Showtime is not to be messed with, as plenty of their original and collaborative series prove. The list of former and current Showtime series is a commendable watchlist and includes some of the most iconic shows of all time. The 2000s were specifically a lot more packed with shows that entered a sort of Hall of Fame, but the network continues to impress with its choices and production.
Currently, shows like Yellowjackets, The Curse, and The Chi are dominant on the network, and they’re definitely worth your time, but there are must-watch Showtime series that have left a lasting impact and will be the network’s highlight for years to come. It’s showtime.
10
‘The L Word’ (2004–2009)
Created by Ilene Chaiken, Michele Abbott, and Kathy Greenberg
Before Netflix rolled out Orange Is the New Black, we had The L Word. This iconic Showtime series made a lot of waves when it came out, together with Queer As Folk, another queer-themed series with iconic status. The L Word was all the rage when it started airing, showing the lives of queer women in West Hollywood. Though the casting is incredibly 2000s—full of beautiful, skinny, white women—the show was groundbreaking. It was the first TV show to have a full cast composed mostly of women and the first to be written by queer women.
The L Word lasted for six seasons and featured several characters: Bette (Jennifer Beals) and Tina (Laurel Holloman), a married couple trying for a baby; hairdresser Shane (Katherine Moennig); newcomer Jenny (Mia Kirshner); and Dana (Erin Daniels), a closeted tennis player. These women all become entwined by meeting each other, creating connections, and even getting into trouble. The L Word started off big, and then the reviews plummeted a bit in the last couple of seasons, but diving into it is still worth it for the iconic legacy.
The L Word
- Release Date
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2004 – 2009-00-00
- Network
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Showtime
9
‘Weeds’ (2005–2012)
Created by Jenji Kohan
Another essential Showtime series is Weeds, starring Mary-Louise Parker in her most memorable role, for sure. Parker carried the show for eight seasons as the protagonist, and she won several awards, including a Golden Globe, for her portrayal of housewife-turned-druglord Nancy Botwin. Weeds was Showtime’s highest-rated show in its first year of airing, and viewership numbers rarely dwindled. It’s one of those shows you’ve likely heard of if you haven’t seen it; if you’re in a nostalgic mood and happy to revisit old shows, Weeds is a great choice—especially since it’s bingeworthy with a total of 102 episodes.
Weeds follows Nancy (Parker), who has a husband, Judah (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), and two sons, teenage Silas (Hunter Parrish) and 10-year-old Shane (Alexander Gould). Judah dies from a heart attack while on a jog with Shane, and Nancy is left fighting to find a way to maintain her family’s lifestyle, finally opting to become a marijuana dealer. She goes from surviving to becoming a relevant player in the drug world, and her private life and the lives of her sons seem to frequently fall apart. Like any very long show, this one also loses a bit of traction by the end, but it’s still worth watching for its contribution to TV and Showtime.
8
‘Nurse Jackie’ (2009–2015)
Created by Liz Brixius, Evan Dunsky, and Linda Wallem
Edie Falco‘s post-Sopranos TV career put her in a lot of episodic roles, but only two years after the show ended, she landed one of the biggest moments of her career—Nurse Jackie. This dark comedy is an absolute must-watch, and many would rather say Billions deserves this spot, but Showtime’s legacy was held in the hands of the very apt Falco, including some incredibly talented young faces, like Merritt Wever. Falco was nominated every season for a Golden Globe and an Emmy, winning one Emmy in 2010.
Nurse Jackie follows the titular nurse, Jackie (Falco), who works at the fictional All Saints Hospital in NYC. She’s an emergency department nurse and addicted to pills, which she gets from her affair with a colleague. A flawed anti-hero of a character, Jackie is shown doing her best in the circumstances surrounding her: handling emergency room cases, dealing with a troubled private life, and just trying to stay afloat in the tidal wave of life. We all have the ability to relate to Jackie in some ways, whether we like it or not, and that’s why this show is brilliant.
Nurse Jackie
- Release Date
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2009 – 2015-00-00
- Network
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Showtime
7
‘Shameless’ (2011–2021)
Created by Paul Abbott
Some of us grew up with Shameless, which helped us realize how wrong life can get, and fast. All the characters in Shameless are, well, shameless in many ways, but also trying to get by however they can. While watching these people scrap their way out of poverty, institutional bullying, and their own mental hurdles for ten years, you fall in love and see them as an extension of your own family. That’s why Shameless is one of the must-watch Showtime shows, and in general. William H. Macy is the patriarch, Frank, but the real leader and the glue was always Emmy Rossum as Fiona, the eldest daughter.
Shameless follows the Gallaghers: dysfunctional, alcoholic and drug-addicted Frank (Macy) and his children, Fiona (Rossum), Lip (Jeremy Allen White), Ian (Cameron Monaghan), Debbie (Emma Kenney), and Carl (Ethan Cutcosky). They even get another brother in later seasons, but the show dives deep into their lives, with Fiona’s attempts to become independent, Ian’s struggles with sexuality, Lip’s problems with anger and alcoholism, and Debbie and Carl’s scrappy survival instincts that children really shouldn’t have. Shameless was the longest-running Showtime original series, and Macy won several SAG Awards for his chaotic portrayal of the indestructible Frank.
Shameless
- Release Date
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2011 – 2020
- Network
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Channel 4
6
‘Ray Donovan’ (2013–2019)
Created by Ann Biderman
Showtime seems versed in producing and creating series about dysfunctional families, and Ray Donovan is really the peak of familial dysfunction. The show is very much a tragedy that depicts morally gray characters continuously trying to do good, or at least decent, things. Ray Donovan is one of the most popular shows of the 2010s and vital for understanding the decade it was made in. Yes, honestly.
Ray Donovan follows the titular Donovan, played by Liev Schreiber. He is a Hollywood “fixer,” aka a person celebrities and influential people call when they mess up and need someone to take care of the situation. Now, Donovan can fix whatever you put in front of him, since he’s resourceful, intelligent, and capable, but put his own family in front of him, and he’s completely powerless. This is especially true after his father Mickey’s (Jon Voight) release from prison; Mickey tries to reintegrate into Ray’s and his brothers Terry (Eddie Marsan), Bunchy (Dash Mihok), and Darryll’s (Pooch Hall) lives. With all its ups and downs, Ray Donovan is a must-watch show that you won’t forget soon.
Ray Donovan
- Release Date
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2013 – 2020-00-00
- Network
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Showtime
5
‘Homeland’ (2011–2020)
Created by Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa
Many spy series emerged during the 2010s, which was a decade ripe for criticizing American involvement in plenty of areas across the world (mainly the Middle East). With more and more showrunners feeling the encouragement to create thought-provoking series that delve deeper into the intelligence and federal agencies and their functioning. Claire Danes and Mandy Patinkin held the torch for Homeland over eight seasons, with Danes winning ten awards for her performance as the lead. The show received universal critical and audience acclaim, and it’s one of the most loved series of its time. Creators Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa created 24 before Homeland.
Homeland focuses on Carrie Mathison (Danes), a CIA case officer with bipolar disorder. The show follows her and her mental health struggles across eight seasons, though the first three heavily lean on the storyline with Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis), a missing and presumed dead Marine who gets saved by Delta Force and returned to the US as a national hero. Patinkin portrays Saul Berenson, Carrie’s mentor and the CIA’s Middle East division head. With so many ups and downs over eight seasons, Homeland never really loses its touch. It’s quintessential viewing.
Homeland
- Release Date
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2011 – 2019
- Network
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Showtime
4
‘Twin Peaks: The Return’ (2017)
Created by Mark Frost and David Lynch
The miniseries that was proclaimed the best show of the 2010s by Vulture is Twin Peaks: The Return, which is technically season 3 of David Lynch‘s highly acclaimed show. Indeed, season three was met with high praise from critics and fans, who considered it a wonderful extension and ending to the beloved cult classic show. Twin Peaks: The Return is set 25 years after the second season and continues to follow FBI agent Dale Cooper (Kyle McLachlan).
Multiple storylines intertwine with Cooper’s stay at the Black Lodge, including his struggle with the doppelgänger who stole his identity and committed crimes while posing as him. The show also depicts the generational fallout in Twin Peaks after the murder of Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee). The nonlinear narrative makes the show feel brand-new and familiar at the same time, and Lynch pulls out all the stops to make it a show worth the time and effort for viewers. Lynch often argued that interpretations of his work are all true and untrue, allowing viewers to see it in their own way. With this miniseries, this tendency wasn’t just obvious but incredibly well-made.
Twin Peaks
- Release Date
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1990 – 1990
- Network
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Showtime, ABC
3
‘Escape at Dannemora’ (2018)
Created by Brett Johnson and Michael Tolkin
Sometimes, the best stories are those about real life, and Escape at Dannemora remains a show that wowed viewers precisely because of the real-life story that feels cinematic and totally unbelievable. It’s gritty, dark, and quite realistic, with the super-talented cast delivering some of their best work. Benicio del Toro, Patricia Arquette, and Paul Dano were directed by Ben Stiller in seven mesmerizing episodes, and Showtime really knew what they were doing with this series.
Escape at Dannemora was based on the real-life case of the 2015 Clinton Correctional Facility escape of two convicts, Richard Matt and David Sweat. They were aided by a prison employee, Tilly Mitchell, who got entangled in a romantic relationship with both convicts. Matt is portrayed by del Toro, and he is at his most terrifying, while Dano delivers brilliance as usual as Sweat. Arquette portrays Tilly and is unrecognizable in her aged face makeup and brown contact lenses, but her role is crucial in making Escape at Dannemora one of the best and most notable shows of the past decade. Heads up: del Toro delivers a line to Arquette’s face that will make you feel uneasy, just like it did her.
2
‘Penny Dreadful’ (2014–2016)
Created by John Logan
The shortest series on the list—without counting the miniseries—is Penny Dreadful, and, yes, technically, it was a collaboration between Showtime and Sky, but it was an international project and full of actors from both the UK and the US (more so from the UK, though). When Showtime approved Penny Dreadful, they really knew what they were doing, but I’m unsure if they were totally convinced it would be as much of a hit as it was. It’s supernatural, gothic, dramatic, a dark fantasy and a thriller, and its protagonist, Vanessa Ives (Eva Green), is the queen of our collective heart.
Penny Dreadful follows multiple storylines, connecting some of the most famous Victorian and Gothic classic monsters into a compelling narrative set in London. The protagonist, Vanessa Ives, is hired by adventurer Malcolm Murray (Timothy Dalton) together with hunter and roadshow artist Ethan Slater (Josh Hartnett) to find Murray’s missing daughter. They receive help from young doctor Victor Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway), and Vanessa becomes involved with Dorian Gray (Reeve Carney). It may seem packed, but Penny Dreadful is beautifully told and thrilling; season three alone is worthy of praise for exceptional writing and cinematography, not to mention that ending.
1
‘Dexter’ (2006–2013)
Created by James Manos Jr.
Dexter remains the true icon of Showtime, even being the synonym for the network. Some people may disagree, but in hindsight, there was nothing as internationally popular, loved, and seen as much as Dexter. Even today, the series enjoys numerous TV reruns, and Showtime is trying to revive its former glory with several spinoffs, like Original Sin and New Blood. Michael C. Hall is often just referred to as Dexter, and the charming serial killer is basically a household name at this point. Hall won several awards for his performance and was nominated a whopping 27 times.
Dexter follows the titular character, Dexter Morgan, a forensic technician whose specialty is blood spatter analysis. By day, he works for the Miami Police Department, and by night, he kills criminals who were inadequately punished for their crimes. Dexter is a serial killer himself, but as a vigilante with a thirst for murder, his crimes are often interpreted with some nuance. During the show’s run, Dexter runs into several enemies on his level, with the worst arguably being Arthur Mitchell, played by John Lithgow. Lithgow also won several awards for his portrayal of Mitchell.
Dexter
- Release Date
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2006 – 2013-00-00
- Network
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Showtime