What will the last 20th century show standing be?

[MichaelDornFan]

As we enter the 2010s, I was left wondering which of the shows from the 20th century will end last.

I've restricted the options to scripted prime time American shows. No news shows, no talk shows, no soaps, no foreign shows, etc. I wasn't sure whether or not to include Family Guy and Futurama, as both were cancelled for years before being brought back. But I decided to include them.

As you can see, most of them are cartoons. And the two the aren't are both Law & Order shows. The original L&O has rotated its cast numerous times, leaving SVU as the only live-action show with most of its original cast intact.

Facts to consider:
The Simpsons, currently in its 21st season, is already renewed for a 22nd (meaning it will last at least until 2011). This will put them just short of 500 episodes. It seems likely that they would like to hit this landmark and go for a 23rd season, but this is just speculation on my part. Part of me wouldn't be surprised to see The Simpsons go on until one of the main voice actors dies. :P

It's been rumored that Law & Order will be cancelled. But this has been going around for several years (ever since Orbach left the show, really...), yet it has consistently been renewed. None of the original cast remains, but S. Epatha Merkeson and Sam Waterston have both been with the show for a very long time (1993 and 1994, respectively). Law & Order also manages to attract strong viewership, despite the fact that it is on Friday (the weakest night) and on NBC (the weakest network). Since the show obviously has no qualms with rotating its cast, it could seemingly go on indefinitely. But the cancellation rumors are louder this year, and the current season is shorter than usual IIRC (16 episodes instead of the normal 20), which isn't a good sign. Additionally, it seems possible that Merkeson's character will die of cancer in the show.

Family Guy is renewed through 2012, which would be ten seasons. FOX seems to have a total hard on for Seth MacFarlane (he has three shows on Sunday now, two of which are pretty terrible). The cast is still relatively young, and it wouldn't surprise me to see this show last at least another decade--it truly is The Simpsons 2.

Futurama was cancelled for quite a while until the movies (thought of as a fifth season) came out. Comedy Central has announced that a normal sixth season will air in 2010, returning the show for good. FOX has shown some interest in having the show air there.

Law & Order: SVU differs quite a bit from the original L&O in that its main cast is fairly intact. The two main detectives are both still there, Belzer is still there, and the captain is still there. Three more characters have all been with the show since its second season. Only the role of ADA has changed frequently. The show is currently in its 11th season and the cast is contracted for a 12th. An interesting fact is that Belzer has been playing Munch for 7 season of Homicide: Life on the Street and now 11 seasons of SVU. He is close to tying (if not breaking) the 20 season record for playing the same character currently held by Kelsey Grammar and that guy from Gunsmoke. Alternatively, maybe Belzer could replace Merkeson on L&O so he can keep playing Munch until he dies.

And then there's South Park. Although ratings dipped massively after the first couple seasons as the shock value wore off, South Park slowly regained a modest audience as it began to focus more on satire than shock. The show is cheap to make and the ratings are decent for Comedy Central. Stone and Parker have basically said they'll keep going until they're cancelled.

So, which show will be the last standing?

 

[I am not Spock]

The Simpsons. It will go on forever. It's one of those shows we now take for granted, but c'mon it would be hard to imagine a world where there is no new Simpsons episodes.

 

[Mistral]

Law and Order. They keep telling tales out of the current news so the stories remain fresh. The rotating cast = eternal life as long as the writing stays strong.

 

[RandyS]

The Simpsons. It will go on forever. It's one of those shows we now take for granted, but c'mon it would be hard to imagine a world where there is no new Simpsons episodes.

You must be 20 years old. I lived for 19 years without new episodes of The Simpsons, so I can imagine it just fine. Wiether or not it would be a good thing is another discussion entirely.

 

[Andrew_Kearley]

Why only American shows? I don't watch much foreign tv.

 

[Hermiod]

Of those shows, the Simpsons.

Of anything - WWE Monday Night Raw. That show's never going anywhere.

 

[Holdfast]

I can't see the Simpsons going anywhere, any time soon, unless one of the main voices decides to price themselves out of the equation (which I doubt will happen).

I have never really felt the appeal of L&O, but the franchise clearly does appeal to a lot of people so it will probably last a long time too, esp. since you can switch around cast members relatively easily. And the spin-offs will probably fade away before the original, so that's another point in the its longevity favour.

 

[Starbreaker]

Why only American shows? I don't watch much foreign tv.

This isn't TrekBBS.uk

 

[Temis the Vorta]

South Park forever!

Why only American shows? I don't watch much foreign tv.

Funny thing is, I don't really watch any of the nominees either. Maybe Futurama, if they'd do more than just a smattering of DVDs. I voted for South Park but when was the last time I bothered watching an episode? Five years maybe. I gave up on The Simpsons so long ago it's lost in the misty mists of my memory.

But cmon, unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard of them and seen at least some of them. Don't be coy. I haven't seen any episodes of three of the nominees and I'm probably a freak in that regard.

 

[Plomeek Broth]

I vote Other. Cop Rock will stand the true test of time.

 

[Kegg]

The Simpsons.

Haven't watched it in donkeys years, but I could see it outliving all of the competition, even younger, leaner shows like South Park and Family Guy (even if they're only comparatively younger).

Why?

Because it's the Simpsons, that's why. Maybe Law & Order, maybe, but I'd put my money on the Simpsons continuing to chug along.

Why only American shows? I don't watch much foreign tv.

Hell, I don't watch much domestic tv. I'm into foreign TV, like 100% of everyone I know who watches TV.

Besides, you're a Trekkie, you've dabbled a little in those waters.

 

[CaptainCanada]

The Simpsons, obviously; didn't you hear the song?

 

[MichaelDornFan]

I avoided foreign shows since I didn't know where to look to see what was still going on. I'm somewhat familiar with shows from other English speaking countries, but I fear I would have missed a ton of shows from non-English speaking countries.

 

[Captain Craig]

I say most likely it'll be Simpsons.
If they wanted a nice round number of episodes and/or seasons they could've chosen either at some point. Seems it'll go till ratings finally fall or the voice actors go away by some means.

I don't watch any of the shows nominated first run or at all so to me they are already dead.

 

[Andrew_Kearley]

I avoided foreign shows since I didn't know where to look to see what was still going on. I'm somewhat familiar with shows from other English speaking countries, but I fear I would have missed a ton of shows from non-English speaking countries.

Have you heard of a British show called Doctor Who? Started in 1963, and I guarantee it will outlive everything else.

 

[Timewalker]

I avoided foreign shows since I didn't know where to look to see what was still going on. I'm somewhat familiar with shows from other English speaking countries, but I fear I would have missed a ton of shows from non-English speaking countries.

Have you heard of a British show called Doctor Who? Started in 1963, and I guarantee it will outlive everything else.

Absolutely! People are in a dither because they've used up a lot of the Doctor's regenerations (changes of actors) in recent years, but hey - if the Master could be given a fresh set of 12 lives in "The Five Doctors" back in 1983, surely the Doctor himself rates a fresh set of lives!

Of the shows in the OP, I voted for Law & Order. Since news always happens that is more bizarre than any scriptwriter could ever make up, there will always be inspiration. My only fear is that the show could end up with boring actors after Sam Waterston leaves. To me, the Jack McCoy/Lenny Briscoe seasons were the Golden Years of that series.

I have seen exactly ONE episode of "The Simpsons" - I really don't understand the appeal of that show.

But then I'm still mad at CBC for cancelling "The Beachcombers" many years ago.

 

[Greg Cox]

My money's on THE SIMPSONS.

 

[MichaelDornFan]

I avoided foreign shows since I didn't know where to look to see what was still going on. I'm somewhat familiar with shows from other English speaking countries, but I fear I would have missed a ton of shows from non-English speaking countries.

Have you heard of a British show called Doctor Who? Started in 1963, and I guarantee it will outlive everything else.

Of course I have.

 

[CaptainCanada]

Dr. Who was off the air for nearly two decades, though; that's hardly the same thing as The Simpsons or Law and Order (Family Guy and Futurama are arguable, I suppose; they both stopped too, though in mid-decade rather than before it started).

 

[FreezeC77]

[Nerdglasses]Since there was no year 0 AD, the first century was year 1 through year 100, and so on and so forth which puts the 20th century as 1901-2000 and thus puts Survivor, Big Brother, and CSI on that list[/Nerdglasses]



I think the South Park will outlast the Simpsons though. I could see the Simpsons ending in 3 or 4 years, but I could see South Park going on for another decade and just see the creators making a couple new episodes a year.