All hail “General Hospital.”

The 20 longest-running scripted series in TV history (including one drama in its 63rd season)

All hail "General Hospital."

April 29, 2026 5:00 p.m. ET

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Longest-running sitcom, longest-running soap, longest-running variety show. Credit:

Disney; ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty; Will Heath/NBC via Getty

Television has been around for nearly a century, but when Philo T. Farnsworth demonstrated the first fully functional all-electronic TV system in 1927, it’s doubtful that he or anyone else could have conceived of the impact of what he was creating — let alone that it might someday result in scripted programs still airing more than 60 years after their debut.

To explore the longest-running scripted series in TV history is to spiral down a rabbit hole of soap operas, but ** has happily taken the dive to find the 20 programs that have aired more seasons than any other.

General Hospital (63 seasons)

'General Hospital' still going strong after over 15,000 episodes.

Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty

Set in Port Charles, New York, this ABC daytime soap opera debuted on April 1, 1963. It began as a half-hour program, then expanded to 45 minutes in July 1976 and a full hour just 18 months later.

It was also around this time that the series introduced the characters of Luke and Laura Spencer (Anthony Geary and Genie Francis), which turned *General Hospital* into a full-fledged pop culture phenomenon.

In addition to being the longest-running scripted series on American television, *General Hospital* also sits proudly within *Guinness World Records* as the longest-running American soap opera in production.

Days of Our Lives (61 seasons)

Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn (doing his best Claude Rains) in 'Days of Our Lives'.

This NBC soap began its run on Nov. 8, 1965, focusing predominantly on the Brady and Horton families of the fictional city of Salem, Ill., while also incorporating a hospital as one of the series’ main settings. The producers did whatever they could to keep the ratings up, even adding some supernatural storylines during the 1990s. (Remember Marlena’s demonic possession?)

Although *Days of Our Lives* left the NBC schedule on Sept. 9, 2022, it promptly debuted three days later on the network’s sister streaming service, Peacock, where it has continued to air ever since.

Guiding Light (57 seasons)

Marcy Rylan slightly oversells the hilarity of Daniel Cosgrove's zinger in 'Guiding Light'.

If we were to incorporate a show’s years as a radio program into these calculations, then *Guiding Light* would be at the top of the list. It began all the way back in 1937 (when TV was barely a thing), jumped to the tube in 1952, and ran until 2009, making for a grand total of 72 years on the air.

No matter the medium, the series was always about families, the majority of them residents of the fictional Illinois town of Springfield. *Guiding Light* finally went dark on September 18, 2009, putting an end to the longest-running scripted show in CBS history.

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Sesame Street (56 seasons)

Julie Andrews visits her old neighborhood. I'm not sure what Bert and Grover are upset about.

Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

Thanks to the Children’s Television Workshop, generations of children have gotten an education from the residents of *Sesame Street*, including a plethora of Jim Henson’s Muppets.

Bert & Ernie, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Grover, Elmo, Abby Kadabby, even Mr. Snuffleupagus… they’re all there, and they’re teaching kids valuable lessons about letters and numbers, vocabulary, shapes, and basic reasoning skills, using animation, celebrity guests, and more.

Having concluded its contract with HBO Max, *Sesame Street* now has new episodes airing first on Netflix, but don’t worry — the series still maintains a home on PBS.

As the World Turns (54 seasons)

'As the World Turns' guest star just wants to have fun.

Originally created as a sister series to *Guiding Light*, *As the World Turns* premiered on April 2, 1956, as a 30-minute program, expanding to its hour-long format in 1975. Set in the fictional town of Oakdale, Ill., the series revolves around the Hughes family and gradually expanded its character base over time.

In 1963, the live broadcast *As the World Turns* was famously interrupted mid-episode by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, making it the last network program shown for the next four days. The series ended on Sept. 17, 2020, with Dr. Bob Hughes packing up his things from the office and retiring.

The Young and the Restless (53 seasons)

The cast of 'The Young and the Restless' has a cocktail party in the middle of the 'Shining' maze.

Bill Inoshita/CBS

Originally revolving around a working-class family (the Fosters) and a wealthy family (the Brookses), *The Young and the Restless* debuted on CBS on March 26, 1973. It was the network’s effort to compete with ABC soaps that were more youth-centric. Yes, the title is a little on-the-nose, but it worked: By 1975, it had already won its first Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series.

The show also holds a unique distinction for having a theme song — “Nadia’s Theme,” penned by Barry De Vorzon and Perry Botkin, Jr. — that became a top 10 hit on the *Billboard *Hot 100.

Saturday Night Live (51 seasons)

A lot of stars and a savage Gerald Ford joke on the 'SNL' 50th anniversary special.

Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty

Created by Lorne Michaels as a variety show with an eye toward the comedy and music sensibilities of a younger generation, *Saturday Night Live* debuted in 1975 with host George Carlin. Since then, more than 650 others have emceed the show, and more than 160 different cast members have been a part of the series over the course of its 51 seasons.

Television critics and non-professional naysayers have attempted to declare the series to be “Saturday Night Dead” countless times over the years, but as of this writing, both the show and its creator are still going strong.

One Life to Live (44 seasons)

Marcia Cross, about to become a desperate housewife in 'One Life to Live'.

Ann Limongello/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

Seeing the success of *Another World* on NBC, rival ABC reached out to creator Agnes Nixon and hired her to create a show for *its *network. The end result, *One Life to Live* (originally pitched with the title *Between Heaven and Hell*), debuted on July 15, 1968.

Set in the fictional Philadelphia suburb of Llanview, the show had one of the most unique casts of its day, including the first regular African-American characters (the Grays) on an American soap opera. *One Life to Live* ran on ABC until 2012, though it received a brief revival in 2013 on the Online Network.

All My Children (42 seasons)

'All My Children' raises a toast for its final episode.

Rick Rowell/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

Another of Agnes Nixon’s creations for ABC, *All My Children* debuted on Jan. 5, 1970, making it the first soap opera to debut in the ’70s.

Set in a *different* fictional suburb of Philadelphia — Pine Valley — the series is best known for introducing the world to Erica Kane, played by Susan Lucci, who infamously earned 18 Daytime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series before finally winning the award on her 19th try.

*All My Children* wrapped its ABC run in 2011. Like *One Life to Live*, it also had a brief revival on the Online Network in 2013.

The Bugs Bunny Show (40 seasons)

Let's be honest, Bugs Bunny could catch the Road Runner if he really wanted to.

Courtesy Everett Collection

Although it’s known predominantly for its extended run on Saturday mornings, *The Bugs Bunny Show* actually made its debut as a prime-time program in 1960, where it remained for two seasons before making the jump to Saturdays.

The majority of the episodes recycled theatrically-released Warner Bros. cartoons, but animators Chuck Jones and Friz Freleng created interstitial segments that provided new content, along with 26 new cartoons that were created during the series’ prime-time run.

The show bounced between ABC and CBS throughout its run, and finally concluded on the former on Sept. 2, 2000.

The Bold and the Beautiful (39 seasons)

Ashley Jones, Jack Wagner, and Hunter Tylo have wedding drama in 'The Bold and the Beautiful'.

Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty

Created as a sister show to fellow CBS soap *The Young and the Restless*, a move which allowed characters to cross over on occasion, *The Bold and the Beautiful* was a relatively late arrival on the soap opera scene, debuting on March 23, 1987. But it’s still going strong after more than 9,000 episodes.

Still starring the same two lead actors it did in the beginning (John McCook and Katherine Kelly Lang), the series has won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series three times to date.

The Simpsons (37 seasons)

The Simpsons have been around so long, they could be watching almost any of the shows on this list.

What began as a series of shorts on *The Tracey Ullman Show* when Fox was still a fledgling network has since become the longest-running scripted series in the history of prime-time television, animated or otherwise. It began with Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson, but *The Simpsons* is now an entire universe of colorful characters.

The brainchild of cartoonist Matt Groening, the comedy juggernaut debuted on Dec. 17, 1989, with a Christmas special (though that was a strategic pivot, as the originally planned premiere episode wasn’t in good enough shape to air).

The show has crossed the 800-episode mark and even spawned a feature film, *The Simpsons Movie* (2007). A sequel is set to arrive in 2027.

Another World (35 seasons)

Stephen Schnetzer and Lisa Peluso in 'Another World'.

Barry Morgenstein/NBCU Photo Bank

Created by Irna Phillips, co-creator of *Guiding Light*, *Another World* debuted on May 4, 1964, and was the talk of the town almost immediately, primarily due to a story revolving around abortion.

It was the first soap opera to do a crossover with another series, with the character of Mike Bauer from — where else? — *Guiding Light*, and it also spawned a hit single with its theme, “(You Take Me Away to) Another World,” by Crystal Gayle and Gary Morris.

After 8,891 episodes, NBC made the decision to cancel *Another World* in 1999, replacing it with *Passions*, which… was certainly a choice.

Search for Tomorrow (35 seasons)

Lewis Arlt and Marilyn McIntire in 'Search for Tomorrow'.

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

Produced by Procter & Gamble for its first three decades, *Search for Tomorrow* premiered on CBS on Sept. 3, 1951, as a 15-minute serial (the traditional length at the time) before expanding to 30 minutes in 1968.

Set in the fictional town of Henderson, the show revolved heavily around Jo Gardner, played by Mary Stuart, who was in the cast for the entirety of its run. In a semi-rare move for soap operas, *Search for Tomorrow* made the jump to NBC in 1982, where it continued to air until its eventual cancellation in 1986.

Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood (31 seasons)

Fred Rogers, going with a plaid tie and iconic - what is that, cerulean? - sweater.

Fotos International/Courtesy of Getty

It’s always a beautiful day in the neighborhood when Fred Rogers is around.

Rogers himself has been gone since 2003, but his legacy lives on thanks to 31 seasons’ worth of education, information, moral lessons, and general good vibes. With a combination of puppets, real people, and celebrity guests, Mister Rogers helped make every day a special day just by being himself.

The last new episode aired on August 31, 2001, but the spirit of the show continues with the animated series *Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood* and *Donkey Hodie*, both still airing on PBS.

Power Rangers (30 seasons)

Once we have a Green Ranger, Purple Ranger, and Orange Ranger, it'll be a party.

What started out as an idea to adapt *Super Sentai*, a Japanese superhero franchise, for Western audiences has become its own freestanding series that’s been going on for more than three decades. *Mighty Morphin Power Rangers* premiered on Fox Kids on Aug. 28, 1993, which was followed by *Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers* in 1996.

To go through the different permutations of the Power Rangers would take forever, but suffice it to say that the franchise is still going strong. The most recent series, *Cosmic Fury*, premiered on Netflix in 2023, and a new series is in the works for Disney+.

Captain Kangaroo (29 seasons)

The fellas right before they hit the club.

Bob Keeshan got his start in kids’ TV as the original Clarabell the Clown on *The Howdy Doody Show*, but on Oct. 3, 1955, he made his debut as the title character on *Captain Kangaroo*, which still holds the record for the most episodes of any children’s TV series (6,090).

Originally an hour long, the show — which featured such characters as Mr. Green Jeans, Mr. Bunny Rabbit, Mr. Moose, and Dennis the Apprentice — was set in the Treasure House, later simply known as the Captain’s Place, and it offered a mixture of humans and puppets, with both pre-filmed and animated segments.

Love of Life (29 seasons)

Dana Delany and Rom Tomme in 'Love of Life'.

Created by Roy Winsor — who had previously birthed *Search for Tomorrow* and would subsequently conceive *The Secret Storm* — *Love of Life* launched in 1951 with a focus on two sisters, Vanessa and Meg Dale, only to gradually phase out Meg in favor of Vanessa.

The introduction of each episode would soon indicate as much, with the announcer intoning that the series was “the exciting story of Vanessa Dale and her courageous struggle for human dignity.”

Three different actresses portrayed Vanessa — Peggy McCay, Bonnie Bartlett, and Audrey Peters — before the show concluded its run in 1980.

The Edge of Night (28 seasons)

Larry Hagman wonders who shot J.R. in 'The Edge of Night'.

Al Wertheimer / TV Guide /ABC /Courtesy Everett Collection

Of all the soap operas on this list, *The Edge of Night* — which debuted on April 2, 1956 — has perhaps the most interesting origin. It was originally conceived as a daytime incarnation of *Perry Mason*, with Erle Stanley Gardner actually on board to run the show. In the end, it was retooled by Irving Vendig, a former writer on the *Perry Mason *radio show. The lead character eventually evolved into Mike Karr, a cop and future lawyer, portrayed originally by John Larkin and later by Laurence Hugo and Forrest Compton.

*The Edge of Night *was unique among soaps for being almost entirely about crime. It started its run on CBS, jumped to ABC in 1975, and concluded its run in 1984.

South Park (28 seasons)

Stan, Cartman, and Kenny. Kyle's whereabouts: Unknown.

Although it currently comes up at the tail end of this list, it’s fair to say that *South Park *is destined to outlast some of the other entries, if only by virtue of the fact that it’s still on the air.

Indeed, not only does it continue to hold a spot on Comedy Central’s schedule to this day, but it’s still making headlines with its politically charged and staggeringly unflinching commentary on the Trump administration and various other cultural lightning rods.

Stan, Kyle, Kenny, and Cartman clearly aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, and based on the continued positive reception, that is very much to fans’ benefit.

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Original Article on Source

Source: “EW TV”