The Simpsons

Although it was believed that Dr. Marvin Monroe was killed off in 1995 (as his tomb stone can be seen in the Springfield cemetery), he reappeared in Los Simpson: Diatribe of a Mad Housewife (2004), in which he tells Marge that he has been "very sick". The real reason for Monroe's relative absence in the series was because he became too much of a strain on Harry Shearer's voice.

Matt Groening based the character Bart Simpson on the character of Dennis in 'Dennis the Menace', which he watched as a child but was disappointed that Dennis was not as mischievous as he was in the comic strip.

This is the longest running prime-time comedy series as well as the longest-running prime-time animated series in US TV history.