Since its inception, Starz has proven it can hang with larger competitors like Max. Although it’s now making television in an incredibly crowded landscape, Starz has managed to regularly launch shows that make an impact, and it speaks to the enduring quality of these shows that they’ve also stood the test of time.
Because the streaming service is relatively niche, it can be hard to feel like it’s worth the investment. I know from personal experience that, once you take the plunge and check out a few series on Starz, though, you’ll realize just how deep the well of great stuff is. Any one of these shows would justify the price of a subscription.
Recommended Videos
Party Down (2009)
75%
8.2/10
3 Seasons
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Ken Marino, Adam Scott, Lizzy Caplan
Created by
Paul Rudd, John Enbom, Rob Thomas, Dan Etheridge
Watch on Starz
There are plenty of great comedy series that everyone has seen, but there are also plenty of hilarious gems that deserve more eyeballs. Party Down is one such gem, and it tells the story of six Hollywood dreamers who are trying to make it big, passing the time until their big break by working for a high-end catering company. The show is frequently hilarious, but Party Down is a dark, cynical show underneath it all. It’s about waiting for your life to begin and coming to the sad realization that the life you’ve been living may be the only one you get. In 2023, the show came back for a long-delayed third season and was just as great as ever.
Black Sails (2014)
59%
8.2/10
4 Seasons
Genre
Drama, Action & Adventure
Stars
Toby Stephens, Luke Arnold, Hannah New
Created by
Jonathan E. Steinberg, Robert Levine
Watch on Starz
Designed as a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, Black Sails tells the story of Captain Flint, a pirate who sails the high seas in the early 1700s, when pirating was at its peak. Flint’s story is ultimately about protecting his thieving, debauched way of life. That quest takes a more literal form as he attempts to defend New Providence Island, a piece of land that’s untamed the way that nothing in the modern world is. Flint is out to prove that the world can’t be tamed, and watching him fight that losing battle is one of the show’s chief pleasures.
Power (2014)
61%
8.1/10
6 Seasons
Genre
Crime, Drama
Stars
Omari Hardwick, Joseph Sikora, Naturi Naughton
Created by
Courtney Kemp Agboh, Vladimir Cvetko
Watch on Starz
Some of the best shows on Starz fly under the radar, and Power is a great example of that trend. The series stars Omari Hardwick as James Patrick, an entrepreneur who’s achieved enormous success through his nightclub, but who also caters to a drug operation designed to serve only high-status clients. The series chronicles Patrick’s attempts to move away from the world of crime and into running a legitimate business full-time. As you might expect, though, it’s not as easy to get out of the game as it may sound.
Outlander (2014)
76%
8.4/10
6 Seasons
Genre
Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Stars
Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan
Created by
Ronald D. Moore
Watch on Starz
Outlander may be the most popular Starz series of all time, and there’s good reason for that. In its early seasons, the story follows a love triangle that spans time and space, following a former nurse in the wake of World War II who finds herself transported back in time to the 1700s. Eventually, she finds herself torn between her husband in the 1900s and the man she married in the 1700s in order to survive. Outlander sprawls outward from there, but it’s the initial story of love and loss that got viewers hooked, and it keeps them coming back for more season after season.
America to Me (2018)
96%
7.6/10
1 Season
Genre
Documentary
Stars
Brendan Barrette, Diane Barrios-Smith, Jada Buford
Watch on Starz
America’s schools are fundamentally broken, and fixing them isn’t as easy as it may seem. America to Me is a stunning indictment of the racial and social inequalities that have infected America’s education system. The docuseries follows a group of Black students at Oak Park and River Forest High School in a suburb of Chicago. The high-performing school is considered one of the nation’s most progressive schools. In looking at the stories of individual students, though, it becomes clear that the systems around the school reinforce racial hierarchies even as individual teachers try to undo them.
Survivor's Remorse (2014)
82%
6.9/10
4 Seasons
Genre
Drama
Stars
Teyonah Parris, Mike Epps, Jessie T. Usher
Created by
Mike O'Malley
Watch on Starz
Although it has a dour name, Survivor’s Remorse has plenty of comedy to counterbalance its more serious moments. The half-hour comedy follows Cam Calloway (Jessie Usher), a young basketball player who signs a massive contract with a team in Atlanta and suddenly feels burdened with the responsibilities that come with wealth and fame. What makes Survivor’s Remorse work is its ability to balance the lighter moments with grounded looks at what fame and stardom actually mean. Money solves plenty of problems, but it doesn’t fix everything.
Gaslit (2022)
1 Season
Genre
Drama
Stars
Julia Roberts, Sean Penn, Dan Stevens
Created by
Robbie Pickering
Watch on Starz
Julia Roberts is one of the most charming and skilled actresses of her generation, and she’s at the center of the sprawling ensemble on Gaslit. This limited series tells the story of the Watergate scandal in a unique way, focusing on many of the characters that history has forgotten in the decades since. Based on plenty of real-world reporting, Gaslit also features wonderful performances from Roberts and the rest of its cast. It’s a show about the insidiousness at the heart of Washington and about how easy it is to forget all the bit players, even in history’s most famous scandals.
The White Queen (2013)
A decade after she starred in The White Queen, Rebecca Ferguson is rapidly becoming one of the most famous actresses alive. At the time, though, she was just one part of a sprawling ensemble in this Starz miniseries. The show tells the story of the war between the Lancasters and the Yorks for control of the crown of England. In choosing to tell this story from a distinctly feminine perspective, though, The White Queen reminds us that, even in a highly patriarchal system, women will still find ways to wield the limited power they possess to great ends.
Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip with Sam and Graham (2021)
A charming reality show, Men in Kilts follows Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish, two of the stars of Outlander, as they travel Scotland and explore its complex heritage. The show is a wonderful comedic companion for anyone who loves Outlander, but it’s also a smart look at the history of Scotland and its majesty. Sam and Graham make for a delightful pair of hosts, and their Scottish heritage makes the show feel genuine, instead of a much more common travel show.
The Missing (2014)
2 Seasons
Genre
Crime, Drama, Mystery
Stars
David Morrissey, James Nesbitt, Keeley Hawes
Created by
Harry Williams, Jack Williams
Watch on Starz
An international series that’s riveting from beginning to end, The Missing tells the story of the disappearance of a group of children in a small town, and the detective who tries to figure out where they’ve gone. The series can get a bit grim, but if you love shows like Broadchurch and True Detective that use a crime to examine an entire community, then The Missing might be perfect for you. Perhaps most importantly, though, the show sticks the landing, which is hard for even great crime dramas to do.
Ash vs Evil Dead (2015)
3 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Stars
Bruce Campbell, Ray Santiago, Dana DeLorenzo
Created by
Sam Raimi
Watch on Starz
If you’re a die-hard fan of the Evil Dead series, or even just someone who loves a violent horror movie, then Ash vs Evil Dead will be right up your alley. The show features the return of Bruce Campbell as Ash, the hero from the original Evil Dead films, as he battles against the forces of evil that seem to keep bothering him, and he also discovers that he has a daughter. The Evil Dead franchise has always been a combination of horrific and hilarious, and Ash vs Evil Dead sticks with that tone throughout its three-season run.
The Serpent Queen (2022)
1 Season
Genre
Drama
Stars
Samantha Morton, Liv Hill, Amrita Acharia
Created by
Justin Haythe
Watch on Starz
Telling the dramatic true story of Catherine de Medici, the series follows Catherine as she’s married into French nobility without a penny to her name. When she discovers that her husband is in love with an older woman and her husband discovers how poor she is, she’s forced to reckon with her new circumstances and try to make the best of them. Anchored by a brilliant central performance from the always-great Samantha Morton, The Serpent Queen features all of the normal period detail that Starz is famous for, but it’s so much better than the average period drama.
Minx (2022)
2 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Stars
Ophelia Lovibond, Jake Johnson, Jessica Lowe
Created by
Ellen Rapoport
Watch on Starz
One of the funniest and sharpest shows of recent years, Minx is set in the 1970s, and focuses on the founding of an erotic magazine targeted explicitly at women. The show’s combination of genuine comedy with smart observations about the ways gender dynamics have and haven’t changed since the ’70s help make it an entertaining and genuinely thought-provoking show. While it’s unclear whether we’ll be getting more than the two seasons we already have, those two seasons are well worth checking out on their own merits.
Mary & George (2024)
1 Season
Genre
Drama
Stars
Julianne Moore, Nicholas Galitzine, Tony Curran
Created by
D.C. Moore
Watch on Starz
All you really need to know about Mary & George is that it stars Julianne Moore, but if you need more convincing, look no further than the lush period detail that envelops the show. The series tells the story of the Countess of Buckingham, who molded her son to seduce King James I, and in turn, made her own family richer and more titled than any other in the land. Like so many great period dramas of its kind, Mary & George is at least half a story about the nature of power and about the way sex and money are inextricably linked to it.
Dublin Murders (2019)
1 Season
Genre
Drama, Crime
Stars
Sarah Greene, Killian Scott, Peter McDonald
Created by
Sarah Phelps
Watch on Starz
A classic detective story executed to perfection, Dublin Murders tells the story of a pair of detectives who are called to the outskirts of Dublin to solve a murder that has taken place there. As the two detectives wind their way deeper into the case and the darkness that surrounds it, they find themselves tested in ways they never have been before. Adapted from novels by Tana French, Dublin Murders gives you a sense of the rich mystery writing that French does in her books, translated effortlessly to the small screen.
Spartacus (2010)
3 Seasons
Genre
Drama
Stars
Liam McIntyre, Dustin Clare, Manu Bennett
Created by
Steven S. DeKnight
Watch on Starz
Telling the legendary story of Spartacus, this series follows its titular hero as he’s forced into slavery and eventually finds himself competing in gladiatorial combat. Eventually, he leads a major slave revolt against the Roman Empire. The extra breathing room this show has, because it’s not confined to a movie, gives us more time to understand Spartacus and his allies, and the stylization of the story only helps make it more accessible to the modern audiences who are getting just a small dose of history with their action.
Howards End (2017)
7.2/10
1 Season
Genre
Drama
Stars
Hayley Atwell, Matthew Macfadyen, Julia Ormond
Created by
Hettie Macdonald
Watch on Starz
Howards End may seem like another riff on Jane Austen, but the book and its adaptation for Starz are so much sharper than that. The show follows a pair of independently minded sisters as they try to help those in need and convince those around them to be less focused on their own wealth and influence. Kenneth Lonergan, the mind behind Manchester by the Sea, handled this adaptation, but the chief reason that it works so well is the central performances of Matthew McFadyen and Hayley Atwell. It’s a romance, sure, but Howards End is much more focused on class than on whether two people fall in love.
Three Women (2024)
1 Season
Genre
Drama
Stars
Shailene Woodley, Betty Gilpin, DeWanda Wise
Created by
Lisa Taddeo
Watch on Starz
Featuring a star-studded cast, Three Women is adapted from a 2019 novel of the same name, and chronicles the lives of three women as each of them tell their stories to a writer. Starring Shailene Woodley, Betty Gilpin, and DeWanda Wise, the series is a powerful chronicling of the diversity of women’s experiences and a reminder of all the ways that culture has not advanced as much as we might have believed it would. The real reason to tune in, though, are the showstopping central performances, which are some of the best work we’ve seen on screen in 2024.
The Spanish Princess (2019)
2 Seasons
Genre
Drama
Stars
Charlotte Hope, Ruairí O'Connor, Laura Carmichael
Created by
Matthew Graham, Emma Frost
Watch on Starz
Set in the same universe as The White Queen, this Starz series lasted two seasons, and focuses on a Princess of Spain who is engaged to be married to Prince Arthur in the 16th century. When Arthur winds up dead, it initially seems like her hopes of getting on the throne are dashed, but she eventually sets her sights on another prince with an even more headstrong attitude. While the series spends plenty of time on royal intrigue, The Spanish Princess also concerns itself with its female characters and several people of color who were living in London at a fairly inhospitable time.
Sweetbitter (2018)
2 Seasons
Genre
Drama
Stars
Ella Purnell, Tom Sturridge, Evan Jonigkeit
Created by
Stephanie Danler
Watch on Starz
Before The Bear, there was Sweetbitter, a smart, funny series about a young girl who moves to New York City and gets a job at a restaurant. Although she initially expects the job to be a brief gig, she eventually finds herself intoxicated by life in the kitchen, and the series follows her as her co-workers become a surrogate family. It ran for just two seasons, but Sweetbitter is one of the best shows of its era, about what it means to find something you love doing and dedicate your entire life to it.
Leavenworth (2019)
1 Season
Genre
Documentary
Stars
Clint Lorance, Anna Lorance, Tracy Lorance
Created by
David Check, Paul Pawlowski
Watch on Starz
A brilliant, controversial docuseries, Leavenworth tells the story of Army Lt. Clint Lorance, who faced 19 years in prison for ordering fire on three men in Afghanistan. Two of the men died, and Lorance fights his sentence tooth and nail, claiming that he did nothing wrong. The case sparked fierce debate across the country, and Leavenworth is an honest depiction of the military justice system, and a trenchant reminder of how difficult it is to understand the actions people take in the fog of war.
