# List of longest-running television shows by category

This is a list of the longest-running television shows by category. The criterion for the longest-running show is the number of years the show has been on the air, and not the number of episodes produced.
| Years | Category | Show name | Country | Duration | Channel/network | No. of episodes |
| 87 | Sports outside broadcast | The Championships, Wimbledon | United Kingdom | 1937, 1939,1946–present (not played during World War II, nor in 2020 due to COVID-19 concerns) | BBC Television Service, BBC One/Two | |
| 87 | Outside broadcast | Lord Mayor's Show | United Kingdom | 1937–1938, 1946–present (not broadcast during WW2 1939–1945) | BBC Television Service, BBC One | |
| 87 | Outside broadcast | Remembrance Sunday: The Cenotaph | United Kingdom | 1937–1938, 1946–present (not broadcast during WW2 1939–1945) | BBC Television Service, BBC One | |
| 77 | News show | Meet the Press | United States | 1947–present | NBC | 4,946+ |
| 76 | Newscast | CBS Evening News | United States | 1948–present | CBS | 16,400+ |
| 75 | Religious program | Music and the Spoken Word | United States | 1949–present | KSL (Television since 1949, radio since 1929) | 3900+ |
| 75 | Religious program | Le Jour du Seigneur | France | 1949–present | TF1 (1949–87) France 2 (since 1987) | |
| 73 | Song contest | Sanremo Music Festival | Italy | 1951–present | RAI (radio broadcast since 1951, TV broadcast since 1955) | |
| 72 | Sports show | Hockey Night in Canada | Canada | 1952–present | CBC, City/Sportsnet, CTV | |
| 71 | Sports magazine show | La Domenica Sportiva | Italy | 1953–present | RAI | 3318 (as of 10 May 2020) |
| 71 | Music talent show | NHK Nodo Jiman | Japan | 1953–present | NHK | 2,900 (as of 2012) |
| 71 | Current affairs series | Panorama | United Kingdom | 1953–present | BBC One | |
| 70 | Talk show | The Tonight Show | United States | 1954–present | NBC | |
| 69 | Annual live international beauty pageant | Miss Universe | United States | 1955–present | CBS, NBC, FOX | 72 |
| 69 | Annual live national beauty pageant | Miss America | United States | 1955–present | ABC, NBC, CBS | 96 (102) |
| 69 | Religious program | Minuto de Dios | Colombia | 1955–present | Caracol Televisión, RCN Televisión, Canal 1 | |
| 68 | Annual live song contest | Eurovision Song Contest | Europe | 1956–present | EBU | 104 |
| 67 | Science show | The Sky at Night | United Kingdom | 1957–present | BBC One, BBC Four | 825 (as of Oct 2022) |
| 66 | Children's show | Blue Peter | United Kingdom | 1958–present | BBC One, CBBC | 5,294 (as of 13 October 2023) |
| 66 | Historical drama | Zenigata Heiji | Japan | 1958–2006 | various | |
| 66 | Agriculture information | Plodovi zemlje | Croatia | 1958–present | HRT 1 | 1,900 (as of 14 March 2017) |
| 65 | Animated | Sandmännchen | Germany | 1959–present | Deutscher Fernsehfunk, Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg | 22,200 |
| 64 | Soap opera | Coronation Street | United Kingdom | 1960–present | ITV | 10,000+ |
| 63 | Comedy | KVN | Soviet Union (1961–1991) Russia (1991–present) | 1961–present | Channel One Russia, KVN TV | |
| 63 | TV feedback show | Points of View | United Kingdom | 1961–present | BBC One, BBC Two | |
| 63 | Quiz show | It's Academic | United States | 1961–present | | |
| 63 | Documentary | Four Corners | Australia | 1961–present | Australian Broadcasting Corporation | |
| 62 | Song contest | Festivali i Këngës | Albania | 1962–present | RTSH | |
| 62 | Medicine talk show | Trupi dhe Shëndeti | Albania | 1962–present | RTSH | 1000+ |
| 62 | Science fiction | Doctor Who | United Kingdom | 1963–1989, 1996, 2005–present | BBC One | 882 (as of 25 December 2024) |
| 61 | Variety show | Programa Silvio Santos | Brazil | 1963–present | SBT | 3000+ |
| 60 | Music chart show | Top of the Pops | United Kingdom | 1964–2006; Christmas shows only 2006–present | BBC One, BBC Two | 2,219 |
| 59 | Nature documentary | Le Jardin extraordinaire | Belgium | 1965–present | RTBF | 2400+ |
| 58 | Game show | Des chiffres et des lettres | France | 1965–2024 | France 2 (1965–2006) France 3 (2006–2024) | 20,000 (as of October 2012) |
| 58 | Children's show (preschool) | Play School | Australia | 1966–present | Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) | 4,500+ |
| 58 | Comedy special | Áramótaskaupið | Iceland | 1966–present | Ríkisútvarpið | 56 |
| 57 | Agricultural | Krishi Darshan | India | 1967–present | DD National | 16780+ |
| 55 | Anime for kids | Sazae-san | Japan | 1969–present | Fuji Television | 7,000+ |
| 55 | Kids Educational | Sesame Street | United States | 1969–present | NET (1969–1970), PBS (1970–), HBO (2016–2020), HBO Max (2020–) | 4000+ |
| 54 | Police procedural | Tatort | Germany | 1970–present | Das Erste | 1,136 (as of 6 September 2020) |
| 53 | Superhero fiction | Kamen Rider | Japan | 1971–1989, 2000-present | MBS/NET (1971–1975), MBS/TBS (1975–1989), TV Asahi (2000–) | 1,649 |
| 51 | Sketch comedy show | Radio Rochela | Venezuela | 1959–2010 | RCTV | 2,652 |
| 48 | Charity show | The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon | United States | 1966–2014 | Various | 48 |
| 48 | Talk show - hosted continuously by same host | Tetsuko's Room | Japan | 1976–present | TV_Asahi | 12,100 (as of 12 September 2023) |
| 48 | Sports variety | Grandstand | United Kingdom | 1958–2007 | BBC One, BBC Two | 3500 |
| 48 | Political satire | Extra 3 | Germany | 1976–present | Das Erste | |
| 48 | Automotive | Top Gear (relaunched in 2002) | United Kingdom | 1976–2001, 2002–2023 | BBC Two, BBC One | |
| 47 | Film review | Film | United Kingdom | 1971–2018 | BBC One |
| 44 | Educational game show | Shell Quiz | Thailand | 1965–2009 | TV4, MCOT HD, TV11, ETV, Nation TV |
| 40 | Glove puppetry show | Pili | Taiwan | 1984–present | Pili TV | 2,000+ |
| 37 | Sitcom | Last of the Summer Wine | United Kingdom | 1973–2010 | BBC One | 295 |
| 37 | Music video show | Rage | Australia | 1987–present | Australian Broadcasting Corporation | |
| 37 | Comedy drama | Kopi kade | Sri Lanka | 1987–present | ITN | 2,000+ |
| 35 | Reality show | America's Funniest Home Videos | United States | 1989–present | American Broadcasting Company | |
| 35 | Adult animation | The Simpsons | United States | 1989–present | Fox Broadcasting Company | 700+ |