No, The Longest Running Sitcom Isn't It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

Back in 2020, many outlets, including /Film, reported that Rob McElhenney's crass sitcom "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" had, with its 15th season, officially surpassed "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" as the longest-running scripted live-action sitcom of all time. As of this writing, the series has completed its 16th season, and it has been renewed for at least two more, so it has beaten "Ozzie and Harriet" by a substantial margin in terms of longevity. Of course, given the way modern TV is shaped, seasons are a lot shorter than they used to be. "It's Always Sunny" seasons run anywhere from seven to 15 episodes, while "Ozzie's" seasons back in the 1950s and 1960s ran anywhere from 26 to 39 episodes. "It's Always Sunny" may have lasted longer, but "Ozzie and Harriet" has way more episodes at 435. 

Still, 18 seasons of anything is impressive by any measure, and one can indeed commend "It's Always Sunny" for managing to stay so deeply rooted in the zeitgeist for so long. It's surprising, too, given how aggressively caustic and outwardly terrible the lead characters are. The central joke of the show is that it's about the worst people you'll ever meet, and their dramas all stem from their pettiness, greed, base impulses, and stupidity. It has a massive cult following. 

But, when one looks at the broad history of television, one will find that "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" is not the longest-running live-action sitcom in history by longevity either. Indeed, it's not even close when compared to the BBC series "Last of the Summer Wine," a sitcom that debuted in 1973 and ran steadily through 2010. That's a whopping 31 seasons. "It's Always Sunny" has quite a long way to go before it beats the records held by "Last of the Summer Wine."

I suppose "It's Always Sunny's" distinction is that it has produced the most seasons of any scripted, live-action American comedy series, but now we're carving out a special niche. One might immediately point out that the animated series "The Simpsons" has been running for 36 seasons and has churned out 787 episodes. Likewise, "Family Guy" has produced 436 episodes over its 23 seasons, and "South Park" has seen 328 episodes in 26 seasons. The longest-running scripted TV series of all time is the German kiddie program "Unser Sandmännchen," a 10-minute animated bedtime show that has aired just about every night since its inception in 1959. It has had over 22,200 episodes. 

But even if we're sticking with live-action, scripted comedy shows, "It's Always Sunny" still stands in the long shadow of "Last of the Summer Wine." A sitcom set in the small British county of Yorkshire, "Last of the Summer Wine" followed the merry, youthful adventures of three old guys named Norman Clegg (Peter Sallis from "Wallace & Gromit"), Compo Simmonite (Bill Owen), and, in the first few years of the series, Cyril Blamire (Michael Bates). Bates had to drop out after the show's first three seasons, and Cleggy and Compo were joined by a rotating roster of new besties, mostly by Walter C. "Foggy" Dewhurst (Brian Wilde). Also rotating through were Seymour Utterthwaite (Michael Aldridge), or Herbert Truelove (Frank Thornton), a former cop who was often called "Truly of the Yard." Bill Owen passed in 1999, and he was replaced by a bevvy of characters as well, including a character played by Owens' real-life son. 

Like any long-running series (see also: "The Simpsons"), many of the BBC show's minor, supporting characters eventually became default main characters, and "Last of the Summer Wine" eventually transmuted into an ensemble series. Unlike "It's Always Sunny," "Last of the Summer Wine" is often praised for its positivity and gentleness; it's pretty family-friendly. The premise is pretty simple: the main characters have retired and are unmarried or widowed, and have to find ways to fill their days. They amuse themselves by spreading gossip, testing out new inventions, or playfully pestering the locals; they spend a lot of time at Sid's Café (which is, by the way, a real diner that has become a tourist destination). Each character — and there were many — had their own quaint subplots throughout.

Because of the way British television is produced, "Last of the Summer Wine" only had six to 15 episodes per season, so even though it lasted 31 seasons, it only produced 295 episodes. In terms of longevity, however, it is still a record-holder as the longest-running non-animated sitcom of all time. "It's Always Sunny," however, still holds quite voluminous achievement here in the States, and it has indeed outstripped in longevity other notable American sitcoms like "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," but also "My Three Sons," "Two and a Half Men," and "The Danny Thomas Show." 

Of course, once one starts factoring in American daytime soap operas, all the above shows fall apart under their sheer weight. "Guiding Light" produced 18,262 episodes in its franchise.