Some comedy series have been on television for years, and sometimes decades. Here are some of the longest-running comedies on television.
Not all shows are built to last, but these comedy series have lasted for many years— and some are still on the air today.
Here are just 22 of the longest-running comedies on television.
"Coach" ran for nine seasons with Craig T. Nelson at its helm.
The ABC comedy "Coach" ran for nine seasons from 1989 to 1997. It followed Craig T. Nelson ("Parenthood", "The Incredibles") as Hayden Fox, the head coach of the Minnesota State University Screaming Eagles football team. Shelley Fabares played his wife, a television anchor, and Jerry Van Dyke and Bill Fagerbakke played assistant coaches.
In 1992, Nelson won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role.
"[It's] not exactly the freshest premise for a comedy," wrote critic David Friedman for Newsday in 1989. "But what 'Coach' lacks in flash or originality, it makes up in steady execution. A winning cast and decent writing will do that."
"All in the Family" was a nine-season show that centered on clashing cultures.
The sitcom "All in the Family" ran for nine seasons from 1971 to 1979. It followed the lives of the Bunker family as two generations — the G.I. Generation and Baby Boomers — clashed on contemporary controversies and political issues.
Though the show ran for a long time, it's been widely criticized for its handling of controversial issues.
Hollywood Reporter writer Sue Cameron described her first impression of the show when it premiered in 1971: "The main problem with this show is that in order to achieve laughs in a family satire, there must first be an underlying feeling of love among all parties. Without that foundation, all that comes out is just plain hate."
"Murphy Brown" was recently revived for a new season.
"Murphy Brown" initially ran for 10 seasons on CBS from 1988 to 1998. The show starred Candice Bergen, Faith Ford, and Lily Tomlin ("Grace and Frankie"). The series followed Bergen as a journalist and news anchor for the fictional news network, FYI.
In the current trend of rebooting old shows like "Will and Grace" and "The X-Files," "Murphy Brown" was recently revived for season 11, with Bergen now working as an anchor for a morning show called "Murphy in the Morning."
The spin-off "Family Matters" ran for nine seasons.
The sitcom "Family Matters" ran from 1989 to 1998 for nine seasons on ABC. It was a spin-off of the show "Perfect Strangers" that focused on the Winslows, a middle-class family living in Chicago. "Family Matters" starred Reginald VelJohnson, Jo Marie Payton, Rosetta LeNoire, and Jaleel White.
"With Jo Marie Payton-France reprising her role as Harriette, 'Family Matters' is in good hands," Hollywood Reporter critic Richard Hack wrote in 1989. "Coupled with Reginald VelJohnson as hubby Carl, this pair leaps from the screen to rise above their material."
"Happy Days" had a 10-year run on ABC.
"Happy Days" ran on ABC for 11 seasons from 1974 to 1984. The show starred Ron Howard, Marion Ross, and Henry Winkler ("Arrested Development," "Barry"). Set in Milwaukee, the show focused on teenagers as they came of age.
"I go to comic cons and people come up and they say 'You're the reason I ride a motorcycle, you're the reason I became a mechanic,'" Winkler told GQ about his legacy as "The Fonz" on the classic show.
"How I Met Your Mother" gained a loyal fan base over a nine-year period.
"How I Met Your Mother" is a CBS sitcom that premiered in 2005 and ran until 2014 for a total of nine seasons. The show followed Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) and his friends (Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris, and Alyson Hannigan) as they navigated their adult years in New York City.
The show gained a wide following during its run through unique framing and clever recurring jokes, but it also garnered negative attention from fans and critics alike for the controversial series finale.
In an interview with Vulture in 2014, Radnor reflected on the show's ending. "I'm a fan of the finale and obviously I'm a fan of the show," said Radnor. "I think people are having to deal with grief on a number of levels. There's grief in the episode, but then there's grief at letting the show go."
Read More: 19 surprising things you probably didn't know about 'How I Met your Mother'
"Everybody Loves Raymond" captured the unique nature of family relationships over nine seasons.
"Everybody Loves Raymond" ran for nine seasons on CBS from 1996 to 2005. The show starred Ray Romano, Patricia Heaton, Brad Garrett, and Doris Roberts. "Everybody Loves Raymond" centered on Italian-American Raymond Barone (Romano), a sports reporter living in Long Island, and his extended family.
"There were a lot of shows that copied 'Raymond' in hopes of getting a small sliver of its success, but they missed the specificity with which the series drew its relationships from the very first episode," Vox critic Todd VanDerWerff wrote in a retrospective. "They also missed the way those relationships kept the show's focus laser-sharp."
"The Jeffersons" is one of the longest-running sitcoms that focuses on an African-American family.
The sitcom "The Jeffersons" ran on CBS from 1975 to 1985 and was a spin-off of the show "All in the Family." It starred Isabel Sanford and Sherman Hemsley as Louise and George Jefferson, who move from Queens to Manhattan when George's dry-cleaning business becomes a chain.
"The Jeffersons" is notable as one of the longest-running sitcoms that centered on an African-American cast and was the first show to prominently feature an interracial couple.
"The Jeffersons' use of confrontational humor and candid commentary that helped ease the discussion of topics like race and class on American television (and beyond) is the cornerstone of the show's lasting legacy," wrote Danielle Cadet on the Huffington Post. "Its characters opened doors for future black actors, and its success proved that African American sitcoms did, in fact, resonate with general audiences."
"Cheers" was a favorite for many viewers over an 11-year run.
The comedy "Cheers" ran from 1982 to 1993 on NBC for 11 seasons. Set in a Boston bar full of relatable and likable characters, the show starred prolific actors such as Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Rhea Perlman, and Woody Harrelson. The show has long been cherished as a hallmark in television comedy.
"Being filmed 'before a live studio audience' was an element that seemed key to its energy," praised "Cheers" reviewer Martin Chilton in The Telegraph. "The actors were kept on their toes, and the cast seemed to derive an energy from instant laughter at well-delivered quips rather than canned laughter added later."
"Frasier" matched its predecessor's 11-season run.
A spin-off of the show "Cheers," "Frasier" ran for 11 seasons on NBC from 1993 until 2004. "Frasier" focused on Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) and his return to Seattle to work as an advice host on a radio program. The larger cast included Jane Leeves, David Hyde Pierce, and Peri Gilpin.
"The show looks like one of the brighter entities in the incoming freshman sitcom class," wrote Hollywood Reporter critic Miles Beller in 1993. "['Frasier' is] a series that constructs its characters and situations with care and skill from the start rather than relying on seeking to confirm expectations."
"Family Guy" has been satirizing Americans for two decades.
The animated comedy series "Family Guy" premiered on Fox in 1998 and has been running for 17 seasons. The show has faced cancellations and network changes but has remained on-air.
Created by Seth MacFarlane, the show features the Griffins as they parody the average American family. The voice cast includes Seth Green, Alex Borstein, Lacey Chabert, Mila Kunis, and MacFarlane, who voices Peter, Brian, and Stewie Griffin.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Kunis joked about her reputation as Meg Griffin, the show's metaphorical punching bag. "The number one quote I get on the streets all day long from everything that I've done [is] 'Shut up, Meg,'" said Kunis. "All the time. 'Shut up, Meg.' It's been 15 years! 'Shut up, Meg.' All I can do is laugh."
"Modern Family" recently began its tenth season on ABC.
Shot in a mockumentary-style similar to comedies like "The Office" and "Parks and Recreation," "Modern Family" has been on-air since 2009 and recently started its tenth season on ABC.
The show tracks three families connected by grandfather Jay Pritchett (Ed O'Neill) and analyzes the relationships between his wife, his adult children, his step-son, and his grandchildren. The cast includes Sofia Vergara, Ty Burrell, Julie Bowen, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, and many more.
In 2010, Ferguson spoke to Vanity Fair about receiving his first Emmy nomination for his role as Mitchell Pritchett on "Modern Family."
"I think we thought that the show itself would get a nomination, but the fact that they recognized so many of the actors and for me and Eric [Stonestreet], too, we were really happy that the couple was recognized," said Ferguson. "They're characters that haven't been seen on network television ever: two gay men raising a baby. So, the fact that we were both recognized was very gratifying."
"M*A*S*H" ran for 11 seasons and was met with wide acclaim.
The military comedy "M*A*S*H" was a television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1972 to 1983 on CBS. The show focused on a team of doctors and military staff during the Korean War and often tackled heavy subject matters due to its setting.
The cast of "M*A*S*H" featured many actors including Alan Alda, Wayne Rogers, and Loretta Swit. Alda won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Series six times for his portrayal of Chief Surgeon Hawkeye Pierce.
In 1975 "M*A*S*H" won a Peabody Award for the "depth of its humor and the manner in which comedy is used to lift the spirit and… offer a profound statement on the nature of war." It was also upheld as "an example of television of high purpose that reveals in universal terms a time and place with such affecting clarity."
"Mystery Science Theater 3000" has been making fun of bad movies since 1988.
"Mystery Science Theater 3000" premiered in 1988 and has run for a combined 10 seasons on multiple networks. The show has been presented by Joel Hodgson, Michael J. Nelson, and Jonah Ray at different periods as it was canceled and picked up over time.
The typical format for the show includes a human character and their robot companions tortured by an extraterrestrial villain by being forced to watch bad films. In every episode as the movie plays, the characters laugh and make jokes about the terrible plots that unfold.
The series collectively has over 200 episodes, making fun of a wide range of films including movies like "The Pod People," "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians," and "I Accuse My Parents." Most recently, it returned as "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return" on Netflix in 2017.
In a Geek & Sundry video, "Mystery Science Theater 3000" actress Felicia Day talked about her excitement as a newcomer on the show. "I'm so excited because as a kid, 'Mystery Science Theater 3000' was one of my favorite shows," said Day. "Me and my brother sat down every Saturday and refrained from hitting each other just for that one hour and a half."
"King Of the Hill" explored the life of a suburban family for 13 seasons.
The animated comedy "King of the Hill" ran on Fox for 13 seasons from 1997 until 2010. It was created and written by Mike Judge ("Silicon Valley") and Greg Daniels ("The Office") and followed the lives of a middle-class suburban family living in Texas. It was considered more derivative than shows like "South Park" and "The Simpsons" because of its depiction of regular people and the everyday mundanity of their lives.
In an interview with the Chicago Tribune in 2009, "King of the Hill" creator Judge said he was content with the show coming to an end. "I think it's a good time to stop," Judge replied when asked if he would miss it. "I'd rather stop when it's still decent, rather than run it to the ground. It'll be a little weird — this will be the first time since 1992 that I haven't had a show on the air. But I'm OK with it."
"South Park" has surprised audiences for 22 seasons.
"South Park" is an adult animated comedy that uses childish animation styles to address profane and dark topics with humor. The show debuted in 1997 and recently premiered its 23rd season on Comedy Central. It features the voice talents of Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Mary Kay Bergman, and Eliza Schneider.
Variety critic Ray Richmond reviewed the season premiere in 1997: "As animation, it's substandard, primitive dreck; as comedy, however, it's gloriously subversive art."
"The Simpsons" is the longest-running television show with 30 seasons.
"The Simpsons" has aired on Fox since 1989 and recently premiered its 30th season.
Before a similar premise was born on "Family Guy," the average family saw themselves in the Simpsons. For nearly three decades the show has created over 640 episodes and seemingly endless characters in the fictional town of Springfield.
The main cast includes Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, and Nancy Cartwright, and notable guest stars like Michael Jackson, Leonard Nimoy, and Paul McCartney have voiced characters through the years.
The cast of "Friends" kept audiences entertained for a decade.
The sitcom "Friends" premiered in 1994 and ran for 10 seasons until 2004. The show starred Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer as six best friends surviving the mishaps of their late twenties and early thirties in New York City.
"Before ['Friends'] ended, people were asking if we were coming back," said Aniston in an interview with InStyle. "Courteney and Lisa and I talk about it. I fantasize about it. It really was the greatest job I ever had. I don't know what it would look like today, but you never know. So many shows are being successfully rebooted."
"The Office" had a huge cast of comedians at its disposal for nine seasons.
Based on a British show of the same name, "The Office" was a mockumentary-style comedy about a paper company and the employees' everyday work lives. The show debuted on NBC in 2005 and ended in 2013, led by talents like Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, and Rainn Wilson.
"I'm so thankful to have been on that show," said Carell in an interview with Junkee. "That was a special group, you know. The writers and the actors, that's kind of like capturing lightning in a bottle. All of those people just added up to something very unique and I was lucky to be a part of it."
"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" is a triumph in absurdist comedy.
"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" has earned the title of one of the longest running live-action comedy series in television history. The show premiered on FX in 2005 and continues today starring Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, Kaitlin Olson, and Danny DeVito.
It follows the lives of a group of friends who run a bar together in Philadelphia. The group also happens to be comprised of some hilariously terrible people due to their own idiocy, ignorance, and overconfidence. Constantly breaking barriers in comedy, the show recently began its 13th season and has no plans of stopping anytime soon.
"I think at the end of the day, we're trying to make people laugh," said Olson in a cast interview with The New York Times. "To us, it's really funny to push the characters as far as we can, without turning them into cartoons."
"Saturday Night Live" has been on the air for decades.
Created by Lorne Michaels, NBC's " target="_blank"Saturday Night Live" has been making audiences laugh for 44 seasons.
While it's primarily a variety show, it's a comedy that has been on the air since 1975. The show has featured celebrity guests including Kanye West, Paul McCartney, Alec Baldwin, and Tina Fey. Its main cast has included stars like Kenan Thompson, Will Ferrell, and Andy Samberg. And, the show's cast and scripts are ever-changing.
"Ah, the new season of 'Saturday Night Live': new writers, new featured players, new opportunities for Leslie Jones to give the camera her death stare!" Matthew Love wrote about the show's latest season on Vulture.
Read More: 10 things you probably never knew about 'Saturday Night Live'
"Seinfeld" ran for nine seasons.
"Seinfeld" ran from 1989 to 1998. The show follows a fictional version of stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld (played by Jerry Seinfeld) and his friends, George, Elaine, and Kramer and their adventures in New York City.
"It works. It's different. It's fun, offbeat and charming," wrote Ann Hodges in the Houston Chronicle.
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