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Thread: Has Showtime become the new "King" of Premium-Cable Original Programming?

  1. #1
    Smooth WMR's Avatar
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    Has Showtime become the new "King" of Premium-Cable Original Programming?

    I have HBO and Showtime, and I've got to say, Showtime is currently FAR surpassing HBO in terms of their original dramatic programming...

    Showtime Has:
    "Californication" -- Awesome, funny, edgy show starring David Duchovny. Very very good.

    "Weeds" -- Some people really love it... I find it just so-so.

    "Brotherhood" -- AWESOME. In its 2nd season, truly has the potential to be Sopranos-esque.

    "Dexter" -- My new favorite show. A police forensic scientist who is also a serial killer? This show is unlike anything I've seen before and has a great sense of humor about itself while still being a serious drama...

    HBO Has:
    "Tell Me You Love Me" ... I've watched every episode so far... not because it is some great show... it has managed to keep me interested, however. Deals with four couples in various stages of their lives... probably the biggest storyline right now is one of the couple's struggle to get pregnant through artificial insemination... not exactly edge of your seat type stuff.

    "Curb Your Enthusiasm" -- Probably my 2nd favorite show. Larry David is a comedic genius and this season has been great so far... Curb is the one thing keeping HBO on the map right now, in my opinion.

    What is really hurting HBO right now is their shows that are on hiatus... Entourage is good and The Wire is another one of my favorite shows.

    John From Cincinnati? Cancelled after one season...

    Is HBO still the king? Maybe they are, but Showtime has done an amazing job of closing the gap and, for right now anyway, Showtime is the channel that I would keep if I was forced to choose between the two, and it isn't even all that close.
    Last edited by WMR; 10-09-2007 at 02:20 PM.


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  3. #2
    breath westofyou's Avatar
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    Re: Has Showtime become the new "King" of Premium-Cable Original Programming?

    HBO = Bruce Springsteen

    Showtime = Bob Seger

    Cinemax = John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band

  4. #3
    Smooth WMR's Avatar
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    Re: Has Showtime become the new "King" of Premium-Cable Original Programming?

    Skinamax = The Pus*ycat Dolls

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    Member pedro's Avatar
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    Re: Has Showtime become the new "King" of Premium-Cable Original Programming?

    I don't have Showtime but I watched the first 9 episodes of Dexter and I liked it a lot.
    School's out. What did you expect?

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    Re: Has Showtime become the new "King" of Premium-Cable Original Programming?

    SHO also has the Tudors. I enjoyed the first season.

  7. #6
    Smooth WMR's Avatar
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    Re: Has Showtime become the new "King" of Premium-Cable Original Programming?

    Quote Originally Posted by RBA View Post
    SHO also has the Tudors. I enjoyed the first season.
    Good call! That one slipped my mind. Great show. Rhys-Meyers is a great actor.

  8. #7
    RZ Chamber of Commerce Unassisted's Avatar
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    Re: Has Showtime become the new "King" of Premium-Cable Original Programming?

    At our house, we refuse to pay for digital cable, which means we can subscribe to no pay channels. We knew from past experience that we liked some of the shows on HBO, so we just wait for the pay networks' shows to come out on DVD and add them to the Netflix queue.

    We watched all of the seasons of Six Feet Under and Oz with that method. Now we've enjoyed the first season of Big Love. Since its second season hasn't been released on disc yet, we're sampling Deadwood (didn't like it, stopped after episode 2), Weeds, Entourage, Extras, Dexter, The Wire and Rome (haven't made their way to the top of the queue yet).

    I don't pay much attention to which network these shows originate from.
    /r/reds

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    breath westofyou's Avatar
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    Re: Has Showtime become the new "King" of Premium-Cable Original Programming?

    Deadwood (didn't like it, stopped after episode 2)
    Whoa... it gets sooooooo much better.

  10. #9
    RZ Chamber of Commerce Unassisted's Avatar
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    Re: Has Showtime become the new "King" of Premium-Cable Original Programming?

    Quote Originally Posted by westofyou View Post
    Whoa... it gets sooooooo much better.
    I know that a lot of people here liked Deadwood and since I've liked other David Milch projects, I went in expecting to like it. From reviews I've read, most people who don't like it complain about the language. That didn't bother us. We just didn't like any of the characters and didn't find the stories in those 2 episodes very compelling.
    /r/reds

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    Member cumberlandreds's Avatar
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    Re: Has Showtime become the new "King" of Premium-Cable Original Programming?

    DISH is offering three months free Showtime and I signed up for it. So far I have been unimpressed. I watched a couple of episodes of Calfornification and Weeds and didn't care for them. I thouhgt they were hard to follow but that may just be me. I'm not much of a movie person either so I will probably drop Showtime at the end of my free time.
    Reds Fan Since 1971

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    Joe Oliver love-child Blimpie's Avatar
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    Re: Has Showtime become the new "King" of Premium-Cable Original Programming?

    Looking at past bodies of work, HBO has been fairly consistent over the years. Personally, I have much love for:

    Extras
    Hard Knocks (NFL Training Camp documentaries)
    Carnivale
    Rome
    Family Bonds

  13. #12
    Titanic Struggles Caveat Emperor's Avatar
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    Re: Has Showtime become the new "King" of Premium-Cable Original Programming?

    "Brotherhood" might be the best show on television right now -- its truly compelling with great acting as well.
    Cincinnati Reds: Farm System Champions 2022

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    breath westofyou's Avatar
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    Re: Has Showtime become the new "King" of Premium-Cable Original Programming?

    Quote Originally Posted by Caveat Emperor View Post
    "Brotherhood" might be the best show on television right now -- its truly compelling with great acting as well.
    Better then Moral Orel?


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    Strategery RFS62's Avatar
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    Re: Has Showtime become the new "King" of Premium-Cable Original Programming?

    Quote Originally Posted by westofyou View Post
    Better then Moral Orel?



    Oh, Davey


    We'll go down in history as the first society that wouldn't save itself because it wasn't cost effective ~ Kurt Vonnegut

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    Re: Has Showtime become the new "King" of Premium-Cable Original Programming?

    Quote Originally Posted by WilyMoROCKS View Post

    Showtime Has:
    "Californication" -- Awesome, funny, edgy show starring David Duchovny. Very very good.

    David Duchovny...umm...yummy! I've read good reviews of "Californication". We no longer subscribe to Showtime, so I haven't actually seen it. That is probably a good thing, though, because I know that show is rather racy and somehow I think if I saw it, I'd never be able to see Duchovny as Fox Mulder in the same way again. Speaking of which, I've heard rumors of a new X-Files movie finally happening for 2008. That has been in the works but on hold for years now. Duchovny was also part of a Showtime series called "Red Shoe Diaries" that aired in the early-mid 90's.

    As if you can't tell by now, I am a sci-fi chick , and one of my all-time favorite shows originated on Showtime back in the 90's, Stargate SG-1. It began as a Showtime original series, but eventually moved to the Sci Fi Channel and on to syndication before ending it's 10 yr run this year. Showtime also had a new version of the Outer Limits for a while, but it wasn't quite as good in my opinion.


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