Sci Fi TV Network Scorecard: HBO, Starz, and Showtime

Network Scorecard: Scoring the networks based on their history of airing and supporting sci fi and fantasy television shows.

While the premium cable channels HBO, Starz, and Showtime have produced some notable sci fi/fantasy shows like Game of Thrones, Westworld, Outlander, Penny Dreadful, and more, in general genre entries do not make up much of their output.  Showtime in particular has only put out a few over the past ten years and HBO’s genre offerings have represented only a fraction of the networks total scripted originals.  And while these cable channels do not warrent full scorecards, I will at least give a scaled-back look at each of them.  They are still important producers of sci fi and fantasy television with HBO set to unleash multiple Game of Thrones spin-offs in the coming years, so looking back at how they have handled genre shows over the past ten years is still a worthwhile inclusion to my Scorecard project.

HBO

While HBO has developed a reputation for quality genre productions like Game of Thrones, Westworld, Watchmen, Lovecraft Country, and more, sci fi and fantasy has not in general represented a large part of its output.  Over the past ten seasons, the network has put out eleven genre entries (GoT came out during the 2010-11 season, so it is not counted here) which which makes up a little over 10% of its total scripted originals.  The cancellation rate has been lower than the network’s general population with only 14% ending after the first season (vs 27% not including mini-series) and none getting cancelled after two seasons (vs 10% of all HBO scripted originals).  However, 43% of sci fi/fantasy shows on HBO have ended by their third season vs 18% across the general population, and Westworld is the only genre entry since the 2011-12 season to make it to the four season mark (with no word yet on a fifth).

I give HBO a rating of 3 on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the highest). If a genre entry lands on HBO, the network will typically be patient with it and shows like His Dark Materials (a co-production with BBC) and The Leftovers were allowed to wrap up their stories despite tepid at best ratings.  I am dinging the network a bit for the cancellation of Lovecraft Country after one season, a move that certainly seems odd considering it had decent viewership and brought plenty of awards attention to the network.  But apart from that one, HBO has given its shows a chance and rarely cancelled them without a proper conclusion over the past ten years (Lovecraft Country did finish the story of the book even though a second season was planned).  It is possible the HBO execs rushed Game of Thrones to its end because the show was getting quite expensive, and that may have been part of the reason the final season disappointed.  But as a consolation, the network will be continuing to explore that universe with multiple spin-offs that will start arriving in 2022.

List of New Sci Fi/Fantasy Originals Since the 2011-12 Season

Starz

Starz has not been as prolific among the premium cable channels with only nineteen scripted originals released over the past ten years (that excludes mini-series). And while it has only put out four genre entries during that time, that still represents 20% of its total output. The network has been patient with its shows, having allowed all four of them to get to at lest a second season (the same is true for all its ongoing scripted originals).  But one was cancelled after its second season (Counterpart), while two more were cancelled after their third season (American Gods and Ash vs. Evil Dead).  Only Outlander (which barely counts as a genre entry) has survived past its third season over the past ten years.  Note that The Rook did end after one season, but they played the “limited run” card on that one and counted it as a mini-series.

I give Starz a score of 2 ½ on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the highest). The network has been willing to consider adding genre entries to its slate of originals and it does show some patience with them early on. But don’t expect them to stick around for an extended period, and Starz will cancel shows without allowing them to wrap up their storylines as it did with American Gods and Ash vs. Evil Dead.

List of New Sci Fi/Fantasy Originals Since the 2011-12 Season

Showtime

Of the three premium cable networks looked at here, Showtime has had the least to offer sci fi and fantasy fans over the past ten years. Of the twenty-eight ongoing scripted originals the network has released since the 2011-12 season, only three have been genre entries. And two of those were cancelled after one season (67% vs. 32% for the general population) including Moonbase 8 which I am counting as a one-and-done show even though there has not been an official cancellation announcment. The other non-mini-series genre entry (Penny Dreadful) ended abruptly after three seasons (allegedly that was planned, but I am dubious).  The Twin Peaks revival was counted as a mini-series and that one only marginally counts as a genre entry.

I give Showtime a score of 1 ½ on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the highest). It has not put out much in the way of sci fi and fantasy originals, they do not last too long, and it has nothing active at the moment. It does have at least one genre entry currently in development (The Man Who Fell to Earth), so it has not given up on sci fi TV. But it does not appear that this is the best landing place for a genre show.

List of New Sci Fi/Fantasy Originals Since the 2011-12 Season

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