The longest series on TV: check out the main ones

Do you know which are the longest TV series and how long they lasted? Come find out more with us!

Are you a person who loves watching series and doesn't mind watching several seasons? Then today's text is for you, because we will tell you which are the longest series on TV and a synopsis of all of them so you can choose which ones will be your next marathon.

We can say that one of the biggest hobbies of people, whether in Brazil or any other country, is being able to come home and watch a movie or a series, right?

Waiting for the release of TV series has always been a great thing for everyone who enjoys that good anticipation for what might happen in the next episode and with the arrival of streaming this has intensified even more since many people consume the entire season at once and wait more than a year for the next one.

And although there are series that premiere and are canceled after some time due to low ratings, there are series that manage to last for many, many years without losing the public's attention.

In fact, there are series that are so long that even the protagonists themselves have left them and the series has managed to reinvent itself with other characters and remain interesting for the public.

However, do you know which are the longest-running series in TV history? If you ask most people this question, many will guess some long-running series that they have heard of, but they have no idea how many series we don't even remember and had many more episodes.

And that’s what we’ll talk about in today’s text. We’ll tell you which are the 10 longest series on TV and whether it’s possible to find them on a streaming service to learn more about them. Let’s go!

Top 10 longest running TV series

Despite there being many series that have been on the air for years and years, there are always those that managed to get a place in the top 10 because they were the ones that lasted the longest and we brought them to you.

Law & Order

The drama that opens our top 10 is Law & Order, also known in Brazil as Lei & Ordem and the series premiered in 1990 and held firm for a long 20 years and in 2022 it received a revival, gaining 2 more seasons, totaling 24 seasons and 488 episodes.

The series has even had several spin-offs such as Law & Order: Criminal Intent and each episode focuses on a different case that requires uncovering what really happened.

The series is available on Globoplay.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

A successful spin-off of Law & Order, the series also works by focusing each episode on a different investigation case, but focused on special victims and the investigation of these people's cases.

The series premiered in 1999 and has been on the air until now, totaling 24 seasons and 538 episodes, which is a huge milestone for broadcast TV series.

The series is also available on Globoplay.

Gunsmoke

In the past, it was very common to see series extend over many, many years, but this habit has become less and less common.

The 1950s series focused on a small-town sheriff who didn't let any crime go unpunished in his town, but the series is set in 1870, when things were very different.

The series has 635 episodes distributed across 20 seasons and is available on Looke.

Arthur

This is a series that many people have probably already seen, as it was a much-loved animation in the 2000s.

The series tells the story of the little anthill pig and his adventures at home and at school, as well as featuring several secondary characters that everyone loves. 

Broadcast from 1996 to 2022, the series had 25 seasons and 253 episodes, but is not available on any streaming service.

South Park

An animated series, but completely different from the previous one, here we have a comedy for adults that manages to stay strong after more than two decades.

The series premiered in 1997 and is still on the air today, with 26 seasons and 325 episodes available. The coolest thing is that here we have a series that satirizes the behavior of Americans, in the most exaggerated way possible.

You can find the complete series to watch on Star Plus or on Comedy Central.

The Simpsons

One of the best known on the list, The Simpsons has been on the air for almost 40 years, since 1989, and has 35 seasons and 750 episodes.

In the animation, we meet the family formed by Homer, Marge, Maggie, Lisa and Bart Simpson, a traditional family who get into various troubles to protect each other or to prove their point of view.

All episodes are available on Star Plus.

Last of The Summer Wine

From here you will see series that fought hard for the podium of longest series of all time and “Last of the Summer Wine” was on the air from 1973 to 2010, totaling 295 episodes.

In this sitcom, we meet a group of friends who go through various everyday situations together. The series could have had many more episodes, but since it is a British series, they usually release fewer episodes per season, but it is not available in Brazil.

Grange Hill

One of the most successful series in the United Kingdom, in this drama we get to know Grange Hill School, a fictional neighborhood and some of the students there and we follow their progression through school.

The series aired from 1978 to 2008 and had 601 episodes and is not available in Brazil.

Doctor Who

This is a famous series to this day and usually draws crowds to the TV. The series premiered in 1963 and aired until 1989, but returned in 2005 and is still on the air, with more than 860 episodes.

Here we meet a Time Lord who goes by the name of Doctor and he can travel to other places and dimensions and is available on Disney Plus.

Sesame Street

And the gold medal for longest-running series of all time goes to “Sesame Street.” While many people would never bet on this series for number one, it will probably never be taken from here, or at least not easily.

The series had 48 seasons and 4,461 episodes, in addition to being one of the most Emmy-nominated series with more than 160 nominations.

The series is not available on any streaming service here.

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