Television is a competitive industry, and many shows are lucky to get picked up past season one. It’s rare when a series is popular enough to survive casting changes, cultural shifts, and disruptions in the media landscape. From daytime soaps to late night comedy programs, these are the longest running TV shows in history.
Soap operas are notorious for following complicated storylines over multiple seasons. Even by the standards of the genre, the British series Coronation Street has been around for a while. It premiered in 1960 and is still airing today. If you count its years as a radio drama, the soap opera Guiding Light technically ran longer. After it began airing in 1937, it transitioned to television in 1952 and ran for 57 years until its cancellation in 2009.
The list of longest-running TV shows also includes several comedies. After nearly seven decades on the air with several different hosts, The Tonight Show is still in production. The same goes for the legendary sketch show Saturday Night Live, which premiered in 1975. The longest-running scripted comedy is The Simpsons, which has aired an impressive 32 seasons since it premiered in 1989.
You check out the list of longest-running programs in TV history below. If you’re looking for something more bingeable, here’s how long it takes to watch more than 50 popular shows.
- The Tonight Show // 67 Years
- Coronation Street // 61 Years
- General Hospital // 58 Years
- Guiding Light // 57 Years
- Days of Our Lives // 56 Years
- As the World Turns // 54 Years
- Sazae-san // 52 Years
- Sesame Street // 52 Years
- Emmerdale // 49 Years
- The Price Is Right // 49 Years
- The Young and the Restless // 48 Years
- Saturday Night Live // 46 Years
- One Life to Live // 45 Years
- Doctor Who // 42 Years
- All My Children // 41 Years
- Wheel of Fortune // 38 Years
- Jeopardy! // 37 Years
- The Bold and the Beautiful // 34 years
- Mister Rogers Neighborhood // 33 Years
- The Simpsons // 32 Years
