Some of our best loved TV cartoons of all time didn't hang around too long. Top Cat? Just two years. Mr Benn? Just 14 episodes.
But some colourful creatures and odd townsfolk manage to last longer. Much longer. Below we present you the list of the longest-running cartoons that have aired on UK television byseason. The only ruleis we're not counting reboots as part of its totalcount:
25-21Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003) - 7 seasonsDoug - 7Adventure Time - 7Archer - 7Futurama - 7
20-13Peppa Pig - 8Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids - 8Dora the Explorer - 8Beavis & Butthead - 8The Smurfs - 9Dragonball Z - 9Rugrats - 9Spongebob Squarepants - 9
12. Fairly OddParents - 10 seasons (2001 to present)
Although it's the second-longest-running NickToon behind Spongebob in terms of years, this has actually had more seasons than their underwater pal. Centring on 10-year-old Timmy, he is granted two fairy godparents who provide his every wish to help save him from his rubbish parents and torturous babysitter. That makes it sounda lot darker than it actually is. The series has also spawned three live-action movies starring Drake Bell, which is quite amazing when you think about it. If only we had live-action versions of Johnny Bravo and the Powerpuff Girls.
11. Space Ghost Coast to Coast - 10 seasons (1994 to 2008)
One of the more surreal entries in this list, this parody talk show was hosted by 1960s Hanna-Barbera character Space Ghost, and was aimed at adults. It was also the first fully produced Cartoon Network original series, and became more and more surreal and full ofnon-sequiturswith each season. It remains a cult favourite online, and you can catch pretty much all of it on YouTube.
10. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - 10 seasons (1987 to 1996)
Known as Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles in the UK as apparently us Brits can't hack ninjas, this show helped kick off an international phenomenon that still continues to this day with those Michael Bay-produced underwhelmingmovies. Raphael, Donatello, Michaelangelo and Leonardo returned for a rebootedseries thatlasted seven seasons from 2003, and a third began in 2012.
9. Aqua Teen Hunger Force - 11 seasons (2000 to 2015)
You thought Space Ghost Coast to Coast was surreal? Try the adventures of three anthropomorphic fast food items named Shake, Frylock and Meatwad who lived together as roommates. Funnily enough, it was actually a spinoff from Space Ghost, although the episode in which they featured was not aired until after ATHF debuted, which is quite a headscratcher. After 139 episodes and a feature film, the series came to an end in 2015.
8. American Dad! - 13seasons (2005 to present)
Seth MacFarlane's follow-up to Family Guy is actually more of the brainchild of co-creators Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman, as it relies much less on the use of cutaway gags and set-up punchline jokes, and actually has some semblance of a plot each episode. And there's no end in sight for Stan Smith and his quirky family, as Fox has renewed it for at least two more seasons.
7. King of the Hill - 13 seasons (1997 to 2010)
This was probably the closest you could come when looking for a cartoon that acted like a traditional sitcom, keeping thingsas realistic as possible. The show focused on middle-class Texan family the Hills and their generally mundane life. It became a regular on UK television too, at one stage airing on Friday nights alongside the likes of Friends and Frasier.
6. The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show - 14 seasons (1986 to 2000)
If we counted every single Bugs Bunny TV series as one, it would easily top the list - airing for 40 years in total. But, the show technically aired in various different guises and formats and on different networks over the years. The longest of which was this incarnation on ABC in the States. Essentially an anthology show comprising of clips of classic Looney Tunes characters, you most definitely watched some version of it as a kid growing up.
5. Family Guy - 14 seasons (1999 to present)
Seth MacFarlane's often-controversial but hugely popular series arrived via his animated Larry and Steve films, and was actually cancelled by Fox after three seasons in 2002. However, thanks to a cult following and strong DVD sales, it came back in 2005 and continues to this day. Following the Griffins in the city of Quahog, it has become known for its cutaway gags and lampooning of US culture. MacFarlane has mentioned in the past that he was working on a movie version of the show.
4. Arthur - 19 seasons (1996 to present)
Yes, that's correct, we're not trolling you. That pleasant cartoon that you enjoyed as a kid in the 1990s but have largely forgotten about aside from its amazing intro, is STILL going today, as if everyone had turned off the TV but nobody told them to stop. In fact, the show even has two more seasons to come, bringing its total to 21. In case you didn't know, it's based on the Arthur book series by Marc Brown, and follows the titularanthropomorphic eight-year-old brown aardvark, and oftendeals with serious family issues ranging from asthma, dyslexia, cancer andAsperger's syndrome. Probably the nicest show on the list.
3. Pokémon - 19 seasons (1997to present)
Now, this might be a contentious one in terms of both the number of seasons and whether each new season is technically a new series or not. But, after a straw poll in the office, we've agreed to include it. The animated series is split up into fivechronologically sequential series in Japan, split up by the version of the video game series the anime takes inspiration from: the original series, theAdvanced Generationseries, theDiamond & Pearlseries, theBest Wishes!series, and currently theXYseries. However, in international broadcasts, these five series are split into 19 separate seasons. Almost as confusing to follow as the series itself.
2. South Park - 19 seasons (1997 to present)
It may have started life as a crudely drawn cartoon full of fart jokes (OK, it's still quite like that), but Trey Parker and Matt Stone's series seems to get better with age, and remains hugely popular. Cartman, Stan, Kyle, Kenny, Butters and co's adventures in Colorado have pissed off everyone from the Mormons to Tom Cruise, and it will return for a 20th run in September. Fans are still hoping for a second movie, but they've at least had the critically acclaimed Stick of Truth video game and its upcoming sequel The Fractured But Whole.
1. The Simpsons - 27 seasons (1989 to present)
The longest-running American sitcom and scripted primetime showof all time, it is also easily the longest-running animated show ever. OK, it might not be anywhere nearas classic as its first 10 or so seasons, but it just wouldn't feel right if Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie weren't around in some way or another. It will return for a 28th season in September, and shows absolutely no sign of stopping anytime soon. We might even get that long-awaited second movie eventually.
