Reaching 100 episodes used to be a defining milestone for Network scripted series. Trends have certainly changed and since the 2019-2020 season these are the only new shows currently on track to hit 100 episodes.
\- FBI Most Wanted had 108 episodes
\- Abbott Elementary will hit 100 next season
\- Ghosts will hit 100 next season
The only close contenders were:
\- Bob Hearts Abishola which ended with 95
\- The Great North which ended with 97
I remember binge watching the first five seasons over the course of...I wanna say a week or so? Was a f****** fever dream, considering how fast paced they raced through storylines. I thought the sixth season was still decent, but the final season was lame.
6
joshmoviereview4 days ago
+19
fbi most wanted was canceled, will stay at 108
19
ImLaunchpadMcQuack4 days ago
+6
Updated ty
6
bflynn653 days ago
+8
Speaking of 100 episode shows, does anyone remember "Anger Management" with Charlie Sheen?
The show had a 10 episode 1st season and a f****** **90** episode 2nd season.
It has to be the most bizarre and forced 100 episode run ever.
8
smokeyjoey83 days ago
+4
That was the Debmar-Mercury “10-90” syndication model. They would sell a network 10 episodes of a show and if those 10 had acceptable ratings then the network and syndicator would commit to 90 more episodes to get that 100 episode sweet spot.
This model eventually broke down, in part due to the rise of streaming, but also because the shows were just bad and either didn’t meet the 90 episode commitment or declined rapidly if they did.
4
Careless-Economics-63 days ago
+3
The "Anger Management" people were just doing what Tyler Perry had already done. At present, I see "Anger Management" is on a bunch of streaming services.
3
Agile_Land_99514 days ago
+6
The Great North can always be revived like futurama, king of the hill, American dad and family guy. I hope it does come back. I’m enjoying it now.
6
JonesyOnReddit3 days ago
+17
Needed 100 episodes to go into syndication where the big bucks were. Not important anymore.
17
NeuHundred3 days ago
+6
Not AS important, but still beneficial. Sable might be dying but it still needs programming, 100 episodes means you can set up a FAST channel and get advertising revenue, 100 lets you put out a lot of stuff on YT and get revenue from that, you can still sell box sets to collectors...
6
Underwater_Karma3 days ago
+12
100 episodes used to be 4 seasons, 4 calendar years.
Now it takes 13 seasons and 25+ years to reach 100 episodes
12
SomeJob12414 days ago
+8
Will Trent on ABC getting two more seasons at 22 episodes apiece would get it over the hump. But seasons 3 and 4 have been 18 episodes, which means it needs another 3 seasons of that length to hit 100, if my math is right. I hope it gets there. With the streaming era I can’t think of too many shows I like that are close besides Will Trent and the ones you mentioned.
Hopefully The Pitt runs for 7+ seasons.
8
BoringAccount4Work3 days ago
+1
Will Trent doesn't do 22 episode seasons
1
Cosmic_Gumbo4 days ago
+3
Those contenders had no right lasting as long as they did.
3
idiot99913 days ago
+4
Bob Hearts Abishola was excellent.
4
jimpez863 days ago
+3
Ghosts is a solid comedy.
3
JealousStrength26134 days ago
+4
Great North was actually pretty decent for what it was, just never found its audience
4
Cosmic_Gumbo4 days ago
+4
I thought I was the audience. The season and a half I watched always felt like a worse version of Bob’s burgers.
4
Demerzel694 days ago
+3
Had it's moments but it never had whatever Bob's has that hooks ya in. I mean I guess it's just that the characters weren't as interesting or funny. Totally different vibe but the Belchers are way more relatable. I def didn't expect TGN to last five seasons.
3
Subject2Change4 days ago
+2
Took me longer to give up on it, now it lives on my Plex server and will randomly play when I shuffle.
It has its moments, but it's not great... Had high hopes for it and Krapopolis.
2
Underwater_Karma3 days ago
+1
The 2nd half of Krapopolis season 3 just started last Sunday, and it's been renewed for seasons 4 and 5.
I was honestly disappointed about Great North.
1
Subject2Change3 days ago
+1
Oh I know, I just don't find Krapopolis any good... Great cast but never clicked for me
1
Underwater_Karma3 days ago
+1
I know what you mean. I watch it, but wouldn't miss it if it were gone. I thought Great North was a much better show
1
Emezlee4 days ago
+1
Gee now when i mentioned why shows don’t last for 100 plus episodes anymore i got berated!
1
The-Soul-Stone3 days ago
+1
And on cable, Outlander will make it to 100 next week, before finishing the year after. After 12 years. Probably the last cable show to make it?
1
Really_McNamington3 days ago
+1
Rookie must be across the line?
1
ImLaunchpadMcQuack3 days ago
+1
Premiered in 2018
1
jake39882 days ago
+1
The Conners hit 112 episodes, hitting 100 in 2025.
Young Sheldon hit 141, hitting 100 in 2022.
The Rookie is still going at 142, hitting 100 in 2024.
There are others too.
Seems like you're ignoring anything that PREMIERED before 2020... which seems like it's done intentionally to make it seem like it's rare when that's false. It's only been 6 years since 2020 and it takes 5 full seasons to hit 100. And these days a decent number of shows are going with less than 22 episodes a season on network tv (such as Simpsons cutting back to 17), which means it takes 6 seasons. So... there's a very narrow window of shows that actually can hit 100 using your intentionally misleading cutoff.
1
ImLaunchpadMcQuack2 days ago
+1
I explicitly said I was looking at shows that premiered in a certain timeframe…
1
AndNowAStoryAboutMe3 days ago
+1
There's a reason for that. Syndication. That was the actual milestone: now we can sell our series to other networks for reruns.
Syndication is meaningless in the age of streaming. Hitting 100 episodes changes nothing now. Actors don't get paid more, networks don't buy your series unless they're throwing it up on their streaming app. And they can do that whether you have 10 episodes or 500.
1
AgentElman4 days ago
-6
23 episodes a season would take 5 seasons to hit 100 episodes.
So no shows after 2021 would be able to do so.
So really you are talking about shows that debuted in 2019 or 2020. But only 3 lasting 5 years does seem very few.
I asked Chatgpt which shows that debuted in 1990 lasted 5+ seasons. It only came up with 6. So on 3 that premiered in 2 seasons that lasted 5+ seasons is about 1/4 of what it used to be - but not crazy few compared to the past.
Beverly Hills, 90210 — 10 seasons (1990–2000)
Law & Order — 20 seasons (1990–2010, later revived)
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air — 6 seasons (1990–1996)
Wings — 8 seasons (1990–1997)
Blossom — 5 seasons (1990–1995)
Northern Exposure — 6 seasons (1990–1995)
-6
Demerzel694 days ago
+4
>23 episodes a season would take 5 seasons to hit 100 episodes.
>So no shows after 2021 would be able to do so.
All of the copaganda/medical procedurals on the terrestrial networks still do 20+ episode seasons because they're beholden to ad revenue and so do the sitcoms on those networks, like Ghosts and Abbott.
SVU has been doing this since 1999 with a few slightly shorter seasons out of 27.
4
Horny_GoatWeed4 days ago
+2
They mean no shows that debuted in 2021 or later will have hit 100 episodes right now, not that they won't hit that at a later date. Not sure why they're getting downvoted.
2
mike10dude3 days ago
+1
apparently greys anatomy is down to 18
1
[deleted]4 days ago
+8
[deleted]
8
Barry_Mundy4 days ago
-1
Why wouldn't you? That's the sort of question it's great at answering.
-1
Familiar-Banana-81163 days ago
Back in the day no self respecting producer would allow a show to end at 95 or 97 episodes. That c*** can be padded up to 100 even if they were best of episodes.
That magic number 100 was very important.
Seeing two shows at 95 and 97 tells me that 100 has lost meaning.
0
VicMackeyLKN4 days ago
-7
Network tv is absolute garbage, the streaming services have garbage too, but at least you get good/great shows mixed in
38 Comments