My friends, "The Simpsons" is about to reach a milestone that few TV shows reach - well, few episodic fiction shows, anyway. When the new season premiers Sunday, September 28th, it will mark the start of their 20th season.
There has been quite a bit written that brings up "Gunsmoke," another famous show that stayed on the air for twenty seasons. "Lassie" made the 20 year mark too, not a bad age for a Collie. However, non-fiction television - talk shows, how-to shows, etc - make these shows look like pimply-faced teens. Consider "Meet the Press." It has been on for 60 years, and still going strong. It's a TV show that almost pre-dates TV. The "Tonight" show has been around for 54 years. Even "Oprah" has been on 21 years.
For episodic fiction that can compete with these venerable shows, we must look to the soap opera. Many have been around for forty to sixty years, including "Guiding Light", "General Hospital", and "Days of our Lives." And as for episode count, forget about it. These things were on every weekday!
"Gunsmoke" reminds me of something else. From the 1950s to the 1970s, popular culture was in love with the Western. Starting with "The Simpsons," the adult cartoon show came into fashion. That trend lasts until today, although the 00s seem cooler toward new cartoon shows. Let's hope the latest season of "The Simpsons" can recapture some of the verve of the early 90s episodes.
(Source for TV show trivia : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_longest_running_U.S._television_series)
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