The Best Showtime Original Shows

Updated January 13, 2021 2.8k votes 297 voters 11.6k views76 items

List RulesOriginal series created by, which aired on, the Showtime network. Vote up the best Showtime original shows.

Showtime is an American premium paid cable television service that has produced a variety of well-known original series, kid’s programming, adult programming, documentaries, sports programs and even original movies. Showtime is a subsidiary of CBS and has over 28 million subscribers. What are the best Showtime original shows of all time? Vote up the shows you think are the best and see how your favorites rank!

Launched in 1976, Showtime has been going strong ever since, raking in award after award for best original series and movies and getting the attention of A-list Hollywood actors along the way. Showtime original series have featured some pretty famous actors, and have some incredible writers as well. The story lines of our favorite Showtime series are usually dark and dramatic in nature, but Showtime has also produced several well-known comedies.

This list features the best Showtime original shows, ranked as the best by the community, including, "Shameless," "Homeland," "Dexter," "Ray Donovan," and "Masters of Sex." Vote up the best Showtime original series below or add one you love that isn't already on the list.

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Dexter
Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter
Premiered: 2006 - 2013
Genres (Tv): Crime drama, Psychological thriller, Mystery, Dark comedy, Police procedural
Dexter (Showtime, 2006) is an American crime drama mystery series developed by James Manos... more
More Dexter
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Shameless
Emmy Rossum, William H. Macy
Premiered: 2011 - present
Genres (Tv): Comedy, Drama
Shameless (Showtime, 2011) is an American comedy-drama television series developed by John... more
More Shameless
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Ray Donovan
Liev Schreiber, Paula Malcomson
Premiered: 2013 - present
Genres (Tv): Crime drama, Family drama
Ray Donovan (Showtime, 2013) is an American drama television series created by Ann Biderman.... more
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The Big C
Laura Linney, Oliver Platt
Premiered: 2010 - 2013
Genres (Tv): Comedy-drama, Comedy
The Big C is a Showtime original television series which premiered on August 16, 2010. It drew... more
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United States of Tara
Toni Collette, John Corbett
Premiered: 2009 - 2011
Genres (Tv): Drama, Comedy-drama, Comedy
United States of Tara is an American television comedy-drama created by Diablo Cody, which... more
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Weeds
Mary-Louise Parker, Hunter Parrish
Premiered: 2005 - 2012
Genres (Tv): Black comedy, Comedy-drama, Satire
Weeds (Showtime, 2005) is an American dark comedy-drama television series created by Jenji... more
More Weeds
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Californication
David Duchovny, Natascha McElhone
Premiered: 2007 - 2014
Genres (Tv): Black comedy, Comedy-drama
Californication (Showtime, 2007) is an American comedy-drama television series created by Tom... more
More Californication
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Nurse Jackie
Edie Falco, Merritt Wever
Premiered: 2009 - present
Genres (Tv): Black comedy, Medical drama, Drama, Comedy-drama, Comedy
Nurse Jackie is an American medical dark satirical comedy-drama series. It premiered on... more
More Nurse Jackie
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Homeland
Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin
Premiered: 2011 - current
Genres (Tv): Suspense, Drama, Thriller
Homeland (Showtime, 2011) is an American political drama thriller series developed by Howard... more
More Homeland
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The Tudors
Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Henry Cavill
Premiered: 2007 - 2010
Genres (Tv): Historical drama
The Tudors (Showtime, 2007) is a historical fiction television series created by Michael... more
More The Tudors
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Stargate SG-1
Richard Dean Anderson, Michael Shanks
Premiered: 1997 - 2002
Genres (Tv): Military science fiction, Action/Adventure, Adventure film, Action, Science Fiction
Stargate SG-1 is an adventure and military science fiction television series and part of... more
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Penny Dreadful
Josh Hartnett, Timothy Dalton
Premiered: 2014
Genres (Tv): Horror, Supernatural, Mystery
Penny Dreadful (Showtime, 2014) is a British-American horror drama television series created... more
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Episodes
Matt LeBlanc, Tamsin Greig
Premiered: 2011 - present
Genres (Tv): Sitcom, Comedy
Episodes (BBC Two/Showtime, 2011) is an American-British comedy television series created by... more
More Episodes
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City on a Hill
Kevin Bacon, Aldis Hodge
Premiered: 2019
Genres (Tv): Crime drama
City on a Hill (Showtime, 2019) is an American television series created by Chuck MacLean.... more
More City on a Hill
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How I Met Your Mother
Josh Radnor, Jason Segel
Premiered: 2005
Genres (Tv): Sitcom, Romantic comedy
How I Met Your Mother (CBS, 2005) is an American sitcom created by Craig Thomas and Carter... more
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Queer as Folk
Gale Harold, Hal Sparks
Premiered: 2000 - 2005
Genres (Tv): Soap opera, Drama, Comedy-drama
Queer as Folk is a drama television series. An American–Canadian co-production, the series ran... more
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The Borgias
Jeremy Irons, François Arnaud
Premiered: 2011 - 2013
Genres (Tv): Drama, Historical fiction
The Borgias (Showtime, 2011) is a historical-fiction drama television series created by Neil... more
More The Borgias
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The L Word
Jennifer Beals, Leisha Hailey
Premiered: 2004 - 2009
Genres (Tv): Drama
The L Word is an American/Canadian co-production television drama series portraying the lives... more
More The L Word
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The Chris Isaak Show
Chris Isaak, Kristin Dattilo
Premiered: 2001 - 2004
Genres (Tv): Sitcom, Comedy
The Chris Isaak Show is a television sitcom which follows a fictionalized version of the life... more
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Dead Like Me
Ellen Muth, Callum Blue
Premiered: 2003 - 2004
Genres (Tv): Drama, Comedy-drama, Comedy, Fantasy
Dead Like Me (Showtime, 2003) is an American comedy-drama television series created by Bryan... more
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Black Monday
Don Cheadle, Andrew Rannells
Premiered: 2019
Genres (Tv): History
Black Monday (Showtime, 2019) is an American comedy television series. An aspiring Wall Street... more
More Black Monday
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SMILF
Frankie Shaw, Miguel Gomez
Premiered: 2017
Genres (Tv): Comedy
SMILF (Showtime, 2017) is an American television comedy series based on Frankie Shaw's short... more
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Brotherhood
Jason Isaacs, Jason Clarke
Premiered: 2006 - 2008
Genres (Tv): Crime Fiction, Action/Adventure, Drama
Brotherhood is an American television drama series created by Blake Masters about the... more
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Penn & Teller: Bullshit!
Penn Jillette, Teller
Premiered: 2003 - 2010
Genres (Tv): Comedy, Documentary
Penn & Teller: Bullshit! is an American documentary television series that aired from 2003 to... more
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The Real L Word
Whitney Mixter, Alyssa Morgan
Premiered: 2010 - 2012
Genres (Tv): Drama, Reality television
The Real L Word is an American reality television series aired on the cable station Showtime,... more

SMILF