Showtime

CHICAGO – Showtime’s “The Big C” is a sporadically brilliant show that somehow still has not clicked into place as the truly great comedy it could have been. Despite my issues with the often-pretentious, self-aware writing, there’s one thing that no one can complain about regarding this Emmy-nominated show — the cast rules. Laura Linney gives easily one of the most engaging performances on TV and she’s ably assisted by a truly strong ensemble.

CHICAGO – Emmy-winning “Nurse Jackie” starts its fourth season and the highly-acclaimed “The Big C” joins it for its third on Sunday nights starting tonight, April 8, 2012.

CHICAGO – It may still seem like a while away, what with season finales of tons of shows coming in the next months, summer blockbuster films to look forward to, and almost seven full months of waiting, but Showtime has officially given the date for fans of “Homeland” and “Dexter” to circle. Sunday, September 30 will be the return of both shows on the premium cable channel.

CHICAGO – Not to be outdone by HBO, who renewed their Sunday hit “Luck” yesterday, Showtime gave season renewals today to their impressive slate of Sunday shows — “Shameless,” “House of Lies,” and “Californication.” All three have done remarkably well in the ratings as the two veterans have improved on previous season numbers and “House of Lies” has done very well in its first few freshman frames.

CHICAGO – The premiere of “House of Lies” is a smug, self-aware affair, a pilot that doesn’t show you how smart and clever it is as much as begs you to think it so over and over and over again.

CHICAGO – A number of recent TV seasons hit DVD and Blu-ray right after Christmas, hoping to get a share of that gift card balance burning a hole in your wallet. If you have any left, we thought you might want to know the details so you can plan your assault of the local Best Buy or fill your Amazon cart. This is a Round-up feature that serves mostly as information, letting you know the synopsis, tech specs, special features, etc., but if we had to pick favorites, FX’s “Archer” rules. It’s the best of the bunch, but, honestly, all four should satisfy fans (even if “The Borgias” is annoyingly light on special features). Yes, even “Jersey Shore.”

CHICAGO – After almost six seasons of avenging murders from everyone’s favorite Miami Metro blood specialist/serial killer, “Dexter” has been renewed for two more seasons. The hit Showtime drama will start production on season seven next year in Los Angeles.

CHICAGO – Here is a decision that was clearly not hard to make. Showtime has officially announced that they have given the green light for a second season of production on their new drama series “Homeland.” Why was the decision so easy? For a network that already boasts a number of hit series such as “Dexter,” “The Tudors” “The Borgias” and “The L Word,” “Homeland” is the highest rated freshman drama series in network history.

CHICAGO – Very few programs of the last few years have been as instantly engaging as Showtime’s “Homeland.” Complex characters, daring storytelling, some of the best acting you’ll see on TV all year — this is a GREAT show from episode one and it’s remarkable to think that it could even get better.

CHICAGO – Everyone’s favorite monster returns tonight with the sixth season premiere of “Dexter,” Showtime’s greatest hit and a program that has often ranked as one of the best on television. The show is at a crucial turning point in that the creators have admitted that this is kind of a reboot for the series, picking up a year after the activity of last season.