Some TV shows seem to come and go far too quickly, while others feel like they've been around forever. These are the latter. From animated classics to multi-camera comedies and live-action series, here are the longest-running scripted shows currently on primetime TV (not daytime — those soap operas are eternal).
Note: "Longest-running," in this case, refers to the number of seasons a show has had, not the number of episodes. And for the sake of simplicity, we did not rank series that were rebooted after more than a decade off the air. Sorry, Murphy Brown and Will & Grace. (Photos via Fox + Peter Kramer/NBC + Cliff Lipson/CBS + ABC/Mitch Haaseth)
The Simpsons (1989 to present): With a whopping 30 seasons and 659 episodes at the time of writing, The Simpsons is the longest-running primetime scripted series not only currently on the air, but of all time. In April 2018, with its 636th episode, it surpassed CBS' Gunsmoke, which aired 635 episodes from 1955 to 1975, to take the title. (Photo via Fox)
Law & Order: SVU (1999 to present): The beloved Law & Order spinoff is the second-longest-running primetime scripted show currently on the air. With its season 21 renewal, it also takes the top spot as the longest-running primetime live-action series in TV history (measured by seasons). When season 20 ends, it will have aired more than 450 episodes. (Photo via Peter Kramer/NBC)
Family Guy (1999 to present): Of all the scripted primetime TV shows still on the air, Family Guy takes the third spot for longest-running — this, in spite of a short hiatus when Fox canceled the show in 2002, only to bring it back in 2005 due to blockbuster DVD sales. It was recently renewed for an 18th season. (Photo via Fox)
NCIS (2003 to present): What started as a JAG spinoff has taken on a long-running life of its own. With 16 (going on 17) seasons, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service team takes the spot as the second longest-running, scripted, non-animated, primetime TV series currently airing, and the seventh spot in overall TV history. (Photo via Cliff Lipson/CBS)
Grey's Anatomy (2005 to present): As the fifth longest-running primetime scripted series still on the air, Grey's also became the longest-running medical drama ever when it surpassed ER in episode count in February 2019. It's currently in its 15th season. (Photo via ABC/Mitch Haaseth)
American Dad! (2005 to present): Not unlike creator Seth McFarlane's other massive animated hit, Family Guy, American Dad! has persevered through network cancellation and reshuffling to become the sixth longest-running primetime scripted series still on the air. Its 256 episodes over 15 seasons just misses out on the top 10 overall. (Photo via TBS)
Criminal Minds (2005 to present): At the conclusion of its 14th season in early 2019, Criminal Minds had logged 314 episodes and earned its place as the seventh longest-running primetime scripted show still on the air. The show will take its final bow with its 15th and final season in 2019-2020, adding 10 more episodes to its all-time total. (Photo via Cliff Lipson/CBS)
Supernatural (2005 to present): With 305 episodes (and counting) over 14 seasons, Supernatural is right behind Criminal Minds on the list. And like Criminal Minds, the CW show will come to an end after its upcoming 15th season. (Photo via Diyah Pera/The CW)
The Big Bang Theory (2007 to present): The Big Bang Theory is the ninth longest-running primetime scripted show still on the air, and it claimed the title of the longest-running multi-camera sitcom in history earlier this year, when production wrapped on the 276th episode. (Cheers previously held the record with 275 episodes.) The hit CBS comedy will conclude after its current 12th season, with a series finale airing May 16. (Photo via Michael Yarish/CBS)
NCIS: Los Angeles (2009 to present): A successful spinoff of NCIS, this LA-based procedural has 10 seasons under its belt and is the 10th longest-running primetime scripted show still on the air. (Photo via Bill Inoshita/CBS)
Modern Family (2009 to present): Like several of the top-tier shows on this list, Modern Family — which currently sits as the 11th longest-running primetime scripted show still on the air — will take a bow after its 11th season, airing in 2019-2020. (Photo via ABC/Byron Cohen)
Hawaii Five-0 (2010 to present): The reboot of the classic 1970s series has run for nine seasons and more than 200 episodes, putting it at number 12 on the list of longest-running scripted primetime shows currently on the air. (Photo via
Blue Bloods (2010 to present): Blue Bloods joins several police procedurals on the list, coming in at number 13 on the list of longest-running primetime scripted shows still on the air. So far, the show has not been renewed for a 10th season, but if it comes back, it'll push the CBS drama into the impressive 200+ episodes arena. (Photo via Patrick Harbron/CBS)
Bob's Burgers (2011 to present): Although Bob's Burgers, at number 14, is a little further down the overall list of longest-running primetime scripted shows still on the air, it's actually the fourth longest-running animated series of the same designation. The show has been renewed for an upcoming 10th season — and may the Belchers live to see many more. (Photo via Fox)
Chicago Fire (2012 to present): Although a newer entry than many of the longer-running procedurals, Chicago Fire still has an impressive seven seasons and 155 episodes under its belt. The show was renewed for season 8 earlier this year, and will likely continue to keep some footing in the scripted primetime rankings. (Photo via Elizabeth Morris/NBC)
Arrow (2012 to present): The show that spearheaded the CW's Arrowverse will come to an end after its upcoming eighth season, but in its successful run, it became the 16th longest-running primetime scripted show still on the air. (Photo via Jack Rowand/The CW)
Welcome to Selfmade Finance School, our new money series with Block Advisors to help small business owners with their tax, bookkeeping, and payroll needs year-round. This week, we explore the tax implications of bringing family members into your business.
The question for today is this: Does hiring your family members make sense for your business? Let me be clear. This is not a piece about whether hiring your family members makes sense for your relationships with those family members. As someone who is part of a family business, I could fill up a lot more than 600 words on my opinions about that. For today's purposes, we focus on whether it makes sense from an overall "good business and tax implication" perspective. As it turns out, there is a decent amount of tax nuance when it comes to employing your family. Let's break it down based on relationship to the employee:
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Spouses Who Are In Business Together
Personally, if I had to be in business with my husband, it would not go well. However, many couples build viable, strong businesses together and I say, good for them! Depending on how you have your business entity structured, it will make a big difference on the tax treatment of you and your spouse working as partners. Because a business jointly owned and operated by a married couple is generally treated as a partnership for Federal tax purposes, the spouses must comply with filing and record keeping requirements imposed on partnerships and their partners. The election to file two Schedule C (Form 1040) forms, (one for each spouse) permits certain married co-owners to avoid filing partnership returns, provided that each spouse separately reports a share of all the businesses' items of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit. Under the election, both spouses will be subject to self-employment tax and on net earnings from self-employment and receive credit for Social Security earnings.
One Spouse Employs Another
If you have a dynamic where your spouse is an employee of your business, then your spouse's wages are subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes. If you are self-employed (not a corporation or a partnership), your spouse's pay does not have to be included in your federal unemployment tax account (FUTA) contributions and payments. However, if your business is a corporation or a partnership you must include that spouse's pay in your unemployment tax contribution calculation.
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You Employ Your Child
First, let's be clear. I work in my family business, but I am an adult, so I am treated just like a normal employee. However, if you, for example, run a family restaurant and want to hire your children under 18 to work for you, there are some tax benefits. But first, you should check with your state for rules on how many hours minors can work (in non-agricultural jobs) and reference the Fair Labor Standards Act for information on limitations on the kinds of work children can perform.
"This is an often overlooked or under-utilized strategy. Paying your children for true services they provide in your business can be a powerful tax-saving tool," says Cathi Reed, Block Advisors Regional Director. "If you are a sole-proprietorship or single member LLC, and the child is less than 18 years of age, the business is not required to withhold FICA or payroll taxes. The child can use his or her standard deduction against income you pay."
You Hire Your Parent
Oh dear. If you are brave enough to do this, know that you will need to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your parent's wages and make the appropriate withholdings, but you don't have to pay unemployment taxes. Now all you have to do is convince your parent that you are the boss. Have fun with that!
Is Hiring Family Members Worth It For The Tax Benefits?
"There are some positive tax advantages to hiring family members. It's important to treat a family member like any other employee. Hiring your children can result in substantial savings for businesses. Make sure your child has real, age-appropriate work to do and a reasonable pay rate, comparable to other employees. Consult with a Block Advisors small business certified tax pro to ensure that you are complying with all requirements," advises Reed. "Block Advisors, a team within H&R Block, is dedicated to meeting the tax, bookkeeping and payroll needs of small business owners year-round. To start working with the tax experts at Block Advisors, visit blockadvisors.com."
In my opinion, you should not hire a family member solely because of the tax benefits. You should always hire based on whether that person is right for the job and keep in mind how this hire could materially impact your relationship with that person and others in your family. Finally, as I mentioned, make sure you have a tax professional on your team when making these determinations. As you can see, things can get a little tricky!
*All details were sourced from IRS.gov and blockadvisors.com
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regards to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results. Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. O'Keeffe Financial Partners and any other entity listed herein is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS Investor Disclosures: https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures