The longest-running TV show by years on air is the sports outside broadcast "The Championships, Wimbledon," which has been broadcast in the United Kingdom since 1937 (with interruptions during World War II and in 2020 due to COVID-19), totaling 87 years
. In terms of continuous TV series, the longest-running news show is "Meet the Press" in the United States, airing since 1947, with over 75 years on air and more than 4,946 episodes
. For soap operas, "Coronation Street" in the UK has been running since 1960, making it the longest-running soap opera with over 64 years on air
. For animated prime-time shows, "The Simpsons" holds the record, starting in 1989 and still running with over 34 seasons
. Summary of notable longest-running shows:
- Longest-running TV broadcast event: The Championships, Wimbledon (UK) – 87 years
- Longest-running news show: Meet the Press (US) – 75+ years
- Longest-running soap opera: Coronation Street (UK) – 64+ years
- Longest-running animated prime-time series: The Simpsons (US) – 34+ seasons
These examples highlight different categories of longest-running TV shows depending on format and genre.
