It’s Showtime!

Out of all the hundreds of channels on TV, one has stood out from the rest. Showtime has won my heart with its quirky and addictively subversive shows. This is no ABC Family, kids. Showtime, like HBO (but who watches HBO nowadays?) contains some of the funniest, raunchiest shows out there.  With Weeds, Dexter, and Californication to name a few, Showtime isn’t for everyone, but it raises its crude humor flag high, and for that, I love you, Showtime. Here are just a few  TV shows that have made me such a Showtime devotee.

My first taste of the dark comedy Showtime is known for was Weeds, which brought the channel back to life. Since its debut in 2005, Weeds has provided me, and so many others, with addictive and juicy plotlines that keep me wanting more and more.  Each show and season is a cliffhanger, so you can imagine the countless hours I’ve spent on Netflix watching one episode after the other. If you’re not familiar with Weeds, the title really explains the backbone if the show. Nancy Bowtin, played by the lovely Mary Louise Parker, is a widow who is sells pot to keep her family, and herself, afloat in suburbia. Unwillingly joining Nancy in her struggle are her two sons Shane and Silas (Alexander Gould and Hunter Parrish), and kooky brother-in-law Andy (Justin Kirk). With any illegal job comes a lot of misadventure, leading to murder, illicit relationships. You know, the usual. Weeds may be a bit outlandish at times, but it never fails in the laugh department. While the show may be ending with its seventh season later this year, the legacy of the dark comedy will surely live on.

My second favorite Showtime show has to be Californication which debuted in 2007. Lead by David Duchovny, this show, for lack of a better word, is racy. I wouldn’t advise you to watch it with the parents. However, what it lacks in censorship it makes up for in comedy. David Duchovny plays Hank Moody, a well-known writer struggling to pen his next novel who dabbles in too much sex and drinking to mask his apparent unhappiness. Set in Los Angeles, Californication captures the jaded city and main character perfectly, all while including whip-smart dialogue and intriguing plot lines. Californication has so many great one-liners, you’ll be lamenting that you didn’t come up with them yourself.

The Tudors is another great show, albeit not a comedy, and an addictive one at that. With crush-worthy Jonathan Rhys Meyers playing King Henry VIII, the show followed the King through his younger years to his divorce from wife Catherine of Aragon, and the personal and political battles that ensued. This show is not only highly entertaining but educational too, if your studying Tudor England. The show’s setting and costumes also blend well, providing a splendid backdrop to the heaps (and I mean heaps) of drama. While currently off the air, The Tudors has lead to another similar show in the works called The Borgias, which will premiere in April.

New on my list of Showtime loves is Shameless, which just debuted this year to good reviews. Unlike other American adaptations of British series (ahem, Skins), Shameless feels right at home in the projects of Chicago. It follows the Gallagher clan, uncharacteristically not lead by drunken father Frank, played by William H. Macy. Emmy Rossum plays the eldest daughter Fiona along with the rest of the talented young cast. It’s great to see Shameless work out so well, and I have got to give Showtime credit. Racy dramas and comedies seem to fit right at home on Showtime.

I have yet to see the other wildly successful shows like Dexter and Nurse Jackie, but I’m sure they won’t disappoint my high expectations. Showtime’s tagline is “Brace Yourself” which I think fits snuggly into what this channel is about. While other tame comedies like The Office are all fine and good, the sexy and sometimes shocking material on Showtime’s programs are a welcome breath of fresh air on television. Here’s hoping to a long and fruitful career, Showtime.