"the longest running drama series ever"

TV One of my indulgences during the VHS era was gawping at the massive box sets in HMV, massive boxes filled with video tapes collecting the James Bond films or the career of Clint Eastwood or John Wayne. Of late, slimmer formats and box design technology now mean something like the complete Friends or The West Wing can fit into a space the size of a shoebox.  But imagine my pleasure on seeing ...

"Universal Studios Home Entertainment have announced the Region 1 DVD release of Law & Order: The Complete Series on 8th November 2011. The longest running crime drama in the history of television, tied with “Gunsmoke” as the longest running drama series ever, will be released in its entirety as a 20-season, 104-disc collector’s box-set."

That's some monument especially since it also includes the relevant Homicide: Life on the Streets crossover episodes.  Though of course some of us might quibble with it being described as the "the longest running drama series ever" what with Doctor Who reaching its fiftieth year in 2013.