5 Best American Cable Networks For Original Programming

3. FX

It'd be hard to believe if the only thing you were familiar with was their hilariously biased news coverage, but Fox have actually proved themselves highly capable of crafting excellent shows time and time again since their inception as a network in. Through such shows, including the early Simpsons and the X-Files, they established themselves as a major player in the 1990s, expanding the traditional 'big three' bracket of networks into the 'big four' that exists today (there's an argument that the continued existence of The CW has now created a 'big five', but they have nowhere near the level of clout that their competitors do at this point), even if they have shot themselves in the foot on a number of occasions with the premature cancellations of all-time greats such as Firefly and Arrested Development. In recent years, many of Fox's greatest creations have been 'hidden away' on its sister network, FX, which began life in 1994 and originally existed as a quirky station of sorts, offering interactivity with viewers. This format lasted for three years until it became a generic station offering primarily reruns of existing programmes, before original programming began to take primetime precedence from 2002 onwards, when the network began airing The Shield. A gritty crime drama about corrupt police officers, The Shield was radically different from most other police procedurals and garnered widespread praise and award nominations across the board as a result. Its initial success paved the way for the commission of Nip/Tuck in 2003, Rescue Me in 2004 and the darkly humourous It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia in 2005. All four aired for at least six seasons (with It's Always Sunny..., the only one of the four still on the air, having recently wrapped up its tenth), acting as a strong foundation for the network as a number of other shows fell at the first hurdle. Biker drama Sons of Anarchy and animated adult sitcom Archer joined the schedules in 2008 and 2009 respectively, becoming the new anchors of the network as it entered a new decade. They have since been joined by critical darlings such as Justified, The Americans, Louie, American Horror Story and Fargo, which have helped to truly establish the channel as one of television's finest in the wake of the revolution that the medium is currently undergoing. The extent of FX's success is apparent by the fact that it now has a sister network of its own, FXX, which has been established predominantly as a home of comedy (and has had Its Always Sunny... and The League moved to its schedules as a result), giving FX free reign to continue focusing on the output of high quality dramas.