The television world is a fast-moving one with many different moving parts and multiple chances to go wrong. An overwhelming majority of TV shows will finish filming one season without even knowing for sure if they're going to have another season and, even if a new season is approved, that doesn't ensure that production can begin right away. If a show can't be made at a consistent pace, people can lose interest entirely and go on to another show. The era of binge-watching shows on streaming has only exacerbated these risks, with people getting through shows faster than ever before and becoming restless about when their favorite stories can continue.
With all of the different ways that a television production can go wrong, it's always a treat to see a TV show last for five, ten, and even more years. It's even better, and increasingly rare, to see the same actor portray the same character in a show for years or even decades on end.
10 Kelsey Grammer As Frasier Crane In Cheers And Frasier
1984 – 2004
1993 sitcom Frasier, the show about psychiatrist Frasier Crane going to his hometown in Seattle, starting a radio show, and reconnecting with his family, ran for 11 years, which is already an impressive feat on its own. However, it is worth remembering that Frasier was a spin-off of another show titled Cheers, a show about a bar in Boston, Massachusetts.
Cheers started in 1982 and ran for another 11 years. It was in this show where the eponymous character of Frasier, portrayed by Kelsey Grammer, debuted in 1984. Adding the two runs together, Kelsey Grammer played Frasier for roughly 20 years.
9 Mariska Hargitay As Olivia Benson In Law & Order: SVU
1999 – Present
The Law and Order series of crime dramas has been a staple of television culture for over 30 years and arguably its most popular series is Law and Order: SVU. Currently holding the record of most credited appearances in the Law and Order franchise, Olivia Benson, played by Mariska Hargitay, has been solving crimes with the SVU since 1999.
Sticking around for this long has certainly paid off, as over the years, the character has grown from detective to captain of the Special Victims Unit. Mariska Hargitay has been playing Olivia Benson for 22 years and still counting.
8 The South Park Kids On South Park
1997 – Ongoing
Starting in 1997, South Park has moved on to become a genuine cultural phenomenon, by way of kicking cultural values to death, for over 20 years. The show has earned its long run, even branching out to video game adaptations and a movie. Over the years, the show has been referred to as one of the greatest cartoons of all time, earning a multitude of awards for its satirical humor.
Series creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker famously play as the incorrigible South Park kids and have done so for every episode of every season since the very beginning.
7 Peter Falk As Columbo In Columbo
1968 – 2003
Columbo, the detective drama, followed the astute, yet inelegant, homicide detective as he pieced together and solved innumerable murder cases. The show was fairly groundbreaking for the mystery genre, in that mystery was one of the components that this show lacked.
At the start of each episode, the audience was shown who the culprit was, and the drama lay in how Columbo would put the facts together before the end. It's an interesting format, and it worked extremely well, with the show running from 1968 all the way up to 2003, with Peter Falk playing the titular detective for every episode.
6 Peter Sallis As Norman Clegg In Last Of The Summer Wine
1973 – 2010
For the best examples of long-term actors and characters, look no further than the soap opera. Being that these are shows that showcase the melodrama of domestic life, it makes sense that soap operas go on for decades at a time. One of the most famous soap operas, the British show Last of the Summer Wine, is a show that is generally about three old men getting into mischief.
Who these three men were would change over time for a number of reasons, however, one character remained consistent throughout the show's run. The show ran from 1973 all the way to 2010 and featured Peter Sallis playing as Norman Clegg, for all 37 years.
5 Susan Lucci As Erica Kane In All My Children
1970 – 2011
ABC soap opera All My Children ran from 1970 to 2011, and its most popular character was Erica Kane, played by Susan Lucci, who stuck around for the entire run. The show was canceled after a string of low ratings, something that a number of soap operas had to deal with during the 2000s. Despite this, the show is still remembered fondly and there were several attempts to revive the show to continue its story, but none of the revival plans worked out.
Arguably the show's most popular character, Erica Kane, played by Susan Lucci, stuck around for the show's entire run.
4 Frances Reid As Alice Horton In Days Of Our Lives
1965 – 2007
Days of Our Lives has the distinction of being one of the longest-running scripted television shows in the world. To this day it has aired on an almost weekly basis from 1965 to this day. The series itself is known for some outlandish storylines; one in particular involving a serial killer murdering several key characters before all of them were just brought back to life.
Many characters have been a part of the show for a long time, but the character who stuck around the most is Alice Horton, played by Frances Reid. She was a part of the show ever since the beginning and was in every episode before leaving the show in 2007.
3 Rachel Ames As Audrey Hardy In General Hospital
1964 – 2007, 2009, 2013, 2015
Acknowledged as the longest-running American soap opera in production, as well as the third-longest scripted drama series of all time, General Hospital premiered in 1963 and is still being made to this day. In this show, Rachel Ames played Audrey Hardy, a registered nurse.
What was originally intended to be a short stint for a single storyline turned into a long-term place on the show after her popularity skyrocketed. Ultimately, Ames would stick around all the way until 2007, when she officially retired from the show, however, she still makes occasional appearances to this day.
2 Helen Wagner As Nancy Hughes On As The World Turns
1956 – 2010
Running from 1956 to 2010 As the World Turns has a fair number of characters that have been a part of its run for several decades. Another prominent example is the character Bob Hughes, played by Don Hastings from 1960 up to the show's end.
One character has him beat, however, and that is the character of Nancy Hughes, played by Helen Wagner. She got the distinction of saying the very first lines of the very first episode, and stayed around for the show's entire run. Helen Wagner was a part of the show and its constantly unraveling story for 54 years.
1 William Roache As Ken Barlow In Coronation Street
1960 – Present
Despite suffering poor critical reception during its initial run, Coronation Street would go on to win over the hearts of viewers for over half a century. The show has since been acknowledged as the longest-running soap opera of all time.
William Roache played Ken Barlow, ladies' man and member of a dysfunctional family ever since the show's beginning in 1960 and has not left the show ever since. He still makes regular appearances to this day and has shown no signs of stopping any time soon.