There’s never a bad time to sit down and watch some TV. From an exhilarating action show to a dramatic true story miniseries or a police procedural that’s been around for decades, there’s something for everyone to enjoy, no matter the genre. With all the platforms and streaming services available nowadays, it’s all the more easy to sit back and binge an old favorite or a brand-new obsession.
Television has evolved throughout the decades, but it’s always been easy to get invested in the world and characters portrayed. Some shows last for a few episodes, others don’t get a chance to shine, and some have been releasing new episodes for generations. These have become franchises with multiple shows making up one TV world, known and loved by their audiences. From a procedural like One Chicago to sci-fi adventures like Star Trek, these ten TV franchises are some of the most memorable thus far.
10
‘Scooby-Doo’ (1969-Present)
14 TV Shows
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! is an iconic part of many childhoods. It may have been released in the late 1960s-early 1970s, but this character and his Scooby-snack-loving antics with those meddling kids are timeless for anyone who’s ever seen an episode of this or its subsequent multimedia franchise.
Over two hundred variations of the Great Dane Scooby-Doo exist, spanning video games, feature films, short films, specials, animated series, and much more. He’s even appeared in a crossover or two with other shows (the Supernatural fans will remember the chaotic adventure that was Scoobynatural!). Scooby-Doo is one of the most quotable animated characters of all time, and his numerous TV shows and then some will forever be an iconic early cartoon classic.
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!
- Release Date
-
September 13, 1969
9
‘One Chicago’ (2012-Present)
4 TV Shows
The One Chicago franchise all began with Chicago Fire more than ten years ago. The series began airing in 2012 and has since grown into a franchise consisting of three primary series, with one canceled show called Chicago Justice not lasting for more than one season.
Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Med, collectively known as the One Chicago universe, follow the firefighters, police officers, and medical personnel of the Windy City. They have kept audiences on the edge of their seats from day one with gritty action, heavy-hitting emotion, and characters that are easy to love. They became Wednesday’s most-watched dramas, and it’s not hard to see why they had and continue to have such an impact on their viewers.
8
‘Breaking Bad’ (2008-2022)
2 TV Shows
A new show was released back in 2008, and nobody knew how well it would perform. Nobody knew it would become a multimedia franchise with a worldwide following and numerous video games, movies, talk shows, and fan adaptations.
Breaking Bad and its many attributes have become a franchise known across the globe as one of the best of all time. Walter White and Jesse’s story and the others that followed are memorable ones sure to stay alive long after they’ve been told. Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, and its subsequent spin-offs remain some of the best TV shows and expansions for many of those within its extensive fanbase.
Breaking Bad
- Release Date
-
2008 – 2012
- Network
-
AMC
- Showrunner
-
Vince Gilligan
- Directors
-
Vince Gilligan, Michelle Maclaren
7
‘Grey’s Anatomy’ (2005-Present)
3 TV Shows
Hospital and medical dramas can sometimes be hit or miss. However, there’s none quite as recognizable as the iconic Grey’s Anatomy, which has been airing consistently for over twenty years. Meredith Grey and her colleagues have been through the wringer on more than one occasion during their time at the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, and it has been far from a smooth ride. However, all that drama is precisely what keeps viewers coming back for more.
Many people have grown with these characters throughout the show’s twenty-one seasons, and spin-offs like Station 19 and Private Practice have continued bringing more and more people into the rabbit hole that is the Grey’s Anatomy universe. It is the longest-running scripted American prime-time television series and has done exceptionally well in the eyes of both critics and audiences, winning numerous accolades. Station 19 and Private Practice may have come to an end, but the original is still going strong.
6
‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation’ (2000-2024)
5 TV Shows
CSI is a well-known show similar to Law and Order but with a focus on the forensics side of a criminal investigation. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation started airing on CBS in October 2006, where it stayed for fifteen years. Over its decade-and-a-half-long run, four further spin-off TV shows, a documentary-style series, numerous games, and a television film have been released.
Set across the U.S. States of Las Vegas, New York, Miami, and Washington, DC, the CSI franchise kept its audience engrossed for almost twenty-five years, with the conclusion of CSI: Vegas in May 2024 bringing a close to the franchise. The franchise has become the proud owner of multiple Primetime Emmy Awards. People’s Choice Awards and Golden Globe nominations and wins, with the original holding the title of the most-watched TV show for longer than any other.
CSI
- Created by
-
Anthony E. Zuiker
- First TV Show
-
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
5
‘Law and Order’ (1990-Present)
7 TV Shows
It’s almost impossible to think about expansive TV franchises without Law and Order springing to mind. This collective group of shows got their start in 1990 with the release of the original Law and Order series. Even with an eleven-year hiatus, it bounced back just as strong. Nowadays, it consists of seven TV shows with a whopping total of almost 1400 episodes across all those involved.
Law and Order, Special Victims Unit (SVU), Criminal Intent, Trial By Jury, L.A., True Crime, and Organized Crime make up this extensive franchise. While some have performed better than others and spring to mind faster when discussing Law and Order as a whole, they all have a part in making up one of the longest-running franchises ever created. With everything included and its various spin-offs, over one thousand hours of watch time can be found across Law and Order alone.
Law & Order
- Release Date
-
September 13, 1990
- Showrunner
-
Walon Green, Michael S. Chernuchin, René Balcer, William M. Finkelstein, Artuhr Penn, Barry Schindel, Nicholas Wootton, Rick Eid
- Writers
-
Dick Wolf
- Franchise(s)
-
Law and Order
4
‘NCIS’ (2003-Present)
6 TV Shows
Similar to CSI in the criminal investigation procedural type of show, NCIS, standing for Naval Criminal Investigative Service, began airing on CBS twenty-two years ago in the Fall of 2003. The only difference between them is that NCIS is still airing today, following a military approach to criminal investigation.
It all stemmed from a concept depicted in two episodes of JAG in April 2003, which served as a two-part backdoor pilot to what would become the third longest-running scripted live-action American prime-time TV series ever made. Since NCIS‘s release in 2003, the original series, NCIS: Los Angeles, Sydney, Hawai’i, New Orleans, and Origins, have produced over one thousand episodes across forty-nine seasons of TV, and it’s still going strong today as the original has recently entered its twenty-second season.
NCIS
- Created by
-
Donald P. Bellisario
- Latest TV Show
-
NCIS: Hawaii
- First Episode Air Date
-
September 23, 2003
3
‘Doctor Who’ (1963-Present)
8 Live Action TV Shows
It’s difficult to find someone who’s not at least heard of or is familiar with the iconic British time traveler known as the Doctor. The character is known across the globe for his adventures in the TARDIS, and his fanbase spans multiple decades and age ranges, given his introduction more than sixty years ago in 1963.
The Doctor Who franchise has gathered a huge following over the decades and now consists of thirty and counting series released across forty-six years, with a sixteen-year time gap between the end of the 1989 installment and the beginning of the reintroduction in 2005. Doctor Who has gained one of the largest fanbases in media, spanning across a multimedia franchise known as the Whoniverse. Short films, feature lengths, multiple television spin-offs, games, comics, and more reside within, and they have all become a beloved part of one of TV’s most loved universes.
Doctor Who
- Release Date
-
2005 – 2021
- Network
-
BBC
2
‘Star Trek’ (1966-Present)
13 TV Shows
Almost sixty years. Dozens of movies and TV series, games, comics, novels, and even theme park attractions have stemmed from this tycoon of a multimedia franchise, and people can never get enough of it. Star Trek is known around the world as one of the biggest sci-fi franchises of all time and has garnered a significantly large following throughout the years.
It is successful on multiple fronts. Financially, pop-culturally, and critically. But it means more to the fans who love it than any statistics can show. Like Star Wars, fans rally around this franchise, attend conventions, meet friends, and just absolutely adore the world it has created. Star Trek will always be a fan-favorite television franchise, and the hold it has on its viewers will never fade away. It is a timeless piece of entertainment.
1
‘Star Wars’ (1977-Present)
16 TV Shows
Star Wars may be more known and beloved to some for its big-screen adventures, but its growing small-screen universe continues to bring new people in for the ride the more they release. The live-action TV shows started with the overwhelmingly successful Mandalorian series on Disney*, and it only went up from that moment on.
There are seven Disney+ Star Wars shows for fans to sink their teeth into, but that is far from where it ends for the small-screen Star Wars fans. It began in the 1980s but really started to take off with animated series in the 2000s. From there, it’s only continued to branch out. Star Wars is one of the most beloved franchises of all time, with a fanbase spanning generations. It’ll never get old, and while it may not be everybody’s thing, there will never be a bad time to sit down for yet another rewatch for those fans who can never get enough.
Star Wars
- Created by
-
George Lucas
- Latest Film
-
Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker
- First TV Show
-
Star Wars The Clone Wars
