What Are The Longest Running Shows On TV And Where You Can Find Them
There are plenty of TV shows that don't survive a single season before vanishing from the air forever. Others manage not only to survive season after season but decade after decade, becoming the longest running shows on television. These long running TV shows run the gamut of genres and formats, from news magazines to late night comedy shows and from cartoons to legal dramas.
Long Running Comedies
Long running television comedies include sketch comedy shows as well as late night talk-shows. There are also several cartoons thrown in for good measure:
• Saturday Night Live- SNL is live sketch comedy that's on every Saturday on NBC and has been on air since 1975. Even though the show is consistently funny, it has seen changes in its 35+ year run, including a constantly changing group of cast members which has lead to ups and downs in overall quality. VH1 is one of the channels where you can find reruns of the best shows SNL has to offer.
• The Simpsons - The first episode of The Simpsons aired in 1989. In 2012, it is in its 21st season and is scheduled to continue for at least another two seasons. New episodes air on Sundays on Fox. Re-runs air throughout the week as well.
• The Tonight Show - The Tonight Show got its start in 1954, with host Johnny Carson. It was then hosted by Jay Leno, briefly by Conan O'Brien and once again by Jay Leno. The show began its run as a variety show but now is more of a talk show, with Leno interviewing guests each night. It airs weeknights on NBC.
Other Shows
A number of other television programs have had impressive runs. Most early morning news shows have been running for decades. For example, The Today Show, which airs weekdays on NBC, began in 1954. Good Morning America, its competitor over on ABC, has been airing on weekday mornings since 1975. Other long running shows that are not comedies include:
• 60 Minutes - This newsmagazine holds the title of longest running primetime show. It's been on the air since 1968, airing early Sunday evenings on CBS.
• Law and Order - The original series of Law and Order ended in 2010, after a 20 season run, but there are still a number of spin-offs airing, including Law and Order: SVU, as well as a British version of the show. The show originally aired on NBC. It airs in syndication on TNT and local affiliate channels as well.
Many of the longest running shows appeal to a wide variety of viewers. For example, 60 Minutes and the morning news programs keep people up-to-date, and do not lose their appeal. Other long running TV shows such as The Simpsons are flexible enough to adapt to the changing times, remaining fresh when other shows grow stale.
About the Author
Wilbert Haands never wants to miss any of his favorite shows so he got all the premium channels available. With HBO, Showtime, Starz and Cinemax channels and loads of HD channels, DISH has the programming you want. Visit http://www.dish.com/entertainment/channels/ for more information.
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