13 Best Shows in Showtime History

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When you have the entirety of a network's catalog to go through, sometimes it's difficult to determine which shows should go on a best of list.

That can certainly be said for this one. 

If you want to know why these shows make the list, it's because of their unique content, their contribution to pop culture and the fearless way in which their stories were delivered.

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1. Dexter

Dexter wasn't just a series, it was a driving force. Dexter has become a part of our lexicon. We know what to expect if someone is a Dexter. A normal guy on the outside, hiding the most horrific of demons on the inside. The serial killer who only killed other killers was one we could support.

2. Homeland

Carrie Mathison and Saul Berenson have been through hell and back trying to keep our country safe since the horrors of 9/11. It all started with one man, a POW, who came back changed. We've been unable to look away ever since.

3. Shameless

Speaking of unable to look away, is there any other way to describe why we continue to watch the antics of the antics of the Gallagher family? As Frank Gallagher does the best he can as an lost alcoholic to make things impossible for his family, they continually fight back and prove he won't drag them down.

4. Weeds

When Nancy Botwin's husband died leaving her with no way to support herself, she did what anyone else would do – she got a job. Except her job was selling pot, which turned into an empire. Weeds was best when navigating her double life in suburbia before she got involved with Mexican cartels and such.

5. The Affair

It's not as if affairs are ever simple, but they seem a lot more so when murder isn't involved. Especially when the entirety of one evening doesn't seem to be leaning on the shoulders of one man, the dead brother of his girlfriend's ex and a very, very small suspect pool.

6. Californication

Hank Moody was madly in love with his ex-wife, but not enough to get it right no matter how many times he tried. His proclivities as a writer (drinking, smoking, drugs and sex, a lot of sex) always sent him down the wrong path. But then he'd stumble back on the path that leads to his lady love. Again. Seeing David Duchovny party too much and have a lot of sex only got old when we wanted him to be happy.

7. Nurse Jackie

Nurse Jackie's patients are lucky to have her. She'll go to the ends of the earth to give them the greatest care in a shoddy medical system. It's too bad she doesn't do the same for herself. Because Jackie is a drug addict, and without them, she falls apart and can't deliver on any level.

8. Masters of Sex

William Masters and Virginia Johnson are known as the pioneers of sex researech. Yet they are completely out of touch with their own lives and needs. It's even more interesting that the two are married to others and having an affair, and they rarely follow the advice they share with their clients.

9. Dead Like Me

Georgia Lass is a young college dropout who dies on a temporary assignment – when a toilet seat from a passing airplane lands on her head. She's given the job of a reaper, reaping the souls of those about to die. Her afterlife has more purpose than her life did, and viewers get to know the little team of reapers who get their assignments on post-its at the waffle house every morning.

10. The L Word

For six seasons, The L Word followed the intertwined lives of lesbians and bisexual women in Los Angeles as they dated, came out, stayed in the closet, had families and generally lived while discovering and questioning their sexuality.

11. The Tudors

The early years of King Henry the VIII were explored in detail through his wives, including Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, and his journey continued up through his final marriage to Catherine Parr. Jonathan Rhys-Myers as King Henry was amazing, and you'll never see the king the same way again.

12. The Big C

Laura Linney stars as Cathy Jamison, who's structured and reserved life is uprooted when she discovers she has terminal cancer. Instead of sharing her secret with those she loved, she changed everything about her life, feeling empowered by the fact she knew she had nothing to lose. Or did she? An honest and heartbreaking look at a disease that gives no one a free pass.

13. Penny Dreadful

The origin stories of classic literary characters like Dr. Frankenstein, his monster and Dorian Gray are explored, but at the heart is a tale about a clarivoyant named Vanessa Ives, portrayed by Eva Green.

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Networks:
Showtime, Prime Video
Shows:
Homeland, The Affair, Shameless, Masters of Sex
Related Photos:
Showtime Slideshows, Prime Video Slideshows, Homeland Slideshows, The Affair Slideshows, Shameless Slideshows, Masters of Sex Slideshows
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