10 Best FX Shows Of All Time, Ranked — what the network’s standout series reveal about its approach

FX built a reputation by giving creators room to experiment across comedy, drama, animation, and limited-series formats. The ranking prioritizes shows that used that freedom to take risks, maintain high quality across seasons, and broaden whose stories appear on screen. The list seeks series that are both distinctive within their genre and consistently strong over time.

Damages — legal thriller with nonlinear plotting

• Premise: A battle between high-stakes litigator Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) and her protégé Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne). Each season focuses on a different case.
• Why it's on the list: The show uses flashbacks, flash-forwards, and false leads to craft satisfying season-long reveals without cheating the audience. Its non-linear structure offers a fresh take on legal drama.

Shadows — mockumentary vampire comedy

• Premise: A TV adaptation of the 2014 film, presented as a mockumentary following four vampires living in Staten Island and their familiar, Guillermo.
• Why it's on the list: It finds a new angle on vampire lore by treating immortality as a source of sitcom-style monotony and interpersonal comedy. The show mixes classic vampire elements with broad satire and a found-family dynamic.

Justified — modern Western crime drama

• Premise: Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant), an old-West archetype in a contemporary setting, returns to Harlan County, Kentucky, after a controversial shooting.

Fargo — anthology cinematic crime series

• Premise and profile: Fargo is framed as an anthology series drawing on the sensibilities of the original film and cinematic storytelling.
• Why it's on the list: The article calls Fargo the best of FX's anthology efforts, implying it most effectively translates cinematic scope and self-contained season-long narratives into television form.

How the ranking was assembled (criteria stated in the article)

• Variety across genres: comedies that break molds, ambitious dramas, animation that defies expectation, and anthology series that read like films.
• Consistency: shows that remain strong throughout their runs rather than peaking early and fading.
• Fearlessness: series that pushed boundaries in tone, subject matter, or structure and showcased marginalized perspectives or morally complex leads.

If you want a concise guide to FX's most significant series and why they matter for television storytelling, the full list provides a ranked lens across ten shows. The excerpted selections already illustrate the network's tendency to champion bold creators and mixed-genre storytelling.