The BEST Showtime shows of all time

Every Showtime show, ranked

We've compiled the average episode rating for every Showtime show to compile this list of best shows!

This American Life
star
9.11
158 votes

#1 - This American Life

Compelling stories are explored every day on "This American Life," the nearly 15-year-old, award-winning Chicago Public Radio show that boasts a devoted weekly listening audience of 1.7 million, and is heard on more than 500 stations nationally. The series, created in 1995 by host and executive producer Ira Glass, pioneered a unique way of telling stories on the radio. Its first-person telling of these revealing stories makes the radio series a great fit for television.

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The Trade
star
8.91
82 votes

#2 - The Trade

This timely and provocative docu-series spotlights the crisis of the opioid epidemic through the eyes of those most affected: the growers, addicts, cartel bosses and law enforcement hopelessly caught in its web.

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Dexter
star
8.77
85239 votes

#3 - Dexter

Dexter Morgan is a Miami-based blood spatter expert who doesn’t just solve murders; he commits them too. In fact, he’s a serial killer — but he only murders the guilty, so he feels justified with his lifestyle choices. His policewoman sister and his cop co-workers have no idea Dexter lives a double life; however, adoptive father Harry knows his secret, and does, in fact, help Dexter hone his “skills.” It’s a unique brand of justice for which charming Dexter feels a psychological hunger.

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The Untold History of the United States
star
8.72
504 votes

#4 - The Untold History of the United States

The Untold History of the United States (also known as Oliver Stone's Untold History of the United States) is a 2012 documentary series created, directed, produced, and narrated by Oliver Stone about the reasons behind the Cold War, the decision to drop the atomic bombs, and changes in America's global role since the fall of Communism.

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Twin Peaks
star
8.63
13756 votes

#5 - Twin Peaks

The body of a young girl is washed up on a beach near the small Washington state town of Twin Peaks. Eccentric FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper is called in to investigate her strange demise only to uncover a web of mystery that ultimately leads him deep into the heart of the surrounding woodland and his very own soul. Season 3 - also known as Twin Peaks: The Return - is set 25 years after the events of Seasons 1 and 2.

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Shameless (US)
star
8.60
20943 votes

#6 - Shameless (US)

Chicagoan Frank Gallagher is the proud single dad of six smart, industrious, independent kids, who without him would be... franco, perhaps better off. When Frank's not at the bar spending what little money they have, he's passed out on the floor. But the kids have found ways to grow up in spite of him. They may not be like any family you know, but they make no apologies for being exactly who they are.

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Soul Food
star
8.57
107 votes

#7 - Soul Food

A talented, eclectic ensemble cast reunites the Joseph family in the hour-long family drama, Soul Food, an Edmonds Entertainment/State Street Pictures production in association with Paramount Network Television for Showtime . Soul Food was the first original Showtime series to receive a second season order from the network. Based on the critically acclaimed film from writer/director...

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Years of Living Dangerously
star
8.56
157 votes

#8 - Years of Living Dangerously

From the damage wrought by Hurricane Sandy to the upheaval caused by drought in the Middle East, this provides first-hand reports on those affected by, and seeking solutions to, climate change.

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Queer as Folk (US)
star
8.55
2359 votes

#9 - Queer as Folk (US)

Brash humor and genuine emotion make up this original series revolving around the lives, loves, ambitions, careers and friendships of a group of gay men and women living on Liberty Avenue in contemporary Pittsburgh, PA.

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VICE
star
8.54
1199 votes

#10 - VICE

The Emmy®-winning documentary series is now on SHOWTIME, delivering immersive reporting from the frontlines of global conflicts, civil uprisings and beyond, and tackling untold and complex geopolitical stories from all corners of the globe.

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Dave's Old Porn
star
8.52
131 votes

#11 - Dave's Old Porn

Comedian Dave Attell has a guilty pleasure and he wants to share it with you. Grab a seat on the couch and join Dave and his A-list comedian pals as they provide play-by-play commentary to the grainy, cheesy, absurd, and utterly classic pornography films from the 70s and early 80s. Living porn legends and current stars are also on hand to share behind-the-scenes scoop on these erotic gems. Nothing is off-limits in this raucous and raunchy reality series that puts the 'ass' in classic.

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The Green Room with Paul Provenza
star
8.51
122 votes

#12 - The Green Room with Paul Provenza

The Green Room with Paul Provenza offers viewers the chance to see the world's greatest comedians in a roundtable setting, speaking off-the-cuff and uncensored.

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Penn & Teller: Bullshit!
star
8.49
2756 votes

#13 - Penn & Teller: Bullshit!

In society, there are many products and ideas that we buy into. Some of these products, services or ideas are just plain bullshit. Well known magicians: Penn and Teller are here to knock some sense into people in a humorous and informal way and to explain why some things in life are just bullshit.

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Californication
star
8.47
21481 votes

#14 - Californication

David Duchovny returns to TV with his Golden Globe-winning portrayal of author Hank Moody in the critically-acclaimed Showtime hit Californication. Author Hank Moody's life is spinning gloriously out of control as he juggles his sex and drug addictions while raising a daughter and trying to win back the love of his life in this edgy new series.

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The Circus
star
8.43
291 votes

#15 - The Circus

This documentary series pulls back the curtain on the 2016 presidential race, revealing the intense, inspiring and infuriating stories behind the headlines. Key characters and events from the individual campaigns are presented in real time, as they are happening. Produced in cooperation with Bloomberg Politics, THE CIRCUS is a non-partisan, never-before-attempted take on what promises to be one of the most fascinating and consequential elections in modern history.

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The Chi
star
8.31
798 votes

#16 - The Chi

A relevant, timely and distinctive coming-of-age story following a half dozen interrelated characters in the South Side of Chicago. The story centers on Brandon, an ambitious and confident young man who dreams about opening a restaurant of his own someday, but is conflicted between the promise of a new life and his responsibility to his mother and teenage brother back in the South Side.

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Billions
star
8.29
6999 votes

#17 - Billions

U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades goes after hedge fund king, Bobby "Axe" Axelrod in a battle between two powerful New York figures.

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Homeland
star
8.23
34516 votes

#18 - Homeland

A bipolar CIA operative becomes convinced a prisoner of war has been turned by al-Qaeda and is planning to carry out a terrorist attack on American soil.

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Penny Dreadful
star
8.20
12217 votes

#19 - Penny Dreadful

Penny Dreadful is a frightening psychological thriller that weaves together the monsters of classic stories. The explorer Sir Malcolm Murray, American gunslinger Ethan Chandler, Miss Vanessa Ives and others unite to combat supernatural threats in Victorian London. They encounter some of literature's most terrifying characters, including Dr. Frankenstein, Dorian Gray, the Wolfman and iconic figures from the novel Dracula.

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Ray Donovan
star
8.19
8243 votes

#20 - Ray Donovan

Set in the sprawling mecca of the rich and famous, Ray Donovan does the dirty work for LA's top power players. He is the go-to guy who makes the problems of the city's celebrities, superstar athletes, and business moguls disappear. This powerful drama unfolds when his father is unexpectedly released from prison, setting off a chain of events that shakes the Donovan family to its core.

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Dead Like Me
star
8.16
11909 votes

#21 - Dead Like Me

18-year-old "George" (Georgia) Lass dies when a toilet from the MIR space station falls from the sky and hits her. However, soon she discovers the afterlife really does exist when she becomes a reaper - she helps in catching the souls of people moments before they're destined to die.

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Weeds
star
8.12
15932 votes

#22 - Weeds

Is the grass really greener on the other side? Yes, and it smells better, too! So when Nancy Botwin faces both sudden widowhood and poverty, she's determined to do anything to keep her kids in suburbia, including taking a job as the neighborhood pot dealer.

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The Big C
star
8.11
1849 votes

#23 - The Big C

A suburban mother faces her cancer diagnosis while trying to find humor and happiness as well

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Brotherhood
star
8.10
708 votes

#24 - Brotherhood

Brotherhood is an American television drama series created by Blake Masters about the intertwining lives of the Irish-American Caffee brothers from Providence, Rhode Island: Tommy is a local politician and Michael is a professional criminal involved with New England's Irish Mob. The show also features their mother Rose, cousin Colin Carr, childhood friend and Rhode Island state detective Declan Giggs, Irish mob boss Freddie Cork, Tommy's wife Eileen, and Michael's criminal partner Pete McGonagle

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United States of Tara
star
8.02
2621 votes

#25 - United States of Tara

Tara Gregson is a wife and mother of two. Tara has dissociative identity disorder (DID). Whenever she is stressed, she transforms into one of her alternate personalities: wild and flirty teenager T; old-fashioned housewife Alice; and male, loud, beer-drinking Vietnam vet Buck (a fifth personality is introduced later in the season). Tara is supported by her husband Max, her somewhat troubled teenage daughter Kate and quirky, good-hearted gay son Marshall. Her sister, Charmaine, is not so supportive, often expressing her doubt about the validity of Tara's disorder.

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Polyamory: Married & Dating
star
8.02
136 votes

#26 - Polyamory: Married & Dating

The new SHOWTIME docu-series, POLYAMORY: MARRIED AND DATING, exploring alternative relationship structures, premieres on Thursday, July 12th at 11 PM ET/PT. Polyamory or "poly" as it is often referred to, is practiced by couples who believe that they can also have deep, committed, long-term and loving relationships with people other than their spouses. Unlike polygamy, polyamory is not based on any religious tenets nor does it involve multiple spouses. Produced by BermanBraun, this series of seven episodes presents the various ways in which poly practitioners approach non-monogamy.

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The Tudors
star
8.01
5509 votes

#27 - The Tudors

The young, vibrant King Henry VIII, is a competitive and lustful monarch who navigates the intrigues of the English court and the human heart with equal vigor and justifiable suspicion.

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The Borgias
star
7.99
4572 votes

#28 - The Borgias

Set in 15th century Italy at the height of the Renaissance, The Borgias chronicles the corrupt rise of patriarch Rodrigo Borgia to the papacy, where he proceeds to commit every sin in the book to amass and retain power, influence and enormous wealth for himself and his family.

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7 Deadly Sins
star
7.96
90 votes

#29 - 7 Deadly Sins

Dark, twisted and wildly entertaining, 7 DEADLY SINS proves that truth really is stranger than fiction. Acclaimed, Oscar®-nominated documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (SUPERSIZE ME) presents an outrageous, modern day interpretation of the seven deadly sins: lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride. Each episode presents a story around one of the sins that is so extreme you won't believe it's non-fiction. It's humanity like you've never seen it, and you won't be able to look away.

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Sleeper Cell
star
7.91
1013 votes

#30 - Sleeper Cell

A chilling and unflinching look at all sides of a complicated issue, focusing on an African-American Muslim who joins an Islamic sleeper terrorist cell in the United States while working undercover for the FBI. Lift the veil of secrecy to reveal a riveting and authentic look at the war on terrorism. Explore the many facets of Islam and the repercussions of its extremism when it clashes with Western society.

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Your Honor
star
7.88
3873 votes

#31 - Your Honor

A judge confronting his deepest convictions when his son is involved in a hit and run that embroils an organized crime family. He faces a series of impossible choices and discovers how far a father will go to save his son’s life.

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The L Word
star
7.87
2584 votes

#32 - The L Word

The series tells the intimate story about the lives and loves of a group of lesbian friends living in Los Angeles. Mostly centering on Jenny, a recent graduate of the University of Chicago, who moves to L.A. to live with her boyfriend Tim and begin a professional writing career. Jenny's life is turned upside down when she attends a party hosted by Tim's neighbors, Bette and Tina, a lesbian couple who are looking to take the step into parenthood after seven years of dating. A brief encounter at the party suddenly has Jenny thrust into the local lesbian community and a whole new world she never understood until she questions her own sexual orientation.

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The Real L Word
star
7.87
181 votes

#33 - The Real L Word

The Real L Word follows a group of real-life, high-profile west coast lesbians as they go about their daily lives, at work and play.

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Couples Therapy (2019)
star
7.83
87 votes

#34 - Couples Therapy (2019)

Couples Therapy unlocks a hidden world: other people's relationships. Far from reality-show caricatures, this is true documentary filmmaking that brings viewers into the authentic and visceral experience of weekly therapy with four couples. World-class therapist Dr. Orna Guralnik deftly guides the couples through the minefield of honest confrontation with each other and with themselves, revealing the real-life struggles - and extraordinary breakthroughs - typically hidden behind closed doors.

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Outcry
star
7.83
70 votes

#35 - Outcry

A five-part documentary series examining the gripping story of high school football star Greg Kelley and a quest for truth and justice. Few people experience the momentum that Kelley had going into his senior year in Leander, Texas. That all changed when he was convicted of sexual assault of a four-year-old boy, and sentenced to 25 years in prison with no possibility for parole. But a groundswell of support emerged for Kelley, calling into question the investigation, the prosecution's tactics and ultimately, the validity of the conviction.

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Odyssey 5
star
7.82
515 votes

#36 - Odyssey 5

This is the story of four astronauts, a scientist, and a television news reporter. During a routine shuttle mission in 2007, they watch in astonishment as the Earth rapidly dissolves into a fiery ball and then suddenly implodes. Resigned to death, the crew is saved by an alien known only as the Seeker. The Seeker has been trying to discover what is causing the destruction that has befallen the Earth and many other planets. He has always arrived too late, until now. He offers the crew of the Odyssey a chance to go back in time five years, try to find out what will cause the Earth to explode and prevent it. While the team searches for the truth and for who or what is behind it, they must also deal with being back in the past with memories of what is to come. Along the way they learn that their actions in the past can have a direct outcome for the future.

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Nurse Jackie
star
7.81
3294 votes

#37 - Nurse Jackie

Jackie O'Hurley, a strong-willed and brilliant -- but very flawed -- emergency room nurse in a complicated New York City hospital. A lapsed Catholic with an occasional weakness for Vicodin and Adderall to get her through the days, Jackie keeps the hospital balanced with her own kind of justice. Every day is a high wire act of juggling patients, doctors, fellow nurses and her own indiscretions.

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Fellow Travelers
star
7.80
183 votes

#38 - Fellow Travelers

After a chance encounter in Washington D.C. in the 1950s, Hawkins Fuller and Timothy Laughlin start a volatile romance that spans the Vietnam War protests of the 1960s, the drug-fueled disco hedonism of the 1970s and the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, while facing obstacles in the world and in themselves.

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Dexter: New Blood
star
7.78
4898 votes

#39 - Dexter: New Blood

The world at large believes Dexter Morgan died in a tragic boating accident, and in a way the world at large isn’t wrong. Far from the life he knew, living under a false name in the small town of Iron Lake, NY, he’s successfully tamped down his Dark Passenger for nearly 10 years. With a normal job and a Chief of Police girlfriend, it seems he’s got life under control – until his son shows up and turns his world upside down. Rattled, Dexter yields to his homicidal urges and soon finds himself on a collision course with a very dangerous local.

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Masters of Sex
star
7.77
4335 votes

#40 - Masters of Sex

The series chronicles the unusual lives, romance and pop culture trajectory of William Masters and Virginia Johnson. Their research touched off the sexual revolution and took them from a mid-western teaching hospital in St. Louis to the cover of Time magazine.

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The Loudest Voice
star
7.74
529 votes

#41 - The Loudest Voice

Based on the best-selling book "The Loudest Voice in the Room" by Gabriel Sherman, TV executive and media consultant Roger Ailes' life, played by Russell Crowe, continues to be a source of interest to many due the lasting effect he has had on the media world. Primarily focusing on the past decade when Ailes arguably became the Republican Party's de facto leader, and defining events in Ailes' life, including experiences with world leaders that helped launch Ailes' political career and the sexual harassment accusations and settlements that brought his Fox News reign to an end.

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Episodes
star
7.74
3860 votes

#42 - Episodes

Episodes follows the lives of Sean and Beverly Lincoln, British sitcom producers who are persuaded to move to Hollywood and remake their series for an American audience. When the couple is forced to cast Matt LeBlanc in the lead role, a bizarre triangle is formed that strains their marriage and threatens their show.

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House of Lies
star
7.74
4067 votes

#43 - House of Lies

Charming, fast talking Marty Kaan and his crack team of management consultants know how to play the corporate game better than anyone, by using every dirty trick in the book to woo powerful CEOs and close huge deals. In the board rooms, barrooms and bedrooms of the power elite, corruption is business as usual and everyone's out for themselves first. Nothing is sacred in this scathing, irreverent satire of corporate America today. Outrageous, subversive and wildly funny, HOUSE OF LIES stars Academy Award® nominee Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell.

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Inside Comedy
star
7.73
147 votes

#44 - Inside Comedy

Half hour comedy documentary series from veteran funny-man David Steinberg ("Curb Your Enthusiasm") and Steve Carell reveals the inspirations, influences and idols of some of the greatest comics of our time. Big stars like Chris Rock, Ellen DeGeneres and Jerry Seinfeld, and living legends like Mel Brooks, Don Rickles and Jonathan Winters share never-before-heard anecdotes, intimate memories and career-defining moments from the past five decades of comedy. Steinberg also elicits personal struggles and shares rare footage of his famous guests in an uncensored and hilarious one-on-one format

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Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men
star
7.71
111 votes

#45 - Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men

As the group marks the 25th anniversary of its breakout debut album Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), the series looks back on their career, combining interviews from each of the nine living members with never-before-seen archival footage and performances.

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The L Word: Generation Q
star
7.71
449 votes

#46 - The L Word: Generation Q

Ten years later, a group of diverse and self-possessed LGBTQIA professionals attempt to navigate life and love with some new friends in Los Angeles.

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The Affair
star
7.68
3370 votes

#47 - The Affair

At once deeply observed and intriguingly elusive, The Affair explores the emotional effects of an extramarital relationship. Noah is a New York City schoolteacher and novelist who is happily married, but resents his dependence on his wealthy father-in-law. Alison is a young waitress trying to piece her life and marriage back together in the wake of a tragedy. Set in Montauk at the end of Long Island, the provocative drama unfolds separately from both the male and female perspectives, using the distinct memory biases of both to tell the story.

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Kidding
star
7.67
1276 votes

#48 - Kidding

Jeff, a famous children's television icon, struggles to retain his sanity as his family falls apart.

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Yellowjackets
star
7.61
3432 votes

#49 - Yellowjackets

A wildly talented high school girl soccer team becomes the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the Canadian wilderness.

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Escape at Dannemora
star
7.58
1098 votes

#50 - Escape at Dannemora

This limited series is based on the stranger-than-fiction account of a prison break in upstate New York in the summer of 2015 that spawned a massive manhunt for two convicted murderers. The prisoners were aided in their escape by a married female prison employee with whom they both became sexually entangled.

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