 Having aired over 19,200 episodes, it is the world's longest-running drama.Five pilot episodes were aired in 1950 and the first episode was broadcast nationally on 1 January 1951.A significant show in British popular culture, and with over five million listeners, it is Radio 4's most listened-to non-news programme, and with over one million listeners via the internet, the programme holds the record for BBC Radio online listening figures.