The Longest-Running TV Shows Ever

Within the last two decades, an influx of streaming services like Netflix has completely changed how we consume entertainment, especially TV shows. Instead of waiting week after week to discover the fate of your favorite character, full seasons of shows are often released all in one day on streamers, giving viewers immediate access to binge-watch the series from beginning to end in a matter of hours.

This unlimited access to content has made a significant impact on cable television, with 82 percent of American households subscribing to a paid video streaming service, according to data from Deloitte released in March 2022. With this increase in competition, primetime TV has struggled to keep up. Despite this, plenty of long-running TV shows have stood the test of time and remained on the air after numerous seasons.

If you’re overwhelmed by the plethora of original series on Hulu and Prime Video, consider revisiting one of these longest-running scripted TV shows of all time, like “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “Law & Order: SVU.”

Note: This list is limited to US TV shows and does not include soap operas, reality, or true-crime shows.