List of longest-running scripted American primetime television series

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This is a list of the longest-running scripted prime time television series in the United States, as measured by number of seasons. Only shows that have aired on a major broadcast network for seven or more seasons and at least 100 episodes are included. Those that moved to a cable network or syndication are noted below.

Series shaded in aqua are currently in production.
Number of
seasons 		Series Network First
air date 		Last
air date 		Number of
episodes
33 The Simpsons Fox 1989-12-17 Present 721
23 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit NBC 1999-09-20 Present 510
21 Law & Order NBC 1990-09-13

2022-02-24

2010-05-24

Present

460
20 Gunsmoke CBS 1955-09-10 1975-03-31 635
20 Family Guy Fox 1999-01-31 Present 383[1]
19 Lassie CBS 1954-09-12 1971-03-21 591[2]
19 NCIS CBS 2003-09-23 Present 430
18 Grey's Anatomy ABC 2005-03-27 Present 393
19 American Dad! Fox (2005–2014)
TBS (2014–)[3] 		2005-02-06 Present 330
15 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CBS 2000-10-06 2015-02-15 337[4]
15 ER NBC 1994-09-19 2009-04-02 331
15 Supernatural WB (2005–2006)
CW (2006–2020) 		2005-09-13 2020-11-19 327
15 Criminal Minds CBS 2005-09-22 2020-02-19 324
15 The Jack Benny Program CBS (1950–1964)
NBC (1964–1965) 		1950-10-28[5] 1965-04-16 260
14 The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet ABC 1952-10-03 1966-04-23 435
14 Bonanza NBC 1959-09-12 1973-01-16 431
14 Dallas CBS 1978-04-02 1991-05-03 357
14 Knots Landing CBS 1979-12-27 1993-05-13 344
13 NCIS: Los Angeles CBS 2009-09-22 Present 292
13 King of the Hill Fox 1997-01-12 2010-05-06 259[6]
12 My Three Sons ABC (1960–1965)
CBS (1965–1972) 		1960-09-29 1972-04-13 380
12 Hawaii Five-O CBS 1968-09-26 1980-04-26 281
12 The Big Bang Theory CBS 2007-09-24 2019-05-16 279
12 Murder, She Wrote CBS 1984-09-30 1996-05-19 264 (+ 4 TV movies)
12 Two and a Half Men CBS 2003-09-22 2015-02-19 262
12 NYPD Blue ABC 1993-09-21 2005-03-01 261
12 Blue Bloods CBS 2010-09-24 Present 250
12 Bones Fox 2005-09-13 2017-03-28 246
12 Bob's Burgers Fox 2011-01-09 Present 231
11 The Danny Thomas Show[7] ABC (1953–1957)
CBS (1957–1964) 		1953-09-29 1964-04-27 343
11 Cheers NBC 1982-09-30 1993-05-20 275
11 Frasier NBC 1993-09-16 2004-05-13 264
11 Murphy Brown CBS 1988-11-14 2018-12-20 260
11 Married... with Children Fox 1987-04-05 1997-06-09 259
11 M*A*S*H CBS 1972-09-17 1983-02-28 256
11 Happy Days ABC 1974-01-15 1984-09-24 255
11 The Jeffersons CBS 1975-01-18 1985-06-25 253
11 Modern Family ABC 2009-09-23 2020-04-08 250 (+1 special)
11 Will & Grace NBC 1998-09-21 2020-04-23 246[8]
11 7th Heaven WB (1996–2006)
CW (2006–2007) 		1996-08-26 2007-05-13 243
11 The X-Files Fox 1993-09-10 2018-03-21 218[9]
10 Beverly Hills, 90210 Fox 1990-10-04 2000-05-17 293
10 Hawaii Five-0 CBS 2010-09-20 2020-04-03 240
10 Friends NBC 1994-09-22 2004-05-06 236
10 CSI: Miami CBS 2002-09-23 2012-04-08 232
10 Roseanne ABC 1988-10-18 2018-05-22 231[10]
10 JAG NBC (1995–1996)
CBS (1997–2005) 		1995-09-01 2005-04-29 227[11]
10 Smallville WB (2001–2006)
CW (2006–2011) 		2001-10-16 2011-05-13 218
10 Chicago Fire NBC 2012-10-10 Present 211
9 The Beverly Hillbillies CBS 1962-09-26 1971-03-23 274
9 Perry Mason CBS 1957-09-21 1966-05-22 271
9 The Virginian[12] NBC 1962-09-19 1971-03-24 249
9 The Love Boat ABC 1977-09-24[13] 1986-05-24 250
9 The F.B.I. ABC 1965-09-19 1974-04-28 241
9 The Drew Carey Show ABC 1995-09-13 2004-09-08 233
9 Falcon Crest CBS 1981-12-04 1990-05-17 227
9 The Waltons CBS 1972-09-14 1981-06-04 221
9 Dynasty ABC 1981-01-12 1989-05-11 220
9 Family Matters ABC (1989–1997)
CBS (1997–1998) 		1989-09-22 1998-07-17 215
9 The Middle ABC 2009-09-30 2018-05-22 215
9 Touched by an Angel CBS 1994-09-21 2003-04-27 211
9 Everybody Loves Raymond CBS 1996-09-13 2005-05-16 210
9 One Day at a Time CBS 1975-12-16 1984-05-28 209
9 How I Met Your Mother CBS 2005-09-19 2014-03-31 208
9 The King of Queens CBS 1998-09-21 2007-05-14 207
9 All in the Family CBS 1971-01-12 1979-04-08 205
9 Little House on the Prairie[14] NBC 1974-09-11 1983-03-21 204 (+ 4 specials)
9 24 Fox 2001-11-06 2014-07-14 192 + 24: Redemption + 12 (24: Live Another Day)[15]
9 Alice CBS 1976-08-31 1985-03-19 202
9 The Facts of Life NBC 1979-08-24 1988-05-07 201
9 The Office NBC 2005-03-24 2013-05-16 201
9 Coach ABC 1989-02-28 1997-05-14 200
9 CSI: NY CBS 2004-09-22 2013-02-22 197
9 The Goldbergs ABC 2013-09-24 Present 202
9 Last Man Standing ABC (2011–2017)
Fox (2018–2021) 		2011-10-11 2021-05-20 194
9 Night Court NBC 1984-01-04 1992-05-31 193
9 Matlock NBC (1986–1992)
ABC (1992–1995) 		1986-09-23 1995-05-07 193 + pilot movie
9 One Tree Hill WB (2003–2006)
CW (2006–2012) 		2003-09-23 2012-04-04 187
9 Scrubs NBC (2001–2008)
ABC (2009–2010) 		2001-10-02 2010-03-17 182
9 The Blacklist NBC 2013-09-23 Present 186
9 Seinfeld NBC 1989-07-05 1998-05-14 180
9 Chicago P.D. NBC 2014-01-08 Present 179
8 The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show CBS 1950-10-12 1958-09-15 291
8 Wagon Train NBC (1957–1962)
ABC (1962–1965) 		1957-09-18 1965-05-02 284
8 Dragnet NBC 1951-12-16 1959-08-23 276
8 The Donna Reed Show ABC 1958-09-24 1966-03-19 275
8[16] Mama CBS 1949-07-01 1956-07-27 261[16]
8 Bewitched ABC 1964-09-17 1972-03-25 254
8 The Andy Griffith Show CBS 1960-10-03 1968-04-01 249
8 Rawhide CBS 1959-01-09 1965-12-07 217
8 Home Improvement ABC 1991-09-17 1999-05-25 204
8 The Cosby Show NBC 1984-09-20 1992-04-30 201 (plus outtakes special)
8 Walker, Texas Ranger CBS 1993-04-21 2001-05-19 200
8 That '70s Show Fox 1998-08-23 2006-05-18 200
8 Ironside NBC 1967-09-14[17] 1975-01-16 199[18]
8 Who's the Boss? ABC 1984-09-20 1992-04-25 196
8 Mannix CBS 1967-09-16 1975-04-13 194
8 Full House ABC 1987-09-22 1995-05-23 192
8 Diff'rent Strokes NBC (1978–1985)
ABC (1985–1986) 		1978-11-03 1986-05-07 189
8 Newhart CBS 1982-10-25 1990-05-21 184
8 According to Jim ABC 2001-10-03 2009-06-02 182
8 Desperate Housewives ABC 2004-10-03 2012-05-13 180
8 Barnaby Jones CBS 1973-01-28 1980-04-03 178
8 Laverne & Shirley ABC 1976-01-27 1983-05-10 178
8 Diagnosis: Murder CBS 1993-10-29 2001-05-11 178 + 5 TV movies + Pilot
8 Charmed WB 1998-10-07 2006-05-21 178
8 House M.D. Fox 2004-11-16 2012-05-21 177
8 Mad About You NBC (1992–1999)
Spectrum (2019)
 1992-09-23 2019-12-18 176
8 Castle ABC 2009-03-09 2016-05-16 173
8 Three's Company ABC 1977-03-15 1984-09-18 172
8 L.A. Law NBC 1986-10-03[19] 1994-05-19 172
8 Wings NBC 1990-04-19 1997-05-21 172
8 Girlfriends UPN (2000–2006)
CW (2006–2008) 		2000-09-11 2008-02-11 172
8 The Vampire Diaries CW 2009-09-10 2017-03-10 171
8 Arrow CW 2012-10-06 2020-01-28 170
8 Mom CBS 2013-09-23 2021-05-13 170
8 Barney Miller ABC 1975-01-23 1982-05-20 170
8 The Practice ABC 1997-03-04 2004-05-16 168
8 Black-ish ABC 2014-09-24 Present 171 (172 including unbroadcast episode)
8 Magnum, P.I. CBS 1980-12-11 1988-05-08 162
8 The Flash CW 2014-10-07 Present 159
8 Simon & Simon CBS 1981-11-24 1989-01-21 156
8 Brooklyn Nine-Nine Fox (2013-2018)

NBC (2019-2021)

2013-09-17 2021-09-16 153
8 Perfect Strangers ABC 1986-03-25 1993-08-06 150
8 Quincy, M.E. NBC 1976-10-03 1983-09-04 148
7 Melrose Place Fox 1992-07-08 1999-05-24 226
7 Petticoat Junction CBS 1963-09-24 1970-04-04 222
7 The Golden Girls NBC 1985-09-14 1992-05-21 180
7 Family Ties NBC 1982-09-22 1989-05-14 176 + one film
7 Adam-12 NBC 1968-09-21 1975-05-20 174
7 Star Trek: Voyager UPN 1995-01-16 2001-05-23 172
7 Mission: Impossible CBS 1966-09-17 1973-03-30 171
7 Medical Center CBS 1969-09-24[20] 1976-09-06 171
7 Empty Nest NBC 1988-10-08 1995-04-29 170
7 Marcus Welby, M.D. ABC 1969-09-23[21] 1976-05-04 170
7 The Mary Tyler Moore Show CBS 1970-09-19 1977-03-19 168
7 Growing Pains ABC 1985-09-24 1992-04-25 166
7 Designing Women CBS 1986-09-29 1993-05-24 163
7 Sabrina, the Teenage Witch ABC (1996–2000)
WB (2000–2003) 		1996-09-27 2003-04-24 163
7 Step by Step ABC (1991–1997)
CBS (1997–1998) 		1991-09-20 1998-06-26 160
7 Without a Trace CBS 2002-09-26 2009-05-19 160
7 Benson ABC 1979-09-13 1986-04-19 158
7 Boy Meets World ABC 1993-09-24 2000-05-05 158
7 Cold Case CBS 2003-09-28 2010-05-02 156
7 The Good Wife CBS 2009-09-22 2016-05-08 156
7 NCIS: New Orleans CBS 2014-09-23 2021-05-23 155
7 Once Upon a Time ABC 2011-10-23 2018-05-18 155
7 The West Wing NBC 1999-09-22 2006-05-14 154[note 1]
7 Elementary CBS 2012-09-27 2019-08-15 154
7 Gilmore Girls WB (2000–2006)
CW (2006–2007) 		2000-10-05 2007-05-15 153
7 Hunter NBC 1984-09-18 1991-04-26 153
7 Fantasy Island ABC 1978-01-28 1984-05-19 152, plus 2 TV movies[22]
7 Trapper John, M.D. CBS 1979-09-23 1986-09-04 151
7 Malcolm in the Middle Fox 2000-01-09 2006-05-14 151
7 The Mentalist CBS 2008-09-23 2015-02-18 151
7 Just Shoot Me! NBC 1997-03-04 2003-08-16 148
7 The Dukes of Hazzard CBS 1979-01-26 1985-02-08 147
7 Hill Street Blues NBC 1981-01-15 1987-05-12 146
7 New Girl Fox 2011-09-20 2018-05-15 146
7 Buffy the Vampire Slayer WB (1997–2001)
UPN (2001–2003) 		1997-03-10 2003-05-20 144
7 In the Heat of the Night NBC (1988–1992)
CBS (1992–1994) 		1988-03-06 1994-05-11 142 + 4 TV movies
7 MacGyver ABC 1985-09-29 1992-05-21 139 + 2 TV films
7 Futurama Fox (1999–2003)
Comedy Central (2008–2013)
Hulu (2023) 		1999-03-28 Present 140
7 30 Rock NBC 2006-10-11 2013-01-31 139
7 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ABC 2013-09-24 2020-08-12 136
7 Medium NBC (2005–2009)
CBS (2009–2011) 		2005-01-03 2011-01-21 130
7 Chicago Med NBC 2015-11-17 Present 135
7 Cagney & Lacey CBS 1982-03-25[23] 1988-05-16 125 (+ 4 TV movies)
7 Parks and Recreation NBC 2009-04-09 2015-02-24 126
7 Scandal ABC 2012-04-05 2018-04-19 124
7 Homicide: Life on the Street NBC 1993-01-31 1999-05-21 122
7 Legends of Tomorrow CW 2016-01-21 Present 110
7 Cheyenne ABC 1955-09-20[24] 1962-12-17 108
7 Rules of Engagement CBS 2007-02-05 2013-05-20 100
7 The 100 CW 2014-03-19 2020-09-30 100

See also[]

  • Lists of longest-running U.S. shows by broadcast type:
    • List of longest-running U.S. television series
    • List of longest-running U.S. broadcast network television series
    • List of longest-running U.S. cable television series
    • List of longest-running U.S. first-run syndicated television series
    • List of longest-running U.S. primetime television series

Notes[]

  1. ^ This includes the special episodes "Documentary Special" and "Isaac and Ishmael", but not the 2020 special "A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote" (primarily a restaging of "Hartsfield's Landing").

References[]

  1. ^ Family Guy has two episodes that did not originally air on Fox. "When You Wish Upon a Weinstein" originally aired on Adult Swim and "Partial Terms of Endearment" originally aired in the UK.
  2. ^ Lassie ran for a total of 19 seasons and 591 episodes. The final two seasons aired in syndication.
  3. ^ American Dad! moved to TBS in 2014 for additional seasons.
  4. ^ CSI: Crime Scene Investigation officially ended its run with Immortality on September 27, 2015. The TV movie is considered the two-episode 16th season, bringing the episode total to 337.
  5. ^ The Jack Benny Program began with a pilot episode on May 8, 1949.
  6. ^ Four more episodes of King of the Hill aired after its official final broadcast, bringing the total to 259.
  7. ^ For its first three seasons, The Danny Thomas Show aired as Make Room for Daddy.
  8. ^ "'Will & Grace' to Return to NBC for New Season". 18 January 2017.
  9. ^ In 2016, The X-Files returned to television after 14 years for two more seasons.
  10. ^ Show later continued as The Conners for a further ten episodes.
  11. ^ The episode "Skeleton Crew" did not originally air on NBC.
  12. ^ In its final season, the title of The Virginian was changed to The Men from Shiloh.
  13. ^ The Love Boat had two pilot movies that aired on September 18, 1976 and January 21, 1977.
  14. ^ In its final season, the title of Little House on the Prairie was changed to Little House: A New Beginning.
  15. ^ In 2014, 24 returned to television with another 12-episode series 24: Live Another Day.
  16. ^ a b An additional season of Mama aired on Sunday afternoons, bringing the episode total to 283.
  17. ^ Ironside began with the pilot movie A Man Called Ironside on March 28, 1967.
  18. ^ Ironside had three additional episodes after its official final broadcast.
  19. ^ L.A. Law began with a two-hour pilot on September 15, 1986.
  20. ^ Medical Center began with the pilot movie U.M.C. on April 17, 1969.
  21. ^ Marcus Welby, M.D. began with a pilot movie on March 26, 1969.
  22. ^ Fantasy Island had two premiere movies that aired on January 14, 1977 and January 20, 1978.
  23. ^ Cagney & Lacey began with a pilot movie on October 8, 1981.
  24. ^ Cheyenne began as a rotating element of Warner Bros. Presents.
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