Longest running TV shows

[Smokey]

Couple of surprises here. Didn't know TV shows Lassie or My Three Sons ran for so long.

Ranked accordingly:

10: Knots Landing (1979-1993)
The show's premise centered on Gary Ewing (from Dallas) and his lovely bumpkin wife, Valene, who moved to California. Their neighbors included a host of dysfunctional families and through marriages, affairs, births, stolen babies, murders, novels, new business enterprises, and even a televangelist brother, this show kept viewers watching for 344 episodes.
http://s.hswstatic.com/gif/knots-landing-2.jpg

9: Dallas (1978-1991)
For 357 episodes, Dallas revolved around the wealthy Ewing family -- oil baron and patriarch Jock Ewing; his wife, Miss Ellie; and their sons, JR, Bobby, and black sheep Gary.
http://s.hswstatic.com/gif/dallas-tv.jpg

8: My Three Sons (1960-1972)
For 380 episodes and 12 seasons, Americans stepped into the world of widower Steve Douglas and -- you guessed it -- his three sons: Mike, Robbie, and Chip.
http://s.hswstatic.com/gif/mythreesonsolder.jpg

7: Law & Order (1990-2010)
With over 400 episodes under its belt since it premiered in 1990, the key to this show's success may lie in its ever-revolving cast. None of the original actors remained on the show, and most cast members only stuck around a couple of seasons. Still, the show went on.
http://s.hswstatic.com/gif/tv-production-2-1.jpg

6: The Simpsons (1989-????)
With more than 400 episodes (and counting), the most successful animated family in the history of TV has been going strong since 1989. Creator Matt Groening parodies the average (albeit dysfunctional) American family with buffoonish yet lovable Homer Simpson; his wife, Marge; their brilliant daughter, Lisa; bad-seed son, Bart; and baby, Maggie.
http://s.hswstatic.com/gif/simpsons-250x150.jpg

5: Bonanza (1959-1973)
Airing for 430 episodes, this Western was set in the mid-1800s on a Nevada ranch called "The Ponderosa." The show revolved around the life of Ben Cartwright and his sons, Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe (played by Michael Landon). Bonanza was the first series to tape all of its shows in color, and it held the number one spot on the Nielsen ratings chart from 1964 to 1967.
http://s.hswstatic.com/gif/bonanza-1.jpg

4: The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952-1966)
What began as a radio program in 1944 became a movie (Here Come the Nelsons) in 1952 and then a successful television program that ran for 435 episodes. In this wholesome show, the characters played themselves -- Ozzie and Harriet Nelson and their two sons, David and Ricky. Ozzie's roots were in music, so when Ricky's talent started to emerge, Ozzie wrote it into the story line, ending each show with a performance by his younger son.
http://s.hswstatic.com/gif/ozzie-and-harriet.jpg

3: Death Valley Days (1952-1970)
In 1952, Death Valley Days, which aired as a radio show from 1930 to 1945, evolved into a successful TV show that lasted 18 seasons. A host introduced each of the 451 episodes, which were based on actual pioneer stories that took place in southeastern California and western Nevada during the late 1800s. Future President Ronald Reagan and country singer Merle Haggard were among the hosts during the show's run.
http://s.hswstatic.com/gif/death-valley-days.jpg

2: Lassie (1954-1972)
Running for 588 episodes, Lassie centered around a loyal canine companion who rescued her human family from various predicaments. Over the years, Lassie was portrayed by nine different male dogs, all descendants of the original Lassie, whose real name was Pal. During the show's run, Lassie had various owners, most notably Timmy and Jeff. Only three dogs have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame -- Lassie, Rin Tin Tin, and Strongheart.
http://s.hswstatic.com/gif/lassie-1.jpg

1: Gunsmoke (1955-1975)
Gunsmoke tops the list as the longest-running dramatic series in network television history with 635 episodes. Set in Dodge City, Kansas, during the 1870s, Gunsmoke began as a radio program in 1952, switched to the land of visual entertainment in 1955, and finally ended its 20-year run in 1975.
http://s.hswstatic.com/gif/gunsmoke-show-1.jpg

[Mr Peabody]

Some pretty good TV viewing there. It's interesting to go back and watch some of the old shows that started in the 50's or early 60's and see how society has changed.

[Feanor]

Couple of surprises here. Didn't know TV shows Lassie or My Three Sons ran for so long.

Ranked accordingly:

10: Knots Landing (1979-1993)

9: Dallas (1978-1991)

8: My Three Sons (1960-1972)

7: Law & Order (1990-2010)

6: The Simpsons (1989-????)

5: Bonanza (1959-1973)

4: The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952-1966)

3: Death Valley Days (1952-1970)

2: Lassie (1954-1972)

1: Gunsmoke (1955-1975)[/FONT]

Thanks, Smokey, for the list. Wow. What to say?

My personal recollection goes back to the earliest of these show and I've heard of them all. However there are several of which I never saw a single episode; in that category are Knot's Landing, Ozzie and Harriet, My Three Sons, and Death Valley Days.

On the other hand Lassie was part of my childhood and Gunsmoke and Bonanza figured in my teenage years. These shows were in a benign fantasy world that wouldn't have much traction today. Other, less long runing shows I enjoyed in that era included Peter Gunn (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Gunn) and Have Gun - Will Travel (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Have_Gun_%E2%80%93_Will_Travel).

Since then I've watched a respectable share of Dallas, The Simpsons, and Law and Order, though not the whole of any of these series. I was big on Dallas roughly in the middle of its run but gave up when the themes became repetitive.

[sjtm]

Reading this list causes an almost Pavlovian reaction - unjlike my kids, TV was the only medium in my youth ( other than my dad's hifi). No idea how long they ran, but these were some of my staples:

Twilight Zone
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Sea Hunt
Route 66
Then Came Bronson ( a little later after Easy Rider came into the popular conscience - had a Honda 90 then - still ride a Ninja today - all due to this show)
77 Sunset Strip
Peter Gunn
Perry Mason
American Bandstand ( I grew up near Philly, so this was a daily staple)
The Rifleman
Dobie Gillis
Have Gun Will Travel
Gunsmoke

At least a few of these might have a chance of holding up today with some minor revamping.

Perhaps this list brings back memories for some ( others, I am sure, will be scratching their heads).

[Smokey]

Thanks Peabody, Feanor and Sjtm

I also love old time TV shows and still watch them. Of the above list, my favorite TV show probably is Gunsmoke. The show ran between 1955 to 1975, and the best episodes (IMO) are from 1960 to 1970 period. That is where show lighten up a bit as everybody got comfortable in their roles, and Festus was introduced into the show.

I also have alot of TV shows on DVD in my collection, and watch these DVDs regularly:

Good Times
Three Stooges
Different Strokes
Marries…with children
Give Me a Break
Wild Wild Wild West
Sanford And Son
Odd Couple
Andy Griffith
Honey Mooners
Hawaii-Five-O
Whats Happening

And tons of cartons such as Tom and Jerry, Bugs Bunny and Friends :D

[Jack in Wilmington]

Thanks Peabody, Feanor and Sjtm

I also love old time TV shows and still watch them. Of the above list, my favorite TV show probably is Gunsmoke. The show ran between 1955 to 1975, and the best episodes (IMO) are from 1960 to 1970 period. That is where show lighten up a bit as everybody got comfortable in their roles, and Festus was introduced into the show.

I also have alot of TV shows on DVD in my collection, and watch these DVDs regularly:

Good Times
Three Stooges
Different Strokes
Marries…with children
Give Me a Break
Wild Wild Wild West
Sanford And Son
Odd Couple
Andy Griffith
Honey Mooners
Hawaii-Five-O
Whats Happening

And tons of cartons such as Tom and Jerry, Bugs Bunny and Friends :D

Looks like NCIS will be joining that list as they are in season 13 and are already renewed for season 14 and 15. I watch a lot of Me TV and really enjoy the old shows too. I never appreciated Festus when I originally watched him on Gunsmoke, but I get a kick out of him now. I was probably too young to enjoy the barbs that him and Doc threw back and forth at each other.

[recoveryone]

Looks like NCIS will be joining that list as they are in season 13 and are already renewed for season 14 and 15. I watch a lot of Me TV and really enjoy the old shows too. I never appreciated Festus when I originally watched him on Gunsmoke, but I get a kick out of him now. I was probably too young to enjoy the barbs that him and Doc threw back and forth at each other.

must remember TV season are not the same as calendar seasons. 15 seasons equal to 3 years on calendar. There have been some great shows that took time or never given the time to gain big followings. Mile stones for TV shows today is the 100th episode, so roughly if a shows last 2 years its considered a major hit.

Shows like Game of thrones and other pay channel shows are setting a whole new standard on longevity as they only put out one season a year. This type of holding the fans in limbo for a year has been a gold mine for HBO/Showtime and the rest.

[Smokey]

I never appreciated Festus when I originally watched him on Gunsmoke, but I get a kick out of him now. I was probably too young to enjoy the barbs that him and Doc threw back and forth at each other.

Festus as a comic relief is one reason the Gunsmoke ran for so long. The first time Festus apeared on Gunsmoke, he was clean shaven and was a playboy. And he was not funny, but serious.

The second time he appeared on show, they changed his character to scrubby looking, funny talking poacher. And Festus as we know today was born.

[Smokey]

must remember TV season are not the same as calendar seasons. 15 seasons equal to 3 years on calendar. There have been some great shows that took time or never given the time to gain big followings. Mile stones for TV shows today is the 100th episode, so roughly if a shows last 2 years its considered a major hit.

Shows like Game of thrones and other pay channel shows are setting a whole new standard on longevity as they only put out one season a year. This type of holding the fans in limbo for a year has been a gold mine for HBO/Showtime and the rest.

I thought all TV show put out one season (which run between September and May) every year, although the number of shows per season may differ. Old time half hour TV sitcom used to put out 32 shows per season.

[Jack in Wilmington]

must remember TV season are not the same as calendar seasons. 15 seasons equal to 3 years on calendar. There have been some great shows that took time or never given the time to gain big followings. Mile stones for TV shows today is the 100th episode, so roughly if a shows last 2 years its considered a major hit.

Shows like Game of thrones and other pay channel shows are setting a whole new standard on longevity as they only put out one season a year. This type of holding the fans in limbo for a year has been a gold mine for HBO/Showtime and the rest.

Well I know that NCIS started in 2003 and it is 2016. In the old days the seasons ran longer like 35 episodes and now it's more like 23 or 24. That is one difference that might have you confused, or some shows like Survivor have two seasons per year.

[recoveryone]

Now days (I would say from the 80's on) the Fall season goes from September to November. December is used for re-runs and maybe a holiday special, while advertising for the new seasons starting in January. Season 2 runs from Jan-April, May is used for reruns leading into the summer months. The old shows ran year around and you were able to actually see a child actor grow up compare to todays show were a child jumps from a 8yr old to a tween within months. Summer, June-Aug is the 3rd season where we see fill in shows while the main ones are doing filming.

Anyone watch one the two airing of Kings and Prophet, it was pulled after two airings. I watched one episode and new it was a kind of show that would need time to catch on, but by todays standards it was killed. Being a big Scfi fan I remember the show with the Sub (it was like star trek under water).

In my opinion FOX is the biggest show killer of all the networks.

[Jack in Wilmington]

Now days (I would say from the 80's on) the Fall season goes from September to November. December is used for re-runs and maybe a holiday special, while advertising for the new seasons starting in January. Season 2 runs from Jan-April, May is used for reruns leading into the summer months. The old shows ran year around and you were able to actually see a child actor grow up compare to todays show were a child jumps from a 8yr old to a tween within months. Summer, June-Aug is the 3rd season where we see fill in shows while the main ones are doing filming.

Anyone watch one the two airing of Kings and Prophet, it was pulled after two airings. I watched one episode and new it was a kind of show that would need time to catch on, but by todays standards it was killed. Being a big Scfi fan I remember the show with the Sub (it was like star trek under water).

In my opinion FOX is the biggest show killer of all the networks.

Very few shows run the kind of schedule that you're talking about. Survivor and Dancing with the Stars run two seasons from September to May but most network programs run one season from September to May. Some shows start in January and run an abbreviated season for 8 to 10 weeks. Some cable shows like "Major Crimes" on TNT and "Suits" on USA run two seasons of 8 weeks at two different times of the year, but this is not the normal network schedule.

[recoveryone]

All I can say Jack is pay close attention this year and you will see what I am saying. I remember when Dancing with the stars was a summer fill in show.

Here you go Jack:

~In North American television, a series is a connected set of television program episodes that run under the same title, possibly spanning many seasons. Since the late 1960s, this broadcast programming schedule typically includes between 20 and 26 episodes. (Before then, a regular television season could average out to at least 30 episodes.) Up until the 1980s, most (but certainly not all) new programs for the broadcast networks (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadcast_network) debuted in the "Fall Season", which ran from September through March and nominally contained from 24 to 26 episodes. These episodes were rebroadcast during the Spring (or Summer) Season, from April through August. Because of cable television (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cable_television) and the Nielsen sweeps (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nielsen_ratings), the "fall" season now normally extends to May. Thus, a "full season" on a broadcast network now usually runs from September through May for at least 22 episodes.[14] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_program#cite_note-NetworkShortOrders-14)
A full season is sometimes split into two separate units with a hiatus around the end of the calendar year, such as the first season of Jericho (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jericho_(2006_TV_series)) on CBS. When this split occurs, the last half of the episodes sometimes are referred to with the letter B as in "The last nine episodes (of The Sopranos (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sopranos)) will be part of what is being called either "Season 6, Part 2" or "Season 6B,"[15] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_program#cite_note-15) or in "Futurama (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futurama) is splitting its seasons similar to how South Park (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Park) does, doing half a season at a time, so this is season 6B for them."[16] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_program#cite_note-16) Since the 1990s, these shorter seasons also have been referred to as ".5" or half seasons, where the run of shows between September and December is labeled "Season X", and the second run between January and May labeled "Season X.5". Examples of this include the 2004 incarnation of Battlestar Galactica (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlestar_Galactica_(2004_TV_series)), ABC's FlashForward (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FlashForward), and ABC Family's Make It or Break It (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Make_It_or_Break_It).
Nowadays, a new series is often ordered (funded) for just the first 10 to 13 episodes, to gauge the audience (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audience) interest. If it is "picked up", the season is completed to the regular 20 to 26 episodes. A midseason replacement (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midseason_replacement) is an inexpensive short-run (10–13 episode) show designed to take the place of an original series that failed to garner an audience and has not been picked up. A "series finale" is the last show of the series before the show is no longer produced. (In the UK, it means the end of a season, what is known in the United States as a "season finale").

[Jack in Wilmington]

All I can say Jack is pay close attention this year and you will see what I am saying. I remember when Dancing with the stars was a summer fill in show.

Here you go Jack:

~In North American television, a series is a connected set of television program episodes that run under the same title, possibly spanning many seasons. Since the late 1960s, this broadcast programming schedule typically includes between 20 and 26 episodes. (Before then, a regular television season could average out to at least 30 episodes.) Up until the 1980s, most (but certainly not all) new programs for the broadcast networks (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadcast_network) debuted in the "Fall Season", which ran from September through March and nominally contained from 24 to 26 episodes. These episodes were rebroadcast during the Spring (or Summer) Season, from April through August. Because of cable television (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cable_television) and the Nielsen sweeps (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nielsen_ratings), the "fall" season now normally extends to May. Thus, a "full season" on a broadcast network now usually runs from September through May for at least 22 episodes.[14] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_program#cite_note-NetworkShortOrders-14)
A full season is sometimes split into two separate units with a hiatus around the end of the calendar year, such as the first season of Jericho (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jericho_(2006_TV_series)) on CBS. When this split occurs, the last half of the episodes sometimes are referred to with the letter B as in "The last nine episodes (of The Sopranos (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sopranos)) will be part of what is being called either "Season 6, Part 2" or "Season 6B,"[15] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_program#cite_note-15) or in "Futurama (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futurama) is splitting its seasons similar to how South Park (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Park) does, doing half a season at a time, so this is season 6B for them."[16] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_program#cite_note-16) Since the 1990s, these shorter seasons also have been referred to as ".5" or half seasons, where the run of shows between September and December is labeled "Season X", and the second run between January and May labeled "Season X.5". Examples of this include the 2004 incarnation of Battlestar Galactica (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlestar_Galactica_(2004_TV_series)), ABC's FlashForward (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FlashForward), and ABC Family's Make It or Break It (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Make_It_or_Break_It).
Nowadays, a new series is often ordered (funded) for just the first 10 to 13 episodes, to gauge the audience (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audience) interest. If it is "picked up", the season is completed to the regular 20 to 26 episodes. A midseason replacement (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midseason_replacement) is an inexpensive short-run (10–13 episode) show designed to take the place of an original series that failed to garner an audience and has not been picked up. A "series finale" is the last show of the series before the show is no longer produced. (In the UK, it means the end of a season, what is known in the United States as a "season finale").


Look up NCIS on IMDB.com and you'll see that it's in season 13. Your 1st paragraph agrees with Smokey and I, and the rest I'm not to sure what it says. Smokey and I are on the same page.

[recoveryone]

What it all says is that both arguments are correct

[Jack in Wilmington]

What it all says is that both arguments are correct

They both have their merit, but my original statement that NCIS will be joining Smokey's list soon, still is valid.

[Smokey]

They both have their merit, but my original statement that NCIS will be joining Smokey's list soon, still is valid.

That is true as on March 15, 2016, NCIS reached it 300th episode which rank it number 13 on list of longest running TV show:

13. "NCIS" (2003-????)
300 episodes
http://images.zap2it.com/assets/p184930_b_h3_at/ncis.jpg


12: “ER” (1994 to 2009),
331 episodes.
http://boomerhighway.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Wallpaper-er-32359701-1280-720.jpg


11. "CSI: Crime Scene”: ( 2000 to 2015)
335 episodes
http://www.entertainmentwallpaper.com/images/desktops/movie/tv-csi-crime-scene-investigation07.jpg

13. "NCIS" - 13 longest-running scripted TV shows of all time - Pictures - CBS News (http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/ncis-longest-running-scripted-tv-shows-of-all-time/)

[Jack in Wilmington]

Interesting is that TV Land is now showing season 20 of Gunsmoke in the afternoon. I don't remember any of these episodes as I was working then and didn't always watch a lot of TV.