What’s a long-running TV show you just can’t quit?

Everybody's got a TV show they can't stop watching, even after it runs out of gas or jumps the shark. Here's our list, for better or worse

By Saloni Gajjar, Mary Kate Carr, Hattie Lindert, Gil Macias, Cindy White, Todd Gilchrist, Jack Smart, Drew Gillis | September 28, 2022 | 5:00pm

TV Features Margaret Atwood

What’s a long-running TV show you just can’t quit?

From L to R: Gordon Ramsay in Hell’s Kitchen; Ellen Pompeo in Grey’s Anatomy; A still from Family Guy; Yvonne Strahovski in The Handmaid’s Tale; Kenan Thompson in Saturday Night Live Photo: Scott Kirkland/FOX; Liliane Lathan/ABC; FOX; Sophie Giraud/Hulu; Will Heath/NBC

There’s always that never-ending television program you love, and whenever a new trailer or any casting information drops, people are bound to ask: “Is this thing still on?” Why yes, several long-running TV shows can continue only because people still insist on watching. It could be comfort-viewing, the simple inability to give up on characters we’ve grown to love, or curiosity to see how the narrative trots on even though the quality dipped a long time ago.

With that in mind, here’s an AVQ&A that asks: What’s a long-running TV show you just can’t quit? For the purposes of this piece, any series with at least five seasons counts.

Grey’s Anatomy

Meredith and Derek Talk About Weddings - Grey’s Anatomy

No show knows its audience better than . ABC’s medical drama is about to begin its 19th season, which means it has a deep catalog of characters, relationships, and history to mine. And boy oh boy, does Grey’s wield this weapon to emotionally lure in audiences (including me, obviously). Look no further than season 17, which brought back several characters in Meredith Grey’s dreams while she’s in a coma. You bet I’m going to excitedly watch her reunion with Derek, George, Mark, and Lexie, even if it happens in a COVID-19-induced fever dream. introduces fresh faces while paying homage to the older ones. The show began in 2005, and I’ve been sucked into its emotional vortex ever since, which is probably why I can’t seem to quit it. No one can deny the early seasons were thrilling and terrific, with seasons one through eight being the show’s peak. Since then, it has gone through numerous cast changes, romantic shake-ups, and many fascinating medical cases. The doctors of ~~Seattle Grace Mercy West~~ Grey Sloan Memorial have also suffered through gun violence, plane crashes, earthquakes, fires, and other disasters. Through all its pros and cons, I’ve stuck with it, and even Ellen Pompeo’s departure in season 19 might not make me quit. I’ve simply invested too much of my time to not know how it will end—and it should end soon to save my sanity. [Saloni Gajjar]

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