Netflix isn’t exactly known for producing long-running shows. We still think about all the great shows Netflix canceled too soon, many of which are still worth watching. But it’s not all gloom and doom over at the streamer. Sometimes, Netflix finds it in its heart to throw its weight (and money) behind a show, giving fans the chance to follow a story across multiple seasons.
Some of these shows are early Netflix originals, back when the company was breaking new ground with streaming programming. Others are more recent hits that fans have spent countless hours watching. Among them is a critically acclaimed, record-breaking Emmy winner that ran for six seasons. For subscribers looking for a show to sink their teeth into without running out of episodes too quickly, these series should do the trick. Here are the 10 longest-running Netflix originals. (A note: This round-up includes only scripted adult programming, so don’t fret if you don’t see “Love Is Blind” or “Gabby’s Dollhouse” on the list.)
The Upshaws
Five seasons isn’t that lengthy of a run in the grand scheme of things, but for Netflix, it’s pretty good. “The Upshaws,” created by Regina Y. Hicks and Wanda Sykes, is a classic American sitcom, the kind you would normally find on network TV. Mike Epps plays Bennie Upshaw, an Indiana mechanic with a complicated family dynamic. He has three children with his wife, Regina (Kim Fields), as well as a son with another woman whom he hooked up with while he and Regina were supposedly on a break. Bennie is sort of a hot mess, and his sister-in-law, Lucretia (Wanda Sykes), never lets him forget it. “The Upshaws” breathes new life into familiar sitcom tropes, in large part thanks to Sykes’ humor and the show’s recognition of Bennie’s many shortcomings.
The series premiered in 2021, and Seasons 2 and 3 were each broken up into two parts, released several months apart. The show eventually came to an end after its fifth season, also its seventh “part,” in 2026, concluding its run with 60 episodes.
The Crown
“The Crown” is one of the most critically acclaimed series in Netflix’s catalogue, so it’s not surprising the streamer kept it going for a while. Created by playwright Peter Morgan, “The Crown” follows the life of Queen Elizabeth II, covering nearly six decades from 1947 to 2005. The principal actors change as time progresses, with Claire Foy originating the role of the Queen before handing it off to Olivia Colman, and then Imelda Staunton, who plays Elizabeth in the 1990s and 2000s. The series also follows other members of the Royal Family, played by many of Britain’s most acclaimed actors, including Vanessa Kirby, Helena Bonham Carter, and Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret, and Emma Corrin and Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana.
Though Morgan initially intended to end the show after its fifth season, it extended its run at Netflix and instead ended with Season 6, with its 60th episode serving as the finale. Over the course of those six seasons, “The Crown” was showered with accolades. It won 24 Emmys, the most total wins for a streaming series as of this writing, with eight of those awards going to its actors. For those craving more royal drama, Morgan has discussed the possibility of a prequel series that would take place before Elizabeth II’s time.
Elite
The only non-English show on this list, “Elite” has been a big hit for Netflix. The first season of the Spanish series was watched in over 20 million homes in its first four weeks on the platform. The show ran for an impressive eight seasons before it ended, clocking in at 64 episodes total.
The show takes place at Las Encinas, a high school populated by the wealthy and privileged. We’re introduced to this glitzy world through a group of working-class students attending the school on scholarships. In addition to typical high school drama, the show dives into mystery elements, with its seasons centering on murders and other criminal activity.
These mystery storylines, often told through non-linear narratives, helped keep the show fresh across its eight seasons. “Elite” also features a considerable amount of cast turnover, as older students leave the school and new ones take their place. (One doesn’t typically attend high school for eight years, after all.) Filled with intrigue, sex, and melodrama, the series attracted a substantial audience.
House of Cards
Based on a British series from 1990, “House of Cards” stars Kevin Spacey as Frank Underwood, a ruthless politician who will do whatever it takes to obtain power. He’s aided by his wife, Claire (Robin Wright), who can be just as Machiavellian as her husband. The show follows the duo as they rise through the ranks in D.C., with Frank becoming more and more vicious as he circles the highest office in the land.
Despite its status as one of Netflix’s early prestige hits, the show’s legacy was complicated by the allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault against Spacey. Surprisingly, “House of Cards” carried on without Spacey, with Robin Wright taking a leading role in the final season. That season drew a more mixed response from critics than the show’s earlier installments, though Wright’s performance earned praise. “House of Cards” ended in 2018 after 73 episodes.
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Virgin River
“Virgin River” is a reliable source of cozy comfort for fans, and with seven seasons (and counting), there are plenty of episodes to enjoy. Based on Robyn Carr’s series of novels, the show follows Mel Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge), a nurse practitioner who moves from Los Angeles to the small Northern California town of Virgin River. While working as the town’s midwife, Mel falls for Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson), a bar owner and veteran. Together, the couple works to heal from their trauma and move forward. Despite its picturesque setting and cozy feel, “Virgin River” is also chock-full of twists and turns that have kept viewers coming back season after season.
Netflix’s renewal of the show reflects its popularity amongst viewers. Following the release of its fourth season in 2022, “Virgin River” dethroned smash hit “Stranger Things” on Nielsen’s weekly streaming chart, clinching the top spot. The show was renewed for an eighth season before the premiere of its seventh. When Season 8 arrives, “Virgin River” will join “Big Mouth” and “Elite” at eight seasons. As of this writing, 74 episodes are available on Netflix, with a “Virgin River” spin-off reportedly in the works.
Fuller House
“Fuller House” is a spin-off of “Full House” and is essentially a gender-swapped version of the original, featuring several returning cast members. Candace Cameron Bure and Jodie Sweetin reprise their roles as D.J. and Stephanie, daughters of Danny (Bob Saget) and nieces of Uncle Jesse (John Stamos). Following the death of her husband, D.J. and her three sons move into her childhood home. She’s joined by her sister Stephanie and her childhood best friend, Kimmy (Andrea Barber), as well as Kimmy’s teenage daughter. Saget, Stamos, and Lori Loughlin all reprise their roles in the series, while the Olsen twins do not.
Despite a negative response from critics at launch, “Fuller House” lasted for five seasons on Netflix, airing a total of 75 episodes from 2016 to 2020. There were a few behind-the-scenes shake-ups along the way, including Lori Loughlin’s departure following her involvement in the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal and the removal of showrunner Jeff Franklin following allegations of inappropriate behavior. Though 75 episodes is pretty good for a Netflix show, “Full House” blows its sequel out of the water, with eight seasons and a whopping 192 episodes.
BoJack Horseman
A brilliant cartoon that will make you cry, “BoJack Horseman” is one of the best shows Netflix has put out. The show follows the titular BoJack Horseman (Will Arnett), an anthropomorphic talking horse. BoJack starred in a popular sitcom in the 1990s, but he’s mostly washed up now and trying, without much success, to launch a comeback. BoJack wants to be loved and accepted more than anything else, but his many personal failings hold him back. He struggles with alcoholism and mental health issues, and still hasn’t recovered from a traumatic childhood.
Sounds like a cheerful comedy, right? Amazingly, “BoJack Horseman” really is a sitcom, and it balances the tragedy of it all with zany humor and tomfoolery. Much to the excitement of its many devoted fans, Netflix aired six seasons and 76 episodes of “BoJack Horseman,” along with a standalone Christmas special. In a real feat of creativity, the show remained consistently great throughout, with a fantastic final season that brought BoJack’s story to a bittersweet conclusion in 2020. “BoJack Horseman” is one of several excellent animated sitcoms streaming on Netflix, though fellow entry “Big Mouth” ultimately surpassed its run with 81 episodes.
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Big Mouth
When its eighth and final season premiered in 2025, “Big Mouth” joined Netflix’s longest-running adult shows, as far as the number of seasons is concerned. In our opinion, Netflix definitely made the right choice in producing 81 episodes of this goofy, gross, and heartfelt series. Created by Andrew Goldberg, Nick Kroll, Mark Levin, and Jennifer Flackett, “Big Mouth” follows a group of middle schoolers as they navigate the trials and tribulations of puberty. Each student is assigned a unique hormone monster who kind of acts like a horny and chaotic devil on their shoulder. Despite the subject matter and the age of the main characters, “Big Mouth” is certainly not for kids, though its adult-oriented humor certainly reminds viewers of the weirdness of being 13.
Both poignant and outrageous, “Big Mouth” is one of the best sitcoms on Netflix. In an almost unprecedented move, Netflix renewed the critically acclaimed series for a full three seasons ahead of Season 3. According to estimates from Parrot Analytics, the show generated $153.7 million in global revenue for Netflix through early 2023, so perhaps the company’s belief in the show is not that surprising after all. Alongside this renewal, the creators of “Big Mouth” also signed a multi-year deal to produce additional animated content for Netflix. Their subsequent projects include the spin-off “Human Resources” and “Mating Season,” a separate adult animated comedy about animals hooking up with each other.
Orange Is the New Black
Though not the first Netflix original, “Orange Is the New Black” helped establish streaming as a home for prestige television, demonstrating the appeal of a series prominently featuring women of color and queer people. In 2016, “Orange Is the New Black” was Netflix’s most-watched original series, and the streamer renewed it for three additional seasons ahead of Season 4. In 2019, Variety reported that 105 million Netflix users had watched at least one episode of the show. Ultimately, the series ran for seven seasons, releasing a total of 91 episodes.
Based on Piper Kerman’s memoir of the same name, “Orange Is the New Black” follows Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), a privileged white woman sent to a minimum-security women’s prison for transporting drug money for her former girlfriend, drug smuggler Alex Vause (Laura Prepon). The sheltered Piper is unprepared for the world of prison and struggles to get by without pissing off everyone around her.
As the show progresses, its lens expands, focusing on Piper’s fellow inmates, many of whom are women of color with compelling stories of their own. As creator Jenji Kohan told NPR’s “Fresh Air,” she thought of Piper as her “Trojan Horse,” in that she was the face of a show that is actually much more diverse than initially understood. The series features a treasure trove of amazing performances from actors like Uzo Aduba, whose breakout turn as Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren earned her two Emmys for the role.
Grace and Frankie
As far as episode count goes, “Grace and Frankie” is the most prolific scripted Netflix show for adults — so far. The feel-good TV show stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin as Grace and Frankie, two women who become friends under unusual circumstances. Grace and Frankie’s husbands, played by Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston, reveal that they’ve been having an affair for two decades and want to get married now that it’s finally legal. The two women find themselves living together in a California beach house, thawing their previously icy relationship and embarking on a new beginning. Their odd-couple dynamic is incredibly endearing, as Grace’s buttoned-up businesswoman demeanor contrasts hilariously with Frankie’s hippie artist lifestyle.
The delightful chemistry between Fonda and Tomlin is the show’s primary draw, and watching their relationship evolve over the series is a rewarding experience. Ultimately, the show ran for an impressive seven seasons, from 2015 to 2022, releasing a whopping 94 episodes in total. Following the release of its final episodes, “Grace and Frankie” ranked second among streaming originals on Nielsen’s U.S. chart. Unlike the many Netflix shows canceled prematurely, the series got to end on a high note, which included the appearance of Fonda and Tomlin’s former “9 to 5” castmate Dolly Parton in the series finale.
