While many series have left their mark in television history, few have charmed viewers with their iconic characters and acclaimed writing for over a decade. Dozens of television shows premiere every year in hopes of attracting the largest audience possible, only to be canceled after a single season after receiving mediocre ratings.
Hollywood is a tough business, and now that streaming has become the norm, competition has reached a peak that hasn’t been present since the very early 2000s. Since not many series have reached the ten-season milestone, it’s important to celebrate those who managed to stay on the air when others couldn’t.
10 The Big Bang Theory Was Created By The King Of Sitcoms
In 2007, well-known sitcom producer Chuck Lorre created The Big Bang Theory, the sixteenth show in his career. Set in Pasadena, the sitcom follows a group of scientists with ‘nerdy’ interests and their adventures in love, work, and friendship. It ran for twelve seasons on CBS, concluding in 2019.
The Big Bang Theory initially received mixed reviews but went on to win over fifty awards, including two consecutive Primetime Emmys and a Golden Globe for Jim Parsons’ role as Sheldon Cooper. The success of the sitcom led to the production of a spin-off/prequel, Young Sheldon, which focuses on the titular character’s younger years.
9 Supernatural Was One Of The Longest-Running Fantasy TV Series Of All Time
One of the longest-running fantasy television series, Supernatural premiered on The CW in late 2005 and ran for fifteen seasons, ending in 2020 after more than three hundred episodes. The show starred Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles as Sam and Dean Winchester, two brothers who have dedicated their lives to hunting evil supernatural creatures.
Aside from its tie-in media, which consists of various comics, novels, and even an anime adaptation, Supernatural is best known for its large Internet fandom. During its broadcast, the show was extremely popular, winning nine People’s Choice Awards for its writing and performances.
8 Modern Family Added A Mockumentary Twist To The Classic Sitcom Formula
Modern Family is centered around three different families, each with its own particularities and misadventures. It debuted on ABC in 2009 and blended the successful sitcom formula with the mockumentary style that made shows like The Office and Arrested Development stand out amongst the rest.
During its time on the air, Modern Family was praised for its comedy and its depiction of non-typical family units. The show was nominated for eighty Emmys, winning twenty-three of them for its acting and directing. Modern Family‘s series finale premiered on April 2020, putting an end to the series’ eleven-year run.
7 Happy Days Is One Of The Most Influential Sitcoms Of The 1970s
Arguably one of the most important sitcoms of the 1970s, Happy Days followed Ron Howard’s character, Richie Cunningham, as he experienced adolescence and adulthood alongside his family and friends. After an initially lukewarm reception, the show became a hit when it incorporated one of Richie’s friends, the now-iconic Fonzie, into the main cast.
Happy Days ran for eleven seasons over ten years, with its finale episode premiering in mid-1984. Its success spawned two reunion specials on ABC, one in 1992 and another in 2005, five live-action spin-offs, including 1976’s Laverne & Shirley, and two Hanna-Barbera animated series.
6 Roseanne Followed A Matriarchal Working-Class Family & Their Daily Struggles
Set in Illinois, Roseanne told the story of the titular character, Roseanne Conner, her family, and their everyday struggles. The show premiered in 1988 and was lauded for its realistic characters and its portrayal of working-class families. Roseanne Barr won both an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her work in the sitcom.
Roseanne originally ended its run in 1997 after nine seasons, but, eleven years later, ABC greenlit a tenth and final season starring the main cast of the show. After Barr’s controversy in 2018, the network promptly canceled the series and reworked its premise into a new spin-off called The Conners.
5 Beverly Hills, 90210 Is The Ultimate 1990s Teen Soap
The quintessential teen drama of the 1990s, Beverly Hills, 90210 chronicled the lives of a group of teenagers as they grew up in the wealthy neighborhood of Beverly Hills, California. The series premiered to poor ratings in 1990, before a substantial spike in viewership a year later turned it into one of Fox’s top shows.
Beverly Hills, 90210 kickstarted the careers of many of its young stars, including Luke Perry, Jennie Garth, and Tori Spelling. It ran for almost three hundred episodes over ten seasons and had various spin-offs like Melrose Place and Models Inc. In 2019, Fox also debuted a short reboot of the series named BH90210.
4 The X-Files Evolved From A Cult Series To A Television Classic
The X-Files starred David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as Mulder and Scully, two FBI agents who investigate cold cases related to the supernatural known as the X-Files. The sci-fi show was a pop culture phenomenon, attaining cult status before reaching the mainstream and becoming one of Fox’s most critically-acclaimed scripted series.
After a successful nine-season run that concluded in 2002, The X-Files returned for two more seasons in 2016. Both the original and the revival were praised for their writing and performances, with particular emphasis on Duchovny and Anderson’s chemistry and teamwork as the two leads.
3 Cheers Was Nominated For 117 Emmys & Won 28 Of Them
In 1982, NBC began broadcasting Cheers, an eleven-season sitcom about the workers and patrons of a Bostonian bar of the same name. Ted Danson played the bar’s owner and bartender, Sam Malone, a womanizer who frequently flirts with a graduate student played by Shelley Long called Diane Chambers.
Cheers was beloved by critics and fans alike from beginning to end, setting various viewership records during its original broadcast. The show was nominated for over a hundred Emmy Awards, winning twenty-eight of them for its directing, writing, and acting. More than eighty million Americans watched its series finale in 1993.
2 Friends Remains The Most Popular Sitcom Of All Time
One of the most well-known and popular sitcoms of all time, NBC’s Friends premiered in 1994 and ran for ten seasons. The series revolved around a group of six friends who lived and worked in New York City and starred Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt Leblanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer.
Friends is frequently considered to be one of the greatest shows in American television, often receiving praise for its iconic characters and its ensemble cast’s comedic performances. It won six out of its sixty-two Emmy nominations and had a short-lived spin-off centered around the character of Joey that was canceled after two seasons.
1 M*A*S*H’s Series Finale Remains The Most-Watched Scripted TV Episode In American History
Based on Richard Hooker’s novel and its 1970 film adaptation, M*A*S*H told the story of an American medical unit stationed in South Korea during the country’s civil war in the 1950s. The show began airing on CBS in 1972 and ended in 1983 after eleven seasons. Its two-and-a-half-hour-long last episode remains the most-watched series finale in American history with almost a hundred and six million viewers.
M*A*S*H had a large ensemble cast led by six-time Emmy Award-winning actor Alan Alda as Captain Benjamin “Hawkeye” Pierce. The series was lauded for its outstanding performances, its mix of comedy and drama, and its depiction of war and anti-war sentiments.
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