# TV history through overlapping programs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 11, 2020, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-history-through-overlapping-programs/853601 "2020-05-11T20:48:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-history-through-overlapping-programs/853601/1 "2020-05-11T20:48:03Z")
I just realized that Cheers overlapped with MASH (regular episode of MASH were broadcast after the first regular episodes of Cheers showed) (I didn’t watch Cheers until much later I guess). That gives me the idea to see how few series can take us back to the early days of TV. I’ll narrow it down to scripted television just to make things interesting. I Love Lucy (October 15, 1951 to May 6, 1957) Gunsmoke (September 10, 1955, to March 31, 1975) MASH (September 17, 1972 to February 28, 1983) Cheers (September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993) The Simpsons (December 17, 1989 - heat-death of the universe) Not bad - 5 series take us just about 70 years. Gunsmoke was on the air from the Adventures of Superman era (September 19, 1952 – April 28, 1958) to the Mary Tyler Moore era (September 19, 1970 to March 19, 1977). MacGyver returned from the dead and Twin Peaks too, all during the Simpsons eon. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-history-through-overlapping-programs/853601/2 "2020-05-11T22:07:55Z")
You’ll need to use _Days of Our Lives_, which has been running since 1965 (and takes your span down to 3.) ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-history-through-overlapping-programs/853601/3 "2020-05-11T22:13:51Z")
You can stretch even further back. The [Kraft Theatre](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039123/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_6) ran from 1947-1958, lapping Lucy on both ends. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-history-through-overlapping-programs/853601/4 "2020-05-11T22:28:30Z")
Did you mean to include daytime soap operas, Andy L? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-history-through-overlapping-programs/853601/5 "2020-05-11T22:54:41Z")
_Meet the Press_ 1947-today. Boom. That’s contrary to the OP, I know. But I would throw out the Simpsons, too and limit it to live actors. Let’s try this. _Kraft Theater_ 1947-1958 \*Gunsmoke \*1955-1975 _Happy Days_ 1974-1984 _Murder, She Wrote_ 1984-1996 _7th Heaven_ 1996-2007 \*NCIS \*2003-today ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-history-through-overlapping-programs/853601/6 "2020-05-11T22:59:58Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > _Meet the Press_ 1947-today. Boom. > > That’s contrary to the OP, I know. But I would throw out the Simpsons, too and limit it to live actors. Like the ones on _Saturday Night Live_, say? ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-history-through-overlapping-programs/853601/7 "2020-05-11T23:05:14Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Did you mean to include daytime soap operas, Andy L? I hadn’t been thinking of them, but Darren’s example is impressive. What happens if we exclude animation and daytime series? ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-history-through-overlapping-programs/853601/8 "2020-05-11T23:14:21Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > I hadn’t been thinking of them, but Darren’s example is impressive. What happens if we exclude animation and daytime series? Oops. Now I see Exapno’s suggestion. Very good. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-history-through-overlapping-programs/853601/9 "2020-05-11T23:23:55Z")
Last of the Summer Wine ran from 1973 to 2010 on BBC One Brian ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-history-through-overlapping-programs/853601/10 "2020-05-11T23:24:56Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > Last of the Summer Wine ran from 1973 to 2010 on BBC One You could maybe bracket that with Doctor Who and Doctor Who. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-history-through-overlapping-programs/853601/11 "2020-05-11T23:58:02Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Like the ones on _Saturday Night Live_, say? Personally, I wouldn’t allow it, anymore than the Wonderful World of Disney, which ran from 1954-1984. Andy, what say you? ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-history-through-overlapping-programs/853601/12 "2020-05-12T00:02:55Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Personally, I wouldn’t allow it, anymore than the Wonderful World of Disney, which ran from 1954-1984. Andy, what say you? Wonderful World of Disney involved a lot of reruns of old movies - not really a “program” SNL is a trickier case, but since I’ve excluded daytime TV, how about limiting it to programs in “Prime Time” (8-11 PM) - that takes care of SNL (and the Tonight Show) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-history-through-overlapping-programs/853601/13 "2020-05-12T00:44:15Z")
I’m not quite sure how to put it, but: something about Ric Flair? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-history-through-overlapping-programs/853601/14 "2020-05-12T01:39:57Z")
Here’s what I’ve come up with so far: Kraft Theater 1947-1955 Gunsmoke 1955-1975 M_A_S\*H 1972-1983 Cheers 1982-1993 Law and Order 1990- 2010 Law and Order SVU- 1999-present Now we’re down to six. Can anyone get down to five? Should we cheat and throw in _60 Minutes_? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-history-through-overlapping-programs/853601/15 "2020-05-12T02:01:06Z")
\*Gunsmoke \*is what makes it work. Knock it out and the problem becomes really hard. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-history-through-overlapping-programs/853601/16 "2020-05-12T02:06:02Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > Here’s what I’ve come up with so far: > > Kraft Theater 1947-1955 > Gunsmoke 1955-1975 > M_A_S\*H 1972-1983 > Cheers 1982-1993 > Law and Order 1990- 2010 > Law and Order SVU- 1999-present > > Now we’re down to six. Can anyone get down to five? Should we cheat and throw in _60 Minutes_? Like I was alluding to, WWE RAW arguably goes from January of ‘93 to now. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-history-through-overlapping-programs/853601/17 "2020-05-12T02:06:46Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > I’m not quite sure how to put it, but: something about Ric Flair? Scripted? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-history-through-overlapping-programs/853601/18 "2020-05-12T02:08:07Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > Scripted? Uh, I hate to break it to you, but, yeah, it is. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-history-through-overlapping-programs/853601/19 "2020-05-12T02:09:32Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > \*Gunsmoke \*is what makes it work. Knock it out and the problem becomes really hard. I think you can swap in _Lassie_ without too much trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-history-through-overlapping-programs/853601/20 "2020-05-12T02:33:04Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Like I was alluding to, WWE RAW arguably goes from January of ‘93 to now. Objection. Cable shows need their own category. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-history-through-overlapping-programs/853601.md?page=2)