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74. Music & the Spoken Word [note 3] Syndicated. October 1949. Present. 4,925 (as of February 3, 2024) [2] 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. 72 years.
- 24 Captain Kangaroo - 29 Years
- 23 The Simpsons - 34 Years
- 22 Columbo - 35 Years
- 21 Search For Tomorrow - 35 Years
- 20 Another World - 35 Years
- 19 The Bold and The Beautiful - 36 Years
- 18 Casualty - 37 Years
- 17 EastEnders - 38 Years
- 16 Late Night - 41 Years
- 15 All My Children - 43 Years
1955 - 1984
Captain Kangaroo is a children's television program that began airing in 1955. The series was conceived as an educational and entertaining variety show starring its creator, Bob Keeshan, who played the eponymous character of Captain Kangaroo, as well as several other characters in the show. Keeshan believed that the show's longevity was due to its respect for its young audience (via Click Americana): Captain Kangaroo aired for nearly thirty years, coming to an end in 1984 after over 6,000 epi...
1989 - Present
It's no surprise The Simpsons is one of the longest-running shows on air. This animated family has marched through the decades unabated and gave multiple generations a reason to laugh. The Simpsons began on The Tracey Ullman Show as a series of short sketches in 1987, before entering syndication as a full-fledged series in '89 and becoming one of the longest-running TV shows in the world for the realm of animation. Over the nearly three and a half decades the series has run for, there have be...
1968 - 2003
Columbois an American detective drama starring Peter Falk as the titular crime-solver. The series first aired a pair of pilot episodes in 1968 and 1971, respectively, before finally receiving a full-series order. The show was hailed as a first of its kind for ditching the mystery portion of similar shows, showing the audience each killer at the beginning of the episode and instead focusing on how the perpetrator is then caught. The series aired in a 90-minute time slot monthly as part of the...
1951 - 1986
Search for Tomorrow is an American soap opera that began its run in 1951. The series followed the life of Joanne Gardner, who was portrayed by Mary Stuart throughout all thirty-five seasons of the long-running drama. The series was the longest-running TV show at the time of its cancelation, although it has since been surpassed. Search For Tomorrowcame to an end in 1986 after over 9,000 episodesand five Daytime Emmy wins. In the early 80s, it became the last soap opera to broadcast an episode...
1964 - 1999
Another World was one of the early casualties of the downfall of daytime soap operas in the United States. The soap aired on NBC starting in 1964 and remained on the air for 8,891 episodes before it ended in 1999. What made this soap different was that it didn't focus on domestic life but on differences between families in different social classes. The series was NBC's highest-rated soap opera for 15 years and was the first soap to expand past 30 minutes and even launch its own spinoffs, beco...
1987 - Present
Beginning its long television tenure in 1987, The Bold and the Beautiful is a series set in the same world as another of the longest-running TV shows, The Young and the Restless. This companion series follows the Forrester family and their many dramatic endeavors over the course of several decades. The series is, by some measurements, the most-watched soap in the world and one of the few that is still broadcast via network television. Like its sister series, The Bold and the Beautiful continu...
1986 - Present
Medical drama Grey's Anatomy, it is often hard to believe it has been on the air since 2005, and could soon find itself among the longest running TV shows if it's continues much further beyond the upcoming season 20. However, while that is record-breaking for medical dramas in the U.S., it is nothing compared to the U.K. When it comes to primetime medical dramas, the longest-running TV show in the world is Casualty, with over 1200 weekly episodes. Starting this run in 1986, Casualtytakes plac...
1985 - Present
EastEndersis a British soap opera that has aired in the U.K. since 1985. Airing on BBC One, the show is set in a fictional borough in the East End of London and follows the local residents and their families. It aired two 30-minute episodes each week, which was moved to three, and then hit five days a week starting in 2001. The show was an immediate hit, with over 30 million watching the 1986 Christmas Day episode, and was even responsible for electricity spikes when millions of people went t...
1982 - Present
Late Night is a talk show that began airing episodes in 1982 with David Letterman as its host. The show offers comedic takes on major news stories, interviews with celebrities, as well as occasional sketches and other creative segments. In its over forty-year history, Late Night has been hosted by David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, and Seth Meyers, with each host's tenure often being thought of as a distinct series altogether. Letterman's tenure on the show was particularly famous...
1970 - 2013
This popular soap opera debuted in 1970 and ended in 2013 after finding a temporary new home on The Online Network. The show focused on characters living in a fictional Philadelphia suburb and was one of the first daytime soaps to attract a rather large percentage of male viewers, at 30%. Susan Lucci became one of the most popular actresses on daytime TV for her starring role of Erica Kane, a role she played for 41 years. After being canceled by ABC in 2011, the show was picked back up for a...
- Michele Debczak
- The Tonight Show (1954-present) // 69 years.
- Coronation Street (1960–present) // 63 years.
- General Hospital (1963-present) // 60 years.
- Days of Our Lives (1965-2022; 2022-present) // 58 years.
This is a list of the longest-running scripted prime time television series in the United States, as measured by number of seasons. Only shows that have aired on a major broadcast network for seven or more seasons and at least 100 episodes are included. Those that moved to syndication, a cable network, or a streaming service are noted below.
Number Of SeasonsSeriesNetworkFirst Air Date35December 17, 198925September 20, 199923NBCSeptember 13, 199022FoxJanuary 31, 1999People also ask
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- Sophia Scorziello
- General Hospital (60 Seasons) “GH” is the longest-running televised soap opera in American television, celebrating its 60-year anniversary this year. Set in the fictional Port Charles, N.Y., the serial has circulated through numerous characters and plot lines since premiering on April 1, 1963.
- Guiding Light (57 Seasons) Originally airing in 1937 as an American radio show, “Guiding Light” made the move to the screen in 1952 where it ran on CBS as a soap opera for 57 annual seasons.
- Days of Our Lives (57 Seasons) Like sands through the hourglass, so are the 57 seasons of this beloved soap. Created by Ted and Betty Corday, “Days” is set in the ficitonal Salem, Ill.
- As the World Turns (54 Seasons) This daytime serial ran for 54 seasons from 1956 to 2010. The CBS soap was known for starring Kathryn Hays, Maura West and Lisa Brown.
May 27, 2020 · Streaming service Crackle's longest-running show is the animated "SuperMansion," which has aired for three seasons and five specials, but its fate is up in the air. "SuperMansion." Sony Pictures ...
While other prime-time shows have run longer, they are all news, sports, anthology or variety programs. ^ Longest-running live-action hour-long prime time entertainment program in the United States. While Gunsmoke has accumulated more episodes (635), 233 of its episodes were half-hour dramas. All of Law & Order's episodes have been one hour long.
