# List of longest-running American broadcast network television series

This is a list of the longest-running U.S. broadcast network television series, ordered by the number of broadcast seasons.
To qualify for this list, the programming must originate in North America, be shown on a United States national (not regional) television network, and be first-run (as opposed to a repackaging of previously aired material or material released in other media). For this list, series that were available only on a local or regional basis are excluded. The "number of seasons" total does not include cable broadcasts or series in syndication.

## Over 60 years

| Length | Number of seasons | Series | Network | First broadcast | Last broadcast | Number of episodes | Notes |
| 77 years | 77 | Meet the Press (NBC News) | NBC | November 6, 1947 | present | 3,600+ | Longest-running show. |
| 76 years | 72 | CBS Evening News (CBS News) | CBS | May 3, 1948 | present | 16,400+ | Longest-running network newscast. |
| 73 years | 69 | Hallmark Hall of Fame | NBC | December 24, 1951 | December 17, 1978 | 260 | Not broadcast on a regular schedule, with only a limited number of productions per year. |
| 73 years | 69 | Hallmark Hall of Fame | CBS | November 14, 1979 | April 30, 1980 | 260 | Not broadcast on a regular schedule, with only a limited number of productions per year. |
| 73 years | 69 | Hallmark Hall of Fame | PBS | February 9, 1981 | May 6, 1981 | 260 | Not broadcast on a regular schedule, with only a limited number of productions per year. |
| 73 years | 69 | Hallmark Hall of Fame | CBS | December 1, 1981 | January 29, 1989 | 260 | Not broadcast on a regular schedule, with only a limited number of productions per year. |
| 73 years | 69 | Hallmark Hall of Fame | ABC | April 30, 1989 | April 23, 1995 | 260 | Not broadcast on a regular schedule, with only a limited number of productions per year. |
| 73 years | 69 | Hallmark Hall of Fame | CBS | December 10, 1995 | April 13, 2011 | 260 | Not broadcast on a regular schedule, with only a limited number of productions per year. |
| 73 years | 69 | Hallmark Hall of Fame | ABC | November 27, 2011 | April 20, 2014 | 260 | Not broadcast on a regular schedule, with only a limited number of productions per year. |
| 73 years | 69 | Hallmark Hall of Fame | Hallmark Channel | November 30, 2014 | present | 260 | Not broadcast on a regular schedule, with only a limited number of productions per year. |
| 73 years | 70 | Today (NBC News) | NBC | January 14, 1952 | present | 18,000+ | |
| 71 years | 71 | ABC World News Tonight (ABC News) | ABC | October 12, 1953 | present | 15,722+ | |
| 70 years | 70 | The Tonight Show | NBC | September 27, 1954 | present | 13,359 | |
| 70 years | 58 | The Wonderful World of Disney | ABC | October 27, 1954 | June 11, 1961 | 1,224 | |
| 70 years | 58 | The Wonderful World of Disney | NBC | September 24, 1961 | August 16, 1981 | 1,224 | |
| 70 years | 58 | The Wonderful World of Disney | CBS | September 26, 1981 | September 24, 1983 | 1,224 | |
| 70 years | 58 | The Wonderful World of Disney | ABC | February 1, 1986 | May 21, 1988 | 1,224 | |
| 70 years | 58 | The Wonderful World of Disney | NBC | October 8, 1988 | August 26, 1990 | 1,224 | |
| 70 years | 58 | The Wonderful World of Disney | CBS | September 23, 1990 | December 1, 1996 | 1,224 | |
| 70 years | 58 | The Wonderful World of Disney | ABC | September 28, 1997 | December 24, 2008 | 1,224 | |
| 70 years | 58 | The Wonderful World of Disney | ABC | December 12, 2015 | present | 1,224 | |
| 70 years | 58 | The Wonderful World of Disney | Disney+ | May 20, 2020 | present | 1,224 | |
| 70 years | 64 | Face the Nation (CBS News) | CBS | November 7, 1954 | present | 3,000+ | |
| 68 years | 64 | NFL on CBS | CBS | September 30, 1956 | January 23, 1994 | 6,133 | CBS originally broadcast NFL games from 1956 to its merger with the AFL in 1970. It continued to broadcast NFC regular and playoff games as well as the Super Bowl until 1994 when CBS lost the rights to broadcast these games to Fox. The network returned its football broadcasts by 1998 after CBS acquired the rights to broadcast AFC regular and playoff games from NBC. It also airs Super Bowl matches and between 2014 and 2017, Thursday Night Football alongside NBC in 2016 and 2017 and the NFL Network. |
| 68 years | 64 | NFL on CBS | CBS | September 6, 1998 | present | 6,133 | CBS originally broadcast NFL games from 1956 to its merger with the AFL in 1970. It continued to broadcast NFC regular and playoff games as well as the Super Bowl until 1994 when CBS lost the rights to broadcast these games to Fox. The network returned its football broadcasts by 1998 after CBS acquired the rights to broadcast AFC regular and playoff games from NBC. It also airs Super Bowl matches and between 2014 and 2017, Thursday Night Football alongside NBC in 2016 and 2017 and the NFL Network. |
| 61 years | 58 | General Hospital (ABC Daytime) | ABC | April 1, 1963 | present | 15,000 | Television's longest-running drama series. |

## 50–59 years

| Length | Number of seasons | Series | Network | First broadcast | Last broadcast | Number of episodes | Notes |
| 59 years | 50 | Days of Our Lives (NBC Daytime) | NBC | November 8, 1965 | September 9, 2022 | 15,000 | |
| 59 years | 50 | Days of Our Lives (NBC Daytime) | Peacock | September 12, 2022 | present | 15,000 | |
| 57 years | 57 | Guiding Light (CBS Daytime) | CBS | June 30, 1952 | September 18, 2009 | 15,762 | Longest-running dramatic series of any genre. Longest-running daytime drama. While its television debut was on June 30, 1952, The Guiding Light's first incarnation was as a radio show, which premiered on January 25, 1937. |
| 57 years | 49 | Washington Week | NET | February 23, 1967 | October 1970 | 2,000+ | |
| 57 years | 49 | Washington Week | PBS | October 1970 | present | 2,000+ | |
| 56 years | 57 | 60 Minutes (CBS News) | CBS | September 24, 1968 | present | 2500+ | |
| 54 years | 54 | As the World Turns (CBS Daytime) | CBS | April 2, 1956 | September 17, 2010 | 13,858 | |
| 55 years | 55 | Sesame Street | NET | November 10, 1969 | May 8, 1970 | 4731 | Longest-running children's show. While Sesame Street remains on the PBS schedule with second-run rights, new episodes now premiere on HBO Max and become available to PBS nine months later. This formerly applied to HBO from 2016 until 2020, starting from Season 51 when the show moved to (HBO) Max. |
| 55 years | 55 | Sesame Street | PBS (PBS Kids) | November 9, 1970 | present | 4731 | Longest-running children's show. While Sesame Street remains on the PBS schedule with second-run rights, new episodes now premiere on HBO Max and become available to PBS nine months later. This formerly applied to HBO from 2016 until 2020, starting from Season 51 when the show moved to (HBO) Max. |
| 55 years | 55 | Sesame Street | HBO | January 16, 2016 | November 1, 2020 | 4731 | Longest-running children's show. While Sesame Street remains on the PBS schedule with second-run rights, new episodes now premiere on HBO Max and become available to PBS nine months later. This formerly applied to HBO from 2016 until 2020, starting from Season 51 when the show moved to (HBO) Max. |
| 55 years | 55 | Sesame Street | (HBO) Max | November 21, 2020 | present | 4731 | Longest-running children's show. While Sesame Street remains on the PBS schedule with second-run rights, new episodes now premiere on HBO Max and become available to PBS nine months later. This formerly applied to HBO from 2016 until 2020, starting from Season 51 when the show moved to (HBO) Max. |
| 54 years | 50 | NBC Nightly News (NBC News) | NBC | August 3, 1970 | present | | NBC has had an evening broadcast since 1948, starting with Camel News Caravan, lasting until 1956, when it was replaced by Nightly News' predecessor, the Huntley-Brinkley Report. |
| 54 years | 55 (NFL seasons) | Monday Night Football | ABC | September 21, 1970 | December 26, 2005 | 718 (games) | Since 2016 and 2018 respectively, ABC has simulcast ESPN's coverage of its NFL Wild Card playoff game and the Pro Bowl. In 2020, ABC simulcasted three select ESPN Monday Night Football games. Starting in 2021, ABC will get expanded broadcast rights, including exclusive games, Week 18 Saturday doubleheader simulcasts, and Super Bowl rights. Per NFL Policy, all games that are broadcast via cable or satellite television on a Pay TV Network must also be made available on over-the-air television stations in each participating team's local market. |
| 54 years | 55 (NFL seasons) | Monday Night Football | ESPN | September 11, 2006 | present | 718 (games) | Since 2016 and 2018 respectively, ABC has simulcast ESPN's coverage of its NFL Wild Card playoff game and the Pro Bowl. In 2020, ABC simulcasted three select ESPN Monday Night Football games. Starting in 2021, ABC will get expanded broadcast rights, including exclusive games, Week 18 Saturday doubleheader simulcasts, and Super Bowl rights. Per NFL Policy, all games that are broadcast via cable or satellite television on a Pay TV Network must also be made available on over-the-air television stations in each participating team's local market. |
| 54 years | 55 (NFL seasons) | Monday Night Football | ABC | January 9, 2016 | present | 718 (games) | Since 2016 and 2018 respectively, ABC has simulcast ESPN's coverage of its NFL Wild Card playoff game and the Pro Bowl. In 2020, ABC simulcasted three select ESPN Monday Night Football games. Starting in 2021, ABC will get expanded broadcast rights, including exclusive games, Week 18 Saturday doubleheader simulcasts, and Super Bowl rights. Per NFL Policy, all games that are broadcast via cable or satellite television on a Pay TV Network must also be made available on over-the-air television stations in each participating team's local market. |
| 54 years | 53 | Masterpiece | PBS | January 10, 1971 | present | | |
| 52 years | 53 | The Price Is Right (CBS Daytime) | CBS | September 4, 1972 | present | 9,000+ | Longest-running game show. |
| 51 years | 49 | The Young and the Restless (CBS Daytime) | CBS | March 26, 1973 | present | 12,500 | |
| 52 years | 51 | Great Performances | PBS | November 4, 1972 | present | | |
| 50 years | 51 | Nova | PBS | March 3, 1974 | present | 975 | |

## 40–49 years

| Length | Number of seasons | Series | Network | First broadcast | Last broadcast | Number of episodes | Notes |
| 49 years | 50 | Saturday Night Live | NBC | October 11, 1975 | present | 980 | Longest-running sketch comedy show on American television. |
| 49 years | 40 | PBS NewsHour | PBS | October 20, 1975 | present | | |
| 49 years | 45 | Good Morning America | ABC | November 3, 1975 | present | 9,914+ | |
| 49 years | 50 | Austin City Limits | PBS | January 3, 1976 | present | 900 | The 1st episode was a one-off filmed in 1974 and broadcast in 1975. It became a regular series in 1976. |
| 46 years | 46 | 20/20 | ABC | June 6, 1978 | present | 500+ | |
| 46 years | 45 | CBS News Sunday Morning | CBS | January 28, 1979 | present | | |
| 45 years | 45 | Wide World of Sports (ABC Sports) | ABC | April 29, 1961 | August 2006 | | |
| 45 years | 46 | This Old House | PBS | February 20, 1979 | present | 1,136 | |
| 44 years | 38 | Nightline | ABC | March 24, 1980 | present | | |
| 43 years | 35 | Noticiero Univision | Univision | June 1, 1981 | present | | |
| 43 years | 43 | One Life to Live (ABC Daytime) | ABC | July 15, 1968 | January 13, 2012 | 11,096 | |
| 42 years | 43 | Live from Lincoln Center | PBS | January 30, 1976 | 2019 | 251 | |
| 42 years | 43 | Nature | PBS | October 10, 1982 | present | 615 | |
| 41 years | 41 | All My Children (ABC Daytime) | ABC | January 5, 1970 | September 23, 2011 | 10,712 | While the show has ceased airing as a television series it is still in production. As of April 29, 2013 the show had resumed airing now as a web series on the internet. It can be seen through Hulu, iTunes, and YouTube. |
| 42 years | 43 | Frontline | PBS | January 17, 1983 | present | 813 | |
| 41 years | syndication: 42 Wheel 2000: 1 Celebrity WoF: 4 | Wheel of Fortune (syndicated) | Syndicated | September 5, 1983 | present | 8,000+ | |
| 40 years | 40 | Nightly Business Report | PBS | January 22, 1979 | December 27, 2019 | 10,680 | |
| 40 years | 41 | Jeopardy! | Syndication | September 10, 1984 | present | 9,000+ | |

## 30–39 years

| Length | Number of seasons | Series | Network | First broadcast | Last broadcast | Number of episodes | Notes |
| 37 years | 29 | The Bold and the Beautiful | CBS | March 23, 1987 | present | 9,000 | |
| 37 years | 36 | The Woodwright's Shop | PBS | 1979 | 2017 | 481 | |
| 38 years | 29 | Hometime | PBS | November 1, 1986 | present | | |
| 37 years | 36 | 48 Hours | CBS | January 2, 1988 | present | 991 | |
| 36 years | 36 | American Experience | PBS | October 1, 1988 | present | 380 | |
| 35 years | 36 | Cops | Fox | March 11, 1989 | May 4, 2013 | 1,206 | |
| 35 years | 36 | Cops | Spike / Paramount Network | September 14, 2013 | May 11, 2020 | 1,206 | |
| 35 years | 36 | Cops | Fox Nation | October 1, 2021 | present | 1,206 | |
| 35 years | 27 | Ciao Italia with Mary Ann Esposito | PBS / National Educational Telecommunications Association syndication | October 1, 1989 | present | |
| 35 years | 35 | Professional Bowlers Tour (ABC Sports) | ABC | January 6, 1962 | June 21, 1997 | | |
| 35 years | 35 | Search for Tomorrow (CBS and NBC Daytime) | CBS | September 3, 1951 | March 29, 1982 | 9,130 | |
| 35 years | 35 | Search for Tomorrow (CBS and NBC Daytime) | NBC | March 26, 1982 | December 26, 1986 | 9,130 | |
| 35 years | 35 | Another World (NBC Daytime) | NBC | May 4, 1964 | June 25, 1999 | 8,891 | Longest-running continuous title sequences on television |
| 35 years | 41 | The Victory Garden | PBS | April 16, 1975 | 2010 | | |
| 34 years | 35 | Wall Street Week with Louis Rukeyser | PBS | November 20, 1970 | June 24, 2005 | | |
| 34 years | 35 | Evening at Pops | PBS | July 12, 1970 | August 29, 2004 | | | Longest-running cooking program. |
| 35 years | 35 | America's Funniest Home Videos | ABC | November 26, 1989 | present | 790 | |
| 35 years | 36 | The Simpsons | Fox | January 14, 1990 | present | 782 | Longest-running animated series, longest-running sitcom and longest-running scripted primetime series. |
| 34 years | 24 | Law & Order | NBC | September 13, 1990 | May 24, 2010 | 512 | |
| 34 years | 24 | Law & Order | NBC | February 24, 2022 | present | 512 | |
| 33 years | 33 | Mister Rogers' Neighborhood | NET | February 19, 1968 | October 1970 | 895 | |
| 33 years | 33 | Mister Rogers' Neighborhood | PBS | October 1970 | August 31, 2001 | 895 | |
| 32 years | 43 | MotorWeek | PBS | 1982 | present | 1,929 | |
| 32 years | 33 | Dateline NBC | NBC | March 31, 1992 | present | | |
| 31 years | 31 | Lamp Unto My Feet | CBS | November 21, 1948 | January 21, 1979 | | |
| 30 years | 30 | American Bandstand | ABC | August 5, 1957 | November 5, 1987 | 4,134 | |
| 30 years | 30 | Live from the Met | PBS | 1977 | 2007 | | |
| 30 years | 31 (through 2024 season) | Fox NFL Sunday | Fox | September 18, 1994 | present | | |

## 20–29 years

| Length | Number of seasons | Series | Network | First broadcast | Last broadcast | Number of episodes | Notes |
| 29 years | 29 | Love of Life | CBS | September 24, 1951 | February 1, 1980 | 7,316 | |
| 29 years | 30 | Sábado Gigante | Univision | April 12, 1986 | September 19, 2015 | 2,800+ | Longest-running imported TV show. |
| 30 years | 28 | The Late Late Show | CBS | January 9, 1995 | April 27, 2023 | 5,346 | |
| 29 years | 29 | Captain Kangaroo | CBS | October 3, 1955 | December 8, 1984 | | |
| 28 years | 28 | The Edge of Night | CBS | April 2, 1956 | November 28, 1975 | 7,420 | |
| 28 years | 28 | The Edge of Night | ABC | December 1, 1975 | December 28, 1984 | 7,420 | |
| 28 years | 28 | Mystery! | PBS | February 5, 1980 | 2008 | | |
| 25 years | 25 | Charlie Rose | PBS | September 30, 1991 | November 17, 2017 | | |
| 25 years | 27 | WWE SmackDown | UPN | April 29, 1999 | September 15, 2006 | 1329 | |
| 25 years | 27 | WWE SmackDown | The CW | September 22, 2006 | September 26, 2008 | 1329 | |
| 25 years | 27 | WWE SmackDown | MyNetworkTV | October 3, 2008 | September 24, 2010 | 1329 | |
| 25 years | 27 | WWE SmackDown | Syfy | October 1, 2010 | December 31, 2015 | 1329 | |
| 25 years | 27 | WWE SmackDown | USA | January 7, 2016 | September 24, 2019 | 1329 | |
| 25 years | 27 | WWE SmackDown | Fox | October 4, 2019 | present | 1329 | |
| 24 years | 24 | Camera Three | CBS | January 22, 1956 | January 21, 1979 | | |
| 24 years | 24 | Camera Three | PBS | October 4, 1979 | July 1, 1980 | | |
| 24 years | 24 | CBS Morning News | CBS | September 2, 1963 | January 9, 1987 | | |
| 23 years | 23 | The Ed Sullivan Show | CBS | June 20, 1948 | June 6, 1971 | 1,087 | |
| 23 years | 23 | America's Most Wanted | Fox | February 1, 1988 | June 18, 2011 | 940+ | |
| 23 years | 23 | Lilias, Yoga and You | PBS | 1976 | 1999 | | |
| 23 years | 23 | Reading Rainbow | PBS | June 6, 1983 | November 10, 2006 | 155 | |
| 22 years | 22 | The Original Amateur Hour | DuMont | January 18, 1948 | October 1949 | | |
| 22 years | 22 | The Original Amateur Hour | NBC | October 1949 | September 1954 | | |
| 22 years | 22 | The Original Amateur Hour | ABC | October 1955 | June 1957 | | |
| 22 years | 22 | The Original Amateur Hour | NBC | July 1957 | October 1958 | | |
| 22 years | 22 | The Original Amateur Hour | CBS | May 1959 | October 1959 | | |
| 22 years | 22 | The Original Amateur Hour | ABC | March 1960 | September 26, 1960 | | |
| 22 years | 22 | The Original Amateur Hour | CBS | October 2, 1960 | September 27, 1970 | | |
| 22 years | 22 | Jimmy Kimmel Live | ABC | January 26, 2003 | present | |
| 22 years | 22 | NASCAR on CBS | CBS | February 18, 1979 | July 15, 2000 | | |
| 22 years | 22 | NFL on NBC | NBC | 1975 | 1997 | | |
| 21 years | 21 | Issues and Answers | ABC | 1960 | 1981 | | |
| 21 years | 21 | Sneak Previews | PBS | 1975 | 1996 | | |
| 21 years | 21 | Cookin' Cheap | PBS | 1981 | 2002 | | |
| 21 years | 21 | The New Yankee Workshop | PBS | January 1988 | June 27, 2009 | 284 | |
| 20 years | 20 | The Doctors | NBC | April 1, 1963 | December 31, 1982 | 5,280 | |
| 20 years | 20 | The Secret Storm | NBC | February 1, 1954 | February 8, 1974 | 5,195 | |
| 20 years | 20 | The Red Skelton Show | NBC | September 30, 1951 | June 1953 | 672 | |
| 20 years | 20 | The Red Skelton Show | CBS | September 1953 | June 1970 | 672 | |
| 20 years | 20 | The Red Skelton Show | NBC | September 1970 | August 1, 1971 | 672 | |