All kinds of records can be found in the field of TV series. The following eight productions have made or broken records in various respects.
“The Simpsons” has been broadcast on the US channel Fox since 1989 and there is no end in sight. Homer, Bart and Co. hold the record for the longest-running animated series in US television history. In 2018, “The Simpsons” also overtook the now-obscure western series “Gunsmoke” (in Germany under the name “Gunsmoke”) to become the longest-running scripted television series in US TV history.
But that’s not all: “The Simpsons” also holds another record, namely the one for the most celebrity guest appearances in a series. Over 700 stars have already appeared in animated form in the successful program and voiced their characters themselves – including Michael Jackson (1958-2009), Sting (72), Ringo Starr (83) and the cast in the first years of the series alone the bands Red Hot Chili Peppers, Aerosmith and Spinal Tap.
The comedy series “30 Rock” by series creator Tina Fey (54) takes place behind the scenes on the NBC television station. In the smart series, head author Liz Lemon (Fey) deals with colorful characters such as her controlling, sometimes egomaniacal boss Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin, 66) or the extroverted star Tracey Jordan (Tracey Morgan, 55).
Critics in the US loved the program and in 2009 it received a record 22 Emmy nominations. At that time, no comedy series could achieve so many in a single year. In the premier category “Best Comedy Series” there was also the coveted trophy, for the third time in a row.
The fantasy series “Game of Thrones,” which ended in 2019, also triumphed at the Emmy Awards a total of 59 times. But the show by series creators David Benioff (53) and D. B. Weiss (53) holds another record: The second episode from season five, entitled “The House of Black and White,” was watched in an incredible 173 countries. “GoT” holds the record for the largest simulcast of all time. HBO had made the series available in more countries at the time, as “Game of Thrones” also regularly landed at the top of the rankings of the most pirated series.
At the turn of the millennium, the comedy series “Friends” was universally popular – and even today, many viewers swear by the story of the six New York friends Ross (David Schwimmer, 57), Rachel (Jennifer Aniston, 55), Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow, 60), Joey (Matt LeBlanc, 56), Monica (Courteney Cox, 59) and Chandler (Matthew Perry, 1969-2023).
Completed in May 2004, the series finale of “Friends” set the record for the most expensive commercials: advertisers had to pay two million US dollars to NBC for a 30-second spot. At that time, this number was only exceeded by the major sporting event Super Bowl in the USA.
This record makes you smile: The sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond” ran on the US channel CBS from 1996 to 2005. The title character Ray is played by comedian Ray Romano (66). Ray’s older series brother Robert was portrayed by actor Brad Garrett (64), and he holds an unusual record in the series landscape: With a height of 2.03 meters, Garrett is considered the tallest actor to have played a leading role on television. By the way, the mime also won an impressive three Emmy Awards for his performance in “Everybody Loves Raymond.”
This series should not be missing from any record list: In “Doctor Who” the doctor experiences adventures as a time traveler, solves problems and fights injustice in the world. Many actors have already played the main character. Most recently, “Sex Education” star Ncuti Gatwa (31) took on the role. Doctor Who first aired in 1963, making it the longest-running sci-fi series.
The HBO series “Succession” has also enjoyed great popularity since 2018. However, the smart show about the Roy family’s successor power struggle set a possibly surprising record: in the series finale “With Open Eyes” there was more swearing than in any other ending to a television series before. A total of 235 swear words were used here in 88 minutes. This would be unthinkable on strictly regulated regular US TV, but the premium cable channel HBO has always been known for adult themes and language, as well as violence and nudity.
In 2014, the Guinness Book of World Records declared the ever-popular Breaking Bad series the highest-rated show of all time. What happened? On the review collection site “Metacritic”, the final fifth season of the gangster series about the former chemistry teacher Walter White (Bryan Cranston, 68) and his partner Jesse (Aaron Paul, 44) had an unbelievable score of 99 percent positive reviews critics – a truly extraordinary achievement.