The 25 Best FX Shows of All-Time

Since Netflix went hard into original programming, the television landscape has shifted to become one of ingenuity, imagination, and star-studded vehicles. But a decade before Big Little Lies lured Meryl to TV or the Kings deconstructed the legal drama with The Good Fight, FX’s Damages was breaking new ground. Glenn Close starred opposite Rose Byrne in the legal thriller that was as much a prescient look at politics as it was a complex look at female professional relationships. Damages did it first. — Meghan O’Keefe

Where to stream Damages

Wilfred could possibly be the weirdest show FX has ever aired and that is really, really saying something. The story about a man (Elijah Wood) and the dog that speaks to him (Jason Gann) is at once insightful, intelligent, and hilarious — all while being a totally wacky mindfuck. There’s so much to appreciate about Wilfred, but that there is no show remotely like it will remain one its best qualities and reason to watch it all over again. — Lea Palmieri

Where to stream Wilfred

On paper, there’s no reason Legion should work (and given the number of people I’ve had conversations with who say they “don’t get it,” maybe it doesn’t). But taking a third tier X-Men character, pointedly avoiding the tone and characters in the movies, and running straight into the arms of what it means to be both mentally ill and the most powerful mutant on Earth has led to one of the most creative, purposefully strange, and often beautiful shows on TV. It also isn’t afraid of taking chances, as the second season ended with Dan Stevens’ David Haller turning out to be the villain all along. This isn’t a hero origin story: it’s a tragedy… With occasional musical numbers. — Alex Zalben

Where to stream Legion

Simon Rich’s absurdist comedy about what dating is really like stands as one of the sharpest takes on modern romance that has ever been brought to screen. Jay Baruchel, Eric André, and Britt Lower may have battled through sheer insanity such as literally going to court over relationship shadiness, becoming the sex slave to an alien overlord, and starting an affair with Santa Claus. But through it all this series always got it. Baruchel’s Josh Greenberg was the perfect “nice guy,” someone too perpetually self-absorbed and petty to see the real ways he was hurting his loved ones. Likewise, André has always captured the epitome of being a bro, and Lower excels in her portrayal of career lady Liz. Even in its oddest and funniest moments — and there were too many to count — Man Seeking Woman never stopped preaching that dating is a nightmare. — Kayla Cobb

Where to stream Man Seeking Woman

Married really should have been called Married With Children, but Al and Peg Bundy laid claim to that one about 20 years prior. This gem of a show put Judy Greer and Nat Faxon — both of whom are generally relegated to the sidelines in supporting roles — front and center as a married couple struggling to get through the so-called “wonder years” of early parenthood. The decision to do so proved to be inspired: their chemistry was palpable, as was their comedic timing. The show tackled a wealth of marriage-related relationship issues — from career frustration to marital spats, from child-rearing to infidelity— and was not afraid to shy away from the specific kind of emotional pain that can only be inflicted by the person who you’ve sworn to stick by until death does you part. Special praise goes to the show’s incredible supporting cast, including Jenny Slate, Brett Gelman, Paul Reiser, and John Hodgman.— Mark Graham

Where to stream Married

FEUD will f**k you up. It’s hard to prepare yourself for how a show about two total boss bitches could be so poignant and profound, but Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon truly deliver here. Just as most accomplished women don’t, this series didn’t get the attention or accolades it deserved, but it will stay with you long after you’re done binge-watching it — which is the way to do it. — Lea Palmieri

Where to stream FEUD: Bette and Joan

Stephen Falk’s brilliantly caustic You’re the Worst is a mordant rebuke against the traditional network rom-com. When the show was at its best (Seasons 1 and 2, specifically), it possessed some of the sharpest, most bitingly clever writing on television. Aya Cash and Chris Geere excelled at imbuing misanthropic degenerates Gretchen and Jimmy with the perfect combination of arrogance and pathos. You’re the Worst isn’t a show for everyone, but if it speaks to you, there’s nothing else quite like it. — Josh Sorokach

Where to stream You're the Worst

No discussion of FX’s storied history would be complete without a mention of Rescue Me, Denis Leary’s firefighter dramedy that ran for seven seasons on the network. Though it doesn’t end up in the critical conversation in the same way later FX shows do, without Leary’s PTSD afflicted firefighter, we wouldn’t have the early 2000s antihero trend that transformed TV. — Alex Zalben

Where to stream Rescue Me

Of all the FX shows, Pose is the one that—to me—feels like a revelation (and a revolution). It’s not just that it assembled the largest cast of trans actors in television history, it’s also that it’s really, really good. Showrunner Ryan Murphy tapped into a goldmine of untold stories with the world of New York City’s poor, queer and diverse ball scene in the 1980s—and he somehow manages to juxtapose that world with the rise of Reagonomics that empowered rich, white men like Donald Trump. It’s truly a masterful feat, and, as a bonus, it’s a lot of fun to watch. — Anna Menta

Where to stream Pose

Despite its absurd premise, Baskets may be FX’s most quiet, heartfelt and understated show. Yes, it’s about Zach Galifianakis as an aspiring professional clown who flunks out of clowning school in Paris, but it’s really about the beauty of human connection. It helps that the performances are reliably great: Louie Anderson was twice nominated for the Primetime Emmy for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, and won once. Also, the series severed all ties with Louis C.K.’s production company following the comedian’s sexual misconduct scandal, so you can watch Season 4, which premieres this summer, with a clear conscious. — Anna Menta

Where to stream Baskets

Anyone can be a TV fan but only true television connoisseurs know about the 13-episode pop culture gem known as Terriers. Often referred to as the “best show no one watched,” the crime comedy noir followed Hank (Donal Logue) and Britt (Michael Raymond-James), two best friends who run an unlicensed private eye business. A sprinkle of Veronica Mars mixed with a dash of Bored to Death, Terriers remains one of the best one-season wonders in TV history. — Josh Sorokach

Where to stream Terriers

There’s only one creator who could turn a shallow and snarky drama about plastic surgery into a series that is as insightful as it is addictive: Ryan Murphy. There are many reasons why Nip/Tuck deserves a place among the most revolutionary shows of all time. It earned 45 award nominations over its six-season run, constantly broke its own records for producing the most watched episodes on FX, broke the trend of medical shows relying on procedural plots, and had a whole episode about Joan Rivers. But what FX truly did with Nip/Tuck is take a chance on Ryan Murphy. When the series first premiered in 2003, few other television creators were willing to be as bold or as controversial as Murphy’s plastic surgery drama was from Episode 1. Almost 16 years later Murphy is still embracing that legacy and making television better for it. — Kayla Cobb

Where to stream Nip/Tuck

No show has reinvented itself more than the animated Archer. Ostensibly a spy parody at its start, despite frequent action sequences the show quickly ignored any sort of actual spycraft in favor of turning the show into a drunken hang out sitcom with occasional explosions. By Season 5, they had completely blown up the premise, and turned nearly every subsequent season into a pseudo-anthology involving the characters, throwing them into space, the past, and even stranding them on an island. It’s a crazy ride, but once you get into it, you won’t be able to get out (uh, phrasing). — Alex Zalben

Where to stream Archer

Who knew a Shakespearean biker drama would go on to be one of the most popular and religiously watched shows of the 2000s? Kurt Sutter, that’s who. Jax Teller’s (Charlie Hunnam) story of redemption and morality in the face of so much evil was many things: complicated, messy, emotional, epic, oh-so-violent. After all show is one of the few that has ever shown a woman being burned alive. And it happened to Tig’s (Kim Coates) daughter no less! But this tale of vigilantism was never once boring. It inspired as many heated think pieces as it did deeply devoted fans. — Kayla Cobb

Where to stream Sons of Anarchy

When I think of the FX series Justified, the first word that comes to mind is bravado. Based on Elmore Leonard’s short story “Fire in the Hole,” Graham Yost’s sophisticated crime drama about modern cowboy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) boasted a swagger like no other show on TV. Seemingly every character on the series possessed a silver tongue, but none were quite as eloquent as the endlessly charismatic outlaw Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins). The pristine storytelling, crackling dialogue, and sizzling chemistry between Olyphant and Goggins combine to make Justified one of the most under-appreciated shows of the modern era. — Josh Sorokach

Where to stream Justified

At first blush, The League is a raucous celebration of masculine friendship. The improvised sitcom focuses in on a fantasy football league dominated by a group of childish best friends. However, look closer, and it’s a pointed satire of those kinds of values. The actors themselves seem to be undermining their own characters at certain turns, and no cast member delighted more in this devilry than recurring guest star Jason Mantzoukas. His delirious portrayal of manic madman Rafi is arguably the tour de force of the show full of hilarious breakouts. — Meghan O’Keefe

Where to stream The League

Louis CK might have ruined his own career, but the inconvenient truth is that Louie helped launch a generation of ground-breaking comedy talent. Besides shining a spotlight on co-star Pamela Adlon and later Zach Galifianakis with Baskets, the inventive format of the series would go on to inspire the tone of other major hits like Master of None, Atlanta, One Mississippi, Girls, and more. If nothing else, Louie opened the floodgates of invention onto the dated format of the “comedy” series. — Meghan O’Keefe

Can we cut out the middle man and just give Pamela Adlon all of the awards? Every season Adlon’s dramedy about the toils of motherhood and the unending frustrations of being a woman has exemplified the very best that television has to offer. And yet despite producing near-perfect after near-perfect season, Adlon has been able to top herself every single time. For her show’s third season she managed to do that while starring in and directing all 12 flawless episodes. Darkly funny, genuinely human, and aggressively loving, Better Things proves that Adlon is one of the greatest creators we have. — Kayla Cobb

Where to stream Better Things

American Horror Story redefined horror on television, as well as anthologies as a whole. From its very first season, AHS has given fans something to buzz about, but more importantly, it has always had something to say — it just does so through star-studded cameos, shockingly graphic sex scenes, and wild plot developments. No matter how you feel about the final ranking of AHS seasons (and we all know some are better than others), there’s no denying that Ryan Murphy’s anthology was, and still remains, a game-changing pop culture phenomenon. — Claire Spellberg

Where to stream American Horror Story

There’s no particular reason a series adaptation of Joel and Ethan Coen’s classic Fargo should have worked. Lucky, then, that show creator Noah Hawley didn’t produce an adaptation. Instead, over three seasons Hawley and his superb ensemble have expanded on the world of the film, occasionally looping back and through the twisty tale of murder, betrayal and impenetrable accents with aplomb. — Alex Zalben

Where to stream Fargo

This milestone in FX’s history can’t be overlooked. The Shield, the crime drama about corrupt police officers which ran from 2002 to 2007, was FX’s first big hit. Its critical acclaim put the network on the map—count those two Golden Globes and that Primetime Emmy Award, the latter of which went to Michael Chiklis for Best Lead Actor in a Drama.) Plus, Glenn Close was on the show for a while. Freakin’ Glenn Close! — Anna Menta

Where to stream The Shield

Much like American Horror Story, Ryan Murphy’s American Crime Story is many things. On the surface, the anthology is a ripped-from-the-headlines account of some of the world’s most famous crimes. But underneath, ACS a personal, character-driven story about how societal expectations shape us, for better and for worse. Both The People v. O.J. Simpson and The Assassination of Gianni Versace did some serious heavy lifting, so for now, I’m perfectly okay with giving Murphy some time to figure out the next installment. Lord knows the bar is set pretty damn high. — Claire Spellberg

Where to stream The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story

Where to stream The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story

The Americans has given the world the on and off-screen brilliance of Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys together and we’ll never be the same again. Elizabeth and Phillip Jennings are the Russian spies American audiences couldn’t help but root for during all six beautiful seasons of this hour-long drama. No other show has balanced the subtle with the specific in such a remarkable way, with every episode proving to be sexy, heartbreaking and riveting at every step. Bravo, Comrades. — Lea Palmieri

Where to stream The Americans

Atlanta has completed two full seasons on FX and has already positioned itself as one of the most important TV series to ever exist. It’s not because of the awards its won (oh, and it has) but the fact that Donald Glover has created one of the most unique and influential shows, guaranteed to inspire future generations of storytellers that aren’t afraid to be funny, twisted, and sure to keep it 100% real at all times. — Lea Palmieri

Where to stream Atlanta

At first glance picking Always Sunny as FX’s No. 1 show seems like the kind of scheme Dennis (Glenn Howerton) or even Frank (Danny DeVito) would pull. But unlike science, we are not liars (sometimes). For 13 seasons straight It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has been consistently, uproariously funny all without sacrificing any of the experimental energy that made it such a refreshingly toxic hit in 2005. Other comedies may start phoning it in once they pass Season 4. Not the gang. Never the gang. This past season saw both Always Sunny‘s most hysterically meta episode and a goose-bump inducing emotional coming out dance performed by Rob McElhenney. No show challenges itself to be better than It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia always has, and though Paddy’s Pub may still not have any major awards, it will always have our respect. — Kayla Cobb

For more on why we chose It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia as our No. 1 FX show, read here: Why It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Is the Best FX Show of the Past 25 Years

Where to stream It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia