The lowdown on TV shows you love, and hate

LIKE sand through the hourglass, you’re binge-watching your way through a season to make sure you are up to date before the next one starts.

Next thing you know its 2am and you have to try get some sleep before you look like an extra for the The Walking Dead at work.

But how much do you really know about the shows that have kept you (and your parents and grandparents) glued to their TV’s for decades?

Take a look at these facts about TV series that you might not have known:

Guiding Light, an American soapie, holds the record for the most episodes of a single production. The show ran from 1952 all the way to 2009 with a staggering 57 seasons and 18 262 episodes.

As the World Turns, another soap, comes in a close second having run from 1956 until 2010 with a total of 13 858 episodes over 54 seasons.

But hold on to your Google thumbs…because the longest running TV series still in production is the UK’s Coronation Street. It premiered back in December of 1960 and a total of 8 271 episodes later, the show is still being produced today.

Soaped up

Soapies remain top of the pops as far as longest running seasons go.

Days of our Lives is certainly well-known (and equally  hated by as many people that love it) and has recorded  more than 12 000 episodes to date.

Little known is that the episodes for Days are shot three  weeks before being aired in the US, but the episodes can  take up to five years before being shown in other countries.

So even if they stop shooting today, you can still look forward to watching your daily Days intake until 2020.

Other infamous American soapies such as All My Children (1970 to 2011, 10 712 episodes) and The Young and the Restless (1973 to present, 10 702) can still be seen on TV stations all over the world.

Animation

The longest running animated series is a Japanese cartoon (anime) called Sazae-san that has been going since 1969 with more than 7 000 episodes.

The Simpsons is rated as the most popular and longest running in the US, with over 570 episodes in 21 seasons from 1989 to today.

Most popular TV shows by ratings

In the 2013/2014 TV season Big Bang Theory ranked number one as the  most watched show in the US, with 23.1 million viewers tuning in to  watch Sheldon be Sheldon.

NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, The Walking Dead and The Blacklist fill out the  top five with between 15 and 22 million viewers.

Local is lekker

Generations takes top spot in local shows having run from 1994 until 2014.

After firing most of the major actors who made up the cast, the show was reborn as Generations: The Legacy and is still in production.

Muvhango has been going since 1997, while Isidingo started in 1998 and has aired just over 3000 episodes so far.

Egoli caused quite a stir when the show hung up its well worn boots in 2010, 4469 episodes after premiering in 1992.

7de Laan is well on its way to becoming the longest  running SA soapie, having first aired in 2000 and now 15  years and over 3100 episodes later, is still going strong.

Well there you have it, a look at some of the shows that  have kept generations of people entertained.

We can only hope Game Of Thrones or The Walking Dead will continue for another two thousand episodes or so…honestly, who can get enough of zombie apocalypses and heroic fantasy plots?

Besides, we can’t wait to see Arya exact her revenge.

Leave your comments below and tell us what your favourite/most hated TV show is and why.