What is the longest running primetime animated show in television history?

Answer 1

The Simpsons is is the longest running prime time cartoon show, having debuted in December 1989.

However it should be noted the longest running animated series is actually Sazae-san from Japan. It has been producing episode since October 1969 & still continues today (August 2015), it however it airs at 6:30pm, a time Americans don't count as "prime time".

Answer 2

First let's assume you mean the longest running U.S. animated sitcom, and not the longest globally(possibly Japan's Sazae-san, which has been ongoing since 1969, however I'm not sure if it qualifies as a sitcom).

To accurately answer this question we must exclude shows that hadn't started airing prior to December 17, 1989, the date when The Simpsons began airing, ergo shows that started before The Simpsons existed, because the question is not which is the second longest airing U.S. animated sitcom (South Park or King of the Hill, depending on your definition, neither of which began airing until late 1997, when The Simpsons was already starting its 9th season). Nothing that started after The Simpsons was already on air was ever longer than The Simpsons at any time, ever, until The Simpsons actually ends, because The Simpons was already longer from the day they began, and even after The Simpsons ends any show that comes out longer will still not have come before The Simpsons, ever, unless time is a loop.

Also, it's difficult to define animated sitcomsespecially prior to The Simpsons as animated shows were generally just considered cartoons. Yet, there were other animated shows that aired during prime time hours (also known as primetime cartoons) and were made to appeal to the whole family, adults included, and not just children, so they included more mature content than your average childrens cartoon, which could easily qualify some of them as animated sitcoms. So let's consider the criteria that 1.) it must have aired during prime time, 2.) it must have content more mature than the average childrens cartoon, and 3.) the general criteria of a sitcom.

This leaves us with... The Flintstones, at 6 seasons, which ran from September 30, 1960 to April 1, 1966, well before The Simpsons came along, and is also probably the show that The Simpsons is most compared to.

Additionally, The Flintstones may have also been the longest running primetime cartoon before The Simpsons, unless you count The Bugs Bunny Show, which originally aired during primetime, but moved to Saturday mornings after two seasons, and ran for 40 season, so the vast majority of episodes did not air during primetime. Also note, The Bugs Bunny Show, would definately not qualify as a sitcom, and was more of a skit show.

Answer 3

You're question is slightly skewed since itimpliesThe Simpsons is the longest running sitcom which it is not.

The British sit-com, Last of the Summer Wine. It ran for 37 years (1973-2010)

If you'd like to know which sitcom is the longest running right after The Simpsons... unless there is an international show I can't locate, that would be The Adventures of Ozzie & Harrietwhich ran for 14seasons.

Answer 4

The Simpsons naturally, although it should be noted that Japan's Sazae-San is the longest running animated series ever despite not airing at a time Americans would call 'prime time'.

Answer 5

Sazae-San from Japan began in 1969 and still produces episodes today.

Answer 6

The Simpsons which debuted in 1989. It also has the distinction of being the Longest Running American Sitcom or Scripted Comedy.

Answer 7

The Simpsons debuted in December 1989 and will air until its 30th season concludes in May 2019, unless it gets renewed again.