The world of entertainment is a fickle one, with networks and streaming distributors canceling shows before giving them a chance to find their groove, moving from one micro-trend to the next at lightning speed. That's why longevity is an anomaly, especially in an era of fewer episodes and fewer seasons. While 100 episodes was coveted for shows in an era when broadcast syndication was important, these seven shows have easily passed 10 seasons on television, proving that quality and quantity need not be mutually exclusive. From iconic animated shows like "The Simpsons" to hard-hitting cable dramas like "Shameless," there are seven great TV series that you can watch for a while and not get bored.

Most of television's longest-running shows are daytime soaps and crime investigative programs, with animated series like "Family Guy" and "American Dad" leading the pack with over 20 seasons on the air. But "The Simpsons," with more than 750 episodes spanning 35 seasons, is the longest-running primetime scripted series ever. (FYI, a 36th installment is already in the works.)

Satirical content. The adventures of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie, and other Springfield residents in the middle of America have helped define pop culture for over 30 years, earning 35 Emmy Awards, two Peabody Awards, and the fictional Simpsons family a It has garnered many accolades, including even a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. [It aired on Showtime for 11 seasons from January 2011 to April 2021. [The show features an ensemble cast led by William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum, and the pre-The Bear Jeremy Allen White (though we'd love to see the actor's interactions with his two famous Chicagoan characters, Kermie and Rip). The show follows the impoverished yet street-smart Gallagher family as they engage in deceit, fraud, addiction, adultery, and other self-destructive behaviors on Chicago's South Side. Considering how much mayhem this family gets into with each episode, it must surely be a wild ride.

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The show has it all: sketch comedy, political satire, iconic musical guests, a cast that has become big stars (Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Kristen Wiig), fake commercials, countless catchphrases ("more cowbell," "we're not worthy," etc.), and nearly 950 episodes over 49 seasons. (As of 2022, it has been nominated for over 305 Primetime Emmy Awards, the most of any television show.)

Watching nearly 50 years of "Saturday Night Live" is a deep dive into change. But no matter which era or ensemble you channel, there is the reassurance that from the halls of Studio 8H comes the cry, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night."

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This FX sitcom has been on the air so long that you probably don't even remember when Danny DeVito wasn't on it. (Incidentally, this comedy icon has been a part of the series since Season 2.) 16 seasons, 170 episodes (and counting. With a 17th and 18th season already in the works), "It's Always Sunny" is the longest-running live-action sitcom in America, which is surprisingly durable considering how simple its premise is.

But stars Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenny, Caitlin Olson, and DeVito twist that seemingly simple concept into one of the funniest and most mind-bending productions on television, with elaborate deception and absurdist humor throughout. twists and turns into one of the funniest and most mind-bending pieces of work on television.

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The X-Files Universe includes the 202-episode, nine-season original series that aired on Fox from September 1993 to 2002, combining elements of modern crime drama and supernatural suspense), 2016 to 2018, a reboot that ran for two seasons, and two feature films (1998's The X-Files and 2008's The X-Files: I Want to Believe).

Through it all, an odd couple of special agents - paranormal researcher Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and skeptic Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) - follow the madness of the weekly monster, government agendas, alien conspiracies, and their own simmering guide you through their simmering sexual chemistry.

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Considered the greatest sitcom in American history, Cheers aired on NBC from September 1982 to May 1993, with 11 seasons totaling 275 half-hour episodes. Set in Boston, the comedy followed a group of saloon clerks and patrons, portrayed by an iconic cast that included Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Rhea Perlman, Nicholas Colasanto, and George Wendt.

Obviously, people quickly realized how great it was, and by the end of its long run, the series finale was the most-watched television episode of the entire 90s.

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Let's be honest, not every season of Grey's Anatomy is created equal, and the residents and doctors at Seattle Grace Medical School (Meredith Grey, played by Ellen Pompei; Katherine Heigl Izzy Stevens, Christina Yang played by Sandra Oh, Derek Shepherd played by Patrick Dempsey, etc.) are the stars of the earlier version, which is most certainly a great film.

But despite regularly falling into unbelievable situations over the years, this medical drama, thanks to its signature mix of surgical conundrums, sultry workplace romances, light-hearted banter, and the emotional beats of Reach for the Kleenex, has managed to build a whopping 19 seasons, the show has attracted a devoted audience.

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