All 6 Primetime TV Shows That Have Officially Reached 500 Episodes

Few primetime TV shows last long enough to reach the 100-episode milestone, and spring cancellation season can be a bloodbath across all the major networks. The most notable exceptions have lasted decades and boast more than 500 episodes for a reason. Some are iconic classics that ran from the ’50s through the mid-70s, while others are still airing new episodes as of 2026.

Airing 100 episodes was once considered the most enviable milestone, since that was the generally accepted length for a TV show to enter syndication for reruns. Some shows in recent years, like Jay Hernandez’s Magnum P.I. reboot, ended just shy of that 100-episode mark. Abbott Elementary has survived Hollywood strikes, allowing Quinta Brunson’s sitcom to reach the milestone in ABC’s fall 2026 TV schedule.

The biggest shows barely remember celebrating that milestone and have since aired at least 500 episodes. In fact, most cleared the 500-episode mark years ago, and some are even part of franchises that have run for more than 1000.

NCIS (2003-Present)

508 Episodes

CBS aired the 500th episode of NCIS in the spring as part of season 23, and the show made sure fans wouldn’t forget it any time soon. Called “All Good Things,” the episode was short on good things and culminated with the shocking death of Director Leroy Vance. It wasn’t Rocky Carroll’s final contribution to the franchise, but Vance’s demise marked NCIS‘s best and boldest death in years. For anybody who thought that NCIS was no longer willing to take bold swings with its cast, the 500th episode proved otherwise.

NCIS is also still running. After premiering in 2003 as a spinoff of JAG, the show is currently airing season 24 as part of CBS’s full NCIS franchise lineup on Tuesday nights. As of early October, the entire franchise has aired more than 1120 episodes over the last 23 years.

Though NCIS isn’t at the top of the list of primetime shows that have run for more than 500 episodes, the drama is still going strong on CBS. It survived major cast departures over the years, including Mark Harmon leaving his leading role as Gibbs. With no sign that it’s running out of steam in season 24, there’s every reason to suspect that NCIS will continue well beyond 508 episodes.

Law & Order (1990-Present)

545 Episodes

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NBC’s Law & Order reached 500 episodes in season 23, less than a year after Sam Waterston left as DA Jack McCoy in his 400th episode. The drama didn’t go all-out like other shows that reached the same milestone; showrunner Rick Eid wrote the episode, and Eriq La Salle, a longtime Wolf Entertainment contributor, directed it. The episode was bigger for the “order” half of Law & Order, with DA Baxter stepping up to try a controversial case instead of one of his ADAs.

Law & Order had a more peculiar journey to 500 episodes than most. NBC actually canceled the drama back in 2010, after 20 seasons. The network didn’t revive the series until 2022, when NBC could add it to a full night of Law & Order franchise action. It joined Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order: Organized Crime on Thursdays, and is still running. Law & Order will reach its 550th episode before the end of the current season 26. New episodes premiere weekly at 10 pm ET.

Lassie (1954-1973)

591 Episodes

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Lassie is the oldest primetime show to reach 500 episodes, with the first episode airing back in 1954. The series premiered long enough ago and ran long enough for it to transition from black and white to color in 1965. Following the adventures of a female Rough Collie, she was joined over the years by several companions.

The show was successful enough to become a TV franchise. A sequel series, The New Lassie, ran from 1989-1992, while the 1997 remake lasted for three seasons. The most recent version was an animated TV series, released on Paramount+. Although arguably best known in 2026 for jokes about Lassie saving a boy who fell down a well, Lassie certainly earned its place as one of the most iconic shows of the 20th century. All 19 seasons of the original show are streaming on Prime Video.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999-Present)

595 Episodes

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NBC’s Law & Order: SVU not only hit 500 episodes in season 23, but it’s quickly approaching its 600th episode in season 28. The 500th episode delivered a divisive storyline, although it was fittingly titled “The Five Hundredth Episode.” Despite the fun of former characters like Nick Amaro, Don Cragen, and Melinda Warner appearing, the return of the man who groomed Olivia Benson wasn’t entirely popular in 2021.

That said, SVU’s overall success is undeniable. Despite premiering nearly a decade after Law & Order, Mariska Hargitay’s show is the franchise’s most successful, and she has been a steadfast lead since the beginning. Unlike the original Law & Order, SVU has never been canceled. Hargitay is arguably the face of Dick Wolf’s TV universe, and the revival of Law & Order and the launch of Law & Order: Organized Crime almost certainly wouldn’t have happened without SVU’s nearly three-decade run.

The franchise certainly wouldn’t have lasted 1453 total episodes (and counting). Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 28 is currently ongoing. New episodes premiere before Law & Order on Thursdays at 9 pm ET on NBC and stream on Peacock the next day.

Gunsmoke (1955-1975)

635 Episodes

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CBS’s Gunsmoke once held the record for the longest-running primetime TV show and is the second-oldest to reach 500 episodes. Lassie premiered just one year earlier. With more than 600 episodes over 20 seasons, Gunsmoke proved there’s an audience for Westerns on the small screen long before Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone universe took over the entertainment industry.

Gunsmoke also stands out for keeping several stars from nearly beginning to end, including James Arness as US Marshal Matt Dillon, Milburn Stone as Doc Adams, and Amanda Blake as Kitty Russell. Plus, the Western showcased a young Burt Reynolds, for whom Gunsmoke was his longest-running project at the time, thanks to his tenure from 1962 to 1965. The show’s legacy means many seasons are still available for streaming today on platforms like Pluto TV, Paramount+, and Peacock.

The Simpsons (1989-Present)

811 Episodes

Fox’s The Simpsons has the longest run of any primetime show. It’s unlikely any series will ever manage to catch up to the animated comedy. The 500th episode aired in season 23, way back in 2012. The Simpsons officially broke its biggest TV record yet in season 37, when it aired the 800th episode. Now in season 38, there’s no sign Fox will pull the plug on Homer Simpson and the rest of the family any time soon.

While many Simpsons episodes have aged surprisingly well, some seasons fare worse than others, though that’s not surprising for a show that’s been running nearly 40 years. Still, the comedy has been a mainstay for Fox’s Sunday night lineup for nearly every season since 1989. Aside from four early seasons, The Simpsons has almost exclusively aired at 8 pm or 8:30 pm ET on Sunday nights. It has been the foundation of Fox’s “Animation Domination” for decades, and many more milestones may still come.