I was thinking about shows that have run for a long time and show no signs of stopping, such as Meet the Press, which I think has been on TV for 50+ years, and Saturday Night Live, which is probably pushing 30 years.
Of course, there is some chance that TV technology won’t even exist as we know it in 50 years (maybe shows downloaded to a chip implant in our brains? ). Assuming, though, that there will still be “shows,” as we know them now, which ones do you think might still be around in another, say, 50+ years? Do shows like Meet the Press or Saturday Night Live have the kind of staying power that could keep them around for 100 years?
100 years? Wow. Frankly, I don’t think there’s much chance of it, but the ones that have the best shot in my opinion are:
Network news shows. They’ve already been going on for ~50 years, and in spite of the fact that they’re increasingly losing ratings, I can’t imagine that as long as there’s a CBS or an NBC there won’t be a CBS Nightly News to go with it.
Magazine shows, ala 20/20 and The Today Show. Similar to the evening news; it’s a format that’s always works, and can adapt itself to any new situation.
Soaps. I never watch them, but if I remember correctly, some of them have already been going on for 50+ years (weren’t some of them even cross-overs from radio? if so, that could make the oldest close to 70 already), so assumedly they have a massive staying power.
Late night comedy shows, for the same reason that the news and magazine shows will stick around. The hosts will change, the jokes will change (or not?), the music acts will change, but there will probably still be a Late Night and a Late Show.
Maaaaaybe Saturday Night Live. It’s already hung on through so many ups and downs without being cancelled that it’s achieved that “institution” status. It’s a bit hard to imagine it hanging on for another 70 years (including ~40 post-Lorne Michaels years?), but there’s a chance.
America’s Funniest Home Videos. As home vid technology becomes more and more commonplace, the number of shots of guys hitting in the groin will grow exponentially. It’s comedy gold!
Guiding Light debuted on January 25, 1937. So in a few months it will hit 70 years and is the longest running program in broadcast history. Seems that it is also the longest running scripted TV show, debuting on TV June 30, 1952.
I’d say the chance of it still being on in 30 more years is so so as GL has been slipping in the ratings the last several years.
The internet will kill reality TV and “america’s home video” type shows relatively soon. Soon after what we now call TV will just be another portal among millions like “You Tube”, and people will watch “shows/stories” and not “channels”. So in that regard, TV as we now know it probably wont last another 100 years, possibly not even 50.
Hockey Night In Canada started as a radio broadcast on the CBC in 1933. It has been on TV since 1952, IIRC. I have no doubt that it will make it to 100.
Older even than The Tonight Show is Today. Pat Weaver, who created both, said Today could last forever because it was designed to answer the fundamental question “What happened while I was asleep?” while adding light entertainment, because viewers had short attention spans that early in the morning.
By the way, Meet the Press also started on radio, in 1945. It moved to TV in 1947.
Paul Harvey News and Comment started in 1951, but Paul Harvey started broadcasting in 1933. There’s no way an individual could last 100 years, but if anyone has a chance, it’s Paul Harvey. I predict his voice will be digitized and reprogrammed each day to do his program long after Harvey himself is dead.
Well, sure, but there could still be shows. The traditional sitcom type show could/will still exist, independent of network.
I think that St_Ides is right on the money with The Price is Right. It’s incredibly cheap to produce, has wide appeal, and is almost completely immune to any kind of ad-filtering technology that may come along.
As said above, Guiding Light is at 69 right now (if you include radio - 54 if you don’t) but its ratings are declining - Still, it should get some points for being on 5 days/week, nearly every day including most holidays as opposed to once/week during the regular rating season shows.
Some of the stronger rated soaps are only in their 30s or so.
Well, there are two Science Fiction franchises that are still going, in one form or another. Of course, there were large gaps in the time they were on, and certain aspects, both major and minor, were changed over the years. And one lept to the cinema, too.
Go ahead, guess which TV/Film SF franchises I’m speaking of…
Yeah, I know they don’t really count towards the OP, but they are a closely linked phenomena.
Tonight Show, CBS Evening News, Today, etc … will last for a long time yet.
I’ve heard someone (some political pundit) basically say that Meet the Press and shows like it are the reason that the US is a free and democratic republic. MTP will be on the air long after I am dead, and I imagine I have at least 50 years left.
Since it is radio, I’m not sure that it would count, but the New York Philharmonic has been broadcasting since 1923 (some of which still exist). All they need is to last 16 more years on air.
). Assuming, though, that there will still be “shows,” as we know them now, which ones do you think might still be around in another, say, 50+ years? Do shows like Meet the Press or Saturday Night Live have the kind of staying power that could keep them around for 100 years?