The Top 13 Longest Running Scripted Television Shows

The other night I realized that NCIS is on its 14th season which for a network show is considered great.  Most shows do not seem to run more than 5 or 6 seasons.  So other than shows like Masterpiece Theatre and Walt Disney, what are the longest running scripted shows.  I use scripted because these shows were planned, dialogue prepared etc to tell a story with the same characters week after week.

1. Of course NCIS has produced over 300 episodes which is remarkable due to the fact that they've managed to keep the audience hooked and watching for  quite a few years.

2.ER, a show that ran from 1994 to 2009 and produced an impressive 331 episodes.  This show spawned George Clooney who later stared in Oceans 11 and its sequels.  This show captivated a generation of watchers who grew with the show.

3.  CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, the original one located in Las Vegas.  It ran from 2000 to 2015 and produced 335 episodes.  Over the time it was on television, it birthed several offspring, the first of which took place in Florida, followed by NYC.

4. Knots Landing, one of the night time soap opera type shows. It started off as a spin-off to the ever popular Dallas and ran from 1979 to 1993 while producing 344 episodes.  The women always looked polished even after a fight.

5. Dallas, the ever popular show of oil barons and wealth.  It ran from 1978 to 1991 and produced 357 episodes.  Does anyone remember the year that they made a dream?  I never bought it. 

6. My Three Sons which ran from 1960 to 1972 starring Fred McMurray and had the crusty Uncle Charlie as the housekeeper/cook.  My Three Sons ran 380 episodes and at one point the oldest son got married and left the series so they adopted a boy who became the 3rd son.

7. Law and Order"SVU or Special Victims Unity, ran for 17 years beginning in 1999 and produced 383 episodes.  One member has been on the series the whole time.  I usually catch reruns when I travel because one station always seems to have marathons.

8.  Bonanza with Lorne Green and Michael Landon was on from 1959 to 1973 with 431 episodes.  It was a western taking place near Lake Tahoe. 

9. The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet ran from 1952 to 1966 with a whopping 435  episodes.  It was sort of the first reality show in that it starred the Nelson family as themselves.  The show made the leap from radio to television.  One of the sons was none other than Ricky Nelson the singer.

10.  Law and Order, the original show ran from 1990 to 2010 and produced 456 episodes.  It showed the process from investigation to trial.  Sometimes they won, sometimes they lost but it was always resolved in one hour.

11. Lassie was on the air from 1954 to 1971 with 547 episodes not counting two years it was only in syndication.  I don't know how many different Timmy's or Lassies it had but I know it was hugely popular.

12.  The Simpsons, an animated series that has run for 27 seasons so far with over 580 episodes.  I've never watched this show because it has never interested me but I found some math things you can do with the series.

13. Gunsmoke which ran 20 years and produced 635 episodes.  Imagine so many episodes.  Someone in the family said they went to the same junior college in California that the actress who played Miss Kitty did.  I think that was in the 50's. 

I remember watching some of these or catching them as reruns on the channels that show old series.  I wonder if anyone else out there has fond memories of these shows.