I recently read that the end may be near for one of my all-time favorite television shows. The Simpsons, currently in its 27th season, may only have a few years left before Homer hangs up his hard hat and calls it a day.
“I wouldn’t be stunned if we stopped at 28, but my bet is on at least 30,” said showrunner Al Jean, when asked by The Hollywood Reporter about the future of the show. “If you made me pick one, I’d say the likeliest is ending after 30, but I’ve been wrong before. I thought five seasons was good when I got there.”
In today’s television age where shows are cancelled after just a month’s worth of episodes, The Simpsons’ longevity is something to admire. And it got me thinking about other TV shows that have had a long run. Which led me to wonder…
Which TV Show Has Had The Most Episodes?
The Simpsons have had a great 27 year run, but at 574 episodes, they don’t even crack the top 100 in the list of television programs by episode count.
When you think about it, that makes sense. Homer and the gang are only on once a week and with an average of just over 20 episodes a year, it is easy to see why they show ranks behind such classics as Cops and Soul Train.
So what shows top the list? Well, let’s just say it is dominated by one particular genre.
Here’s the top 5. All soap operas.
1. Guiding Light – 18,262 total episodes
2. As the World Turns – 13,858 total episodes
3. General Hospital – 13,343 total episodes
4. Days of Our Lives – 12,624 total episodes
5. One Life to Live – 11,096 total episodes
That is a lot of shows of someone marrying their late-husband’s brother’s murder who turns out to be their dog groomer’s sister’s baby’s father, or whatever those shows are about. They may have had nearly 70,000 episodes combined, but I can’t say I’ve ever watched one.
Photo credit: Wikipedia
