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The Best Shows on Starz

Posted on the 29 October 2020 by Thiruvenkatam Chinnagounder @tipsclear

While top-tiered networks such as HBO, Showtime, and FX seem to get all the attention, Starz offers some great programming as well. The network has had its share of fantastic shows across all genres, from historical and crime dramas to hilarious sitcoms, sci-fi, and horror. Here's a look at some of the best shows the network has offered of late, including some that have already ended and others that continue on.

If you're looking for additional content to stream, we have guides to the best new shows, as well as the best shows on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu.

Outlander

The Best Shows on StarzThe Best Shows on Starz

Based on the novel of the same name by Diana Gabaldon, this historical drama has become a must-watch for those who love history and crave intense romance. Set post-World War II, a former nurse somehow gets transported from 1945 back to 1743 Scotland, where she gets caught up with the Jacobite risings and catches the eye of a handsome young warrior. Airing since 2014, the fifth season premiered in February, and the show has already been renewed for a sixth.

Power

The crime drama aired for six seasons - from 2014 through February - and quickly became one of the network's most lauded shows. Created and produced in part by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, it follows the story of a young man named James St. Patrick, who is dealing drugs in New York while working as a nightclub owner. He longs to go legitimate, but it's not easy to get out. St. Patrick continues his double life while trying desperately to evade police and run his business.

American Gods

The Best Shows on Starz
The Best Shows on Starz

With a third season forthcoming, this fantasy drama based on the Neil Gaiman novel of the same name analyzes the fight between New Gods and Old. After getting out of prison, Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle) meets Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane), who offers him a job. Soon, he finds himself in the midst of a conflict of Gods in a magical world as the New Gods try to take over. Praised for both acting and incredible visuals, keep an eye out for appearances by Gillian Anderson, Cloris Leachman, and Betty Gilpin in recurring roles.

Black Sails

The Best Shows on Starz
The Best Shows on Starz

Combining history with adventure, this series is set in New Providence Island and is designed to serve as a prequel to the novel Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. Following the 2014 debut on YouTube, the series, executive produced by Michael Bay, Brad Fuller, and others, aired for four seasons, concluding in 2017. Set about 20 years prior to the events of Treasure Island, Captain Flint leads the charge to help fight for the survival of the island. Both audiences and critics viewed the series favorably through the final season.

Ash vs. Evil Dead

The Best Shows on Starz
The Best Shows on Starz

Set in the Evil Dead universe created by Sam Raimi, this comedy-horror sees Bruce Campbell reprise his role as Ash Williams, now working as a stock boy after returning from 1300 AD. Of course, he gets sucked in once again and finds himself tasked with saving humanity and fighting the Evil Dead. Serving as a sequel to the original film trilogy, it aired for just three seasons from 2015 to 018, but fans have been campaigning for a resurrection, despite Campbell's confirmation that he is retiring the character.

The Missing

Debuting first on BBC One, this British anthology drama aired for two seasons from 2014 to 2017, followed by a spin-off series Baptiste, which broadcast on BBC One last year. The first season follows the search for a missing boy in France and the detectives leading the case, while the second moves to Germany as detectives try to solve the case of a missing girl. The first series stars James Nesbitt, and the second stars David Morrissey. Called a "gripping dramatic thriller," both seasons have been lauded.

Counterpart

The Best Shows on Starz
The Best Shows on Starz

J.K. Simmons stars in a double role in this sci-fi thriller where a parallel Earth was created by East German scientists in the late '80s. Called the Prime world, it is populated by replicas of everyone from the Alpha world. Drastic societal differences, mainly due to a deadly virus that hit the Prime world in 1996, means doubles lead very different lives. Most people are unaware that the opposite world even exists except for high-level government workers and counterparts who work as spies and sleeper agents. Howard Silk Prime (Simmons) must assume the life of Howard Silk (Simmons) to help uncover and stop a revenge plot from the Prime world against the Alpha world, organized by a Prime group who knows about the Alpha world and believes they caused the virus. It aired for just two seasons from 2017 to 2019.

Party Down

The Best Shows on Starz
The Best Shows on Starz

This sitcom, created and written in part by Paul Rudd, is one of the oldest on the list, having aired for two seasons from 2009 to 2010. It starred Adam Scott, Ken Marino, and Lizzy Caplan as three of a group of six caterers in Los Angeles trying to make it big in Hollywood and getting entangled in the lives of the colorful and affluent guests they serve at each event. The series was viewed favorably, but many attributed scheduling as its main downfall: It aired alongside massively popular series like Glee and Parks and Recreation, against which it just couldn't compete for ratings. Ironically, Glee 's Jane Lynch was also on the series, along with Jennifer Coolidge and Megan Mullaly. Others who had recurring roles include J.K. Simmons, Ken Jeong, and Kristen Bell.

Vida

The Best Shows on Starz
The Best Shows on Starz

Inspired by the short story Pour Vida by Richard Villegas Jr., the third and final season of this drama premiered in April. The story is centered around two Mexican American sisters, Emma and Lyn, who grew up to be very different from one another. Lyn is a vegan who dates wealthy white men, while Emma is a Type-A corporate career woman. The sisters find themselves reuniting in their old neighborhood when they get word that their mother has passed away. While there, they discover that their mother might not have been who they thought she was.

The White Princess

The Best Shows on Starz
The Best Shows on Starz

The White Princess picks up where the 2013 miniseries The White Queen left off. Based on Philippa Gregory's novel, it portrays the marriage of Henry VII to Elizabeth of York, which helped bring about the end of a series of English civil wars known collectively as the War of the Roses. The White Princess ran for a limited run of eight episodes, released in 2017. The Spanish Princess followed in 2019, following the adventures of Catherine of Aragon and her quest for the English throne.

The Girlfriend Experience

The Best Shows on Starz
The Best Shows on Starz

The Girlfriend Experience is executive produced by Steven Soderbergh, based on his 2009 movie of the same name. The first season follows a young law intern who moonlights as an escort, selling services to satisfy her clients' emotional and sexual needs; in other words, "the girlfriend experience" (GFE). There are two storylines in the second season. One focuses on an escort enlisted by a Republican super Pac director to create a blackmail scheme to meet her fundraising goals during the midterm elections. The second storyline focuses on a former escort who is entering the Witness Protection Program, all in the hopes of escaping her abusive partner. Anja Marquardt will be directing a third season, scheduled for release in 2021.

Magic City

The Best Shows on Starz
The Best Shows on Starz

This period drama aired for two seasons in 2012 and 2013. Jeffrey Dean Morgan stars as Ike Evans, who partners with a Jewish Mob boss to save his luxury hotel. Set in 1959, shortly after the Cuban Revolution, Ike must balance dealing with the mafia, the CIA, and his ex-showgirl wife as he tries to keep his business afloat. The series received mixed reviews , as critics praised the attention paid to capturing the look and feel of 1960s Miami but were turned off by the shows slow story and pacing issues.

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