​From Pandavar Illam to Maari: A look at some of the longest-running Tamil TV shows​

Sometimes TV shows are only meant to last one season or two. But the popularity of some shows among the audience has made them last longer. The creators of these shows have managed to deliver new drama and content that help to keep their viewers entertained and glued to the TV. Here is the list of Tamil TV shows that have been entertaining us for a very long time now.

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Pandavar Illam is one of the longest-running Tamil soap operas. It has completed 1000 episodes already. The show premiered in July 2019, and now the series is inching towards its 1043rd episode. The story is all about Periya Sundaram and his five grandsons Raja Sundaram Pandavar, Nalla Sundaram Pandavar, Azhagu Sundaram Pandavar, Anbu Sundaram Pandavar, and Kutty Sundaram Pandavar. After losing their brother on the day of his wedding, this ‘only males’ family vows not to marry.

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Pandian Stores is a story about the unity of four brothers. Dhanalakshmi (played by Sujitha Dhanush) gets married to the elder brother, Sathyamoorthy (portrayed by Stalin Muthu). The show was launched in 2018 and has been consistent in TRP chart performance, despite the frequent changes in the cast.

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Rettai Roja is the most popular family drama in Tamil GEC space and it has across over 1000 episodes. Rettai Roja premiered in August 2019. The show stars Chandini Tamilarasan, and Akshay Kamal, in lead roles and Bigg Boss Tamil fame Shivani Narayanan in a pivotal role. Nimesh Sagar, VJ Mounika, Meena Vemuri, Bharatha Naidu, and others are featured in supporting roles. The story revolves around the twin sisters, who have opposite characters and natures. They were destined to live under the same roof even after their marriage.

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Bharathi Kannamma was topping the TRP charts. The series has seen its first successful seasons and currently has a second season on the air. The twists and turns in TV shows have always kept the audience hooked. The story of Bharathi Kannamma deals with Kannamma, a dark-complexion girl, and the odds she faces.

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Sundari is topping the TRP charts during the episodes where Sundari fights against her husband. The serial was also a sensation among fans. The show was consistent in bagging a spot in the top 10 positions in the TRP charts. Sundari is the story of a girl, who faces discrimination for her dark skin tone, yet she fights against adversities in life. She has a kind heart but struggles to find the right man to marry. Undeterred, she strives to become an IAS officer. Her journey toward achieving her goal takes her through many ups and downs in life, and she firmly believes that inner beauty is more important than physical appearance, which forms the crux of the story.

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Magarasi is one of the most-watched daily soaps on Tamil television. The show, which consistently scores well on the TRP charts, has completed 900 episodes already. Magarasi has always been in the top five most-watched daily shows on Tamil television. And now the series is inching towards its 1019th episode. The story is all about Tamizh, a rich Chidambaram-based IT employee who leaves Haridwar with his child by train. When the train departs from Haridwar, Bharathi gets the train with the help of Tamizh. They both introduced themselves and Tamizh narrated his tragic marriage life to Bharathi. Tamizh initially had left his joint family and refused to marry both of his cousins to marry Ragini, his colleague. This made his mother fall into a coma. But Ragini wanted to lead a luxurious life and spent all his money in vain. This leads to a big misunderstanding between them and they get separated. Bharathi introduced herself to Tamizh that she is from Haridwar, and will tell the rest on one fine day. She insists on traveling with him to Chidambaram. Thereby, seeing Tamizh with the child and girl, his family thinks that Bharathi would be his wife. Everyone shows affection towards her. She too tries to get Tamizh's mother up from the coma. And she succeeds in that too. This reduces the gap between Tamizh and his father. One day, Tamizh gets to know that Bharathi is already married.

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Maari is one of the supernatural thriller soaps which got a huge Tamil TV audience. The serial stars Ashika Padukone, Adarsh, Sona Heiden, Shiva Subramanian, Abitha, and Delhi Ganesh in the lead roles. The story is about Maari, a simple girl who comes from a small town. And the innocent girl experiences the boon and bane of her power of premonition. She goes on to marry Surya under unusual circumstances and turns out to be his savior.

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