Showtime Networks history

1978 Showtime is made available nationally.

Among Showtime's successful motion pictures and specials are Bastard Out of Carolina; Mandela and de Klerk; In the Presence of Mine Enemies; Paris Trout; and Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse, which is about the making of Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 film epic, Apocalypse Now.

1983 The company merges with The Movie Channel (TMC).

Hence it was a highly competitive market, made even more competitive in 1984, a year that saw an up-surge of VCR purchases across the United States.

In 1986 Showtime began running It's Gary Shandling's Show, a sitcom starring stand-up comic Shandling.

Also in 1989 Viacom entered into talks with cable system operator TCI, who would buy half of the firm for $225 million.

Concerned about these trends, in 1990 the firm proposed a new fee structure to cable operators that would reduce the rates paid by subscribers as a way to increase subscription levels over time, though it required that the cable system pay Showtime a small fee for all subscribers.

Larry Sanders (which premiered in 1992) managed to do what seemed impossible: capture the pop culture zeitgeist at the precise moment it happened, rather than even a millisecond late.

The firm's first joint ad campaign with HBO debuted in early 1993.

And in 1994, Showtime began a big push in original feature programming as well.

In March 1995 Showtime led a "Voices Against Violence" initiative to educate viewers on domestic violence.

menard, valerie. "showtime airs latino laugh fest." hispanic,, august 1996.

brown, rich. "cable takes wraps off new projects." broadcasting & cable, 27 january 1997.

"showtime buys 'lolita' from pathe." viacom home page, 27 may 1998. available at http://www.viacom.com/press.tin?ixpressrelease=40000482.

Showtime obviously was not blind to this reality, and then in 2000, after HBO began its shift towards hourlong dramas, receiving notice for Oz and breaking out with The Sopranos, Showtime launched Queer as Folk.

These HBO series (as well as FX's The Shield, which premiered in 2002) likely never would have happened if not for some of the more daring series on broadcast networks, most notably ABC's NYPD Blue and NBC's Homicide: Life on the Streets.

In 2003 Showtime introduced Penn & Teller: Bullshit!, in which the edgy magic/comedy duo exposed frauds in a variety of areas including science, health, and spiritualism.

In January of 2004 when The L Word premiered, garnering a mixed reception from critics but a dedicated following of fans, especially those who wanted more than just Queer as Folk.

For the March 7, 2005 premiere of Fat Actress, Showtime offered a free Internet stream of the show to entice new viewers, while now offering them premiums like a $25 gift certificate for Apple products, two Xbox video games, or a year's worth of Haagen Dazs ice cream.

In 2010, Greenblatt left to take over NBC, and he was replaced by Nevins.

Nevins currently serves as the Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Friends of the Saban Community Clinic, who honored him with the Leadership Award at their annual Gala in 2013.

In 2014, Nevins was awarded the prestigious Vanguard Award for Programmers, the National Cable and Telecommunications Association's (NCTA) top honor.

In 2016, Nevins was honored with the Dorothy and Sherrill C. Corwin Human Relations Award from the American Jewish Committee Los Angeles.