Some shows are only meant to last a season or two - or even five - and it’s just enough time to neatly wrap up a storyline. Then there are others that keep you invested season after season, ensuring fans are connected to the characters, and consistent as the years go on.
What would Modern Family be without watching the kids grow up? And how could procedural shows like Criminal Minds depict big breaks in cases without some time passing in between findings? In a world of limited specials and canceled series, there are still those that continue going 10 seasons strong (and more!).
Shameless: 11 Seasons
The US adaptation of Shameless is a gritty exploration of one family’s willingness to survive in Chicago’s Southside. The Gallagher's are synonymous with locals for their drunken escapades and the pursuit of wealth by any means, yet they stick together through it all.
As with any show that spans a decade, you can watch the characters (and cast themselves) grow over the years. The actors who played on-screen siblings Debbie (Emma Kenney) and Carl (Ethan Cutkosky) were both 11 years old when the show began and have aged alongside their characters. At the center of the Gallagher family is Frank (William H. Macy), whose tendency for thinking of only himself ultimately shapes the family into what they are by the finale. And yet, the show tells a tragic and timely tale of poverty, gentrification, and its effects seen throughout the last decade in America.
Supernatural: 15 Seasons
Fighting monsters - and themselves - Supernatural brought stories of biblical lore and mythical monsters to the small screen. For 15 seasons - and more than 300 episodes - Sam and Dean Winchester (Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, respectively) traveled around small towns in America “saving people and hunting things.”
Supernatural can be considered a procedural detective show, where each episode plays out in a familiar structure: sometimes Sam and Dean are hunting monsters, or they can be found interacting with gods and angels, and other times they must introspect and deal with their own brotherly relationship as it relates to the family business. Fans have come to expect running jokes and the return of familiar characters, and they know that when the familiar tunes of “Carry On My Wayward Son” play before an episode, circumstances are bound to grow dire as a season comes to an end. There’s a reason why Supernatural is the CW’s longest-running series - with a prequel currently in production.
Criminal Minds: 15 Seasons
When Criminal Minds first aired in 2005, there was already a slew of shows that revolved around an ensemble cast of detectives working to solve crimes. Some of these - Psych and Castle, for example - lasted a relatively long time on-air, but none were as anticipated by fans like Criminal Minds. After all, the cases from the FBI and its Behavioral Analyst Unit (B.A.U.) are some of the most thrilling and intriguing to watch season after season.
With lovable characters like Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) and strong female voices including Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness) and Emily Prentis (Paget Brewster), you feel like you are part of the team as they search for un-subs and serial killers alike. There have been many changes to the team over the years (colleagues are bound to come and go, after all), and the cultural phenomenon that is Criminal Minds inspired two spinoffs over the years thanks to its dedicated abased. These may have been canceled prematurely, but a revival is in the works with Paramount+, so fans may soon see their favorite analysts again soon.
Modern Family: 11 Seasons
When audiences were first introduced to Modern Family, Haley Dunphy (Sarah Hyland) was just a teenager, Jay Pritchett (Ed O’Neill) and Gloria Delgado (Sofia Vergara) were recently married, and Cam Tucker (Eric Stonestreet) and Mitchell Pritchett (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) were looking to start a family. As the seasons went on and up until the finale 11 years later, the extended Dunphy-Pritchett-Tucker Family, faced the trials of growing up and growing old.
They welcomed new members to the family and mourned the loss of old ones. The children progressed through their awkward teenage years and went off to college - or carved out paths for themselves in other ways. In having 11 seasons to develop Modern Family as a whole, fans came to welcome the characters as members of their own family, perhaps making those final scenes that much more emotional. As Julie Bowen told Collider in a 2018 interview, “It’s going to be bittersweet because nobody wants to say goodbye to a family.”
Grey’s Anatomy: 18 Seasons
Fans of Grey’s Anatomy watched Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) start her residency at Seattle Grace Hospital in season 1. You witness her mistakes and triumphs as a doctor until she eventually declares a specialty. During this time, Meredith falls in and out (and back) in love, starts a family, forms friendships, and faces tragedy and loss. But 18 seasons later, Meredith and her colleagues continue to save lives.
For a show that’s been on the air for so long (Grey’s surpassed E.R. as the longest-running medical drama back in season 16), there are bound to be seasons and storylines that are stronger than others. But Grey’s Anatomy continues to churn out more drama and medical cases and is already gearing up for the 19th season.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: 15 Seasons
The pilot episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia had a budget of about $200 and followed a simple premise: four terrible people running a local Irish bar in South Philadelphia. From that first episode in 2005 until now (17 years and counting) “The Gang” continues to find themselves in one absurd situation after the next - and gained massive popularity with the addition of Danny DeVito to the cast in season 2.
As the longest-running live-action sitcom, It’s Always Sunny has undergone countless changes since its inception, both visually and with its content. During that time, “The Gang” (Charlie Kelly, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, Kaitlin Olsen, and DeVito) have adapted to the ever-changing landscape of social and cultural conversation, with episodes on topics like abortion, race, welfare, sexuality, and mental health - though not always with the best intentions. What’s even more impressive than the show’s length is the fact that they continue to navigate these difficult topics without being canceled in a true testament to the show’s comedic abilities.
Family Guy: 20 Seasons
Who would have thought that one family’s experience living in a small Rhode Island town would have such an impact on viewers? Family Guy has certainly had its share of critics and was even canceled and reinstated twice. But much like other lengthy animated series (The Simpsons, American Dad), it makes sense that this Emmy award-winning show has stayed on the air for so long.
Perhaps it’s because, regardless of the voice actors’ getting older over time, a show can maintain a familiar visual aesthetic that made it so popular in the first place. Mila Kunis was just 15 years old when she began voicing the role of Meg Griffin - that’s nearly half her lifetime! Or maybe fans have come to appreciate consistency, where they know the running jokes and are comforted by each character’s same clothing and quips (like Quagmire’s “Giggity Giggity” or Stewie’ seemingly never-ending infancy). Whatever the reason may be, Family Guy continues to hold a place in the hearts of fans and popular culture.