Television remains one of the most fiercely competitive sectors in the World, so new shows struggle to find popularity. 

A great deal of TV shows end after a single season or two, as they are virtually always canceled. In fact, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix’s new scripted projects have a 58.2 percent rate of failure. Netflix cancels series for a variety of reasons, ranging from audience analytics to corporate strategy.

However, some have withstood the rigors of time as they have been on the air for more than 50 years. In this list, we will go over the top ten longest-running television programs of all time and explain why each one of these shows has been able to maintain consistent success.

As of this writing, this American late-night chat program has been running for nearly 70 years. Steve Allen founded the Tonight Show and has featured other hosts since. This includes Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien, and Jimmy Fallon.

In this post we will answer your question: what is the longest running TV show ranked by duration? They are as follows:

1. The Tonight Show: 1954 to present (69 years)
2. Coronation Street: 1960 to present (63 years)
3. General Hospital: 1963 to present (60 years)
4. Days of Our Lives: 1965 to present (58 years)
5. Guiding Light: 1952 to 2009 (57 years)
6. 60 Minutes: 1968 to present (55 years)
7. As the World Turns: 1956 to 2010 (54 years)
8. Sazae-San: 1969 to present (54 years)
9. Sesame Street: 1969 to present (54 years)
10. Emmerdale: 1972 to present (51 years)
11. The Young and the Restless: 1973 to present (50 years)
12. NOVA: 1974 to present (49 years)
13. Saturday Night Live: 1975 to Present (48 years)
14. Top Gear: 1977 to present (46 years)
15. One Life to Live: 1968 to 2012 (44 years)
16. Doctor Who: 1963 to 1989, 1996, 2005 to present (44 Years)
17. All My Children: 1970 to 2013 (43 years)
18. The Bugs Bunny Show: 1960 to 2000 (40 years)
19. Casualty: 1986 to present (37 Years)
20. Another World: 1964 to 1999 (35 years)
21. The Simpsons: 1989 to present (33 years)
22. South Park: 1997 to present (26 years)
23. Gunsmoke: 1955 to 1975 (20 years)
24. Friends: 1994 to 2004 (10 years)

1. The Tonight Show: 1954 to present (69 years)

The Tonight Show is the longest running TV show in history. The third host, Johnny Carson of The Tonight Show, must be our special mention. Although Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien, and now Jimmy Fallon do a fantastic job, Johnny’s 30-year run stands out as its own entity. His calm, detached, self-deprecating attitude — he was frequently funnier in the moments following a joke bombing compared to delivering the more solid punchlines — made Tonight mandatory viewing regardless of NBC’s primetime fortunes. 

The early 1970s, when the show had just migrated from New York to Los Angeles, stood out as the ultimate ideal era for the late-night talk show model. Frequent A-list visitors such as Burt Reynolds became so at ease with Johnny that it would start to seem like the audience was eavesdropping on talks that the participants were unaware were being filmed. Johnny’s retirement signaled the starting point of the end of the monoculture, as viewership immediately divided into Team Jay, Team Dave, and Team Arsenio, despite the fact that no one was even remotely close to actually challenging Carson’s own reign.  

This chat program has aired almost 12,000 episodes since its debut. Despite a dip in ratings in the Jimmy Fallon era, it has remained popular. It appears to be approaching its 70th year on the air, and it will take quite a while for any other television show to catch up to it.

2. Coronation Street: 1960 to present (63 years)

Coronation Street is the longest running drama on television and the third longest running show on TV of all time. This British soap opera’s total run of show includes 10,000 episodes over the course of 63 years. 

The iconic soap opera chronicles the people of Coronation Street, a working-class area of Greater Manchester. The show is noted for its gripping and dramatic plots, balanced with lighthearted humor. It has addressed a variety of societal concerns, including poverty, domestic violence, sexual assault, and others.

3. General Hospital: 1963 to present (60 years)

General Hospital has aired almost 15,000 episodes throughout its 60-year run making it one of the longest running tv shows in the world. General Hospital was named the “Greatest Soap Opera of All Time” by TV Guide and has received a record number of Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Drama Series, earning 13 wins in total. After the last broadcasts of As The World Turns and Guiding Light in 2010, it became the oldest American soap tv show. This series, which debuted in 1963 and is still in production today, holds the Guinness World Record for the longest-running American soap opera in production as well as the second-longest-running drama on American television.

The first season of General Hospital was set in a general hospital (thus the title) in the fictional town of Port Charles, New York. The show contains medical drama, mob battles, and love and passion. Since the late 1970s, most storylines have revolved around the Quartermaines and Spencers. It rose to the top of the ratings from the late ’70s to the early ’80s thanks to the much-loved super couple Laura and Luke, who started the soap opera super couple trend.

4. Days of Our Lives: 1965 to present (58 years)

Looking back, Joey’s role as Dr. Drake Ramoray on the well-known sitcom Friends could have been completed without him. So, here’s the original show that sparked it all. Days of Our Lives ranks as one of television’s longest-running soap operas. It first aired in 1965 and is still running today. It has received various honors throughout the course of its 53-year career, notably several Daytime Emmy Awards. Throughout the 14,000+ episodes, there has been a vast number of characters who have come and gone. 

Days of Our Lives was regarded as a daring show because it addressed unorthodox themes and taboo matters that other soap operas avoided. As a result, the show became the most widely distributed US soap opera. The story is set in Salem, a fictional Midwestern town inhabited by the Hortons and Bradys and also by the villainous DiMeras. It merged the concept of a hospital soap (similar to General Hospital) with the conventional, family-centered drama to create a show about a family of doctors.

5. Guiding Light: 1952 to 2009 (57 years)

“Guiding Light” is the mother of all other soap operas that set the standard for soap operas all across the World. (Don’t you think the show’s title is appropriate for this?) It began as a radio show in 1937 and lasted until 1956 on NBC Radio. This soap opera moved to television in 1952 but was canceled in 2009 because of low ratings after an entire run of 15,762 episodes. It aired for a total of 57 years on television, but it had a staggering 72-year run on radio. Guiding Light is the longest-running non-news program in American television history.

The Guiding Light takes place in Springfield, a fictional Midwest town, and initially focuses on the middle-class Bauer household. Later, it centered on other Springfield families’ lives, loves, and struggles, such as the Spauldings, Coopers, Lewises, and Chamberlains. One of the show’s most strange plots entailed cloning Reva Lewis using one of the character’s own frozen eggs, and when the clone had been created, she was given an anti-aging serum so she wouldn’t age quickly. However, the clone Reva proved wicked and attempted to steal Reva’s place.

6. 60 Minutes: 1968 to present (55 years)

The visual and ticking audio of the clock that follows the series title card of 60 Minutes is well known. On September 24, 1968, CBS aired its first episode, and audiences have remained loyal to the show despite 55 years and more than 2,300 episodes.

The show focuses on investigations of current events in the United States and around the World. The new media innovations featured 60 Minutes’ parts online via smartphone apps and sites.

7. As the World Turns: 1956 to 2010 (54 years)

As the World Turns premiered in 1956, two years before General Hospital and Days of Our Lives. It aired on CBS for 54 years and was the second-longest-running series in American history when it concluded in 2010. Before this series, all serials were 15 minutes long, but As the World Turns became one of the very first 30-minute programs to air on television. The ratings began to rise in 1957, and by the fall of 1958, they had risen to the top of the daytime Nielsen ratings. From 1958 to 1978, As the World Turns was the most-watched daytime drama.

The program is more realistic than other soap operas, and it was the first to adopt a two-family format. It progressed at the speed of life, making the plot slow but emotionally compelling—the story of As the World Turns pitted a middle-class family opposing a wealthy but problematic family. Set in Oakdale, Illinois, the series follows the Hughes, Snyder, and Walsh families as they battle to do the right thing while following their hearts.

8. Sazae-San: 1969 to present (54 years)

This Japanese anime for kids maintains the Guinness World Record for the longest-running animated TV show in the World, as well as one of the longest-running TV shows anywhere, after more than five decades and over 7,500 episodes. Sazae-san has been dubbed Japan’s “national anime” due to its universal appeal, and it remains among the highest-rated anime programs in the country. Sazae-San is based on the same-named manga series and chronicles Sazae Fugunta with her family.

The show follows Sazae Fuguta, her husband Masuo, and their family as they negotiate life in Japan after World War II with humor and affection. It is still running strong today and is especially beloved in its home nation. Crunchyroll has it accessible for streaming. Sazae-san’s success paved the way for other long-running anime geared at children, such as Pokemon and Doraemon.

9. Sesame Street: 1969 to present (54 years)

Sesame Street has been on the air for 54 years and is widely regarded as the most adored children’s show of all time. It has had nearly 4,500 episodes over this time.

This TV show’s primary goal is to entertain and educate children by covering themes that teach vital life skills and societal issues in a pleasant and child-friendly manner. It’s no surprise that it’s received numerous Grammy and Emmy nominations throughout the years!

Bert and Ernie, Elmo, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, and more well-known characters appear in the show. It’s hardly surprising that this program has lasted so long, with recognizable personas and clever instructional tools.

10. Emmerdale: 1972 to present (51 years)

British soap operas are well-known for their length and ability to remain on the air for an extended period of time. Emmerdale is a 1972 British soap opera with over 9,000 episodes.

Until 1989, it was known as Emmerdale Farm, and the main focus was the Sudgen household. They were a farming family from a fictional Yorkshire village.

Soap opera storylines typically endure months, if not years. Each plot is frequently tailored to a particular target audience, allowing them to build a more dedicated and long-term fan following. They are also less expensive to produce than many other TV shows, which means there is less danger in keeping them on the air for so long.

11. The Young and the Restless: 1973 to present (50 years)

The Young and the Restless is a daytime drama with the highest ratings on American television. It premiered in 1973 with half-hour episodes, then expanded to hour-long episodes in 1980. The show was near the bottom of the ratings when it originally aired. Nevertheless, it quickly rose to the top. By 1988, it had dethroned long-time leader General Hospital as the most popular soap opera. It had been the number one daytime drama for 30 years as of 2018. The show has received nine Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Drama Series, and it was recently renewed to run through the 2023 to 2024 TV season.

The show initially focused on two core families: the rich Brooks and the working-class Fosters, both of whom live in Genoa City, a fictional town in Wisconsin unrelated to the actual life in Genoa City, WI. It was later supplanted by the Abbots and Williamses, with the inclusion of the Newmans, Winters, and Baldwin Fishers. The town is a hive of conflict, corporate intrigue, and magnificence, pitting the Abbotts against the Newmans. Despite these changes, one plotline remained: Jill Abbot’s animosity with Katherine Chancellor. Their rivalry is the longest on an American soap opera to date.

12. NOVA: 1974 to present (49 years)

PBS has produced some programs that are still popular on television. NOVA, a primetime science program, is one of many. Even four years after its initial airing on March 3, 1974, it remains the most-watched scientific program in the United States. The weekly show focuses on nature and science and is still broadcast on the same channel. Inside interviews with famous experts and scientists are also included.

13. Saturday Night Live: 1975 to Present (48 years) 

Lorne Michaels has been bringing Saturday Night Live to late-night television since 1975. SNL broke comedy boundaries while also addressing some of society’s most complex issues, such as racism, politics, class, and pop culture, in a mutually acceptable manner.

They achieved great success in the 1990s thanks to comedians such as Norm MacDonald, Adam Sandler, and Chris Farley, who drove them deeper into their journey towards Hollywood prominence with numerous popular comedy stars, including Eddie Murphy and Chevy Chase, making it one of TV’s longest-running sketch comedies ever.

14. Top Gear: 1977 to present (46 years)

Top Gear is a BBC television show that debuted in 1977. Top Gear had a number of hosts, the most well-known of which were Noel Edmonds and Jeremy Clarkson. While many Americans are perhaps more aware of the American version, which debuted in 2002, the show has been broadcast in the United Kingdom since 1977, with over 500 episodes showcasing its hosts covering a variety of vehicles. Despite the controversy, the program was one of the BBC’s most popular in the 1980s and 1990s, sparking a slew of clones.

The series continued after the BBC dropped it in 2002. Instead, the production crew transferred to Channel 5 under the name Fifth Gear, and the BBC decided to restart Top Gear with Clarkson, where it is still one of the longest-running TV programs in the World, especially when it comes to docuseries. It continues to be one of the most extensively broadcast nonfiction series, airing in a variety of nations worldwide.

15. One Life to Live: 1968 to 2012 (44 years)

Created by Agnes Nixon, One Life To Live is a long-running daytime soap opera that premiered on ABC in 1968. It is the first daytime drama to focus on socioeconomic and ethnically diverse characters while stressing societal themes. The show began as a 30-minute performance, then increased to 45 minutes in 1976, and finally to an hour in 1978. The final episode, however, aired in 2012 and concluded on a cliffhanger. The Online Network continued it in 2013, but it was abruptly canceled.

The wealthy Lord family is pitted against the fierce Cramer family as well as the strong Buchanan clan in One Life to Live. Erika Slezak, who played the main lead Viki Lord from 1971 to the end of the show’s run, won a record six Daytime Emmy Awards for her performance. The novel takes place in a fictional neighborhood of Llanview, Pa., where tensions are high due to three feuding families. Llanview residents have witnessed cults, time travel, and out-of-body experiences.

16. Doctor Who: 1963 to 1989, 1996, 2005 to present (44 Years)

“Doctor Who” has been on the air since 1963 and is listed in the official Guinness Book of World Records for being the longest-running sci-fi program. Original “Who” ran from 1963 until 1989 before being abruptly terminated by the BBC. After a disastrous revival film in 1996, the series lay dormant for another ten years until writer Russell T. Davies resurrected it in 2005, following the original show’s storyline rather than a remake. 

Many different actors have played the part of the show’s primary character, identified only as “The Doctor.” The Doctor travels across time, battles several alien foes, and has a constantly changing companion. The series has a large fan base and made headlines by selecting Jodie Whittaker as the first female Doctor in 2017 and Ncuti Gatwa as the sixteenth Doctor, the only Black actor to do so.

17. All My Children: 1970 to 2013 (43 years)

Agnes Nixon’s soap opera All My Children became another of her successful creations. This iconic soap opera debuted in 1970 and lasted 41 years before being canceled in 2011. The Internet Network revived it as an Internet series in 2013, but production was halted after 40 episodes. Susan Lucci starred as Erica Kane, the show’s breakout star as well as one of daytime television’s most popular personalities.

This soap opera took place in Pine Valley, a fictitious Philadelphia neighborhood modeled after the real-life Philadelphia suburb of Rosemont. It was known for addressing serious and contentious themes that included abortion in the seventies, AIDS in the eighties, and same-sex marriage in the 2000s. It also happened to be the first series that addressed the subject of the Vietnam War.

18. The Bugs Bunny Show: 1960 to 2000 (40 years)

There’s no doubt that Bugs Bunny ranks among the most famous Looney Tunes characters. His celebrity led him to his variety program, which premiered on ABC and CBS on October 11, 1960. While it was a sad day for fans when the show’s final episode aired in September 2000, Bugs Bunny continues to be a classic. The Bugs Bunny Show has been on the air for nearly 40 years and is still the longest-running cartoon show on television.

19. Casualty: 1986 to present (37 Years)

People in the US often find it difficult to realize Grey’s Anatomy has been on the air for nineteen seasons. Nevertheless, while that is a record for medical operas in the United States, it pales in comparison to the United Kingdom. With almost 1200 weekly episodes, Casualty is the longest-running television series in the World when it relates to primetime medical drama tv shows.

Casualty premiered in 1986 and is set at the fictitious Holby City Hospital, covering the hospital’s personnel and patients. The show is so successful that it has resulted in four spin-off series and received countless accolades over the years. The series was created in response to the Margaret Thatcher era, but it has persisted to the present day, with performances by performers including Kate Winslet, Tom Hiddleston, and Jodie Comer,

20. Another World: 1964 to 1999 (35 years)

Another World, which debuted on NBC in 1964, was the very first soap to discuss abortion at a time when such topics were frowned upon. This made the show revolutionary at the time. It was also the first soap drama to feature a crossover with Guiding Light’s Mike Bauer. The show was discontinued in 1999 when its ratings continued to fall.

Another World (TVseries), set in Bay City, a fictional town, originally featured the lives of the Matthews family’s competing middle-class and upper-class branches. The Cory, Hudson, and Randolph families were later introduced to the show. The show debuted strong with a bold premise about an adolescent who had an illegal abortion, then winds up as an acquitted murderer and marries her lawyer.

21. The Simpsons: 1989 to present (33 years)

The Simpsons require no introduction; the show has been a fixture of pop culture since its debut in 1989. Everyone knows the Simpsons, featuring Homer, Marge, Lisa, Bart, and Maggie, and it’s easily one of the most known cartoons in the World. The Simpsons have been airing for many years and are easily adaptable to shifting pop culture trends to remain relevant and get high ratings. Wondering what show has the most seasons? It’s the Simpsons! The show has been going for 34 seasons and has no intention of stopping anytime soon. It has also created a film spin-off, which is being considered for a sequel.

Originally developed from a series of cartoons split between skits on “The Tracey Ullman Show” in the latter part of the 1980s, “America’s Longest-Running Animated Show” is the country’s longest-running animated show. Since then, the series has spawned toys, comic books, songs, a feature film, and computer games, as well as its own Universal Studios theme park attraction. The show’s principal cast members received $400,000 per episode at its peak, but they’ve subsequently agreed to numerous rounds of salary cuts to continue making the show financially viable for Fox.

22. South Park: 1997 to present (26 years)

The creators of this foul-mouthed animated parody, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, stretch the bounds of good taste to the breaking point, making “The Simpsons” appear tame. This Comedy Central smash hit established the imaginary town of South Park, Colorado, and it made Kenny, Stan, Kyle, and Cartman (as well as the show’s producers) household celebrities. The show has produced a big-screen adaptation and two successful video games.

23. Gunsmoke: 1955 to 1975 (20 years)

 “Gunsmoke,” with its 635 episodes, became the longest running tv series in network television history. Based in Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, “Gunsmoke” started as a radio show in 1952, moved to television in 1955, and finally finished its 20-year run in 1975.

24. Friends: 1994 to 2004 (10 years)

When Monica, Rachel, Ross, Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe—played by Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, and Lisa Kudrow in “Friends,” it was television magic. The show was one of the most successful comedies of all time, receiving 62 Primetime Emmy nominations and winning 2002’s Outstanding Comedy Series. It launched the futures of every one of its cast members in television and movies, and it inspired the short-lived spin-off “Joey.” HBO Max aired a much-anticipated “Friends” reunion special reuniting the original cast in 2021.

Summary

We would grow bored and misinformed about international events if we did not have television. Television shows are an excellent way to unwind while bringing families together.

Television, whether a reality show, a game show, or a soap opera, also helps us pass the time. We zone out when we watch television, so we forget about our stressful days. Television provides a respite from the stresses of the day.

These television shows have been an aspect of our lives for a long time. Sometimes we become attracted to the characters and attempt to relate with them in the most authentic way we can.

Whatever television series you enjoy, there is something for everyone in terms of news, entertainment, documentaries, and beyond. We recommend that you start watching one of these shows if you haven’t already.

If you keep an open mind, you might be able to understand why these series have been on TV for a long time. Take a seat, unwind, and enjoy the performances.

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