While not one of the major networks, Starz has continued to be a strong presence on television with its growing collection of great shows. Owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, the Starz network has provided viewers with an incredible mix of original and licensed programming over the years. The network, which was established in 1994, doesn't always have shows aiming for recognition during award season, but most of its offerings have been adored by viewers.

Fans are currently enjoying shows like Outlander and Power: Book III, but there have been even more superior shows on the Starz network in the past. These series covered a wide range of genres, offering something for audiences of all tastes, from thrillers to comedies to dramas. There have also been some big names involved in some of the most notable Starz programs, including Kelsey Grammer, JK Simmons, and Adam Scott. From the old to the new, the best shows on Starz reveal why it is a network worth checking out.

10 Boss (2011-2012)

2 Seasons, 18 Episodes

While Kelsey Grammer is best known on television for his iconic comedic role as Frasier Crane, he stepped into a more dramatic series in Boss. In this political drama, Grammer plays Tom Kane, a Chicago Mayor who has a great run in office until he is diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD). In order to prevent people from doubting his abilities as a leader, he decides to keep it a secret.

Political tales are also juicier when scandals are involved and the team behind Boss was obviously acutely aware of that. Corruption and sex are sprinkled in, but not in an excessive manner that might dilute the quality of the plot. Serious issues such as discrimination and terminal illnesses are explored, with the show constantly reminding viewers just how difficult life can be when one's health is failing. Grammer elevates the series with his Golden Globe nominated performance.

9 Counterpart (2017-2019)

2 Seasons, 20 Episodes

Following his Oscar-winning turn in Whiplash, JK Simmons led this intriguing series on Starz, giving him the unique acting challenge of playing two characters at once. Howard Silk (Simmons) is a mild-mannered and gentle office worker at the Berlin United Nations office. After working for years on a mysterious division of the organization, he is exposed to the truth that his agency is actually dealing with an alternate dimension in which the doppelgånger version of himself is a deadly spy.

Counterpart has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The beauty of Counterpart lies in the fact that it has the necessary ingredients to qualify as both one of the best sci-fi shows and the best spy thrillers on TV. The idea of a multiverse is mostly used in superhero media, but the Starz show explores it brilliantly by creating a USSR Vs America type of Cold War, but this time between two different Earths. Simmons is terrific playing the dual lead roles, giving him the chance to play two very different versions of the same character.

8 Heels (2021-2023)

2 Seasons, 16 Episodes

Heels is a sports drama from Starz that takes audiences into a sports world that is rarely explored on television. Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig star in the series as two brothers who take over their late father's wrestling promotion but end up feuding on how best to run it. As they lock horns, they juggle between career and family life. Their rivalry grows more intense with them taking opposing roles in the ring, with one brother as the "face" and the other as the "heel."

Shows about professional wrestling have been few and far between, so the Starz drama is not only a refreshing entrant but one that could be considered the best in that category.

People not familiar with the world of combat sports might erroneously dismiss Heels as a series about fashion, but the term "heel" is actually used in sports entertainment to refer to a villainous performer while the "face" is the hero. Shows about professional wrestling have been few and far between, so the Starz drama is not only a refreshing entrant but one that could be considered the best in that category. Above all, what the series does best is explain why it's necessary to script wrestling matches. Despite being canceled after two seasons, it earned a strong following.

7 Power (2014-2020)

6 Seasons, 63 Episodes

The Power franchise is still ongoing on Starz today, but this was the series that started it all. The highly popular drama follows a nightclub owner who appears as a respectable businessman on the outside but behind closed doors, he is a major player in the New York drug trade. However, with his world getting increasingly dangerous, he searches for a way to escape, only to discover that it is far more difficult than he imagined.

Proof of Power's brilliance lies in the fact that it has spawned four equally popular spin-offs so far. Even the best shows of all time haven't gotten that kind of expansion. The series, which is produced by rapper Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, has a very diverse cast, making it appealing to a wide range of audiences. It builds a sprawling street-level epic with the audience getting caught up in this intense crime story filled with exciting action sequences. It is a rare show that only improved as it went along.

6 Ash Vs Evil Dead (2015-2018)

3 Seasons, 30 Episodes

One of the most iconic horror movie franchises of all time came to the small screen with Starz's wildly fun series. Ash vs Evil Dead took audiences back into the world of the Evil Dead movies with Bruce Campbell back as the heroic chainsaw and shotgun-wielding hero Ash Williams. The series takes place 30 years after the original movie and finds Ash living an isolated and unimpressive existence until he is called upon to fight evil once again.

With the Spider-Man trilogy director, Sam Raimi, as the showrunner, the series is very much in keeping with the original movies. Its working formula involves blending humor and gore, turning what should be considered horrific into a laughable mess. It's also pacy enough to prevent viewers from tuning out. It is enough to see Campbell back in this cult-favorite role, but the rest of the cast is excellent as well. Following its cancellation after three seasons, fans launched a ionate campaign try and bring it back.

5 Black Sails (2014-20117)

4 Seasons, 38 Episodes

Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Treasure Island has been loved and celebrated for many years and Black Sails serves as a prequel to the events narrated in the fiction book. The show is set 40 years before Treasure Island, featuring a number of real-life historical figures from the time period as it explores this pirate adventure on the small screen.

The historical drama has stunning visuals, with the CGI ships and detailed costumes all being very appealing to the eye. There are plenty of swashbuckling moments, guaranteed to satisfy fans who prefer old-fashioned duels. There is much improvement each season too, suggesting that showrunners keenly took note of earlier criticism. The series was nominated for several technical awards at the Emmys, showcasing how Starz was able to compete in the age of TV shows being big spectacles.

4 Party Down (2009-2010)

3 Seasons, 26 Episodes

Sometimes, there are shows, like Freaks and Geeks and Parks and Recreation, that feature an ensemble of actors who are destined to become stars. Such was the case with Party Down. In it, a group of aspiring actors moves to Hollywood, hoping to make it big but find themselves having to work as caterers due to a lack of acting opportunities but they don't give up on their dreams.

Long before leading the cast of Severance, Adam Scott led this ensemble that also included Jane Lynch, Martin Starr, Jennifer Coolidge, and Lizzy Caplan. Each episode found the characters reluctantly serving at another party, which allowed for some terrific cameos from the likes of Kevin Hart, Kristen Bell, and James Marsden. The show initially ran for two seasons before being canceled, but the cult success of the show led to a revival in 2021, with most of the main cast returning.

3 Spartacus (2010-2013)

3 Seasons, 39 Episodes

While the 1960 movie version of Spartacus is a classic in the eyes of many fans, this television take on the story won plenty of people over with its thrilling adventure and epic scale. After defying a Roman general, a Thracian warrior gets captured and forced to work as a slave and gladiator. Soon, he rallies other slaves to pull off one of the greatest slave rebellions in the history of the Roman Empire.

Multiple elements make Spartacus such a marvelous show. First is the colorful dialogue, with even the most average of warriors sounding as poetic and flowery as possible. The show contains adult themes, with unfiltered sex scenes and plenty of violence too, offering an early alternative to Game of Thrones. However, the show is overall historically accurate, which makes it a must-watch for history fans. The series suffered an early and devastating blow with the death of original star Andy Whitfield, but it managed to move forward, delivering a thrilling series that helped establish Starz as a network.

2 The Missing (2014-2018)

2 Seasons, 16 Episodes

An anthology series co-produced by Starz and the BBC, both seasons of The Missing tell the story of a different missing person. In the first, a married couple loses their child on a luxury holiday in . The series follows the investigation as the search for the boy gets underway. Tchéky Karyo is excellent as the investigating officer, while James Nesbitt in particular delivers a powerful performance as the father of the child.

Though the missing child storyline has been done many times before, the series still manages to pack in enough thrills to make this particular tale interesting. The popularity of the series led to Karyo's Julien Baptiste getting his own spinoff crime series. The series was nominated for several notable awards, including Best Miniseries or Television Film. It is a series that stands alongside other great anthology crime shows.

1 Outlander (2014-)

7 Seasons, 91 Episodes

As Outlander season 8 prepares to bring the series to an end, it has already cemented itself as the longest-running series on Starz. The sweeping romantic adventure follows a nurse during World War II who mysteriously time-travels to 18th-century Scotland while vacationing with her husband. There, she falls in love with a Highland warrior and gets sucked into dangerous adventures.

While not the first Starz series, it was the one that helped to establish the network's legitimacy with a ionate fanbase and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Television Series – Drama.

Based on the novel series by Diana Gabaldon, Outlander qualifies as one of the best TV adaptations of books for a variety of reasons. Casting choices are near perfect as the faces of the characters are exactly how Gabaldon describes them in her books. The lush scenery is faithful to the source material and the minor tweaks in storylines come off as improvements rather than mistakes. While not the first Starz series, it was the one that helped to establish the network's legitimacy with a ionate fanbase and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Television Series – Drama.