Remember when HBO was responsible for almost all of the “best of television”? They had Sopranos, Deadwood, Six Feet Under, The Wire, etc. The world was theirs! In the void that is HBO’s programming, Showtime has moved in as the best non-cable place to fulfill your need for a series.
Weeds - Mary Louise-Parker and co. partake in a very strange and seemingly Lynchian world where a soccer mom is selling weed to keep her family afloat after her husband dies. It’s Suburbia meets a more timid Scarface (at least until Season 3), as we see the lighter and more intense side of drug trafficking. Very strange, often funny, definitely addictive.
Dexter - I never thought I would see Michael C. Hall in anything again after Six Feet Under, but here he is as a serial killer who only kills others who have done wrong. Essentially he is a vigilante who takes pleasure in cutting up the scourge of Miami into tiny pieces. Despite his American Psycho vibe, through his cold and calculating exterior, there is still some humanity that comes through. Oh yeah, and almost the entire cast is from HBO’s Oz. Weeeird.
Californication - Duchovny hasn’t really shone since X-Files, and even then, he was limited to cable. Here, he can swear, get naked, and basically get into whatever trouble he wants. He’s both hilarious and amiable as a self-destructive author who just can’t seem to get himself together. I was surprised at how hilarious and engaging this show was, thus, it’s my favorite of the Showtime series. Think Entourage meets Curb Your Enthusiasm meets…well…David Duchovny. The show is all him being himself. Awesome!
Check them out, but beware the addiction, it’s cost me much, but I think it may have been worth it…
