List of longest-running television shows by category
This is a list of the longest-running television shows by category. The criterion for being the longest-running show is by the number of years the show has been on the air and not the number of episodes produced.
| Category | Show name | Country | Duration | Channel | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children’s show (preschool) | Play School |  Australia
|
1966–present | Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) | 4500+ |
| Agriculture Information | Country Calender |  New Zealand
|
1966-present [1] | TVNZ 1 | 1,100+ |
| Anime for kids | Sazae-san |  Japan
|
1969–present | Fuji Television | 7400+[2] |
| Annual live international beauty pageant | Miss Universe |  United States
|
1952–present | CBS, NBC, FOX | 64 |
| Annual live national beauty pageant | Miss America | United States
|
1955–present | ABC, CBS, NBC | 63 |
| Automotive | Top Gear |  United Kingdom
|
1977–2001, 2002–present | BBC Two | 515; 161+9 specials |
| Charity show | The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon | United States
|
1966–2014 | Various | 48 |
| Children's show | Blue Peter | United Kingdom
|
1958–present | BBC One, CBBC | 5,000 (as of 1 February 2018[update]) |
| Comedy | Yoshimoto Shinkigeki | Japan
|
1962–present | MBS | |
| Cooking show | Today's Cooking | Japan
|
1957–present | NHK | |
| Current affairs series | Panorama | United Kingdom
|
1953–present | BBC One | Teleclub |
| Fantasy | Wansapanataym |  Philippines
|
1997-2005; 2010–2019 | ABS-CBN | 734 |
| Documentary | Teleenciclopedia |  Romania
|
1965–present | TVR1 | 2500+ |
| Film review | Film | United Kingdom
|
1971–2018 | BBC One | |
| Finance show | The Money Programme | United Kingdom
|
1966–2010 | BBC Two | |
| Game show | Des chiffres et des lettres |  France
|
1965–present | France 3 | 20,000 (as of October 2012[update]) |
| Historical drama | Zenigata Heiji | Japan
|
1952–present | ||
| History series | Timewatch | United Kingdom
|
1963–present | BBC Two | |
| Medical drama | General Hospital | United States
|
1963–present | ABC | 14,000 (as of 23 February 2018[update]) |
| Medicine talk show | Trupi dhe Shëndeti |  Albania
|
1962–present | RTSH | 1000+ |
| Magazine show | Ittyadi |  Bangladesh
|
1994–present | Bangladesh Television | 300+ (as of 2016[update]) |
| Music chart show | Top of the Pops | United Kingdom
|
1964–2006; Christmas shows only 2006–present | BBC One, BBC Two | 2,219 |
| Music talent show | NHK Nodo Jiman | Japan
|
1953–present | NHK | 2,900 (as of 2012[update]) |
| Music video show | Rage | Australia
|
1987–present | ABC1, ABC2/Fly TV, ABC Me | |
| News show | Meet the Press | United States
|
1947–present | NBC | 4,946+ |
| Newscast | CBS Evening News | United States
|
1948–present | CBS | 16,400+ |
| Outside broadcast | Lord Mayor's Show | United Kingdom
|
1937–1938, 1946–present (not broadcast during WW2 1939–1945)[3] | BBC Television Service, BBC One | |
| Police procedural | Tatort |  Germany
|
1970–present | Das Erste | 1,120 (as of 9 February 2019[update])[4] |
| Quiz show | It's Academic | United States
|
1961–present[5] | ||
| Reality show | America's Funniest Home Videos | United States
|
1989–present | American Broadcasting Company | 681 (as of May 19, 2019) |
| Religious program | Le Jour du Seigneur | France
|
1949–present | ||
| Satire | Extra 3 | Germany
|
1976-present | Das Erste | |
| Science fiction series | Doctor Who | United Kingdom
|
1963 - 1989, 1996 & 2005 - present[6] | BBC One | 861 (as of 1 March 2020[update]) |
| Science show | The Sky at Night | United Kingdom
|
1957–present | BBC One, BBC Four | 705+ |
| Sing-along show | Allsång på Skansen |  Sweden
|
1979–present | Sveriges Television | |
| Sitcom | Last of the Summer Wine | United Kingdom
|
1973–2010 | BBC One | 295 |
| Sketch comedy show | Sábados Felices |  Colombia
|
1972–present | ||
| Soap opera | Coronation Street | United Kingdom
|
1960–present | ITV | 10000+ |
| Song contest | Sanremo Music Festival |  Italy
|
1951–present | RAI (radio broadcast since 1951, tv broadcast since 1955) | |
| Sports show | Hockey Night in Canada |  Canada
|
1952–present | CBC, City/Sportsnet, CTV | Unknown; Began as radio broadcast in 1931 |
| Sports magazine show | La Domenica Sportiva | Italy
|
1953–present | RAI | 3318 (as of 10 May 2020[update]) |
| Sports variety | Grandstand | United Kingdom
|
1958–2007 | BBC One, BBC Two | 3500 (estimated) |
| Sports outside broadcast | The Championships, Wimbledon[7] | United Kingdom
|
1937,[8] 1939, 1946–present | BBC Television Service, BBC One/Two | |
| Tabloid newscast | TV Patrol | Philippines
|
1987–present | ABS-CBN | |
| Talk show | The Tonight Show | United States
|
1954–present | 13,267 | |
| Teen drama | Grange Hill | United Kingdom
|
1978–2008 | 605 | |
| Telenovela | Anna Liza | Philippines
|
1980–1985 | GMA Network | 1,317 |
| Travel show | Holiday | United Kingdom
|
1969–2007 | BBC One | 622 |
| TV feedback show | Points of View | United Kingdom
|
1961–present | BBC One, BBC Two | Unknown |
| Variety show | Sábado Gigante |  Chile United States
|
1962–1986; Univision: 1986–2015 | Canal 13 | 2,800+ |
| Western | Gunsmoke | United States
|
1955–1975 | 635 |
See also
- List of longest-running United States television series
- List of longest-running UK television programmes
- List of longest-running Australian television series
- List of longest-running Philippine television series
- List of longest-running U.S. cable television series
- List of longest-running U.S. primetime television series
- List of longest-running U.S. first-run syndicated television series
- List of television series canceled after one episode
- List of television programs by episode count
References
- ^ "1966 - key events - The 1960s | NZHistory, New Zealand history online". nzhistory.govt.nz. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
- ^ http://www.filmweb.pl/serial/Sazae-san-1969-502304/episodes
- ^ "The Lord Mayor's Show dates". BBC Genome. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
- ^ "2019 - Alle TATORTe, alle Folgen, alle Kommissare". Tatort-fundus.de. Retrieved 2020-02-11.
- ^ "Mac McGarry, 'It's Academic' host, dies at 87". The Washington Post. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
- ^ "BBC One - Doctor Who - Episode guide". BBC. Retrieved 2013-10-02.
- ^ "Wimbledon". Genome Project. 9 October 2018.
- ^ "Wimbledon and the BBC 1927 to 2017". History of the BBC. 22 November 2018.