Channel January 17, 1995present
18 Golf Central Golf ChannelJanuary 18, 1995present
18 Private Screenings TCM January 1, 1996present
18 Showbiz Today [24] CNN October 29, 19842002
17 E! True Hollywood Story E!1996present501
17 Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Food Network November 4, 2006present
17 Fox News Live Fox News Channel October 6, 1996present
17 WNBA on ESPN ESPN 1997present
17 Your World with Neil Cavuto Fox News ChannelOctober 6, 1996present
22 Real Time with Bill Maher HBO February 21, 2003present645 (as of December 15,2023)
17 The O'Reilly Factor [25] Fox News ChannelOctober 6, 1996April 19, 20175,321
17 USA Tuesday Night Fights USA March 30, 19821998
17 Capital Gang CNNSeptember 7, 19882005
16 The Ultimate Fighter Spike TV January 17, 2005Dec 3, 2011150+ (including 23 live Ultimate Finales)
(series has 29 production cycle defined 'seasons')
FX March 9, 2012April 9, 2013
Fox Sports 1 September 4, 2013present
16 NFL Films Game of the Week [26] ESPN1997present
NFL Network November 4, 2003present
16 Hardball with Chris Matthews [27] CNBC 19971999
MSNBC 19992020
16 Booknotes C-SPAN April 2, 1989December 5, 2004801
16 MTV Unplugged MTVNovember 26, 1989November 10, 2005 [28] 108
15 Monday Night Countdown ESPNSeptember 6, 1993present
15 Pawn Stars History July 19, 2009present522
15 Fox & Friends Fox News Channel February 1, 1998present
16 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia FX/ FXX August 4, 2005present170
15 Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu Cartoon Network/ YouTube January 14, 2011October 1, 2022192
15 MythBusters Discovery Channel September 23, 2003March 5, 2016282

12–14 seasons

Number of
seasons		SeriesNetworkFirst broadcastLast broadcastNumber of
episodes
14 SpongeBob SquarePants Nickelodeon May 1, 1999present 296+
14 The Real Housewives of Orange County Bravo March 21, 2006present308
16 Ghost Hunters Sci Fi / Syfy (2004-2016)
A&E Network (2019–present)		October 6, 2004present251 (+ 12 specials not included)
14 Forensic Files
(A.K.A. Medical Detectives)		 TLC then truTV
(formerly Court TV)		April 1996June 2011 [29] 410+
14 An Evening at the Improv A&E February 3, 1982January 1, 1996
14 SpeedWeek ESPN19831997
14 Video Soul BETJune 26, 19831997
14 Road Rules MTVJuly 19, 1995September 27, 2004 [30]
14 Good Eats Food Network July 7, 1999February 10, 2012244
14 X-Play G4 199820131,000
13 NASCAR on TNT TNT July 22, 2001July 13, 2014
13 Tim Russert CNBC 19942008
13 Hannity & Colmes [31] Fox News ChannelOctober 6, 1996January 9, 2009
13 Gardening by the Yard HGTV 19962009
12 The Real Housewives of Atlanta BravoOctober 6, 2008present320
12 Monday Night Baseball ESPN April 7, 2002present
12 30 Minute Meals USA November 17, 2001present445+
12 Deadliest Catch Discovery Channel April 12, 2005present 150 + 50 specials
12 BET's Top 25 BET September 22, 2001present
12 NASCAR on Speed Speed February 11, 2002August 16, 2013
12 American Sports Cavalcade TNN 19831995
12 Intimate Portrait Lifetime January 1995October 2005
12 Chopped Food Network January 13, 2009present698 + 39 specials
(series has 50 production cycle defined 'seasons')

10–11 seasons

Number of
seasons		SeriesNetworkFirst broadcastLast broadcastNumber of
episodes
11 Around the Horn ESPN November 4, 2002present2,310+
11 Barefoot Contessa Food Network November 30, 2002present111+
11 Closing Bell CNBC February 4, 2002present
11 Shameless Showtime January 9, 2011April 11, 2021122+
11 Shepard Smith Reporting Fox News Channel August 2002present
11 Gold Rush Discovery Channel December 3, 2010present 176+
11 Aqua Teen Hunger Force Adult Swim December 30, 2000August 30, 2015139 (1 unaired)
11 House of Style MTVJanuary 1, 19892000
11 Talk Soup E! December 26, 1991May 17, 2002
11 The Howard Stern Show E!June 18, 1994July 8, 20051,550+
11 All That Nickelodeon September 6, 1994 [32] October 22, 2005202
June 15, 2019December 17, 2020
11 Imus in the Morning [33] MSNBCSeptember 2, 1996April 11, 2007
11 The Crocodile Hunter Animal Planet October 25, 1996September 4, 200778
11 Paula's Home Cooking Food Network 20022013129+
11 When Calls The Heart Hallmark Channel October 19, 2013present115+
11 On the Record Fox News Channel February 2002September 6, 2016
10 NFL Total Access NFL Network 2003present
10 Impractical Jokers TruTV December 15, 2011present248 (+40 specials)
10 American Chopper Discovery Channel, TLC September 29, 2002December 17, 2012235
10 American Morning CNN September 12, 2001December 30, 20111,000+
10 Emeril Live Food Network 19972007
10 The Fairly OddParents Nickelodeon March 30, 2001July 26, 2017172
10 Nashville Now TNNMarch 1, 1983January 1, 1993
10 NASCAR on TNN TNN19912000
10 Mystery Science
Theater 3000 [34] 		Comedy CentralNovember 27, 1989May 18, 1996198
Sci Fi Channel February 1, 1997August 8, 1999 [35]
10 Stargate SG-1 [36] Showtime July 27, 1997May 17, 2002215 [37]
Sci Fi ChannelJune 7, 2002June 22, 2007 [38]
10 USA Up All Night USA NetworkJanuary 7, 1989March 7, 1998900+
10 Weather Center The Weather Channel March 10, 1998March 1, 2009
10 Adventure Time Cartoon Network April 5, 2010September 3, 2018283

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Weekend editions are simulcast on the BBC Parliament channel with the name America This Week
  2. ↑ Future seasons have aired on Facebook Watch and Paramount+
  3. ↑ Originally titled Road Rules: All Stars
  4. ↑ Host: Tom Chapin (1985–1988), Robert Urich (1988–1995), Bob Ballard (1988–1995), Boyd Matson (1995–2003), Michael Fay (2001), Lisa Ling (2003-)
  5. ↑ Show renamed National Geographic Ultimate Explorer 2003–2005
  6. ↑ Oldest continuously running radio program, airing on WSM radio, Nashville, Tennessee; has aired on the digital over-the-air network Circle since January 4, 2020.
  7. ↑ As Grand Ole Opry Live!
  8. ↑ (not counting current Sunday evening version airing on ESPN+
  9. ↑ Originated on CBS
  10. ↑ Reran CBS originals, 1984–1987
  11. ↑ Rebroadcast A&E originals, 1999–2006
  12. ↑ Became Lou Dobbs Moneyline in 2001, Lou Dobbs Tonight in 2003
  13. ↑ Program rebroadcast later the same day on ESPNEWS
  14. ↑ "Larry King ends his record-setting run on CNN". CNN. December 17, 2010.
  15. ↑ Includes Sunday Night Baseball, Wednesday Night Baseball, etc.
  16. ↑ ESPN2 started broadcasting major league baseball games in 2002 in addition to those offered by ESPN
  17. ↑ Previously Georgia Championship Wrestling (1972–1984), World Championship Wrestling (1984–1992)
  18. ↑ Date when WTCG was distributed nationally via cable (WTCG evolved into TBS). Broadcast on WTCG started January 1972.
  19. ↑ Previously E! News Daily and E! News Live
  20. ↑ Presently, each episode first airs on ESPN2 on Fridays, then is repeated on ESPN two days later
  21. ↑ Other names: Evans, Novak, Hunt, and Shields (1998–2001), Novak, Hunt, and Shields (2001–2002)
  22. ↑ Moved to NBC in 2006, at which time Monday Night Football moves from ABC to ESPN
  23. ↑ Sunday Night Football shared with TNT, with TNT getting the first half of the season, ESPN the second half, 1990–1997
  24. ↑ Also known as CNN Showbiz Today
  25. ↑ Originally The O'Reilly Report
  26. ↑ First-run syndication 1965–1997
  27. ↑ Originally Politics with Chris Matthews
  28. ↑ New episodes sporadic after 2001
  29. ↑ Show is on hiatus and may return on a different network under the original title of "Medical Detectives". Old episodes were airing on Lifetime as of August 2011.
  30. ↑ The start of Season 15 has been announced for January 2008
  31. ↑ Successor series Hannity debuted January 12, 2009.
  32. ↑ "Special preview" airing, April 16, 1994
  33. ↑ Simulcast of live program at WFAN New York
  34. ↑ Also known as MST3K; first aired locally on KTMA, 1988–1989
  35. ↑ official end of series, although one "unofficial" episode ( Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders ) was shown a month later
  36. ↑ Longest-running science fiction series in the United States.
  37. ↑ According to Sci Fi Wire Archived 2006-08-25 at the Wayback Machine
  38. ↑ Cancellation announced by Sci Fi Channel, August 21, 2006
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