# List of longest-running television shows

This is a list of the longest-running television shows across all countries and categories. To be included, a programme must have been broadcast for at least 50 years.
Programmes with a shaded background indicate that it is no longer in production.
| Years | Category | Show name | Country | Duration | Channel/network | Episodes |
| 80 | Outside broadcast | Lord Mayor's Show | United Kingdom | 1937–1938, 1946–present (not broadcast during WW2 1939–1945) | BBC Television Service, BBC One | |
| 77 | Sports outside broadcast | The Championships, Wimbledon | United Kingdom | 1937, 1939, 1946–2019, 2021–present (not played during World War II, nor in 2020 due to COVID-19 concerns) | BBC Television Service, BBC One/Two | |
| 75 | News show | Meet the Press | United States | 1947–present | NBC | 4,946+ |
| 73 | Newscast | CBS Evening News | United States | 1948–present | CBS | 16,400+ |
| 73 | Religious program | Le Jour du Seigneur | France | 1949–present | TF1 (1949–87) France 2 (since 1987) | |
| 70 | Sports show | Hockey Night in Canada | Canada | 1952–present | CBC, City/Sportsnet, CTV | |
| 68 | Sports magazine show | La Domenica Sportiva | Italy | 1953–present | RAI | 3,318 (as of 10 May 2020) |
| 68 | Music talent show | NHK Nodo Jiman | Japan | 1953–present | NHK | 2,900 (as of 2012) |
| 68 | Current affairs series | Panorama | United Kingdom | 1953–present | BBC One | |
| 67 | Talk show | The Tonight Show | United States | 1954–present | NBC | |
| 66 | Song contest | Sanremo Music Festival | Italy | 1955–present | RAI (radio broadcast since 1951, TV broadcast since 1955) | |
| 66 | Annual live international beauty pageant | Miss Universe | United States | 1955–present | CBS, NBC, FOX | 72 |
| 66 | Annual live national beauty pageant | Miss America | United States | 1955–present | ABC, NBC, CBS | 96 (102) |
| 67 | Song contest | Eurovision Song Contest | Various participating countries | 1956–2019,2021–present | European Broadcasting Union | The most recent contest (2023) is hosted in Liverpool, United Kingdom, on behalf of Ukraine. |
| 65 | Science show | The Sky at Night | United Kingdom | 1957–present | BBC One, BBC Four | 804 (as of September 2020) |
| 65 | News show | Telediario | Spain | 1957–present | TVE | |
| 65 | Children's show | Blue Peter | United Kingdom | 1958–present | BBC One, CBBC | 5,000 (as of 1 February 2018) |
| 63 | Historical drama | Zenigata Heiji | Japan | 1958–2034 | | |
| 63 | Agriculture information | Plodovi zemlje | Croatia | 1958–present | HRT 1 | 1900 (as of 14 March 2017) |
| 62 | Animated | Sandmännchen | Germany | 1959–present | Deutscher Fernsehfunk, Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg | 22,200 |
| 62 | News show | Telejornal | Portugal | 1959–present | RTP 1 | |
| 62 | Soap opera | Coronation Street | United Kingdom | 1960–present | ITV | 10000+ |
| 60 | Comedy | KVN | Soviet Union (1961–1991) Russia (1991–present) | 1961–present | Channel One Russia, KVN TV | |
| 60 | TV feedback show | Points of View | United Kingdom | 1961–present | BBC One, BBC Two | |
| 60 | Quiz show | It's Academic | United States | 1961–present | | |
| 60 | Song contest | Festivali i Këngës | Albania | 1962–present | RTSH | |
| 60 | Medicine talk show | Trupi dhe Shëndeti | Albania | 1962–present | RTSH | 1000+ |
| 60 | Science fiction | Doctor Who | United Kingdom | 1963–1989, 1996, 2005–present | BBC One | 875 (as of 25 December 2023) |
| 58 | Variety show | Programa Silvio Santos | Brazil | 1963–present | SBT | 3000+ |
| 59 | Music Chart show | Top of the Pops | United Kingdom | 1964–2006; Christmas shows only 2006–present | BBC One, BBC Two | 2,219 |
| 59 | Documentary | Four Corners | Australia | 1961–present | Australian Broadcasting Corporation | |
| 57 | Agriculture information | Country Calendar | New Zealand | 1966–present | | |
| 56 | Game show | Des chiffres et des lettres | France | 1965–present | France 2 (1965–2006) France 3 (since 2006) | 20,000 (as of October 2012) |
| 56 | Children's show (preschool) | Play School | Australia | 1966–present | Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) | 4,500+ |
| 56 | Comedy special | Áramótaskaupið | Iceland | 1966–present | Ríkisútvarpið | 56 |
| 55 | Variety show | Súper Sábado Sensacional | Venezuela | 1968–present | RCTV (1968–1972), Venevisión (1972–present) | 2,800+ |
| 53 | Anime for kids | Sazae-san | Japan | 1969–present | Fuji Television | 7000+ |
| 53 | Kids Educational | Sesame Street | United States | 1969–present | NET (1969–1970), PBS (1970–), HBO (2016–2020), HBO Max (2020–) | 4000+ |
| 52 | Police procedural | Tatort | Germany | 1970–present | Das Erste | 1,136 (as of 6 September 2020) |
| 51 | Sketch comedy show | Radio Rochela | Venezuela | 1959–2010 | RCTV | 2,652 |
| 50 | Soap opera | Pobol y Cwm | Wales | 1974–present | BBC Cymru (1974–1982), S4C (1982–present) | |