List of notable television programs

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This is a list of longest running TV shows, by category. It also includes information on record breaking shows.

[edit] Programs

Most years filming in the same city: As the World Turns, 50 years. (43 years in Manhattan and 7 in Brooklyn)
Longest running, television: Meet the Press, (1947-present)
Most number of episodes: Guiding Light, 15,105 (as of February 9, 2007. Show premiered on television June 30, 1952)

[edit] Animated series

Longest running animated series, by episodes: Sazae-san, (1969-present)
Longest running animated series, by seasons: Unser Sandmännchen (East German version) (1959–Present)

[edit] Children's series, animated

Longest running children's animated series: East German series Das Sandmännchen has run since 1959—current; the West German series ran 1959—1991. The English record is held by Tom and Jerry, 1940—1980.
Longest running children's animated series, episodes: Doraemon, 1,099 episodes, 1979-present

[edit] Children's series, education

Longest running children's series, educational, by episodes: Blue Peter (UK) 16th October 1958 - Present - 4000 episodes
Longest running children's series, educational, by seasons: Blue Peter, 48 seasons. 1958 - present
Largest audience for a single episode of a children's series, not animated
Largest cumilative audience for a children's series, not animated: Sesame Street, which has been aired in 200 countries over the course of 35+ years.
First children's series to be broadcast
Series aired in the most countries: Sesame Street, 180.

[edit] Children's series, live action

Longest running children's series, not animated, by episodes: Bozo's Circus, ? episodes; this number is due to the fact Bozo was franchised to local markets, each producing their own programs.
Longest running children's series, educational, by seasons: Bozo's Circus, 40 years; in many of the earliest and final years, the series was seen only regionally.^[1]

Mr Squiggle Also 40 years, shown nationally (Australian)

Longest running music series: Top of The Pops (UK) 01-01-1964 - August 2006 Aired on BBC1 then BBC2

[edit] Comedy programs

Longest running comedy series, by episodes

The adventures Of Ozzie & Harriet 435

Longest running comedy series, by seasons

Last of the Summer Wine - 27 Seasons 1973 - Present

Largest audience for a single episode of a comedy series, single episode: Seinfeld series finale, 108 million.^[2]

Highest rated comedy series, entire run
Highest rated comedy special
First comedy program to be broadcast

[edit] Dramas

Highest audience share: Dallas, 76% share^[3]
Series aired in the most countries: Dallas, 90.

[edit] Daytime dramas (soap operas)

Longest running series, years: Guiding Light, 54 years and counting (on television since 30 June 1952; premiered on radio 25 January 1937).

Longest running series, episodes: Guiding Light, 15000 episodes as of September 2006.

Longest run as most-watched series: As the World Turns, 1958—1978, 20 years.

First daytime drama on television: A Woman to Remember, 21 February 1949.

First half-hour long daytime drama: As the World Turns, 2 April 1956.

First hour-long daytime drama: Another World (TV series), 6 January 1975.

First 45-minute daytime drama: One Life to Live, 26 July 1976.

First 90-minute daytime drama: Another World, 6 March 1979 (the format proved to be unsuccessful and the drama returned to one-hour on 4 August 1980).

[edit] Game shows

Longest running game show, seasons: The Price is Right, 34 seasons, 1972—current. The series also aired 1956—1965.
Longest running game show, episodes: The Price is Right, 6672 episodes as of March 9, 2007

[edit] History series

Longest running History Show: Timewatch(UK), 1981 - Current

[edit] Music series

Longest running music series: Top of The Pops (UK) 01-01-1964 - August 2006 (Sadly) Aired on BBC1 then BBC2

[edit] Police Drama

Longest running Police Drama Show: Taggart(UK), 1983 - Current

[edit] Puppet Show

Longest Running Puppet Show: Mr Squiggle (Australia) 1959 - 1999

[edit] Science Show

Longest Running Science show: The Sky at Night(UK) 1957 - Current, with the same presenter.

[edit] Science Fiction

Longest Running Science Fiction show: Doctor Who (UK) 1963 - 1989, 2005 - Present

[edit] Talk shows

Longest running, primetime: The Tonight Show, 52 years, 1953—present. The show has had seven hosts, ignoring an "Interregnum" between Jack Paar and Johnny Carson. Conan O'Brien will take over the series in 2009, from Jay Leno.
Longest running, daytime: Live with Regis and Kelly, 23 years, 1983—1988, regionally, 1988—current nationally. Regis Philbin has hosted the show since its inception as The Morning Show.

[edit] Western

Longest Running Western: Gunsmoke

[edit] People

Most prolific drama producer: Aaron Spelling, 3842 hours since 1956.

Most hours on camera, national-broadcast: Regis Philbin, 15199 as of 20 August 2004.

Longest Running presenter: Sir Patrick Moore presenting The Sky at Night since 1957 to the present.

Highest annual earnings for a television actor: Jerry Seinfeld, Seinfeld. Forbes estimated Seinfeld made USD$267 million in 1998.^[2]

First openly-gay person featured on television: Lance Loud, An American Family. The series was a reality show/documentary, so Loud technically was not a "character", as so much as he was "playing" himself in the series.

First openly-gay lead fictional television character: Don Finlayson, played by Joe Hasham Number 96 (Australia) 1971.

[edit] Milestones

Most Primetime Emmys, single season: The West Wing, nine, 2000.
Most Primetime Emmys, total
Most Daytime Emmys, single season
Most Daytime Emmys, total: Sesame Street, 101.
Most International Emmys, total
Longest serving soap actor: William Roach (aka Ken Barlow) from the start of Coronation Street (UK) in 1950 until the present day (he's still in it).

[edit] Channels

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First television station: 1922 2LO & 2MT (UK) Later renamed to The British Broadcasting Company (October 1922), then The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and finally BBC1 with the airing of BBC2
First commercial television station: ITV/Channel 3 (UK) 1924
First non-English television station
Oldest television network: THE BBC
Oldest non-English television network

Largest potential audience: China Central Television (CCTV), 900 million people
Largest potential audience, commercial
Largest television network, by countries: CNN International, 212^[4]
Largest television network, by potential audience: 149 million households^[4]
First British Colour Broadcast: July 1, 1967 BBC2

[edit] Commercials

Most advertisement appearances by a single person: Wendy's founder Dave Thomas, 1989—2001, 800+ commercials.
Longest running advertising campaign/character: PG Tips tea chimpanzee campaign, 1956—1994, 38 years. The campaign included 100 ads.
Longest running advertising campaign starring a company founder: Wendy's Dave Thomas, 1989—2001, 800+ commercials.

Most expensive commercial rate, 30 seconds: USD$2 million for the finale of Friends on NBC, 6 May 2004.

[edit] Other

Most seizures caused by a television program, single episode: 700, held by an episode of Pokémon, which aired Television Tokyo Channel 12.
Last program shown in Britain before World War II: A Mickey Mouse cartoon. Television signal ceased without warning after the cartoon was over, until the end of the war.^[5]

[edit] References

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