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List of longest-running American television series

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This is a list of the longest-running United States television series, ordered by number of years the show has been aired. This list includes only first-run series originating in North America and available throughout the United States via national broadcast networks, U.S. cable networks, or syndication. Series continuations (with name changes and/or changes in network) are noted, but series' revivals are treated as separate from the originals (see The People's Court and Jeopardy!). Series broadcast within the U.S. but produced in other countries, such as Coronation Street (50+ years) and Doctor Who are not included (see: List of longest-running UK television series).

Series shaded in light blue with bold are currently in production.

Over 60 years

Length Number of seasons Series Network First broadcast Last broadcast Number of episodes Notes
77 years 69 Meet the Press (NBC News)[1] NBC November 6, 1947[2] present 3,600+ [weekly] Longest-running show.
76 years 68 CBS Evening News (CBS News)[3] CBS May 3, 1948 present 16,400+ Longest-running network newscast.
75 years 67 Music & the Spoken Word[4] Syndicated October 1949 present 4,500+ Longest-running non-news television program.
72 years 65 Hallmark Hall of Fame[5] NBC December 24, 1951* December 17, 1978 243+ Not broadcast on a regular schedule, with only a limited number of productions per year.
CBS November 14, 1979 April 30, 1980
PBS February 9, 1981 May 6, 1981
CBS December 1, 1981 January 29, 1989
ABC April 30, 1989 April 23, 1995
CBS December 10, 1995 April 24, 2011
ABC November 27, 2011 April 20, 2014
Hallmark Channel November 30, 2014[6] present
72 years 66 Today (NBC News) NBC January 14, 1952 present 15,785+ Longest-running morning show.
71 years 63 ABC World News Tonight (ABC News)[7] ABC September 1953 present 15,722+
70 years 62 The Tonight Show[8] NBC September 27, 1954 present 13,334 World's longest-running talk show
70 years 62 Face the Nation (CBS News) CBS November 7, 1954 present
68 years 61[9] It Is Written Syndicated March 1, 1956[9] present Longest-running religious television program to broadcast in color.
68 years 60 The Open Mind Syndicated May 1956[10] present Longest-running public television program.

50–59 years

Length Number of seasons Series Network First broadcast Last broadcast Number of episodes Notes
64 years 64 NFL on CBS CBS September 30, 1956 January 23, 1994 5,000+
September 6, 1998 present
57 years 57 Guiding Light (CBS Daytime)[11] CBS June 30, 1952* September 18, 2009 15,762 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 of 72 total years.
63 years 55 It's Academic NBC, CBS October 7, 1961 present
62 years 55 Professional Bowlers Tour[12] ABC[13] January 27, 1962 June 21, 1997 ESPN airs some of the tours on ABC.
CBS 1998[14] 1999
Fox Sports Net 1999 2000
ESPN 2000 present
54 years 54 As the World Turns (CBS Daytime) CBS April 2, 1956 September 17, 2010 13,858
61 years 53 General Hospital (ABC Daytime) ABC April 1, 1963 present 14,000+ As of July 12, 2016.[15] Longest-running dramatic series (soap opera) still in production.
54 years 53 The Wonderful World of Disney[16] ABC October 27, 1954 June 11, 1961 1,224 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.
NBC September 24, 1961 August 16, 1981
CBS September 26, 1981 May 3, 1983
ABC February 2, 1986 May 22, 1988
NBC October 9, 1988 August 26, 1990
Disney Channel September 23, 1990 August 25, 1996
ABC September 28, 1997 December 24, 2008
53 years 53 Sábado Gigante Univision August 8, 1962 September 19, 2015 2,800+ Longest-running imported TV show
59 years 51 Days of Our Lives (NBC Daytime) NBC November 8, 1965 present 13,285+ As of April 5, 2016[17]
57 years 50 Washington Week[18] NET, PBS February 23, 1967 present 2,000+ 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.
57 years 48 NFL Films Presents Syndicated September 17, 1967[19][20] January 26, 1997
ESPN August 31, 1997 present
NFL Network November 4, 2003 present
56 years 48 Day of Discovery Syndicated May 5, 1968 present

40–49 years

Length Number of seasons Series Network First broadcast Last broadcast Number of episodes Notes
56 years 48 60 Minutes (CBS News) CBS September 24, 1968 present
48 years 27 Scooby-Doo CBS September 13, 1969 October 27, 1973 376 Longest-running Hanna-Barbera television franchise
ABC September 11, 1976 August 17, 1991
The WB September 14, 2002 April 16, 2005
The CW September 23, 2006 March 15, 2008
Cartoon Network April 5, 2010 March 12, 2016
Boomerang June 20, 2017 present
46 years 46 Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon Syndicated/ABC September 4, 1966[21] August 31, 2014 46 Annual broadcast; was broadcast as a two-hour special on ABC in 2013 and 2014.
55 years 48 Sesame Street NET November 10, 1969 October 4, 1970 4,491 Longest-running children's show.[22] While Sesame Street remains on the PBS schedule, new episodes now premiere on HBO and become available to PBS nine months later.
PBS October 5, 1970 present
HBO January 16, 2016 present
54 years 47 Hour of Power Syndicated February 1970 present 2,000+
54 years 46 Monday Night Football ABC September 21, 1970 December 26, 2005 641+
ESPN September 11, 2006 present
54 years 46 NBC Nightly News (NBC News) NBC August 3, 1970 present 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.
53 years 46 Masterpiece Theatre PBS January 10, 1971 present
52 years 46 The Price Is Right (CBS Daytime)[23] CBS September 4, 1972 present 8,000+ Longest-running game show.
45 years 45 Wide World of Sports (ABC Sports) ABC April 29, 1961 August 2006[24]
45 years 36 NASCAR on ABC ABC February 26, 1961 August 5, 2000
March 10, 2007 October 11, 2014
45 years 45 Agronsky & Co./Inside Washington Syndicated 1969 December 20, 2013
45 years 46 One Life to Live (ABC Daytime) ABC July 15, 1968 January 13, 2012 11,096 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 August 19, 2013 before being confirmed as being discontinued again on September 3, 2013.
52 years 44 Great Performances PBS November 4, 1972 present
51 years 45 The Young and the Restless (CBS Daytime) CBS March 26, 1973 present 11,000+
41 years 41 Romper Room/Romper Room & Friends[25] Syndicated February 9, 1953[26] September 1994
41 years 42 All My Children (ABC Daytime) ABC January 5, 1970 September 23, 2011 10,712 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.
50 years 43 Nova PBS March 3, 1974 present 698
49 years 41 The Victory Garden[27] PBS April 16, 1975 present
49 years 43 Saturday Night Live[28] NBC October 11, 1975 present 850 The longest-running sketch comedy show on American television, as well as the longest-running variety show in U.S. history.
49 years 41 PBS NewsHour[29] PBS October 20, 1975 present
49 years 41 Good Morning America ABC November 3, 1975 present 9,914+
48 years 41 Austin City Limits PBS 1976 present
48 years 41 Creative Living with Sheryl Borden Syndicated 1976 present
48 years 41 Live from Lincoln Center PBS January 30, 1976 present[30]
40 years 40 NASCAR on CBS CBS February 12, 1960 July 15, 2000
40 years 40 The Bugs Bunny Show-Bugs Bunny Road Runner Hour-Bugs Bunny Road Runner Show-Bugs and Tweety Show ABC (1960-1968, 1986-2000), CBS (1968-1985) October 11, 1960 September 2nd, 2000 1040 episodes, including at least 5,000 Total shorts being aired, although many were re rans. Longest running cartoon program on broadcast television, the last non-Disney ABC Kids show, and the last non-Educational and Informal (E/I) Saturday morning cartoon on broadcast TV.

35–39 years

Length Number of seasons Series Network First broadcast Last broadcast Number of episodes Notes
37 years 38 The 700 Club[31] Syndicated[32] 1966 present
ABC Family 1977 present
37 years 38 Inside the NFL HBO 1977 February 6, 2008
Showtime September 10, 2008[33] present
46 years 38 20/20 ABC June 6, 1978 present
45 years 38 Nightly Business Report[34] PBS January 22, 1979 present
45 years 38 CBS News Sunday Morning CBS January 28, 1979 present
37 years 38 This Old House PBS 1979 present 900+
37 years 38 The Woodwright's Shop[35] PBS 1979 present 429+
45 years 37 SportsCenter ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews September 7, 1979 present 90,000+ More episodes than any other television series.
44 years 36 Nightline[36] ABC March 24, 1980 present
44 years 36 Washington Journal[37] C-SPAN October 7, 1980 present
35 years 35 Search for Tomorrow (CBS and NBC Daytime) CBS September 3, 1951 March 23, 1982 9,130
NBC March 26, 1982 December 26, 1986
35 years 35 Another World (NBC Daytime) NBC May 4, 1964 June 25, 1999 8,891 Longest-running continuous title sequences on television
35 years 35 Bobby Jones Gospel BET January 27, 1980 July 31, 2016
35 years 35 Soul Train Syndicated October 2, 1971 March 25, 2006[38] 1,117
35 years 35 Wall Street Week with Louis Rukeyser[39] PBS November 20, 1970 June 24, 2005
43 years 35 Noticiero Univision[40] Univision June 1, 1981 present
43 years 35 Entertainment Tonight Syndicated September 14, 1981 present 11,267+ Longest-running entertainment news program.
35 years 36 MotorWeek[41] PBS October 15, 1981 present
42 years 35 This Week[42] ABC November 15, 1981 present
42 years 34 Late Night[43] NBC February 1, 1982 June 21, 1993 1,819 ... with David Letterman
September 13, 1993 February 20, 2009 2,725 ... with Conan O'Brien
March 2, 2009 February 7, 2014 977 ... with Jimmy Fallon
February 24, 2014 present 1,584[44] ... with Seth Meyers
42 years 34 Nature PBS October 10, 1982 present 440+
41 years 34 Frontline PBS January 17, 1983 present 520+
35 years 10 Columbo NBC February 20, 1968 May 13, 1978 69 11 year break between the change in broadcasting stations.
ABC February 6, 1989 January 30, 2003

30–34 years

Length Number of seasons Series Network First broadcast Last broadcast Number of episodes Notes
34 years 34 Evening at Pops PBS July 12, 1970 August 29, 2004
34 years 35 The McLaughlin Group Syndicated January 1, 1982 August 12, 2016
33 years 33 Mister Rogers' Neighborhood NET February 19, 1968 May 1, 1970 912
PBS February 15, 1971 August 31, 2001
33 years 33 Firing Line Syndicated April 4, 1966[45] 1971 1,504 Longest-running public affairs program to have a single host.
PBS 1971 December 26, 1999
41 years 35 Wheel of Fortune (prime time) Syndicated September 19, 1983 present 6,000+ 2nd longest-running game show; daytime version aired from 1975 to 1991
40 years 34 Jeopardy! (revival)[46] Syndicated September 10, 1984 present 6,600+ 3rd longest-running game show; daytime version aired from 1964 to 1975 and again from 1978 to 1979
40 years 32 Real Videos TBN, JCTV October 4, 1984[47] present 900+
31 years 31 Faith for Today[48] ABC May 21, 1950 1955
Syndicated 1955 1981
31 years 31 Lamp Unto My Feet[49] CBS 1948 1979
30 years 31 Gilad's Bodies in Motion ESPN 1983 1994
Fox Sports Net 1994 1995
Discovery Health 1995 2004
FitTV 2004 2011
Discovery Fit & Health 2011 2015

2015 – present

39 years 31 Grand Ole Opry Live[50] TNN April 20, 1985 August 2001
CMT August 2001 2003
GAC[51] 2003 present
30 years 30 NASCAR on ESPN ESPN, ESPN2, ABC 1981 2002
2007 2014
37 years 29 Biography[52] A&E April 6, 1987[53] August 2006
Biography Channel August 2006 present[54]
37 years 31 The Bold and the Beautiful[55] CBS March 23, 1987 present 7000+

25–29 years

Length Number of seasons Series Network First broadcast Last broadcast Number of episodes Notes
29 years 29 Captain Kangaroo[56] CBS October 3, 1955 December 8, 1984
29 years 29 Lou Dobbs Tonight[57] CNN June 1, 1980 November 11, 2009
29 years 29 Hometime PBS November 1, 1986 January 30, 2016
29 years 29 WCW Saturday Night[58] WTBS/TBS December 25, 1971 August 19, 2000
29 years 15 CBS This Morning CBS November 30, 1987 October 29, 1999 3,110
January 9, 2012 present 620+
28 years 29 National Geographic Explorer[59] Nickelodeon 1985 1986
WTBS/TBS 1986 1999
CNBC 1999 2001
MSNBC[60] 2001 2005
National Geographic 2005 present
36 years 29 48 Hours[61] CBS January 2, 1988 present
28 years 29 The Edge of Night CBS April 2, 1956 November 28, 1975 7,420
ABC December 1, 1975 December 28, 1984
28 years 29 Love of Life CBS September 24, 1951 February 1, 1980 7,316
36 years 28 Live with Kelly and Ryan[62] Syndicated September 5, 1988[63] present 7,700+
28 years 24 Hee Haw[64] CBS June 15, 1969 February 23, 1971 655
Syndication September 18, 1971 June 26, 1993
TNN November 23, 1996 December 27, 1997
28 years 28 ESPN SpeedWorld ESPN 1979 2006
28 years 28 Mystery![65] PBS February 5, 1980 2008
27 years 27 The Lawrence Welk Show[66] ABC July 2, 1955 September 4, 1971 1065
Syndicated 1971 February 1982
29 years 29 The Phil Donahue Show[67] Syndicated 1969 1996 5,515
26 years 26 The David Susskind Show[68] Syndicated 1961 1987
26 years 27 College GameDay (football series) ESPN September 1987 present
26 years 27 NFL Primetime ESPN 1987 present
26 years 27 Showtime at the Apollo[69] Syndicated 1987 present
35 years 27 Inside Edition Syndicated January 9, 1989 present
35 years 27 Cops Fox March 11, 1989 2013 903+
Spike 2013 present
36 years 27 American Experience PBS October 1, 1988 present 230+
36 years 27 The Sports Reporters[70] ESPN[71] October 9, 1988 present
36 years 27 NBA on TNT TNT October 30, 1988 present
34 years 29 The Simpsons[72] Fox December 17, 1989 present 639 Longest-running animated American series, longest running American sitcom, and longest running scripted prime-time series
34 years 28 America's Funniest Home Videos ABC November 26, 1989 present 500
34 years 27 ESPN Major League Baseball[73] ESPN, ESPN2[74] April 15, 1990 present
25 years 25 What's My Line?[75] CBS February 16, 1950 September 3, 1967 2,191
Syndicated September 1968 September 1975
25 years 25 Sunrise Semester CBS September 9, 1957 October 1, 1982 800+
25 years 25 Insight Syndicated October 2, 1960 January 21, 1985
25 years 25 Camera Three CBS January 22, 1956 1979
PBS 1979 July 1, 1980
25 years 25 Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom NBC January 6, 1963 April 11, 1971
Syndicated 1971 1988
25 years 3 The Jetsons ABC September 23, 1962 March 17, 1963 75
Syndicated September 16, 1985 November 12, 1987
25 years 25 Larry King Live CNN June 3, 1985 December 16, 2010
25 years 25 The Oprah Winfrey Show Syndicated September 8, 1986 May 25, 2011 4,561
33 years 25 E! News[76] E! September 1, 1991 present
33 years 25 The Jerry Springer Show Syndicated September 20, 1991 present 5,084+
33 years 25 Investigative Reports A&E September 27, 1991 present
26 years 25 Charlie Rose PBS September 30, 1991 November 17, 2017
32 years 24 Dateline NBC[77] NBC March 31, 1992 present 1,700+
32 years 24 Reliable Sources CNN March 7, 1992 present
32 years 31 The Real World MTV May 21, 1992 present 532+ Longest-running MTV reality series.
31 years 24 WWE Raw USA Network January 11, 1993 September 18, 2000 1,200+ 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).
TNN/Spike TV September 25, 2000 September 26, 2005
USA Network October 3, 2005 present
31 years 24[78] Power Rangers[79] Fox[80] August 28, 1993 September 7, 2002 860+ Longest-running United States Tokusatsu series.[81]
ABC Family[82] March 3, 2002 August 31, 2006
Toon Disney[83] February 14, 2004 February 12, 2009
ABC[84] September 14, 2002 August 28, 2010
The CW[85] August 25, 2012 January 12, 2013
Nickelodeon[86] February 7, 2011 present
Nicktoons[87] February 11, 2011 present
31 years 23 Monday Night Countdown ESPN September 6, 1993 present
31 years 23 NFL Matchup ESPN, ESPN2[88] September 5, 1993 present

20–24 years

Length Number of seasons Series Network First broadcast Last broadcast Number of episodes Notes
24 years 24 CBS Morning News[89] CBS September 2, 1963 January 9, 1987
24 years 24 Truth or Consequences[90] CBS[91] September 7, 1950 May 1951
NBC[92] 1952 1952
NBC May 18, 1954[93] September 24, 1965
Syndicated[94] 1966 1974
24 years 24 At the Movies[95] Syndicated September 18, 1986 August 14, 2010
PBS January 2011 December 2011
23 years 24 Crossfire CNN 1982 June 3, 2005
CNN September 9, 2013 October 15, 2014
23 years 24 Baseball Tonight ESPN March 19, 1990 present
23 years 24 NBA Inside Stuff NBC 1990 2002
ABC 2002 present
23 years 24 Outside the Lines ESPN 1990 present
23 years 24 Nick News with Linda Ellerbee Nickelodeon April 18, 1992 December 15, 2015 178
24 years 11 The X-Files Fox September 10, 1993 May 19, 2002 202
January 24, 2016 present 16
23 years 23 Death Valley Days Syndicated March 1, 1952 August 1, 1975 558
23 years 23 The Ed Sullivan Show[96] CBS June 20, 1948 June 6, 1971 1,087
23 years 23 The George Michael Sports Machine[97] NBC September 2, 1984 September 8, 1991
Syndicated September 15, 1991 March 25, 2007
23 years 23 America's Most Wanted Fox February 7, 1988 April 21, 2012 1,149
Lifetime December 2, 2011 October 12, 2012
23 years 23 Lilias, Yoga and You[98] PBS 1976 1999
23 years 23 Reading Rainbow PBS June 6, 1983 November 10, 2006 155
22 years 22 The Original Amateur Hour[99] 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 years 22 The Merv Griffin Show NBC October 1962 March 1963
Syndicated 1965 1969
CBS August 18, 1969 February 11, 1972
Syndicated 1972 September 1986
22 years 22 Late Show with David Letterman CBS August 30, 1993 May 20, 2015 4,263
22 years 22 NFL on NBC[100] NBC 1975 1997
30 years 24 NFL on Fox Fox August 12, 1994 present
30 years 22 Inside the Actors Studio Bravo August 14, 1994 present
21 years 22 Kickin' It with Byron Allen[101] Syndicated 1994 present
30 years 22 Extra[102] Syndicated September 5, 1994 present 7,000+
30 years 22 Fox NFL Sunday Fox September 18, 1994 present
21 years 22 Entertainers with Byron Allen[103] Syndicated September 1994 present
29 years 22 Modern Marvels History Channel January 1, 1995 present 529+
29 years 22 The Late Late Show[104] CBS January 9, 1995 present 3,468+
29 years 22 Golf Talk Golf Channel January 17, 1995 present
29 years 22 Golf Central Golf Channel January 18, 1995 present
21 years 21 Issues and Answers[105] ABC 1960 1981
21 years 21 Mike Douglas Show Syndicated 1961 1982 6,000+
21 years 21 Sneak Previews[106] PBS 1975 1996
21 years 21 This Week in Baseball[107] Syndicated 1977 1998
21 years 21 Style with Elsa Klensch CNN June 1, 1980 January 2001
21 years 21 Cookin' Cheap PBS 1981 2002
21 years 21 The New Yankee Workshop PBS January 1988 June 27, 2009
29 years 21 Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel HBO April 2, 1995 present
29 years 21 Squawk Box CNBC August 7, 1995 present
28 years 21 Private Screenings TCM January 1, 1996 present
20 years 20 The Red Skelton Show NBC September 30, 1951 June 21, 1953
CBS September 22, 1953 June 23, 1970
NBC September 14, 1970 August 29, 1971
20 years 20 Gunsmoke[108] CBS September 10, 1955 September 1, 1975 635 Tied longest-running prime-time drama.
20 years 20 Law & Order NBC September 13, 1990 May 24, 2010 456 Tied longest-running prime-time drama.
20 years 20 The Secret Storm CBS February 1, 1954 February 8, 1974 5,195
20 years 20 Evans and Novak[109] CNN September 1982 November 9, 2002
20 years 20 My Classic Car Velocity, MAVTV 1997 present 390+
20 years 20 Faith 20 Syndicated 1977 1997
20 years 20 The Doctors NBC April 1, 1963 December 31, 1982 5,280
28 years 20 The Daily Show Comedy Central July 22, 1996 present 3,873
28 years 20 Arthur PBS October 7, 1996[citation needed] present 229 Longest-running animated series on PBS, longest-running animated children's series on U.S. television, and second longest-running animated series on U.S. television.[citation needed]
28 years 20 Access Hollywood Syndicated September 9, 1996 present 3,265+
28 years 20 Judge Judy Syndicated September 16, 1996 present Longest-running reality courtroom show.

15–19 years

Length Number of seasons Series Network First broadcast Last broadcast Number of episodes Notes
28 years 20 MoneyTV with Donald Baillargeon Syndicated October 1, 1996 present 950+
28 years 20 Your World with Neil Cavuto Fox News Channel October 6, 1996 present
20 years 20 The O'Reilly Factor[110] Fox News Channel October 6, 1996 April 21, 2017 Final three episodes (April 19–21, 2017) were simply titled The Factor, with hosts Dana Perino (April 19–20) and Greg Gutfeld (April 21).
18 years 19 Gardening by the Yard HGTV 1996 present
18 years 19 E! True Hollywood Story E! 1996 present 500+
18 years 19 Fox News Sunday Fox[111] 1996 present
18 years 19 A Wedding Story TLC 1996 present
18 years 19 Denise Austin's Daily Workout Lifetime 1997 present
18 years 19 Hardball with Chris Matthews[112] CNBC 1997 1999
MSNBC 1999 present
18 years 19 WNBA on ESPN ESPN 1997 present
27 years 19 Antiques Roadshow PBS January 9, 1997 present
27 years 19 ¡Despierta América! Univision April 14, 1997 present
27 years 19 The View ABC August 11, 1997 present 4,000+
27 years 21 South Park Comedy Central August 13, 1997 present 328 Longest-running Comedy Central series and the third longest-running animated series in American television.
27 years 19 The People's Court (revival)[113] Syndicated September 8, 1997 present 1,500+
19 years 19 Lassie CBS September 12, 1954 May 1971 571
Syndicated September 1971 March 24, 1973
19 years 19 The Porter Wagoner Show Syndicated 1960 1979
19 years 19 The NFL Today (original series) CBS 1975 January 23, 1994
19 years 19 Computer Chronicles PBS 1983 June 25, 2002
19 years 19 Friday Night Videos[114] NBC July 29, 1983 May 24, 2002
19 years 19 ESPN Sunday Night Football[115] ESPN November 8, 1987[116] January 1, 2006
26 years 18 Fox & Friends Fox News Channel February 1, 1998 present
26 years 27 Real World/Road Rules Challenge MTV June 1, 1998 present
19 years 12 Whose Line Is It Anyway? ABC August 5, 1998 September 4, 2004 173
ABC Family January 17, 2005 December 15, 2007 46
The CW July 16, 2013 present 91
19 years 9 Will & Grace NBC September 21, 1998 May 18, 2006 194
September 28, 2017 present 16
18 years 18 Art Linkletter's House Party[117] CBS September 1, 1952 September 5, 1969
NBC December 29, 1969 September 25, 1970
18 years 18 NASCAR on TBS TBS 1983 2000
18 years 18 WWF Superstars Syndication 1984 1996 924
USA 1996 2000
TNN 2000 2001
25 years 15 Family Guy Fox January 31, 1999 November 9, 2003 425 Fox's second longest-running American animated series and the fourth longest-running animated series on American television.
May 1, 2005 present
25 years 11 SpongeBob SquarePants Nickelodeon May 1, 1999 present Longest-running Nickelodeon series, longest-running Nicktoon, the only remaining '90s series on Nickelodeon currently on the air and in production, the first and only Nicktoon to get an eleventh season, the second longest-running animated children's show on U.S. television, and the fifth longest-running animated series on U.S. television.
25 years 17 Divorce Court (revival reality show) Syndicated/Fox Twentieth Television September 15, 1999 Present 2,076
25 years 17 Family Feud
(second revival) 		Syndicated September 20, 1999 present 2,390+ Original series ran from 1976 to 1985 (on ABC and in syndication); an earlier revival aired from 1998 to 1995 (on CBS from 1988–1993 and in syndication from 1988–1995).
25 years 19 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit NBC September 20, 1999 present 434 The longest running currently-running scripted non-animated U.S. prime-time television series; longest running television spinoff.
25 years 17 WWE SmackDown UPN April 29, 1999 September 15, 2006 900+
The CW September 22, 2006 September 26, 2008
MyNetworkTV October 3, 2008 September 24, 2010
Syfy October 1, 2010 December 31, 2015
USA January 7, 2016[118][119] present
25 years 15 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? ABC August 16, 1999 June 27, 2002 2,300+ Although Millionaire has multiple versions known around the world, the American version is the longest running.
Syndicated September 16, 2002 present
24 years 20 Big Brother (U.S.) CBS July 5, 2000 present 627 Although Big Brother has multiple versions known around the world, the U.S. version is the second longest running. Also includes one Celebrity Edition.
24 years 36 Survivor (U.S. series) CBS May 31, 2000 present 518 Features two seasons per year.
24 years 17 Cheaters Syndicated/The CW October 21, 2000 present 290
17 years 17 NBA on CBS CBS October 20, 1973 June 14, 1990
17 years 17 Showbiz Today CNN October 29, 1984 2001
17 years 17 USA Tuesday Night Fights USA March 30, 1982 1998
17 years 17 The Capital Gang CNN September 7, 1988 2005
17 years 17 The Montel Williams Show Syndicated June 24, 1991 May 16, 2008 3,000+
24 years 9 Rick Steves' Europe PBS September 1, 2000 present 115
16 years 16 MTV Unplugged MTV November 26, 1989 March 2, 2007[120] 108
16 years 16 Booknotes C-SPAN April 2, 1989 December 5, 2004
16 years 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
16 years 16 Fight Back! with David Horowitz Syndicated 1976 1992
16 years 16 Forensic Files TruTV April 21, 1996 June 17, 2011 410+
16 years 14 The Adventures of
Ozzie and Harriet[121] 		ABC October 10, 1952 September 3, 1966 435 The longest running U.S. live-action sitcom.
23 years 16 America's Test Kitchen Syndication January 4, 2001 present
23 years 16 Fox NASCAR Fox February 18, 2001 present
16 years 10 The Fairly OddParents Nickelodeon March 30, 2001 November 25, 2006 161 Second longest-running Nickelodeon animated series and the sixth longest-running American animated series.
February 18, 2008 July 26, 2017
15 years 15 Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures Syndicated September 1, 1993 May 24, 2008
15 years 15 Sportsworld NBC 1978 1992
15 years 11 Aqua Teen Hunger Force Adult Swim December 30, 2000 August 30, 2015 139 Longest-running Adult Swim series and the seventh longest-running animated series on U.S. television.
The episode "Boston" was never released.
15 years 13 Barney & Friends[122] PBS April 5, 1992 September 18, 2009 248
15 years 15 For Your Home PBS 1996 2011
15 years 15 I've Got a Secret CBS June 19, 1952 April 3, 1967 350+
15 years 15 Concentration NBC August 25, 1958 March 23, 1973 3,770
15 years 15 The Jack Benny Program CBS October 29, 1950 September 15, 1964 343
NBC September 25, 1964 September 10, 1965
15 years 15 That Good Ole Nashville Music Syndicated 1970 1985
15 years 15 Scientific American Frontiers PBS October 1, 1990 October 19, 2005 97
15 years 15 Newton's Apple PBS October 15, 1983 October 31, 1998
15 years 15 ER NBC September 19, 1994 April 2, 2009 331
15 years 16 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CBS October 6, 2000 September 27, 2015 337
23 years 30 The Amazing Race (U.S. series) CBS September 5, 2001 present 353 Two seasons per year
23 years 15 Don Francisco Presenta Univision October 10, 2001 2012
23 years 15 BET's Top 25 BET September 22, 2001 present
22 years 15 Last Call with Carson Daly NBC January 8, 2002 present 1,700+
22 years 15 Closing Bell CNBC February 4, 2002 present

10–14 years

Length Number of seasons Series Network First broadcast Last broadcast Number of episodes Notes
14 years 15 On the Record Fox News Channel February 12, 2002 September 6, 2016 ...with Greta Van Susteren
September 7, 2016 November 11, 2016 ...with Brit Hume
14 years 15 Ryan's Hope ABC July 7, 1975 January 13, 1989 3,515
14 years 5 Davey and Goliath Syndication February 25, 1961 June 29, 1975 73
14 years 15 An Evening at the Improv A&E February 3, 1982 January 1, 1996
14 years 15 MythBusters Discovery Channel, TLC January 23, 2003 March 5, 2016 282
14 years 7 Futurama Fox March 28, 1999 August 10, 2003 140
Comedy Central March 23, 2008 September 4, 2013 Fox's third longest running animated series and the eighth longest-running animated U.S. series.
14 years 14 Dora the Explorer Nickelodeon August 14, 2000 June 5, 2014 172 Third longest-running Nickelodeon series, the ninth longest-running animated U.S. series, and the longest-running Nick Jr. series.
14 years 14 Watch Mr. Wizard (original series) NBC May 26, 1951 June 27, 1965 547
14 years 14 The Jack LaLanne Show Syndicated 1956 1970
13 years, 4 months 14 Bonanza[123] NBC September 12, 1959 January 16, 1973 430
16 years 11 Cyberchase PBS January 21, 2002 present 114 Second longest-running PBS animated show and tenth longest-running American animated series.
14 years 14 Hollywood Squares NBC October 17, 1966 June 20, 1980 3,536
14 years 14 Knots Landing CBS December 27, 1979 May 13, 1993 344
14 years 14 The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show ABC September 13, 1986 September 2, 2000 387+
13 years 13 Criminal Minds CBS September 22, 2005 present 299
14 years 14 Marty Stouffer's Wild America PBS 1982 1996 120
14 years 14 Speed Week ESPN 1983 1997
14 years 14 Video Soul BET June 26, 1983 1997
14 years 14 MADtv Fox October 14, 1995 May 16, 2009 321 Longest running rival sketch show to Saturday Night Live; longest-running Fox sketch show.
14 years 14 X-Play G4 July 4, 1998 January 23, 2013 1,000+
13 years 14 NASCAR on TNT TNT July 22, 2001 July 13, 2014
22 years 14 Illegal Knowledge Access Tucson March 24, 2002 present 66+
22 years 14 Barefoot Contessa Food Network March 25, 2002 present 111+
22 years 14 Monday Night Baseball ESPN April 7, 2002 present
22 years 15 American Idol Fox June 11, 2002 April 7, 2016 557
ABC March 11, 2018 present 1
15 years 13 Shepard Smith Reporting Fox News Channel August 2002 present Originally titled Studio B with Shepard Smith
22 years 14 The Daily Buzz Syndicated, The CW Plus September 16, 2002 present
22 years 14 Dr. Phil Syndicated September 16, 2002 present 1,671
22 years 14 Around the Horn ESPN November 4, 2002 present 2,310+
21 years 14 NBA Countdown ESPN December 25, 2002 present
22 years 14 NBA Shootaround ESPN October 25, 2002 present
21 years 14 ESPN's coverage of the NBA on ABC ABC December 25, 2002 present Originally known as NBA on ABC
21 years 14 NBA on ESPN ESPN and ESPN2 December 25, 2002 present
15 years 5 Scared! Staten Island Community Television September 12, 2002 present 19
21 years 6 The Venture Bros. Adult Swim February 16, 2003 present 71
13 years 14 Good Eats Food Network July 7, 1999 April 29, 2010 220
Cooking Channel May 27, 2010 February 10, 2012 23
13 years 13 Let's Make a Deal[124] NBC December 30, 1963 December 27, 1968
ABC December 30, 1968 July 9, 1976
13 years 13 Howdy Doody NBC December 27, 1947 September 24, 1960
13 years 13 Armstrong Circle Theatre NBC June 6, 1950 June 1957
CBS October 1957 August 28, 1963
13 years 13 The 20th Century[125] CBS October 20, 1957 January 4, 1970
13 years 13 Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids CBS September 9, 1972 October 24, 1981 110
Syndicated September 1, 1984 August 10, 1985
13 years 14 Dallas CBS April 2, 1978 May 3, 1991 357
13 years 13 PM Magazine[126] Syndicated September 1978 January 1, 1991
13 years 13 Later NBC August 22, 1988 February 1, 2001
15 years 14 Unsolved Mysteries NBC January 20, 1987[127] September 5, 1997 580
CBS November 13, 1997 June 11, 1999
Lifetime July 2, 2001 September 20, 2002
Spike TV October 13, 2008 April 27, 2010
13 years 13 Tim Russert CNBC 1994 2008
13 years 13 King of the Hill Fox January 12, 1997 May 6, 2010[128] 259 Third longest running Fox animated series.
13 years 13 Hannity & Colmes Fox News Channel October 6, 1996 January 9, 2009
13 years 9 Rugrats Nickelodeon August 11, 1991 August 1, 2004 (2004-08-01)[129] 172 Fourth longest-running Nickelodeon animated series.
21 years 13 The Ellen DeGeneres Show Syndicated September 8, 2003 present 2,054
21 years 15 NCIS CBS September 23, 2003 present 354
14 years 24 America's Next Top Model UPN May 20, 2003 May 17, 2006 72
The CW September 20, 2006 December 4, 2015 316
VH1 December 8, 2016 present 30
12 years 13 Road Rules MTV July 19, 1995 May 9, 2007
12 years 12 NASCAR on Speed Speed February 11, 2002 August 16, 2013
12 years 12 The Joker's Wild CBS September 4, 1972 June 13, 1975 3,026
Syndicated[130] September 5, 1977 May 23, 1986
12 years 12 Star Search[131] Syndicated September 10, 1983 May 20, 1995
12 years 12 American Sports Cavalcade TNN 1983 1995
12 years 12 To Tell the Truth CBS December 18, 1956 September 6, 1968
12 years 12 The Joy of Painting PBS 1983 1995
12 years 12 Divorce Court (original series)[132] Syndicated 1957 1969
12 years 12 CBS Reports CBS October 27, 1959 September 7, 1971
12 years 12 The People's Court (original series)[133] Syndicated September 1981 1993 2,484
12 years 12 My Three Sons ABC September 29, 1960 September 2, 1965 380
CBS September 16, 1965 August 24, 1972
12 years 12 NYPD Blue ABC September 21, 1993 March 1, 2005 261
11 years, 8 months 12 Murder, She Wrote CBS September 30, 1984 May 19, 1996 264
11 years, 7 months 12 Hawaii Five-O (original series) CBS September 26, 1968 April 26, 1980 284
12 years 12 Loving ABC June 27, 1983 November 10, 1995 3,169
12 years 12 Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous Syndicated January 1984 September 1996
12 years 12 House of Style MTV January 1, 1989 2000
12 years 12 The Jenny Jones Show Syndicated September 16, 1991 September 12, 2003 1,500
12 years 12 Room by Room HGTV December 31, 1994 2006[134]
12 years 12 NBA on NBC NBC 1990 2002
19 years 12 American Dad! Fox February 6, 2005 September 21, 2014 219 Fox's third longest-running animated series and second longest-running Seth MacFarlane show.
TBS October 20, 2014 present
10 years 11 NFL Total Access NFL Network 2003 present
19 years 8 Robot Chicken Adult Swim February 20, 2005 present 159
12 years 25 Lockup MSNBC June 4, 2005 February 11, 2017 238
13 years 14 Grey's Anatomy ABC March 27, 2005 present 317
11 years, 5 months 12 Two and a Half Men CBS September 22, 2003 February 19, 2015 262
11 years 11 The Chris Matthews Show Syndicated September 22, 2002 July 21, 2013
11 years 11 Kraft Television Theatre[135] NBC May 7, 1947 October 1, 1958 650
11 years 11 Homes Across America[136] HGTV December 1994 October 12, 2005
11 years 11 The Voice of Firestone NBC September 5, 1949 June 1954
ABC June 1954 June 1959
ABC September 1962 June 16, 1963
11 years 11 You Bet Your Life NBC October 5, 1950 June 29, 1961 429
11 years 11 The Andy Williams Show CBS 1957 1959
NBC 1962 1971
11 years 11 Beat the Clock (original series)[137] CBS March 23, 1950 September 12, 1958
ABC October 13, 1958 January 30, 1961
11 years 11 Jeopardy! (original NBC series)[138] NBC March 30, 1964 January 3, 1975 2,753
11 years 11 The General Electric College Bowl[139] CBS January 4, 1959 1963
NBC 1963 June 14, 1970
11 years 11 The Wilburn Brothers Show Syndicated 1987 1998 354
11 years 11 The Carol Burnett Show CBS September 11, 1967 March 29, 1978 278
10 years, 6 months 10 Wonder Pets Nickelodeon March 3, 2006 September 3, 2016 62 Fifth longest-running Nickelodeon show and second longest-running Nick Jr. series.
10 years, 5 months 11 M*A*S*H CBS September 17, 1972 February 28, 1983 251
11 years 11 The Howard Stern Show E! June 18, 1994 July 8, 2005
11 years 11 Geraldo Syndicated 1987 1998
11 years 11 Love Connection Syndicated September 19, 1983 July 1, 1994 2,425
11 years 11 The Danny Thomas Show ABC[140] September 29, 1953 July 1957 351
CBS[141] September 1957 September 14, 1964
11 years 11 Talk Soup E! December 26, 1991 May 17, 2002
11 years 11 Martha Stewart Living Syndicated 1993 2004
11 years 5 The Crocodile Hunter Animal Planet October 25, 1996 September 4, 2007 78 Longest-running Animal Planet series.
11 years 8 ToonHeads Cartoon Network October 2, 1992 July 1, 2001 100
Adult Swim November 4, 2001 November 23, 2003
11 years 11 Ricki Lake Syndicated September 13, 1993 August 27, 2004
11 years 11 Good Eats Food Network July 7, 1999 2011 235
11 years 11 All That Nickelodeon April 16, 1994[142] October 22, 2005 184 Nickelodeon show with the most number of seasons.
11 years 11 7th Heaven[143] The WB August 26, 1996 May 8, 2006 243
The CW September 25, 2006 May 13, 2007[144]
11 years 11 Imus in the Morning[145] MSNBC September 2, 1996 April 11, 2007
11 years 11 Fox News Live Fox News Channel October 6, 1996 2008
11 years 11 The Jeffersons CBS January 18, 1975 July 23, 1985 255
11 years 11 Paula's Home Cooking Food Network 2002 2013 129+
10 years 11 Married... with Children Fox April 5, 1987 June 9, 1997 259
10 years 11 Happy Days ABC January 15, 1974 September 24, 1984 255
10 years 10 Between The Lions PBS April 3, 2000 November 22, 2010 130
19 years 13 Supernatural The WB September 13, 2005 May 4, 2006 287 As of May 17, 2018 (2018-05-17)
The CW September 28, 2006 present
10 years 11 NFL Total Access NFL Network 2003 present
12 years 12 Bones Fox September 13, 2005 March 28, 2017 246
19 years 22 Dancing with the Stars ABC June 1, 2005 present 364 As of September 28, 2015 (2015-09-28)
19 years 16 Hell's Kitchen Fox May 30, 2005 present 255
13 years 13 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia FX August 4, 2005 2012 134 As of August 22, 2018
FXX September 4, 2013 present
17 years 11 The Big Bang Theory CBS September 24, 2007 present 255 As of May 10, 2018
18 years 11 Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern Travel Channel November 1, 2006 present 127
12 years 11 Squidbillies Adult Swim October 16, 2005 present 104
14 years 10 Space Ghost Coast to Coast Cartoon Network April 15, 1994 July 22, 2001 80 Second longest-running Cartoon Network original series.
Adult Swim September 2, 2001 April 12, 2004 13
GameTap April 12, 2006 May 31, 2008 17
10 years 11 Intimate Portrait Lifetime January 1995 October 2005
10 years 10 American Morning CNN September 12, 2001 December 30, 2011 1,000+
10 years 10 Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts[146] CBS December 6, 1948 July 21, 1958
10 years 10 Arthur Godfrey and His Friends CBS January 12, 1949 April 28, 1959
10 years 10 Total Request Live MTV September 14, 1998 November 16, 2008 2,247
10 years 4 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Playhouse Disney May 5, 2006 January 3, 2011 79 Longest-running Disney animated series.
Disney Junior February 14, 2011 November 6, 2016 46
10 years 6 Blue's Clues Nickelodeon September 8, 1996 August 6, 2006 143 Sixth longest-running Nickelodeon show and third longest-running Nick Jr. series.
10 years 10 Studio One[147] CBS November 7, 1948 September 29, 1958
10 years 10 Pantomime Quiz[148] CBS October 4, 1949 August 28, 1951
NBC January 2, 1952 March 26, 1952
CBS July 4, 1952 September 1952
CBS July 1953 August 28, 1953
DuMont October 20, 1953 April 13, 1954
CBS July 9, 1954 August 27, 1954
ABC January 1955 March 1955
CBS July 8, 1955 September 6, 1957
ABC April 1958 September 1958
ABC January 1959 September 1959
10 years 10 The Arthur Murray Party ABC July 20, 1950 September 1950 The first series to be shown on four U.S. broadcasting networks
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 years 10 Smilin' Ed's Gang[149] NBC August 26, 1950 May 19, 1951
CBS August 11, 1951 April 11, 1953
ABC August 22, 1953 April 23, 1955
CBS August 20, 1955 December 31, 1960
10 years 10 A Current Affair Syndicated July 28, 1986 1996
11 years 11 Cheers NBC September 30, 1982 May 20, 1993 273
11 years 11 Frasier NBC September 16, 1993 May 13, 2004 264
10 years 10 Getting Fit ESPN 1987 1997
10 years 10 American Chopper Discovery Channel, TLC September 29, 2002 December 17, 2012 233
10 years 10 Friends NBC September 22, 1994 May 6, 2004 236
10 years 3 Wonder Pets Nick Jr. March 3, 2006 September 3, 2016 62
10 years 10 Beverly Hills, 90210 Fox October 4, 1990 May 17, 2000 293
10 years 10 NASCAR on TNN TNN 1991 2000
10 years 10 Stargate SG-1 Showtime, Syfy July 27, 1997 March 13, 2007 211 Spawned two direct-to-DVD movies, Stargate: Continuum and Stargate: The Ark of Truth. Syfy's longest running series.
10 years 10 The French Chef PBS February 11, 1963 February 11, 1973 201
10 years 10 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles CBS December 14, 1987 November 2, 1996 193 Spawn many TV series spin-offs including its most recent series.
10 years 9 Curious George PBS September 4, 2006 April 1, 2015 109 Longest-running animated spin-off show of an animated movie.
10 years 6 Ed, Edd n Eddy Cartoon Network January 4, 1999 November 8, 2009 70 Longest running Cartoon Network original series and longest running Cartoon Cartoon
10 years 4 The Boondocks Adult Swim November 6, 2005 June 23, 2014 55
10 years 10 Smallville The WB October 16, 2001 May 11, 2006 218
The CW September 28, 2006 May 13, 2011

See also

References

  1. ^ Only its time on television is counted here; it began on radio (as American Mercury Presents: Meet the Press) in 1945
  2. ^ "Meet the Press". NBC News. Archived from the original on December 31, 2012.
  3. ^ CBS Television News 1948–1951, Douglas Edwards with the News 1951–1963
  4. ^ Only its time on television is counted here; it began on radio July 15, 1929.
  5. ^ Originally Hallmark Playhouse radio series, was Hallmark Television Playhouse (1951–1954)
  6. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 12, 2014). "Hallmark Hall Of Fame Moving To Cable, Will Air On Hallmark Channel". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
  7. ^ 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
  8. ^ Includes the various permutations and rebrandings over the years, including The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
  9. ^ a b Land, Gary (2005). Historical Dictionary of the Seventh-Day Adventists (Historical Dictionaries of Religions, Philosophies, and Movements Series). Scarecrow Press. p. 310. ISBN 978-1442241879.
  10. ^ Fox, Margalit (December 19, 2013). "Richard D. Heffner, Host of 'The Open Mind,' Dies at 88". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
  11. ^ Originally The Guiding Light. Only its time on television is counted here; it began on radio January 25, 1937.
  12. ^ Name often altered to reflect primary sponsor. Name on current broadcasts: Denny's PBA Tour
  13. ^ In addition, NBC televised the fall tour, 1984–1991
  14. ^ 1998–2000 broadcast seasons were shared by CBS and ESPN
  15. ^ "Watch Online General Hospital Season 54 Episode 70 – #13600 – Watch Series".
  16. ^ 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
  17. ^ "Days of Our Lives Episode Schedule". NBC. April 5, 2016. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
  18. ^ Originally Washington Week in Review
  19. ^ Michael Gershman; David S. Neft; Bob Carroll (1997). Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League. Harper Resource. ISBN 0-06-270174-6. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |last-author-amp= ignored (|name-list-style= suggested) (help)
  20. ^ Editors at the NFL (2005). NFL Record and Fact Book. Sports Illustrated. ISBN 978-1932994360. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  21. ^ "How it all began?". The Telethon Years. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
  22. ^ 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. However, some of those programs' seasons/years don't count as said programs weren't broadcast nationwide for their entire run.
  23. ^ Originally The New Price Is Right; longest-running game show in American television history.
  24. ^ Weekly broadcasts ended January 1, 1997; irregular airings afterward; officially ended with the absorption of ABC Sports into ESPN
  25. ^ 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
  26. ^ Rasmussen, Fred (April 26, 1997). "1st `Romper Room' teacher Nancy Claster dies at 82". The Baltimore Sun. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
  27. ^ Jim Crockett's Victory Garden, 1975–79
  28. ^ Originally NBC's Saturday Night
  29. ^ 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
  30. ^ Not currently on a regular schedule
  31. ^ Aired locally on WYAH-TV Portsmouth, Virginia, 1966–1977; evolved from locally broadcast telethons 1962–1966
  32. ^ Simulcast with cable network transmission
  33. ^ Scheduled
  34. ^ Broadcast locally only on WPBT, 1979–1981
  35. ^ Broadcast only in North Carolina, 1979–1981
  36. ^ Evolved from The Iran Crisis – America Held Hostage (1979–80)
  37. ^ Weekend editions are simulcast on the BBC Parliament channel with the name America This Week
  38. ^ Date of airing of last first-run episode. Since then, reruns have been syndicated as Best of Soul Train
  39. ^ Became Wall Street Week with Fortune after original host was fired in 2002
  40. ^ Originally titled Noticiero SIN when Univision was known as SIN (Spanish International Network).
  41. ^ Also syndicated, 1982–present
  42. ^ Succeeded Issues and Answers; full title throughout its run is This Week With (host's name), beginning with David Brinkley, 1981–1996. Cokie Roberts and Sam Donaldson co-anchored from 1996–2002. George Stephanopoulos was host from 2002 to 2010. Christiane Amanpour took over as host in 2010.
  43. ^ Late Night, as an entity, is in its 28th season. Over that period it has had four hosts, listed in the notes column.
  44. ^ as of press time
  45. ^ Pilot taped April 4, 1966
  46. ^ Hosted by Alex Trebek
  47. ^ "Celebrity Photo Gallery, Celebrity Wallpapers, Celebrity Videos, Bio, News, Songs, Movies". In.com. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  48. ^ Also Westbrook Hospital, 1975–1981
  49. ^ "George Crothers, 89, Television Producer". The New York Times. December 7, 1998. Retrieved 2009-03-08.
  50. ^ Oldest continuously running radio program, airing on WSM radio, Nashville, Tennessee
  51. ^ As Grand Ole Opry Live!
  52. ^ Originated on CBS
  53. ^ Reran CBS originals, 1984–1987
  54. ^ Rebroadcast A&E originals, 1999–2006
  55. ^ "The Bold and the Beautiful - About". cbs.com. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  56. ^ Reruns aired in syndication, 1984–1992
  57. ^ Began as Moneyline. Became Lou Dobbs Moneyline in 2001, Lou Dobbs Tonight in 2003
  58. ^ 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.
  59. ^ Host: Tom Chapin (1985–1988), Robert Urich (1988–1995), Robert Ballard (1988–1995), Boyd Matson (1995–2003), Michael Fay (2001), Lisa Ling (2003–)
  60. ^ Show renamed National Geographic Ultimate Explorer 2003–2005
  61. ^ Also called 48 Hours Investigates
  62. ^ 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)
  63. ^ Date of first episode distributed nationally; was aired by WABC locally at The Morning Show, 1983–1988
  64. ^ Renamed "The Hee Haw Show" for 1991–92 season, and Hee Haw Silver for 1992–93 season ("greatest hits")
  65. ^ Started in 2008, Mystery! was absorbed into Masterpiece (the former Masterpiece Theatre) and airs under the banner Masterpiece Mystery!
  66. ^ 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.
  67. ^ Originally The Phil Donahue Show
  68. ^ Originally Open End; prior to syndication, aired on WNTA-TV 1958–1961
  69. ^ Also known as Showtime in Harlem, Showtime, and Live in Hollywood
  70. ^ Full title ESPN Magazine's Sport Reporters
  71. ^ Program rebroadcast later the same day on ESPNews
  72. ^ 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.
  73. ^ Includes Sunday Night Baseball, Wednesday Night Baseball, etc.
  74. ^ ESPN2 started broadcasting major league baseball games in 2002 in addition to those offered by ESPN
  75. ^ Longest-running game show in prime time network television
  76. ^ Previously E! News Daily and E! News Live
  77. ^ Also known as Dateline (day of week it airs), Dateline With Stone Phillips
  78. ^ 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 (Saban Brands) towards the total season count (making the current season count one less than expected despite being on for 31 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.
  79. ^ While the show takes place in the same fictional universe, as a whole, 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. In essence, most seasons of the show can be thought of more as a series of individual shows that make up a larger television franchise, like Star Trek for example.
  80. ^ 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).
  81. ^ Costumes and footage loosely adapted from Super Sentai.
  82. ^ 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.
  83. ^ 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.
  84. ^ 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.
  85. ^ 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.
  86. ^ First broadcast episodes on February 7, 2011. Premiered new episodes from February 7, 2011 till the present. Has yet to make its last broadcast.
  87. ^ First broadcast episodes on February 11, 2011. As of the present 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.
  88. ^ Presently, each episode first airs on ESPN2 on Fridays, then is repeated on ESPN two days later
  89. ^ Morning 1979–1982
  90. ^ Originated on NBC Radio 1940–1951.
  91. ^ Hosted by Ralph Edwards
  92. ^ Hosted by Jack Bailey
  93. ^ Hosted by Bob Barker; Steve Dunne also hosted a prime-time version on NBC, 1958
  94. ^ Hosted by Bob Barker
  95. ^ 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).
  96. ^ Aired as Toast of the Town until 1955
  97. ^ Evolved from George Michael's Sports Final, 1980–1984 (https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/16/AR2006111600669.html)
  98. ^ Local transmission only (WCET), 1972–1996
  99. ^ Originated on radio as Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour, 1934–1946
  100. ^ Originally GrandStand, then changed name to reflect year; was also NFL Live 1987–1997
  101. ^ Evolved from Jammin' (1991–1994)
  102. ^ Originally Extra:The Entertainment Magazine
  103. ^ Originally Entertainers
  104. ^ Host: Tom Snyder 1995–1999, Craig Kilborn 1999–2004, Craig Ferguson 2004–2014, James Corden 2015–
  105. ^ Originally ABC Press Conference; succeeded in time slot by This Week
  106. ^ Originally Opening Soon at a Theater Near You (1975–1977); Sneak Previes Goes Video 1989–1991
  107. ^ Original version hosted by Mel Allen (1977–1996), Warner Fusselle (1996), and Ozzie Smith (1997–1998)
  108. ^ 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.
  109. ^ Other names: Evans, Novak, Hunt, and Shields (1998–2001), Novak, Hunt, and Shields (2001–2002)
  110. ^ Originally The O'Reilly Report
  111. ^ First-run broadcast on Fox; repeated in the afternoon of the same day on Fox News Channel
  112. ^ Originally Politics with Chris Matthews
  113. ^ Judges: Ed Koch (1997–1999), Jerry Sheindlin (1999–2001), Marilyn Milian (2001–present)
  114. ^ Name changed to Friday Night 1994–2000, Late Friday 2001–2002. In both cases, the name change accompanied a change in program format
  115. ^ Moved to NBC in 2006, at which time Monday Night Football moves from ABC to ESPN
  116. ^ Sunday Night Football shared with TNT, with TNT getting the first half of the season, ESPN the second half, 1990–1997
  117. ^ Also on CBS Radio, 1945–1967
  118. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (April 7, 2015). "'WWE SmackDown' Moves to USA Network in 2016". TV by the Numbers. Tribune Digital Ventures. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  119. ^ Bacle, Ariana (April 7, 2015). "WWE SmackDown moves to USA Network". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  120. ^ New episodes sporadic after 2001
  121. ^ Longest-running U.S. live-action sitcom.
  122. ^ Reruns only (no first-run episodes) in 1994, 1996, and 2001
  123. ^ First U.S. network series to film all its episodes in color
  124. ^ original network series – syndicated version ran 1971–1977; short-lived "revivals" followed
  125. ^ The 21st Century 1967–1970
  126. ^ Aired locally on KPIX San Francisco as Evening: The MTWTF Show, 1976–1978
  127. ^ Includes series of specials, Jan. 1987 to May 1988
  128. ^ 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 3rd through May 7th, 2010.
  129. ^ "Season 9 Episode Guide". TV Guide. OpenGate Capital Magazine CBS Interactive (CBS Corporation). Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  130. ^ Syndicated revival prompted by success of syndicated repeats of CBS episodes in 1976
  131. ^ Ed McMahon's Star Search, 1992–1995
  132. ^ With Judge Voltaire Perkins
  133. ^ With Judge Joseph Wapner
  134. ^ HGTV continues to present reruns after non-renewal of series
  135. ^ Also known as Kraft Mystery Theatre (1958); another series of the same name ran concurrently on ABC, 1953–1955
  136. ^ Had 13 week seasons, according to HGTV
  137. ^ Emcee: Bud Collyer
  138. ^ Hosted by Art Fleming
  139. ^ Also known as G.E. College Bowl; on NBC radio, 1953–1955; pilot shot 1955
  140. ^ As Make Room for Daddy; NBC used the same name when airing reruns of this series, 1960–1965
  141. ^ As The Danny Thomas Show
  142. ^ "Special preview" airing, April 16, 1994
  143. ^ Longest-running family drama on television, per Reuters article about 7th Heaven finale
  144. ^ Scheduled date of last episode
  145. ^ Simulcast of live program at WFAN New York
  146. ^ On CBS radio 1946–1956
  147. ^ Originated on CBS Radio, 1947
  148. ^ Originally aired locally in Los Angeles, 1947–1950
  149. ^ 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

Further reading

  • Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh. The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–present. ISBN 0-345-45542-8.
  • TV Guide Guide to TV (2006). ISBN 0-7607-7572-9.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_longest-running_American_television_series&oldid=863370909"