IT WASN’T that long ago when the three letters in TV you needed to know was H-B-O.

All you had to hear was “it’s a HBO show” and you knew you were in for something great.

But a few lean years with some high profile failures (Vinyl) and a reliance on older titles near the end of their run (Game of Thrones, Girls) has seen the premium cable channel dethroned by a younger, more lauded challenger.

In the last few years, a raft of other US TV networks have stepped up their game, birthing some incredibly well-written productions that have managed to capture the popular zeitgeist and critical love.

No one has managed to do that better than FX. FX is the new HBO.

Those two letters are now synonymous with the kind of brave, pioneering storytelling HBO used to be associated with. It’s not that HBO has lost all of its shine (Veep and Silicon Valley are going strong with no end in sight, and freshman shows Westworld and Insecure generated a lot buzz), it’s just the momentum has shifted.

In the noughties, FX scored some goals with the likes of The Shield, Damages and Nip/Tuck. A few years later Sons of Anarchy, Justified and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia gave the channel more cultural cache.

But it wasn’t until 2010 when Louie, Louis CK’s free-form not-comedy-not-drama-not-even-dramedy series, laid the groundwork for FX to be the new home of bold TV. The willingness of FX to embrace such a non-traditional show and allow its creator to have such a strong voice signalled its intentions to other writers and creators.

Much of this success coincides with the arrival in 2005 of current FX president John Landgraf, who famously coined “peak TV” two years ago to describe the deluge of American scripted television currently in production. Landgraf, and his instincts for good projects, has the respect and admiration of those who work for him, and the envy of those who don’t.

It had a bumper 2016 led by roaring success American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson, an anthology series whose first season focused on the sensational trial of the century. The show was the most awarded series at the Emmy Awards.

FX also had the most critically acclaimed debut of 2016 (equalled only by People v. O.J) in Atlanta, the Donald Glover-created series about a young African-American man trying to find his place in an absurd world.

FX’s The Americans, now in its fifth season, has also seen its stature grow in the last couple of years as the Cold War-era spy drama gets better and better each year.

The network has benefited in part by harnessing its relationship with TV uber-producers including Ryan Murphy whose shows on FX include People v. O.J., American Horror Story and now Feud: Bette and Joan.

It’s also won from its relationship with Noah Hawley, whose Fargo reboot/continuation/spiritual successor was highly praised in its first two seasons (and about to embark on a third with Ewan McGregor playing twins). Hawley’s X-Men universe Legion series debuted this year and is a wildly imaginative twist on the increasingly derivative superhero genre.

FX’s shows are littered across different networks in Australia with Foxtel* buying up the lion’s share of the rights, but you will find Atlanta on SBS while People v. O.J. is on Netflix (originally screened on Ten).

With TV land as competitive as it is, there’s no telling how long FX will manage to clutch on to its vaulted position, and lord knows HBO is clamouring to get it back, but for now you can be assured that when you hear the phrase “it’s an FX show”, it’s going to be great television.

FX Originals to sink your teeth into and where to find them.

American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson: Anchored by strong performances, this 10-part series is a searing look at the trial that almost tore apart a country. Season two will focus on the fallout over Hurricane Katrina. Find it on Netflix.





Archer: An adult animation, Archer is an oddball workplace comedy set in a secret spy agency. But what it really does well is its constant reinvention of itself. Find it on Netflix.



You’re the Worst: What happens when “awful”, selfish people find themselves in a relationship after what was supposed to be a one-night stand. Makes for rich comedy. Find it on iTunes.



Atlanta: Earn is a Princeton drop-out trying to make it as his rapper cousin’s manager. Sensitive and smart, Atlanta is dripping with Donald Glover’s style. Find it on SBS OnDemand.

American Horror Story: Grisly and terrifying, the anthology series will leave you scarred and afraid to ever go near asylums, circuses or Virginian islands again. Find it on Netflix.

Feud: Bette and Joan: A dramatic retelling of the legendary beef between two screen goddesses, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, played with aplomb by Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange. Season two is going to be about the throwdown between Charles and Diana. Currently screening on Foxtel’s Showcase channel.

Legion: Adapted from a lesser-known comic set in the X-Men universe, Legion is a trippy headf**k through a warped subsciousness, all wrapped up in an impressive visual style unlike anything else on TV. Currently screening on Foxtel’s FX channel.

Fargo: An anthology series, Fargo the series successfully transferred the spirit of the Coens’ quirky crime film to the small screen with new characters and stories. Find it on Stan and Netflix (season one only).

Louie: Louis C.K.’s personal series about a fictionalised version of himself as a divorced comedian living in New York City with his two daughters. Find it on Foxtel Play.

The Americans: The best drama on TV, The Americans follow Russian spies masquerading as suburban travel agents in the US. But for all the espionage, it’s really a show about family and human connections. Find it on Foxtel Play.

Continue the conversation on Twitter with @wenleima.

*News Corp, publisher of this website, owns 50 per cent of Foxtel.