- 11 / 50ABC7 WJLA
#40. Inside Washington
- Total length: 44 years
- Network: Syndicated
- First broadcast: 1969
- Final broadcast: Dec. 20, 2013
This political roundtable show got its start as “Agronsky & Co.,” hosted by journalist Martin Agronsky. After Agronsky's retirement, journalist Gordon Peterson renamed the program “Inside Washington,” with production moving to local D.C. station WJLA. The program was an early pioneer in the “talking head” format of panel discussions. - 12 / 50Buena Vista Television
#39. One Life to Live
- Total length: 44 years
- Network: ABC
- First broadcast: July 15, 1968
- Final broadcast: Jan. 13, 2012
Agnes Nixon, the force behind “All My Children,” created “One Life to Life” to steer daytime television programming away from its predominantly white, upper-class nature by instead depicting ethnically and socioeconomically diverse characters. Ending in 2012, an attempt to revive “One Life to Life” was short-lived online. - 13 / 50WGBH
#38. The Victory Garden
- Total length: 45 years
- Network: PBS
- First broadcast: April 16, 1975
- Final broadcast: Ongoing
Beginning as “Crockett's Victory Garden” under the hosting of James Underwood Crockett, each episode on this show focuses on general garden care. After Crockett passed away in 1979, the show broadened to cover topics like planting, potting, pruning, and pest control, even featuring guests and travel segments. The program is currently on the air under the title “The Victory Garden's Edible Feast.” -
- 14 / 50Robert Riger // Getty Images
#37. Wide World of Sports
- Total length: 45 years
- Network: ABC
- First broadcast: April 29, 1961
- Final broadcast: August 2006
ABC's “Wide World of Sports” was a popular weekly sports magazine. Episodes began with a musical fanfare and an iconic voice-over promising to show viewers “the thrill of victory” and “the agony of defeat.” As the television market grew and diversified in the late '90s, “Wide World of Sports” couldn't compete and was canceled in 1998. - 15 / 50WGBH
#36. NOVA
- Total length: 46 years
- Network: PBS
- First broadcast: March 3, 1974
- Final broadcast: Ongoing“NOVA” is the most-watched primetime science program in the United States. Produced by Boston-based WGBH, the weekly program features in-depth reports on scientific and nature topics, as well as interviews with prominent scientists and researchers. “NOVA” is the recipient of numerous Peabody and Emmy awards.
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- 16 / 50CBS
#35. The Young and the Restless
- Total length: 47 years
- Network: CBS
- First broadcast: March 26, 1973
- Final broadcast: Ongoing
A rivalry between the wealthy Brooks family and the working class Foster family is the centerpiece of the Daytime Emmy-winning “The Young and the Restless.” While the cast frequently changes, the characters Jill Abbott and Katherine Chancellor remain constant. The program began as a half-hour soap opera before expanding to a full hour in 1980 and also crossed over with fellow soap opera “The Bold and the Beautiful.” -
- 17 / 50PBS
#34. Great Performances
- Total length: 47 years
- Network: PBS
- First broadcast: Nov. 4, 1972
- Final broadcast: Ongoing
As the title implies, “Great Performances” is a platform on PBS to showcase theatrical and artistic productions including plays, musicals, ballets, operas, and even documentaries. Julie Andrews, Whoopi Goldberg, and Walter Cronkite frequently acted as guest hosts for the program. A spin-off called “Great Performances: Dance in America” focused exclusively on dance performances. - 18 / 50Price Productions
#33. The Price Is Right
- Total length: 47 years
- Network: CBS
- First broadcast: Sept. 4, 1972
- Final broadcast: Ongoing
Whether or not they view the show, Americans are all familiar with “The Price Is Right's” famous catchphrase “Come on down!” The game show is the longest-running on television and features contestants attempting to guess the price of certain items. Bob Barker hosted the show from its debut until 2007, when he was succeeded by Drew Carey. - 19 / 50RBC Ministries
#32. Day of Discovery
- Total length: 48 years
- Networks: Syndicated
- First broadcast: May 5, 1968
- Final broadcast: Feb. 6, 2016
“Day of Discovery” was a show imported from Canada and hosted by publisher and broadcaster Brent Hackett. Shot in documentary style, Hackett takes viewers through historical events while providing Christian and context. -
- 20 / 50AFP // Getty Images
#31. Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon
- Total length: 48 years
- Networks: Syndicated, ABC
- First broadcast: Sept. 4, 1966
- Final broadcast: Aug. 31, 2014
The “Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon” raised money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association annually from 1966 to 2014 and was hosted by its namesake, the beloved entertainer Jerry Lewis. The telethon aired every Labor Day weekend, and in total raised more than $2.45 billion. The program eventually aired as the “MDA Show of Strength,” but was canceled in favor of more modern and viral methods of fundraising.You may also like: 1984 and 19 other dystopian novels that predicted the future