List of longest-running television shows by category: Difference between revisions

Years Category Show name Country Duration Channel/network No. of
episodes 88 Sports outside broadcast The Championships, Wimbledon^[1] United Kingdom 1937,^[2] 1939,1946–present (not played during World War II, nor in 2020 due to COVID-19 concerns) BBC Television Service, BBC One/Two 88 Outside broadcast Lord Mayor’s Show United Kingdom 1937–1938, 1946–present (not broadcast during WW2 1939–1945)^[3] BBC Television Service, BBC One 88 Outside broadcast Remembrance Sunday: The Cenotaph United Kingdom 1937–1938, 1946–present (not broadcast during WW2, 1939–1945) BBC Television Service, BBC One 78 News show Meet the Press United States 1947–present NBC 4,946+ 77 Newscast CBS Evening News United States 1948–present CBS 16,400+ 76 Sitcom Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah India 2008-present Sony Sab 4,568 76 Religious program Music & the Spoken Word United States 1949–present KSL (Television since 1949, radio since 1929) 3,900+ 76 Religious program Le Jour du Seigneur France 1949–present TF1 (1949–87)
France 2 (since 1987) 73 Sports show Hockey Night in Canada Canada 1952–present CBC, City/Sportsnet, CTV 72 Sports magazine show La Domenica Sportiva Italy 1953–present RAI 3,318 (as of 10 May 2020^[update]) Music talent show NHK Nodo Jiman Japan 1953–present NHK 2,900 (as of 2012^[update]) Current affairs series Panorama United Kingdom 1953–present BBC One 71 Talk show The Tonight Show United States 1954–present NBC 70 Annual live international beauty pageant Miss Universe United States 1955–present CBS, NBC, FOX 72 Song contest Sanremo Music Festival Italy 1955–present RAI (radio broadcast since 1951, TV broadcast since 1955) Annual live national beauty pageant Miss America United States 1955–present ABC, NBC, CBS 96 (102) 69 Annual live song contest Eurovision Song Contest Europe 1956–present EBU 104 68 Science show The Sky at Night United Kingdom 1957–present BBC One, BBC Four 825 (as of Oct 2022) 67 Children’s show Blue Peter United Kingdom 1958–present BBC One, CBBC 5,294 (as of 13 October 2023) 66 Agriculture information Plodovi zemlje Croatia 1958–present HRT 1 1,900 (as of 14 March 2017) 66 Animated Sandmännchen Germany 1959–present Deutscher Fernsehfunk, Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg 22,200+ 64 Soap opera Coronation Street United Kingdom 1960–present ITV 10,000+ 64 Comedy KVN Soviet Union (1961–1991)
Russia (1991–present) 1961–present Channel One Russia, KVN TV TV feedback show Points of View United Kingdom 1961–present BBC One, BBC Two Quiz show It’s Academic United States 1961–present^[4] Documentary Four Corners Australia 1961–present Australian Broadcasting Corporation 62 Medicine talk show Trupi dhe Shëndeti Albania 1962–present RTSH 1,000+ 62 Science fiction Doctor Who United Kingdom 1963–1989, 1996,^[5] 2005–present BBC One 891 (as of 24 May 2025) 62 Variety show Programa Silvio Santos Brazil 1963–present SBT 3,000+ 60 Music chart show Top of the Pops United Kingdom 1964–2006; Christmas shows only 2006–present BBC One, BBC Two 2,219 60 Children’s stories Vecernicek Czech Republic 1965–Present Czech Television Programs: ČT1, ČT2, ČT Déčko 60 Nature documentary Le Jardin extraordinaire Belgium 1965–present RTBF 2,400+ 59 Children’s show (preschool) Play School Australia 1966–present Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) 4,500+ Comedy special Áramótaskaupið Iceland 1966–present Ríkisútvarpið 56 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^[update]) 58 Agricultural Krishi Darshan India 1967–present DD National 16,780+ 56 Anime for kids Sazae-san Japan 1969–present Fuji Television 8,880+^[6] Children’s Educational Sesame Street United States 1969–present NET (1969–1970), PBS (1970–), HBO (2016–2020), HBO Max (2020–2025), Netflix (2025–) 4,000+ 54 Police procedural Tatort Germany 1970–present Das Erste 1,136 (as of 6 September 2020^[update])^[7] 54 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 49 Talk show – hosted continuously by the same host Tetsuko’s Room Japan 1976–present TV_Asahi 12,100 (as of 12 September 2023)^[8] Political satire Extra 3 Germany 1976–present Das Erste 48 Charity show The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon United States 1966–2014 Various 48 Sports variety Grandstand United Kingdom 1958–2007 BBC One, BBC Two 3,500 47 Film review Film United Kingdom 1971–2018 BBC One 46 Variety show Eat Bulaga! Philippines 1979-present RPN 9, ABS-CBN, GMA Network, TV5, RPTV 15,000+ 44 Educational game show Shell Quiz Thailand 1965–2009 TV4, MCOT HD,

TV11, ETV, Nation TV

40 Glove puppetry show Pili Taiwan 1984–present^[9] Pili TV 2,000+ 38 Music video show Rage Australia 1987–present Australian Broadcasting Corporation 38 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+