With the news that Showtime content is merging into Paramount+, there's never been a better (or easier) time for audiences to check out Showtime's best series. Showtime is one of the longest-living premium cable networks, rivaled only by HBO in the number of shows they've produced. Throughout the years, the channel has premiered tons of comedy and drama series, documentaries, and exclusive films.

And while their dramas like Yellowjackets and Dexter tend to take center stage, their hilarious comedies are also well worth a watch.

I Love That For You (2022 - ) - 7.2

Vanessa Bayer in I Love That For You show

Part dark comedy and part farce of the Home Shopping Network (HSN), I Love That for You stars SNL alum, Vanessa Bayer, in one of her best roles yet.

In the series, she achieves her dream of becoming a host on an HSN-like shopping network. However, part of the reason she still has her job is that she lies to everyone around her to gain sympathy, saying that her childhood cancer has returned. Joining Bayer in the cast is fellow SNL veteran Molly Shannon and Hollywood legend, Jenifer Lewis.

House Of Lies (2012 - 2016) - 7.4

House of Lies on Showtime

In the Don Cheadle-led comedy House Of Lies, a morally bankrupt consultancy firm does everything in its power to manipulate its clients. In a similar vein to It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, the cast of characters is intentionally ill-mannered, making the series even funnier.

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Joining Cheadle is a fantastic cast including Kristin Bell and Ben Schwartz. Throughout the various seasons, numerous other acting powerhouses joined the cast, including Adam Brody, Rhea Seehorn, Wanda Sykes, and Alicia Witt, among many others. During the show's run in the mid-2010s, it was one of the network's biggest hits.

Episodes - 7.8

Episodes cast

After the conclusion of Friends in 2004, Matt LeBlanc starred in a short-lived spinoff, Joey. However, due to poor ratings, the series was canceled after just two seasons in 2006. LeBlanc wouldn't return to television for five years, until the launch of his show Showtime comedy, episodes.

Running until 2017, the show had a solid lifespan, producing 41 episodes that perfectly lampoon the way America copies so many popular series from other countries (especially the UK), like The Office, American Idol, Ghosts, and more. In episodes, a British series is being remade for American audiences and the studios pressure the producers to cast Matt (LeBlanc) in a role he is wholly unsuited for. Naturally, hilarity and drama ensue.

Weeds (2005 - 2012) - 7.9

Cast of Weeds

Viewers loved Breaking Bad, but few know that many of the plot lines were copied straight from the Showtime comedy, Weeds. An unsuspecting parent gets dragged into the world of drug dealing out of necessity, is forced to deal with gangs and cartels, and ends up becoming a power player in the illegal drug market ... sound familiar?

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This was all originally the plot of Weeds, and Bryan Cranston's Walter White was originally Mary Louise Parker's Nancy Botwin - a mother in a Californian subdivision who becomes one of the state's most powerful pot dealers. She was joined in the cast by Kevin Nealon, Elizabeth Perkins, Hunter Parrish, and more. The show lasted for eight seasons, producing over 100 episodes.

Kidding (2018 - 2020) - 8

Jim Carrey as Mr. Pickles in Kidding Showtime

In Kidding, legendary character actor, Jim Carrey, plays a children's TV host who, on the outside, seems to be the fun and friendly face of the fictional series Mr. Pickles' Puppet Time on PBS. But after a tragic death in his family, he secretly begins to unravel.

Carrey was hailed for his performance in the show, with critics praising his ability to perfectly deliver both comedy and drama, creating a well-rounded character that felt deep, believable, and ultimately, broken. Carrey would even go on to be nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance.

United States Of Tara (2009 - 2011) - 8

The United States of Tara

A lot could have gone wrong with United States Of Tara. In the show, Tony Collette plays a mother who has dissociative identity disorder (DID) which causes her to shift between multiple identities, including a rebellious teenager, a therapist, a conservative man, and more.

Had it not been for Collette's fantastic acting, the show could have easily come off as disrespectful or horrifically cringe-worthy. However, thanks to its talented cast, the story worked, and in 2009, Collette even took home the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

The Comedy Store (2020) - 8.2

Louis CK

In 2020, a docuseries was made about The Comedy Store, a famous comedy club on the Sunset Strip that helped give rise to comedians like Jim Carrey, Tim Allen, Bob Saget, Kathy Griffin, and more.

The series explored the club's long history, the comedians who performed there, and what it means to the comedy community. Naturally, being centered around the most famous comedy club on the planet means the series also has tons of (hilarious) interviews with comedians like David Letterman, Whoopi Goldberg, and Pauly Shore, whose family actually owns and operates the club.

Californication (2007 - 2014) - 8.3

californication tv shows most nudity

After a writer (David Duchovny) moves to L.A. and suffers from writer's block, he gets lost in a spiral of sex, drugs, and alcohol. The series made headlines because it coincided with Duchovny revealing that he himself suffers from sex addiction and that it had hurt his marriage.

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It was one of those instances of art imitating life, making the series feel more real and impactful. Californication also attracted a bevy of guest stars throughout its seven-season run, including Tommy Lee, Amber Heard, and Pete Wentz, among many others. It's a guilty pleasure, but also an eye-opening experience about the struggles many face when it comes to addiction.

Dead Like Me (2003 - 2004) - 8.3

Created by Bryan Fuller, Dead Like Me centered around Georgia Lass, an 18-year-old girl who is struck by a toilet seat that somehow dislodged from the ISS and hurled toward Earth at critical mass.

After being obliterated by the orbital debris, Georgia wakes up to find she's not dead ... she's undead, and is now tasked with being a grim reaper (and having the nickname Toilet Seat Girl). She must learn to live her life, grow up, and take responsibility for herself, all while being deceased. At times, the series is powerful and moving, and at others, it is fall-off-your-seat hilarious.

Shameless (2011 - 2021) - 8.6

Gallagher Parents Frank and Monica in Shameless.

Shameless is an American remake of the British series of the same name. In the show, William H. Macy plays Frank Gallagher, a single father to six children with alcoholism and drug addiction. This leaves his oldest daughter, Fiona, to raise her siblings largely by herself.

The series is most certainly dark, with the humor rising out of conflicts and the horrible situations Frank puts his family in. Because of this, it isn't for everyone, but for those who can see the comedy within the drama, it's a must-watch. The series is also largely considered one of the best series in Showtime's history, spanning 11 seasons and landing William H. Macy six Lead Actor Emmy nominations.

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