Based on the 1994 film Stargate, SG-1 ran for 10 seasons (half on Showtime, half on the Sci Fi channel), delivering Showtime its biggest series premiere in 1997 for an audience of 1.5 million households. Richard Dean Anderson was Air Force officer Jack O’Neill, leader of the Stargate team SG-1, longer than he was secret agent Angus MacGyver.

Stars: Richard Dean Anderson, Michael Shanks, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge, Don S.

Andrea ReiherĬreated by: Brad Wright, Jonathan Glassner The writing is rude, crude and hilarious, making it one of Showtime’s best. Cheadle’s Marty Kaan can simultaneously be warm and cold, connected and distant, brutally honest and terribly misleading-and it is fascinating to watch his relationships at both work and personally with his son, Roscoe (Donis Leonard Jr.) and father, Jeremiah (Glynn Turman). Stars: Don Cheadle, Kristen Bell, Ben Schwartz, Josh Lawson, Dawn Olivieriĭon Cheadle has done some of his finest work on this Showtime comedy, which follows a group of management consultants as they hustle from business deal to (sometimes immoral) business deal while juggling dysfunctional personal lives. (For those series not officially streaming anywhere at the moment, YouTube can also be a valuable resource … looking at you, Rude Awakening and Web Therapy).Ĭheck out our list of the 25 best Showtime series below, and know that some of us are still thinking about Roadies and Californication-even though they didn’t make the final cut: 25. For series that don’t require the add-on, and are part of an existing Netflix, Hulu, etc subscription, we’ve linked to that viewing option.įinally, Showtime usually offers free previews (of an episode or even a season) via Amazon and occasionally YouTube, so check that out as well, and take advantage of the free trial offer. As for streaming, you can find the Showtime add-on as part of cable, Amazon or Hulu subscriptions, so while we do link to directly to Showtime for their exclusive series below, you can also watch them on those platforms. Though we stick to scripted series below, Showtime is also home to a number of compelling documentaries and docuseries. Often focused (some may argue too focused) on compelling lead characters taking on an unexpected job or position (a suburban mom drug dealer, a serial killer who kills serial killers, a bipolar CIA agent, etc), Showtime series are usually engrossingly offbeat, providing unique worlds well worth exploring. But don’t discount this premium network or their library of shows. Once considered the main rival to HBO, Showtime series have simmered off some in recent years in terms of fan fervor.

The best er episodes