4 Years Later, Netflix’s Longest-Running Series Is Still One Of Its Best

Netflix's longest-running series ended four years ago, but it's still one of the streamer's best original shows. A long-running original series on the platform is an impressive feat, especially in contrast with the extensive list of canceled Netflix shows.

The Society, I Am Not Okay With This, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Shadow and Bone, 1899, and Mindhunter are among the many Netflix originals that were canceled too soon, after only one season. Fortunately, there is one show that Netflix continued to renew for years and that is still a standout in their streaming library.

Grace & Frankie Is Netflix’s Longest-Running Show

With seven seasons and 94 episodes released from 2015-2022, Grace and Frankie is Netflix's longest-running show. The story centers on the uptight Grace Hanson (Jane Fonda) and the free-spirited Frankie Bergstein (Lily Tomlin), whose lives are upended when they learn that their husbands, Robert Hanson (Martin Sheen) and Sol Bergstein (Sam Waterston), have been in love for years and are ending their marriages with their wives. Despite their previous distaste for each other, Grace and Frankie go on to become close friends and navigate their new lives together.

Following the release of Virgin River season 7 on March 12, 2026, the romantic drama will tie Grace and Frankie for being the Netflix original series with the most seasons, and it will eventually take the lead in this category with the already confirmed season 8. However, even after season 8, Virgin River will be at 84 total episodes, meaning it will still be behind Grace and Frankie's 94.

Grace & Frankie Is Still One Of Netflix’s All-Time Best Series

Saeed Adyani/©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection

In the time since Grace and Frankie ended in April 2022, Netflix has released no shortage of new shows, but few of them are as good as the seven-season comedic series. The legendary Fonda, Tomlin, Sheen, and Waterston deliver consistently heartfelt and hilarious comedy while also nailing the more poignant moments. Instead of making its older adult stars the butt of the jokes, the series celebrates aging while also being unafraid to shy away from the harsh realities that are involved.

The long-running nature of the series is also essential to making it one of Netflix's all-time best. Seven seasons and 94 episodes allow viewers to spend ample time with the characters and to get fully invested in their journeys as they evolve in ways that feel earned. The longevity adds more authenticity to Grace and Frankie becoming friends and Robert and Sol embracing the parts of themselves they had to hide for most of their lives.

While Grace, Frankie, Robert, and Sol are at the forefront of the series, their adult children help elevate the story as well. Their inclusion allows for more exploration of how the highs and lows of older adulthood affect the larger family and multiple generations. Brianna Hanson (June Diane Raphael), Mallory Hanson (Brooklyn Decker), Coyote Bergstein (Ethan Embry), and Nwabudike "Bud" Bergstein (Baron Vaughn) are all fully realized characters who have their own satisfying arcs as individuals and in their family relationships.

Despite primarily being a character-driven story, Grace and Frankie's plot also goes in some wildly entertaining directions, including Grace and Frankie going on Shark Tank to sell a toilet made for older adults to hiding a large sum of money from the FBI. These storylines are balanced out by others that are more mundane and relatable, from an episode where Grace and Frankie throw out their backs and struggle to get off the floor to Sol dealing with Robert having memory loss.

Grace and Frankie is the perfect example of why Netflix should invest in more shows that run longer than just a season or two before being canceled. More seasons and episodes of quality television help grow the audience, the viewership, and the overall number of subscribers.

Release Date 2015 - 2022-00-00

Showrunner Marta Kauffman

Directors Marta Kauffman

Writers Marta Kauffman