What are the longest running TV shows?
BBCWe’ve broken down the longest running TV shows in small-screen history, from sitcoms and detective dramas to cartoons and sci-fi shows.
Television has been in existence for a century now. But it wasn’t until the 1950s when TV sets became commonplace in the average home. Color TV followed in the 1960s, while these days people own sets big enough to challenge cinema screens.
Streaming has challenged the dominance of network television. With shows on Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video owning conversations in the way NBC, CBS, and the BBC used to.
But through the years – and in spite of those many developments that have changed the face of television – some shows have remained constant by entertaining audiences worldwide for decades.
What are the longest running TV shows?
There are many ways to approach this kind of list. But we’re sticking to non-factual television, so won’t be including news, music, or sports shows.
Instead, we’re picking a bunch of genres we love, and writing about the shows that have had the most longevity within that category, only counting the years they are active.
We’re also focussing on UK and US programmes, as this article would never end if we went international. So the following is our list of the longest running TV shows…
Soap Opera: Coronation Street
Active: 63 years (1960-present)
ITVThe oldest American soap opera is General Hospital, which started its tenure in 1963, and continues today. But it’s pipped to the post by the UK’s Coronation Street, which kicked off three years prior.
Set on the cobbled street of the title – which is situated in the fictional town of Weatherfield – the series was created by Grenada Television, and quickly became an ITV staple. Corrie’s success is down to the show’s combination of working class values, kitchen-sink drama, and relatable humor, all of which has made Coronation Street a ratings winner throughout its historic run.
Science-Fiction: Doctor Who
Active: 45 years (1963-1989, 1996, 2005-present)
BBCRevolving around an extraterrestrial Time Lord called The Doctor – and following his time-travelling adventures in a spaceship called the TARDIS – Doctor Who was a huge hit in the UK during its first run, and went global when the show returned in 2005.
William Hartnell was the first Doctor, and when he had to retire due to ill health, producers came up with the ingenious idea of “regeneration,” by which the character could appear in a new body, meaning they could cast a new actor. The Doctor – and his sidekick companions – therefore change every few years, keeping the show fresh and unpredictable.
Sitcom: Last of the Summer Wine
Active: 37 years (1973-2020)
BBCCurb Your Enthusiasm (23 years) and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (18 years) top the list of longest running US sitcoms, but they’ve got nothing on the UK champion, with Last of the Summer Wine broadcast for a whopping 37 years.
Less edgy and challenging than those American frontrunners, LOTSW follows the trials and tribulations of three ageing friends – Compo, Cyril, and Clegg. The gentle humor – which includes a healthy dose of slapstick – appealed to children and adults alike, making it appointment viewing for families on a Sunday night.
Animation: The Simpsons
Active: 34 years (1989-present)
FOXIn the mid-1980s animator Matt Groening created a series of shorts about a dysfunctional American family. The cartoons formed part of The Tracy Ullman Show, which Fox then turned into a prime-time animated series that changed television forever.
The success of The Simpsons is down to the genius of Groening and the incredible writing teams he assembled through the years. And the amazing voice cast, with Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, and Yeardley Smith turning Homer, Marge, Bart, and Lisa into the funniest – and most beloved – family in sitcom history.
Detective: Columbo
Active: 24 years (1968-1978, 1989-2003)
NBCColumbo revolutionized the detective drama by removing the ‘whodunnit’ aspect. Instead, the murder is shown at the start of each episode, when the murderer is also revealed to the audience. The rest of each instalment then focuses on how they will finally be caught.
But what really makes Columbo work is the title character himself. As expertly played by Peter Falk, he’s a disheveled detective who shuffles through crime scenes seeming like he’s one step behind the killer. But Columbo is always one step ahead, especially when he utters the immortal line: “Just one more thing.” Then deals the perpetrator his own killer blow.
Fantasy: Supernatural
Active: 15 years (2005-2020)
The CWFollowing in the footsteps of Buffy the Vampire Slayer – which launched in 1997 and ran for seven years – Supernatural also revolves around the hunting of monsters, demons, and ghosts. But here it’s brothers Sam and Dean Winchester – played by Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles – doing the TV-friendly slaying.
The show’s 15th season ended in 2020, but Supernatural wasn’t done there, with prequel series The Winchesters launching in 2022. And even though it was cancelled in May, the fan-base for this one is rabid, so there may still be life in Supernatural yet…
So that’s your list of the longest-running shows, but for more TV and Movie coverage, head here.