Looking for something to binge-watch that’s a little longer than your average weekend watch? Netflix is home to quite a few long-running TV shows that are sure to keep you occupied for as long as you need to be. Every single one of the shows recommended here has run for at least five seasons – most of them have run even longer – so they’re perfect for quarantine viewing or just a long-term investment in a good story. There’s something for everyone here, from superhero action thrillers to prestige dramas and heartwarming comedies. Keep reading for more than 20 of our favorite long-running shows you can watch on Netflix now!
Arrow
Superhero TV shows are everywhere right now, so it’s easy to forget that, when Arrow debuted, it was still a big risk. After spending five years shipwrecked, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen returns to his corrupt city with a secret vigilante identity, determined to right wrongs – and he slowly learns that he doesn’t have to go it alone.
Breaking Bad
Facing a cancer diagnosis, a mild-mannered chemistry teacher begins cooking meth in hopes of leaving enough money behind to take care of his family. It’s only a matter of time before he gets sucked deeper and deeper into the criminal underworld, turning into a full-fledged drug lord.
Call the Midwife
In 1950s London, a group of midwives work to help the women of an impoverished district, all while dealing with personal crises of their own from time to time.
Community
When a lawyer finds out his degree was revoked, he’s stuck going back to school at a community college. He starts a “study group” to impress a pretty girl in one of his classes, but instead ends up launching a real study group full of colorful characters.
Watch Community on Netflix beginning Apr. 1.
The Flash
Geeky forensic scientist Barry Allen becomes a superhero speedster when he’s struck by lightning in a lab. From then on, he works to balance his investigations on the police force with his newfound double life as a superhero – plus some scary scientific conspiracies.
Gilmore Girls
A mother raises her overachieving teenage daughter in a small New England town filled with quirky characters. When her daughter gets into an elite – and expensive – school, Lorelai is forced to reopen her relationship with her stern, wealthy parents, kicking off several years of drama and humor (and lots of coffee).
Glee
At the beginning, this risky comedy was a scrappy, darkly humorous satire of a high school glee club and the outsize personalities that make up that not-always-merry band of misfits. While later seasons became increasingly off-the-wall, the sweet heart of the show remained steady.
The Great British Baking Show
Looking for some TV comfort food? Look no further than this cozy, quippy baking competition that challenges a dozen amateur bakers to create delicious and sometimes unusual treats, all in a low-key and fun environment that stays far away from the usual reality show intensity.
Grey's Anatomy
Sixteen seasons in and Grey’s is still going strong – who’d have thought? Since 2005, we’ve been eagerly watching the medical careers and personal exploits of a group of (remarkably attractive) doctors in Seattle, all connected to Meredith Grey, the ambitious and messy daughter of a surgical legend.
Jane the Virgin
A young aspiring writer finds out that she’s a pregnant virgin, thanks to a medical mix-up. With the help of her parents, grandmother, and an assortment of loved ones, Jane tackles the challenges of motherhood while finding ways to pursue her own dreams.
Mad Men
The stylish drama is set at an advertising firm in the 1960s, where Don Draper and his colleagues brainstorm ideas, pursue success ruthlessly, and hide an awful lot of secrets.
Merlin
It’s a new twist on the legends of Camelot you’ve heard dozens of times before. In this Camelot, where magic is banned, the young sorcerer Merlin is a servant to arrogant Prince Arthur and must keep his magic a secret. As he learns more about his and Arthur’s destinies, Merlin fights to save the future king and the future of Camelot.
New Girl
A quirky, just-dumped young woman moves into a loft with three mismatched roommates. What starts out as a goofy fish-out-of-water premise turns into a warm and still goofy comedy about an unlikely group of friends figuring out life, love, and growing up.
The Office
It’s become an iconic piece of modern TV comedy for good reason. Filmed in the “mockumentary” style before it was cool, The Office follows the hijinks of the quirky workers at a Pennsylvania paper company office that’s far from dull.
Schitt's Creek
When they lose everything to a bad business manager, the uberwealthy Rose family is forced to relocate to the tiny town they bought as a joke. Although it takes them a while to adjust to their new lives, each of them slowly begins to discover the things they never knew their lives were missing.
Shameless
A messy, hard-drinking father of six struggles to raise his family, pawning off much of the responsibility on his eldest daughter. Through ups and downs, the family figures things out, albeit with a lot of mistakes and upheaval along the way.
Supergirl
Sent off-world as her planet was destroyed, Kara Danvers grew up pretending to be human, but knowing she was super. When she embraces her powers, she becomes Supergirl, a hero who fights injustices both mundane and supernatural alongside her friends and allies.
The Vampire Diaries
Vampire brothers Stefan and Damon battle each other and eternal forces of darkness in a small Virginia town. Along the way, they both fall in love with a human girl who mysteriously resembles the woman they both loved over a century ago.
The West Wing
Under the administration of the deeply decent President Bartlet, a group of White House staffers work to keep the country running smoothly. Nothing comes easily, though, especially keeping political agendas in check.