As avid fans of pop culture and binge-worthy series, you've likely pondered: what's the longest episode in TV history? Spoiler: it's not from Game of Thrones, but a lesser-known gem.
With Stranger Things season 4 dropping on Netflix, fans of Eleven and the gang were stunned by the episode lengths. Rumors suggest episodes over an hour, with the finale hitting 2:30. Official confirmation came on May 27. This sparks the question: what's the longest series episode ever?
TV series fall into two camps. Short-form ones clock in at 20-22 minutes, like sitcoms such as The Big Bang Theory or How I Met Your Mother, including many anime. Then there are the 40-minute dramas with intricate plots, like Desperate Housewives or the first seven seasons of Game of Thrones, where runtimes swell. These 'mini-movies' demand commitment, which isn't for everyone.
The crown for longest episode goes to Cesur ve Güzel (The Brave and the Beautiful), a Turkish series airing from 2016 to 2017. As noted by sources like Opentapes, it features betrayals, romances, and family feuds, airing in Cyprus, Colombia, Pakistan, and Italy.
In Italy, it spanned two seasons with 55 and 92 episodes at 40 minutes each. Turkey's version had 32 episodes, but with episodes stretching up to 159 minutes—like the finale. A true record. Got time to spare? Check the clip below.
