The 10 best FX shows
Have you ever noticed how many good shows have come from FX? Comingsoon.net has. Check out our favorites in the gallery below!
A cable network that came into the spotlight at the turn of the 21st century, FX has managed to churn out some of the most critically-acclaimed television shows of the past twenty years or so. FX (and their separate network for comedies, FXX) has actually been responsible for as many great programs as premium cable networks like HBO or Showtime, honestly—they just can’t seem to help themselves. They simply know how to make good TV.
FX has been praised by showrunners for allowing them to have almost complete and total freedom in their couple of decades as a network—they let comedies be vulgar, they let dramas be violent, they let writers put out work they can be proud of. Here are ten examples, with plenty more that deserve honorable mentions.
FX shows
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Atlanta (2016- )
Donald Glover can seemingly do it all—act, sing, write, direct, and even do stand-up. Atlanta is the culmination of all these things, operating as a look at the life of an up-and-coming rapper mixed with unique humor and frequently eerie vibes.
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Better Things (2016- )
Pamela Adlon has long been confined to the sidelines of countless comedies, so it was about time someone handed her an opportunity to be a leading lady. Better Things is that opportunity: serving as writer and star, Adlon’s Better Things is a very important look at what it’s like to be a single mother in the 21st century.
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Fargo (2014- )
Noah Hawley has found a nice little niche for himself over at FX—they seem to allow him to do any sort of project he brings their way, a trend that started with his adaptation of the Coen brothers’s dark comedy Fargo. The show is honestly as good as the movie, and it’s hard to imagine it anywhere but FX.
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It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005- )
One of the raunchiest comedies out there, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is worth praising not only for the fact that it’s still consistently funny even after over 13 seasons, but also because of its insistence on using Danny DeVito to the best of his abilities. Always Sunny is the perfect example of what FX comedies have the potential to be.
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Justified (2010-2015)
Almost like an answer to HBO’s Deadwood, Justified is just a really great drama about a US Marshal in eastern Kentucky. Starring Timothy Olyphant, Walton Goggins, and a whole slew of others, the show is another bit of FX excellence.
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Legion (2017-2019)
Noah Hawley’s other hit series on FX is Legion, based on a really obscure character from the X-Men comics. Hawley just can’t help but to put out amazing work, which is evidenced clearly by Legion’s genius blending of comedy and drama and absurdity.
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Terriers (2010)
A beloved cult comedy in its own right, Terriers remains one of FX’s greatest products. Praised by many for its originality and mourned by plenty for being gone too soon, Terriers deserves another look for sure.
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The Americans (2013-2018)
Despite just ending back in 2018, it’s obvious that The Americans will go down in history as one of the most underrated TV dramas ever, let alone FX dramas. Starring Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys, the show followed two KGB agents tasked with posing as Americans at the height of the Cold War.
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The Shield (2002-2008)
Often regarded with the same reverence as The Wire or The Sopranos, The Shield remains one of the most-praised police dramas ever. Following a dirty LA cop, the show ranks among many TV top 10s and definitely deserves recognition here.
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You're the Worst (2014-2019)
An incredibly cynical sitcom that actually managed to have plenty of heart, FX’s You’re the Worst never reached the heights of other comedies on the network but was able to see its story through to the end. Tracking a couple of horrible people living in LA with their equally horrible friends, the show provided a look at love that differs from almost every other comedy to tackle relationships.
