List of longest-running American broadcast network television series

This is a list of the longest-running American broadcast network television series, ordered by the number of broadcast seasons.

To qualify for this list, the programming must originate in North America, be shown on a United States national (not regional) television network, and be first-run (as opposed to a repackaging of previously aired material or material released in other media). For this list, series that were available only on a local or regional basis are excluded. The "number of seasons" total does not include cable broadcasts or series in syndication.

Over 60 years Series shaded in light blue are currently in production.

Length Number ofseasons Series Network First broadcast Last broadcast Number ofepisodes Notes years Meet the Press (NBC News)Only its time on television is counted here; it began on radio (as American Mercury Presents: Meet the Press) in 1945 NBC November 6, 1947NBC News present Longest-running show. years CBS Evening News (CBS News)CBS Television News 1948–51, Douglas Edwards with the News 1951–63 CBS May 3, 1948 present 16,400+ Longest-running network newscast. years Hallmark Hall of FameOriginally Hallmark Playhouse radio series, was Hallmark Television Playhouse (1951–54) NBC December 24, 1951 December 17, 1978 Not broadcast on a regular schedule, with only a limited number of productions per year. CBS November 14, 1979 April 30, 1980 PBS February 9, 1981 May 6, 1981 CBS December 1, 1981 January 29, 1989 ABC April 30, 1989 April 23, 1995 CBS December 10, 1995 April 13, 2011 ABC November 27, 2011 April 20, 2014 Hallmark Channel November 30, 2014 present years Today (NBC News) NBC January 14, 1952 present years ABC World News Tonight (ABC News)ABC Evening News 1953–65 and 1967–78; Peter Jennings and the News 1965–67; World News Tonight 1978–2006; World News with Charles Gibson 2000–09 ABC October 12, 1953 present 15,722+ years The Tonight ShowIncludes the various permutations and re-brandings over the years, including The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno NBC September 27, 1954 present yearsThe Wonderful World of DisneyDisney anthology television series aired under a variety of titles, including Walt Disney's Disneyland, Walt Disney Presents, Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, Disney's Wonderful World, Walt Disney, The Disney Sunday Movie, and The Magical World of Disney. The current title is The Wonderful World of Disney. See the main article for a complete broadcast history ABC October 27, 1954 June 11, 19611,224 NBC September 24, 1961 August 16, 1981 CBS September 26, 1981 September 24, 1983 ABC February 1, 1986 May 21, 1988 NBC October 8, 1988 August 26, 1990 CBS September 23, 1990 December 1, 1996ABC September 28, 1997 December 24, 2008 December 12, 2015 present Disney+ May 20, 2020 present years Face the Nation (CBS News) CBS November 7, 1954 present 3,000+ years64NFL on CBSCBS September 30, 1956 January 23, 1994CBS originally broadcast NFL games from 1956 to its merger with the AFL in 1970. It continued to broadcast NFC regular and playoff games as well as the Super Bowl until 1994 when CBS lost the rights to broadcast these games to Fox. The network returned its football broadcasts by 1998 after CBS acquired the rights to broadcast AFC regular and playoff games from NBC. It also airs Super Bowl matches and between 2014 and 2017, Thursday Night Football alongside NBC in 2016 and 2017 and the NFL Network. September 6, 1998 present years58 General Hospital (ABC Daytime) ABC April 1, 1963 present Television's longest-running drama series.

50–59 years Length Number ofseasons Series Network First broadcast Last broadcast Number ofepisodes Notes years61Days of Our Lives (NBC Daytime) NBC November 8, 1965 September 9, 2022 Peacock September 12, 2022 present 57 years 57 Guiding Light (CBS Daytime)Originally The Guiding Light. Only its time on television is counted here; it began on radio January 25, 1937. CBS June 30, 1952 September 18, 200915,762 Longest-running daytime drama. While its television debut was on June 30, 1952, The Guiding Light'''s first incarnation was as a radio show, which premiered on January 25, 1937. |- bgcolor=#CFECEC | rowspan="2"| years | rowspan="2"|49 | rowspan="2"|Washington WeekOriginally Washington Week in Review | NET | February 23, 1967 | October 1970 | rowspan="2"|2,000+ | rowspan="2"| |- bgcolor=#CFECEC | PBS | October 1970 | present |- bgcolor=#CFECEC | years | | 60 Minutes (CBS News) | CBS | September 24, 1968 | present

| 54 years | | As the World Turns (CBS Daytime) | CBS | April 2, 1956 | September 17, 2010

|- bgcolor=#CFECEC | rowspan="4"| years | rowspan="4"| | rowspan="4"|Sesame Street| NET | November 10, 1969 | May 8, 1970 | rowspan="4"| | rowspan="4"| Longest-running children's show.This only applies to the time that a children's program has broadcast nationwide. Technically a few other children's programs may have run longer in years/seasons than Sesame Street. Its just that some of those programs' seasons/years don't count as said programs weren't broadcast nationwide for their entire run. While Sesame Street remains on the PBS schedule with second-run rights, new episodes now premiere on HBO Max and become available to PBS nine months later. This formerly applied to HBO from 2016 until 2020, starting from Season 51 when the show moved to (HBO) Max. |- bgcolor=#CFECEC | PBS (PBS Kids) | November 9, 1970 | present |- bgcolor=#CFECEC | HBO | January 16, 2016 | November 1, 2020 |- bgcolor=#cfecec | (HBO) Max | November 21, 2020 | present |- bgcolor=#CFECEC | years | | NBC Nightly News (NBC News) | NBC | August 3, 1970 | present | | NBC has had an evening broadcast since 1948, starting with Camel News Caravan, lasting until 1956, when it was replaced by Nightly News predecessor, the Huntley-Brinkley Report. |- bgcolor=#CFECEC | rowspan="3"| years | rowspan="3"| | rowspan="3"|Monday Night Football| ABC | September 21, 1970 | December 26, 2005 | rowspan="3"| | rowspan="3"|Since 2016 and 2018 respectively, ABC has simulcast ESPN's coverage of its NFL Wild Card playoff game and the Pro Bowl. In 2020, ABC simulcasted three select ESPN Monday Night Football games. Starting in 2021, ABC will get expanded broadcast rights, including exclusive games, Week 18 Saturday doubleheader simulcasts, and Super Bowl rights; the network carried most games in the package in 2023 and 2024. Per NFL policy, all games that are broadcast via cable or satellite television on a pay-TV network must also be made available on over-the-air television stations in each participating team's local market, with ABC stations often filling this role if not scheduled by the network. |-bgcolor=#CFECEC |ESPN | September 11, 2006 | present |-bgcolor=#cfecec | ABC | January 9, 2016 | present |- bgcolor=#CFECEC | years | | MasterpieceOriginally Masterpiece Theatre | PBS | January 10, 1971 | present

|- bgcolor=#CFECEC | years | | The Price Is Right (CBS Daytime)Originally The New Price Is Right; longest-running game show in American television history. | CBS | September 4, 1972 | present |9,000+ | Longest-running game show. |- bgcolor=#CFECEC | years | 49 | The Young and the Restless (CBS Daytime) | CBS | March 26, 1973 | present | 12,500 | |- bgcolor=#CFECEC | years | | Great Performances| PBS | November 4, 1972 | present

|-bgcolor=#CFECEC | years | | Nova'' PBS March 3, 1974 present 975

40–49 years Length Number ofseasons Series Network First broadcast Last broadcast Number ofepisodes Notes years Saturday Night LiveOriginally NBC Saturday Night NBC October 11, 1975 present Longest-running sketch comedy show on American television. years 40 PBS NewsHourPreviously The Robert MacNeil Report (1975), The MacNeil/Lehrer Report (1975–83), The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour 1975–95, The News Hour with Jim Lehrer 1995–2009 PBS October 20, 1975 present years Good Morning America ABC November 3, 1975 present 9,914+ years Austin City Limits PBS January 3, 1976 present The 1st episode was a one-off filmed in 1974 and broadcast in 1975. It became a regular series in 1976. years 20/20 ABC June 6, 1978 present years CBS News Sunday Morning CBS January 28, 1979 present 45 years45 Wide World of Sports (ABC Sports) ABC April 29, 1961 August 2006Weekly broadcasts ended January 1, 1997; irregular airings afterward; officially ended with the absorption of ABC Sports into ESPN years This Old House PBS February 20, 1979 present 1,136 years NightlineEvolved from The Iran Crisis – America Held Hostage (1979–80) ABC March 24, 1980 present years 35 Noticiero UnivisionOriginally titled "Noticiero SIN" when Univision was known as SIN (Spanish International Network). Univision June 1, 1981 present 43 years43 One Life to Live (ABC Daytime) ABC July 15, 1968 January 13, 2012 11,096 42 years 43 Live from Lincoln Center PBS January 30, 1976 2019Not currently on a regular schedule 251 years Nature PBS October 10, 1982 present 615 41 years41 All My Children (ABC Daytime) ABC January 5, 1970 September 23, 2011 10,712 Program aired two additional seasons through The Online Network, but is now out of production. years Frontline PBS January 17, 1983 present 813 years Wheel of Fortune (syndicated) Syndicated September 5, 1983 present 8,000+ 40 years 40 Nightly Business Report PBS January 22, 1979 December 27, 2019 10,680 years Jeopardy! Syndication September 10, 1984 present

30–39 years