# Longest running primetime TV series (by state) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 9, 2010, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-primetime-tv-series-by-state/560113 "2010-11-09T23:55:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-primetime-tv-series-by-state/560113/1 "2010-11-09T23:55:49Z")
What are the longest-running TV series, by state (predominant location of the series)? Let’s stick with fiction series (so no 60 Minutes or SNL) that take place largely in a single specified location (so The Simpsons is out) To get things started: California - _ **Knots Landing** _ (14 years) Colorado - _ **South Park** _ (14 years) Hawaii - _ **Hawaii Five-O** _ (12 years) Illinois - _ **ER** _ (15 years) Kansas - _ **Gunsmoke** _ (20 years) Massachusetts - _ **Cheers** _ (11 years) Nevada - _ **Bonanza** _ (14 years) New York - _ **Law & Order** _ (20 years) Texas - _ **Dallas** _ (13 years) Washington - _ **Frasier** _ (11 years) Wisconsin - _ **Happy Days** _ (11 years) Feel free to add on (or correct any mistakes I’ve made) ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-primetime-tv-series-by-state/560113/2 "2010-11-10T00:10:41Z")
I’m pretty sure Florida - _Golden Girls_ (7 years) can be beat, but I don’t know offhand by what. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-primetime-tv-series-by-state/560113/3 "2010-11-10T00:12:49Z")
Arizona - \*\*\*Alice \*\*\*(9 years) - I don’t know for sure, just taking a shot. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-primetime-tv-series-by-state/560113/4 "2010-11-10T00:13:25Z")
FYI, here is the Wikipedia page for [Television shows set in the United States](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Television_shows_set_in_the_United_States). It contains links to subcategories for each state. Connecticut, for instance, has both _Bewitched_ and _Who’s the Boss_ at eight seasons. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-primetime-tv-series-by-state/560113/5 "2010-11-10T00:16:15Z")
Vermont - \*\*\*Newhart \*\*\*(8 years) ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-primetime-tv-series-by-state/560113/6 "2010-11-10T02:16:43Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > I’m pretty sure > > Florida - _Golden Girls_ (7 years) > > can be beat, but I don’t know offhand by what. Fingers crossed for _Burn Notice_ to beat the record: 3.5 years old now. Wait, _Miami Vice_: 5 years. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-primetime-tv-series-by-state/560113/7 "2010-11-10T02:26:45Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > Texas - _ **Dallas** _ (13 years) I think _ **King of the Hill** _ deserves mention as runner-up. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-primetime-tv-series-by-state/560113/8 "2010-11-10T03:15:47Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > I’m pretty sure > > Florida - _Golden Girls_ (7 years) > > can be beat, but I don’t know offhand by what. _CSI: Miami_ is at nine seasons. As for Vermont, _Newhart_ was on for eight, for Georgia, _Matlock_ was on for nine and for Maine, _Murder She Wrote_ was on for twelve. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-primetime-tv-series-by-state/560113/9 "2010-11-10T03:41:24Z")
Wow, **The Drew Carey Show** (9) beats out **Family Ties** (7) and **3rd Rock from the Sun** (6) for Ohio. I did not realize it ran that long! ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-primetime-tv-series-by-state/560113/10 "2010-11-10T17:37:56Z")
North Carolina - _ **Andy Griffith Show** _ (8 years) plus three additional years as _ **Mayberry R.F.D.** _ ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-primetime-tv-series-by-state/560113/11 "2010-11-10T17:50:04Z")
Maryland - **Homicide** (7 years) DC - **Murphy Brown** (10 years) Virginia - **The Waltons** (9 years) ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-primetime-tv-series-by-state/560113/12 "2010-11-10T19:47:44Z")
I think _ **Eureka** _ is at the head of the pack for Oregon, and it’s only got 4 seasons. _ **Northern Exposure** _ for Alaska, with 6 seasons. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-primetime-tv-series-by-state/560113/13 "2010-11-10T19:51:09Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > _Murder She Wrote_ was on for twelve. I don’t think _MSE_ counts, because while Jessica did come from Maine, I’d estimate less than 10% of the episodes actually took place there–she was always visiting family or friends or on a book tour or on vacation or something. It’d be “interesting” to chart all the different locations she went (it certainly counts as probably one of the most traveled series) but I’d argue that Maine was her homebase, but not the show’s. Lots of good other examples, though! ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-primetime-tv-series-by-state/560113/14 "2010-11-10T21:42:08Z")
Minnesota- Mary Tyler Moore (7 years) ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-primetime-tv-series-by-state/560113/15 "2010-11-10T21:53:59Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Minnesota- Mary Tyler Moore (7 years) Beaten by “Coach” at 8. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-primetime-tv-series-by-state/560113/16 "2010-11-10T22:07:30Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > I’m pretty sure > > Florida - _Golden Girls_ (7 years) > > can be beat, but I don’t know offhand by what. > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > _CSI: Miami_ is at nine seasons. :smack: Guess my hatred of David Caruso led me to completely forget about that show … ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-primetime-tv-series-by-state/560113/17 "2010-11-10T22:15:21Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > :smack: > > Guess my hatred of David Caruso led me to completely forget about that show … You’re excused. I had no idea it had been on anywhere near that long. ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-primetime-tv-series-by-state/560113/18 "2010-11-10T22:16:57Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > I don’t think _MSE_ counts, because while Jessica did come from Maine, I’d estimate less than 10% of the episodes actually took place there–she was always visiting family or friends or on a book tour or on vacation or something. It’d be “interesting” to chart all the different locations she went (it certainly counts as probably one of the most traveled series) but I’d argue that Maine was her homebase, but not the show’s. > > Lots of good other examples, though! Especially since she moved to New York for the last few seasons. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-primetime-tv-series-by-state/560113/19 "2010-11-10T22:22:10Z")
> [@glowacks](#): > > Especially since she moved to New York for the last few seasons. Yeah, well by then, the show had gotten too formulaic for me. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-primetime-tv-series-by-state/560113/20 "2010-11-10T22:38:02Z")
New Jersey - “The Sopranos” (6 seasons) Any other NJ based shows run longer? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-running-primetime-tv-series-by-state/560113.md?page=2)