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Owing to the shortening attention spans of audiences worldwide, long-running shows rarely see the kind of success and appreciation that some exceptional TV shows like Shameless, Grey's Anatomy and The Simpsons have enjoyed. Crafting TV shows to last for decades is an art in itself.
Many of the shows that premiere these days prefer to remain a limited series with only one or two seasons, Dark and Dead to Me being popular examples. While these types of shorter shows are still on the rise, many long-running TV shows, most of which include talk shows, have come to an end in 2022.
While some owe their end to a declining viewership, others have merely chosen to end the TV shows while they are still in the limelight. Here are some of the longest-running TV shows that aired for the last time in 2022.
The longest-running TV shows that concluded in 2022
1) Arthur (1994-2022)
For a children's educational show, Arthur was fairly popular among the general audience owing to the multiple generations it catered to. Following a family of invertebrate insects, Arthur covers the characters' interactions with each other as they go about life.
Over its run-time that spanned across 25 seasons, Arthur commented on some very important issues such as emotions, autism, dyslexia and the diversity between individuals in society. Its simplicity and relatability helped it establish a positive relationship with children, but made it critically appreciated for the effort it made to make a difference in the lives of young viewers.
The show first aired in 1994 on PBS Kids and has been a household favorite since. The final episode of the show aired on February 21, 2022.
2) Maury (1991-2022)
Capturing the very core essence of American reality TV shows through over-the-top drama and suspenseful revelations, Maury is known to be the longest-running day-time talk show with a single host in American history. Hosted by Maury Povich, the show dealt with sensitive issues like paternity, cheating and family affairs to gather a wide audience.
The episodes were almost an hour long, with Maury conducting paternity tests that resulted in emotional outbreaks, holding lie-detector tests on erratic teenagers and involved in some deeply troubling pasts of the people the show featured. The show also went on to receive a lot of criticism for capitalizing on family affairs to create entertainment, despite its very wide viewership.
Maury was initially called The Maury Povich Show and first aired in 1991, running for 31 long years after which it was finally concluded on September 8, 2022.
3) The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2003-2022)
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, popularly known as The Ellen Show or simply Ellen is perhaps the most popular and most loved of the TV shows that ended in 2022. It featured the famous host Ellen DeGeneres as she got comfortable with Hollywood stars, celebrities and artists while having conversations about family, work and everything in between.
The show received 61 Daytime Emmy Awards and was nominated for many more. It also frequently had celebrity guest hosts take over an episode. The guest hosts over the years include Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, John Cena , Miley Cyrus and Robert Downey Jr. among the more popular names.
The show first aired in 2003 and concluded on May 26, 2022.
4) The Dr. Oz Show (2009-2022)
The Dr. Oz Show is one of the more specialized TV shows that featured Dr. Mehmet Oz as he discussed health and wellness, sometimes suggesting different ailments to various illnesses. He also has a variety of celebrities from various fields on his show. During its time, it was one of the most highly rated TV shows and was met with very high critical acclaim.
The Dr. Oz Show also received nine Daytime Emmy Awards, making it popular among all kinds of audiences. Apart from the usual focus on health and wellness, the show also steered into true-crime and celebrity culture. However, it was also widely criticized for a lack of credibility as most of the content wasn't dependent on published academic material.
The Dr. Oz Show premiered in 2009 and ended on January 14, 2022, after the host declared his interest in migrating into a political career.
5) The Wendy Williams Show (2008-2022)
Another show that truly capitalized on American interests, The Wendy Williams Show, featured radio host Wendy Williams televizing her radio show along with co-host, Charlamagne. Covering topics ranging across gossip, pop culture, personal affairs and family, Williams didn't shy away from asking her callers the most awkward and outrageous questions.
The kind of gossip Williams discussed on her show, with hardly any care about the credibility or legitimacy of the matter, made the conversation very intimate and relatable to the general audience, causing the show to last for 13 long seasons.
The Wendy Williams Show first aired in 2008 and concluded with the last episode on June 17, 2022.
The fact that most of the longest-running TV shows are television talk shows points to the effective relationship that these hosts and their content have established with their audiences over multiple generations. However, the shows decided to pull the plug in a time when such long formats are no longer viable, owing to a shift in the entertainment landscape at large.
