This is the longest running TV show in history? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

PhoenixAcres · 05-30-2017, 02:13 PM

I hear that phrase used a lot in documentaries and articles about the show. They claim Gilligan's Island has never been off the air and as such is the longest running show ever. But that doesn't make any sense. I Love Lucy (just one example) premiered 13 years prior and is still airing as well. And unless I'm mistaken GI didn't even return to syndication until 2012 when MeTV picked it up, after years and years of absence.

I love the show but I don't understand why some people give it this title which is apparently false.

mets82 · 05-30-2017, 03:04 PM

What about the Simpsons?

Mace Dolex · 05-30-2017, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhoenixAcres

I hear that phrase used a lot in documentaries and articles about the show. They claim Gilligan's Island has never been off the air and as such is the longest running show ever. But that doesn't make any sense. I Love Lucy (just one example) premiered 13 years prior and is still airing as well. And unless I'm mistaken GI didn't even return to syndication until 2012 when MeTV picked it up, after years and years of absence.

I love the show but I don't understand why some people give it this title which is apparently false.

Maybe it's including in other parts of the world where GI is shown in foreign markets.

Coffeecup · 06-04-2017, 08:43 PM

Phoenix/ I read this post as you wanted to know what is the longest running syndicated show. Yeah I Love Lucy has been on awhile. And those Sherwin Schwartz shows Brady Bunch and Gillian's Island. The last 2 have been on so long, frankly I am tired of them.

Flying Dutchman · 07-05-2017, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coffeecup

Phoenix/ I read this post as you wanted to know what is the longest running syndicated show. Yeah I Love Lucy has been on awhile. And those Sherwin Schwartz shows Brady Bunch and Gillian's Island. The last 2 have been on so long, frankly I am tired of them.

Frankly what I'm tired of, is these new sitcoms that aren't funny, use filthy language and tactics to get laughs, sexual inuendos for kids to watch. I would put GI aganst them any day.

Coffeecup · 07-06-2017, 10:51 AM

I agree with you Flying Dutchman. The whole world has changed. I was shopping and a young mother with two little girls was there. The mother had ripped jeans at the knees. I thought, are you so poor that you can't get better pants or are you lacking in taste of what to wear.

Torgo · 07-06-2017, 12:53 PM

Both my niece and daughter own jeans with ripped jeans. They aren't poor or lack in taste of what to wear. Fortunately they've both have been raised not to judge others by what they wear.

Anna Karenina · 07-06-2017, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Torgo

Both my niece and daughter own jeans with ripped jeans. They aren't poor or lack in taste of what to wear. Fortunately they've both have been raised not to judge others by what they wear.

Yes, it is a fashion choice not a matter of how well off somebody is. I think people should dress to fit their own personal style and express themselves in the way they feel most comfortable.

Torgo · 07-06-2017, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anna Karenina

Yes, it is a fashion choice not a matter of how well off somebody is. I think people should dress to fit their own personal style and express themselves in the way they feel most comfortable.

Svenfan1234 · 07-06-2017, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anna Karenina

Yes, it is a fashion choice not a matter of how well off somebody is. I think people should dress to fit their own personal style and express themselves in the way they feel most comfortable.

Coffeecup · 07-06-2017, 09:02 PM

I don't agree on that. I don't judge people on things they can't help. But other things I sure do judge .

Anna Karenina · 07-06-2017, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coffeecup

I don't agree on that. I don't judge people on things they can't help. But other things I sure do judge .

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
- Hamlet (1.5.167-8), Hamlet to Horatio

Anna Karenina · 07-06-2017, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Svenfan1234

Anna Karenina · 07-06-2017, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Torgo

JediJones · 01-29-2021, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhoenixAcres

I hear that phrase used a lot in documentaries and articles about the show. They claim Gilligan's Island has never been off the air and as such is the longest running show ever. But that doesn't make any sense. I Love Lucy (just one example) premiered 13 years prior and is still airing as well. And unless I'm mistaken GI didn't even return to syndication until 2012 when MeTV picked it up, after years and years of absence.

I think they usually say "one of" the longest-running shows ever. I've heard Dawn Wells say there may be one or two others running longer like I Love Lucy. Even if it went off the air for a time in the U.S., they sometimes say that it's been running somewhere in the world forever. Of course so has Lucy. My personal impression is Gilligan's was easier to find on the airwaves than Lucy in the '80s and probably more widely watched in that decade.

Around the '90s I guess the older sitcoms migrated away from syndication and went to cable channels. I would assume reruns on one cable network get less of an audience than reruns in syndication.

Sometimes they talk about the most-watched shows. I'm looking at a list of "10 of the most-watched reruns" now. I don't think it's a definitive list, but I Love Lucy is #1, then Seinfeld, Simpsons and then the rest are shows from the '90s or later. It's an impossible statistic to figure out, but if we could count how many individual times any episode of a series has been watched since its first airing, Gilligan's has surely been losing ground for a while.

Where Gilligan's would probably rate well is measuring how successful a syndicated show was relative to how few seasons it had on the air. Most of the hot shows in reruns, especially nowadays, were also hot when they were new on the air and lasted much longer in prime-time. Some popular older reruns like Munsters and Addams Family only had two seasons, but I think there's a chance Gilligan's could hold the title of the most popular show in reruns that only had 3 seasons or less. Star Trek is another possibility, especially since it's probably remained more culturally relevant in the last 20 years than Gilligan's has. But, it's not a sitcom, so you could split the award into comedy and drama.

05-30-2017, 02:13 PM	#1
PhoenixAcres Member Moderator Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 26, 2016 Location: United States Posts: 6,824	This is the longest running TV show in history? I hear that phrase used a lot in documentaries and articles about the show. They claim Gilligan's Island has never been off the air and as such is the longest running show ever. But that doesn't make any sense. I Love Lucy (just one example) premiered 13 years prior and is still airing as well. And unless I'm mistaken GI didn't even return to syndication until 2012 when MeTV picked it up, after years and years of absence. I love the show but I don't understand why some people give it this title which is apparently false.
	Last edited by PhoenixAcres; 06-05-2017 at 02:48 PM. Reason: clarified title

05-30-2017, 03:04 PM	#2
mets82 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Mar 14, 2011 Location: Connecticut Posts: 5,058	What about the Simpsons?
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07-06-2017, 12:53 PM	#7
Torgo Omaha & Fritz Forum Star Join Date: Mar 06, 2004 Location: Oregon Posts: 19,036	Both my niece and daughter own jeans with ripped jeans. They aren't poor or lack in taste of what to wear. Fortunately they've both have been raised not to judge others by what they wear.
	__________________ "I'm going to go do something productive. I'm gonna go watch television." - Ray Peterson, The 'burbs "I am the literary equivalent of a Big Mac and Fries." - Stephen King "There's nothing wrong with G-rated movies, as long as there's lots of sex and violence." - Elvira

06-04-2017, 08:43 PM	#4
Coffeecup coffeecup. Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 17, 2003 Location: snoozeville Posts: 3,183	Phoenix/ I read this post as you wanted to know what is the longest running syndicated show. Yeah I Love Lucy has been on awhile. And those Sherwin Schwartz shows Brady Bunch and Gillian's Island. The last 2 have been on so long, frankly I am tired of them.

07-06-2017, 10:51 AM	#6
Coffeecup coffeecup. Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 17, 2003 Location: snoozeville Posts: 3,183	I agree with you Flying Dutchman. The whole world has changed. I was shopping and a young mother with two little girls was there. The mother had ripped jeans at the knees. I thought, are you so poor that you can't get better pants or are you lacking in taste of what to wear.

07-06-2017, 09:02 PM	#11
Coffeecup coffeecup. Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 17, 2003 Location: snoozeville Posts: 3,183	I don't agree on that. I don't judge people on things they can't help. But other things I sure do judge .