Catching Up With Showtime on Satellite TV in California

Catching Up With Showtime on Satellite TV in California

When it comes to premium channels offering up original programming, there are really only two that matter. While all of the others might talk about their shows, aside from the short-lived "Party Down" on Starz, all of the great content is focused over at Showtime and HBO. And when it comes to those in California who are looking for the best of the world of smart writing, it makes sense to pay attention to Showtime more these days than ever before.

In a world of overstimulation and countless channels of HDTV, one of the main things that people tend to get wrong is the flash over substance equation. While watching emotional blowups set to loud music and quick cuts can keep some of the masses entertained, smart Californians understand the importance of great writing, superior acting, and smart directing. And it seems that no one is doing a better job of combining this trinity of entertainment than the people over at Showtime, who have been churning out hits left and right for the past couple of seasons.

The olden days of Showtime programming relied on somewhat edgy series that got people talking to bring more subscribers via satellite tv and cable. Examples of highly successful and somewhat taboo series that were hugely successful were the American adaptation of "Queer as Folk," which ran for half of a decade and netted millions of viewers and the lady equivalent "The L Word." But at the same time these hour-long dramas were shaking things up at Showtime, HBO was winning big with "The Wire," "Six Feet Under," and "The Sopranos." Comparing the programming wasn't quite fair yet.

These days, Showtime's smart offerings are impressing everyone with satellite tv and the capacity for great storytelling. The first surprise hit was the tale of a serial killer who only went after other serial killers, "Dexter," which featured one super-talented former HBO actor and consistently good writing. Then, there was the mega-hit "Weeds," which managed to be even quirkier than anything else that was on over at HBO. Starring Mary Louise Parker and an incredibly capable cast, "Weeds" only faltered for one season before regaining its position as one of the best dramas on satellite tv.

After this, the next hit was "Nurse Jackie," with Edie Falco from "The Sopranos" as a nurse with her own drug-related problems. This began the trend of smart but troubled women as lead characters, something that unfortunately is not as commonplace over at HBO. And from California to New York, more and more people have started paying attention to the latest Showtime original series. This meant huge ratings and viewer numbers for the dramedy "The United States of Tara," which deals seriously with a mental illness yet manages to avoid the melodramatic. The same can be said of the latest Showtime breakout hit "The Big C," where Laura Linney expertly plays a smiling suburban housewife who has cancer but isn't quite sure how to include her family in her last few months.

When it comes to smart, edgy programming on premium channels these days, it actually makes more sense to look towards Showtime than HBO. For anyone with satellite tv and the interest in something more intellectual, there's no better spot to begin getting hooked on some of the smartest, saddest, and funniest television shows out there these days.

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