A number of scripted series will make their return with new episodes this week as the summer television season winds down.

Starz’ Power will debut Aug. 25 with its sixth and final season, while on the same day Showtime’s The Affair premieres its fifth and last season. HBO’s Ballers will also bow its fifth season on Aug. 25 along with the fourth season of Hallmark Channel’s drama series Chesapeake Shores.

Also returning this week for its final season is Netflix's controversial drama series 13 Reasons Why, premiering Aug. 23.

Below are video trailers and premiere dates for several shows debuting this week on cable networks and streaming services:

Aug. 21 -- American Factory (documentary) -- Netflix

Aug. 21 -- Ghost Hunters (reality) -- A&E

Aug. 23 -- Jawline (documentary) -- Hulu

Aug. 24-- Hitsville: The Making Of Motown (documentary series) -- Showtime

Aug. 25 -- On Becoming a God In Central Florida (comedy series) -- Showtime

 Showtime has released the initial trailer for the fifth and final season of its drama series The Affair, which debuts Aug. 25.

The fifth season of the series, which stars Dominic West, Maura Tierney, Anna Paquin and Sanaa Lathan, explores the emotional and psychological effects of an affair that destroyed two marriages, and the crime that bring these individuals back together, said Showtime.

The Affair will chronicle the aftermath of last season's horrific events, and find the characters coming to terms with the consequences of their choices, according to Showtime. 

The Affair is executive produced by Sarah Treem (House of Cards, In Treatment), Jessica Rhoades (Sharp Objects), Hagai Levi (In Treatment) and Michele Giordono (Nurse Jackie).

Showtime on Wednesday released the first video trailer for the fourth season of its original drama series The Affair, which premieres June 17.

The Affair stars Dominic West, Ruth Wilson, Joshua Jackson, and Maura Tierney.

Showtime will offer all 10 episodes of season one of the series for free on YouTube, Facebook and SHO.com, as well as across multiple television and streaming providers’ devices, websites, applications and authenticated online services and their free On Demand channels. All three seasons of The Affair are currently available to Showtime subscribers on streaming, authenticated and on-demand platforms, said the network. 

Get complete coverage of the 2017 Winter Press Tour.

Pasadena, Calif. -- David Lynch made a surprise appearance at Showtime’s TCA press day, speaking about his remake of Twin Peaks, which comes out May 21. True to character, Lynch did not elaborate much, but did shed a hint of light about the considerable anticipation awaiting the series.

“This word 'expect' is a magical word,” he said. “People expect things and their expectations are met, hopefully, when they see the thing.”

Lynch and Mark Frost are behind the project, which will consist of 18 total episodes. Lynch said it was Frost who catalyzed the reboot.

Lynch seemed to take delight in terse answers that kept his interlocutors guessing. His cast members sung the cryptic director’s praises.“Every day is magical, hilarious," sSaid actress Laura Dern. "You’re seeing something you’ve never seen before. It’s the most freeing, wild, wonderful family ride you could ask for in your life.”

The Twin Peaks reboot will debut on May 21 with a two-hour episode, David Nevins, president and CEO of Showtime Networks, announced at the TCA session.

Nevins also said a season four of drama The Affair is in the works and set an April 19 premiere date for John Ridley’s limited series Guerrilla, starring Idris Elba.

Read more at broadcastingcable.com.

Showtime today will provide its subscribers with an early look of the new season of The Affair on its Showtime On Demand and Showtime Anytime digital offerings, said network officials.

The series’ first episode, which will debut on Nov. 20 on the linear channel, will also be available on YouTube and SHO.com, according to the network.

In addition, the second episode of the series -- which stars Dominic West, Ruth Wilson and Maura Tierney -- will be available on Showtime Anytime and stand-alone OTT service Showtime immediately after the show’s linear premiere, and on Showtime On Demand at midnight, said the network.

A year ago almost to the day, Showtime Networks chairman Matthew Blank announced he would be passing the CEO reins to network president David Nevins. Blank had hired Nevins — then the president of Imagine Television, responsible for such hits as Fox’s 24 and NBC’s Parenthood — in 2010 to oversee development of original programming for the premium service and to succeed him this past January, when he stepped down from the CEO role after more than 20 years.

Related:Chairman Likes Showtime’s Standing Amid TV’s Chaos: A Q&A With Matt Blank

By then, Nevins had already built a stable of successful, long-running original series, including the Emmy-winning Homeland and The Affair, Ray Donovan and Masters of Sex. As CEO, Nevins would be steering into a new digital age full of opportunities and potential pitfalls as the industry at large sorts out a new landscape that includes new over-the-top competition from Netflix, Hulu and Amazon. On the cable homefront, Showtime must also to contend with Emmy darling HBO and rising player Starz for premium TV supremacy.

Nearly six months into Nevins’s term as CEO, Showtime is firing on all cylinders. The Jan. 17 debut of Billions drew its biggest audience ever for a freshman original series. The Damian Lewis and Paul Giamatti-starrer, about an ego-driven billionaire and the ambitious U.S. attorney looking to take him down, finished its freshman run as the network’s most-watched series behind Homeland.

Nevins is high on the music-themed Roadies, debuting June 26, which chronicles the lives of stagehands who build and take down concert sets for rock ‘n’ roll bands. Showtime can also look forward to the much-anticipated 2017 return of director David Lynch’s drama series Twin Peaks.

Nevins is also spearheading Showtime’s continued push into digital, overseeing the rollout of the Showtime OTT service, available on Apple TV, Roku, Hulu, Amazon and other digital distribution platforms. Still, Showtime is building its success in a perilous TV marketplace where a lackluster performance from a high-profile series or a big breakout hit from a competitor could hit the network hard.

Nevins has his hands full guiding the fortunes of the premium programmer but took some time to discuss his strategy for Showtime’s future growth with Multichannel News, B&C and Next TV editorial director Mark Robichaux and MCN programming editor R. Thomas Umstead.

MCN:There’s been a lot of movement in the C-suite at Showtime lately. Is this a changing of the guard?

David Nevins: Matt hasn’t gone anywhere and is not going anywhere anytime soon, but sort of more and more of the daily decisions and budgeting and how we sort of organize ourselves is going through me. It’s been an orderly transition that’s been going on with Matt’s full support and kind of design, you know, going back probably three years.

I think it’s really working well and it’s a good moment for us. A lot of the trends in the business are favoring us right now.

MCN:How is your new OTT product doing?

DN: We’re about 10 months in. You can buy us on top of your Hulu subscription or through Apple or Roku and shortly thereafter Android, Google, and Amazon added us in a similar way as Hulu, and it’s been really working.

Our base business is, I think, as high as it’s ever been through our more traditional satellite/telco/cable distributors. So, there’s been no real cannibalization; we’re at an all time high in that business. And the more direct, sort of OTT business has really worked. It’s now becoming a pretty meaningful contributor to our revenue and it’s growing fast.

MCN:As the transition continues to more digital content, do you see that business rising and this linear side falling, or do you see incremental increases without losing linear?

DN: I don’t know what’s going to happen over time. I’m hoping for growth on both sides of the ledger. Thus far, we’ve seen growth on both sides of the ledger and we’re budgeting growth on both sides of the ledger for next year.

MCN:Do you think it’s a zero-sum game? Do you think there’s a limit, a ceiling, on the growth of over-the-top products and skinny bundles?

DN: There’s a de-bundling and then there’s going to be a re-bundling. And probably when there’s re-bundling, it will be good for us. We’ve taken a very agnostic position. Our attitude is we want to be sold in as many places as possible by as many sellers as possible.

MCN:How does that affect your relationship with the guys that brought you to the dance, the cable guys?

DN: I think they understand it. We’re not going to undercut them. We don’t want to undercut them. And there was cable and then satellite showed up and did good things for our business, and was a little competition to the cable guys. And then the telcos got into the business, and I think they understand that’s how the world works. So it’s kind of baked in.

MCN:Are you surprised by all the OTT competition?

DN: I come in as a programmer and as a producer, but with real interest in this sort of marketing and development of the business. It was clear to me five or six years ago, when I was a year into this job, that this is where it was going, because Netflix was already making the shift from DVDs to internet-delivered service.

And, you know, partly because I’m an outsider, it was just like a blinding glimpse of the obvious that delivering over the Internet was where it was eventually going to be, and we had to be ready for it and do it in a way that creates a good user experience. And we began building for it a while ago, so we’re doing all our programming, computer programming and service delivery, we’re doing it all in-house. And we’re going to have to start building all the core capabilities of customer service and customer attention that cable companies have spent a lot of time doing. That’s going to be competence that we’re going to have to develop.

MCN:Netflix is spending a pile of money — do you need to spend as much to compete?

DN: No. Still, we’re in expansion mode. So we probably have 11 sort of A-level scripted shows this year. It will be 12 next year, maybe even 13 next year, depending on how the year goes. So we’re definitely building up.

MCN:As opposed to what? What would be a typical year?

DN: Six years ago, it was maybe four. So we have definitely built up over the course of time. We have strength throughout the year, so that we’re able to roll from Homeland and The Affair into Shameless and Billions, into Penny Dreadful, into Ray Donovan and Roadies. They’re going to come this summer.

You know, probably in the old business, it was more important to have one giant show that forces the cable operators — like you can’t possibly drop [HBO], because how can you not have Game of Thrones? In the new business, where it’s easy to sign up and easy to cancel, it’s probably more important to have consistency across the schedule.

So we’re putting on two to three new shows a year. This year it’s Billions and Roadies. And next year it’ll be I’m Dying Up Here and Twin Peaks and some things that we haven’t announced yet in the back half of the year.

MCN:Is that sustainable? Do you want to keep that number roughly the same in coming years?

DN: I think it’s sustainable and I think it’s expandable. But we are expected to deliver earnings for our shareholders, so I’m not going to suddenly start spending 100% of our revenue. But the trick is to make your shots count when they come. And Billions counted.

And Billions was noticed. I always knew that certain power circles would love the show, but the question was, would it expand beyond that? And it really did. I mean Billions was our biggest freshman show ever. It was bigger than Ray Donovan and bigger than Homeland. And Roadies is going to count.

MCN:How do you know today thatRoadiesis going to be big?

DN: You don’t know what’s going to be a hit. I’ve never been great at predicting hits. But I know [if something has] enough cultural resonance and enough entertainment value that it’s going to get traction. It’s going to get noticed. Whether it’s going to hit or be medium, you never know. But if you’re doing something that feels original that is differentiated enough in the marketplace, that’s got enough sticky elements, whether it’s concept or actors or filmmakers behind the scenes who people want to watch, you know that you’re going to get noticed.

MCN:At what moment did you say, “Wow, this is going to connect?” Was it a song? Was it a line that was read by an actor?

DN: For me, the real moment is the script. So when I read a script and I have a certain feeling about it — I mean there’s always a leap of faith that you take. But the moment when I either emotionally connect or emotionally disconnect is reading the script. And then it becomes about trying to fulfill that vision or that’s great about the script.

MCN:Are you more like a third base coach, given your background with the showrunners?

DN: Yes. I love it. You know, you get to work with the smartest, most creative people, and ultimately, it’s their vision and I’m the third base coach; I’m not playing. But I invest in the people who I believe in and you get to make that decision. So it’s third base coach, it’s general manager, to use your baseball analogy, you get to choose who goes on the field and then try to get them to perform at their highest.

MCN:Showtime was once a network of flawed characters:Dexter,Nurse Jackie. What is it today?

DN: I think we really pride ourselves now on a diversity of shows and we try really hard not to copy ourselves. We want each show to carve out its own territory among the shows on our air and among the competition. So [if] there’s a Mafia show, it better be really differentiated from The Sopranos. Let me just say I try hard to stay away from things that are on our air and other people’s air.

But to answer your question, I think our shows have pretty deep characters, rich characters that have depths and layers to them, have kind of a deeper psychology. We’re definitely programming for adults. Now, I think we’re going to get gradually younger. You’ll see us do some things and the next couple years that are maybe slightly younger than the stuff you see on the walls now, but not dramatically so. [We] want to be forward leaning and not sort of going backwards. A lot of television is trying to do what has already had success somewhere else, and we’re trying really hard to lead the pack.

MCN:When Paramount, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Lionsgate left Showtime in 2009 to form EPIX, there was a question as to whether Showtime would be able to make up for the loss of their films. Does the movie business still play a major part in your overall strategy?

DN: Well, I’d say it’s not top of the list. We know that the most important thing in terms of every buying decision that the customer makes, whether it’s to buy or to keep you, or their general perception of our brand, is based on original series. As you know, movies are seen in so many different places in so many different ways, they become more and more commoditized. That said, we’re building up, you know, we’ve added [studios] Open Road, we’ve added STX, which it looks like they’re going to be a big factor and they’ve been a big factor in the last year and a half. And they’re starting to make more adult dramas, adult comedies, thrillers.

MCN:Are you leaning to make more comedies or more dramas?

DN: More comedies, more dramas, documentaries, sports. We made a pretty big push into both sports and documentaries in the last couple years and it’s starting to pay off.

I mean, we’re very well situated right now in the boxing world with [Deontay Wilder] and Anthony Joshua. So there’s a lot of hope for renewed interest in the heavyweight division and we seem to be well-positioned there … and the documentary area is increasingly important. It’s interesting how it drives audiences more and more. And The Circus has really had impact for us.

MCN:The timing was great forThe Circus.

DN: The ongoing election — yeah, that was kind of a big risk. You have no idea what you’re going to get. You have no idea whether the campaigns are going to give you any access. And you know, you’ve got to plunk down $10 million before and just hope something good comes out of it. And it really worked.

MCN:And what gave you the cajones to put down the $10 million?

DN: I feel like it’s a kind of documentary that we’ve been working on. I’ve wanted to use this sort of All Access model of very rapid filmmaking that we did for All Access or Inside the NFL or the college football show [A Season With] … for something other than sports.

Just the ability to edit things so rapidly to be able to shoot things on a Friday, have them immediately ingested into an editing machine and be able to spit it back out and put it on the air on Sunday — that would not have been so easy five years ago. When Bernie Sanders hosted Saturday Night Live, that’s Saturday night at midnight, Sunday morning. We were on the air … 14 hours later.

MCN:What other shows do you have high hopes for?

DN:I’m Dying Up Here is based on a book of the same name about the early days of standup in L.A., and it’s a comedy and it’s a drama. It’s Jim Carrey producing. It really gets inside the minds of standup comedy, and it’s Melissa Leo and an interesting ensemble. And of course, next year, Twin Peaks. I’m incredibly excited to see what David Lynch has done. I think he’s one of the living geniuses of our business, and I think he’s going to do something magnificent.

MCN:Post-linear, on-demand viewing is growing. What percentage of viewing is done when a show’s not in season?

DN: Over half. Yeah, they’re all over 70%.

MCN:What does that tell you?

DN: It tells you people have complicated lives. [Laughs.] Television’s gotten more convenient.

But more and more, it’s on-demand. And you know, more topical shows or water cooler shows get more [live] viewers, a slightly higher percentage. But the difference is Homeland maybe it’s slightly over 30%, 35%, watching the live show versus who’s going to watch the rest of the week.

MCN:Why hasn’t Showtime dropped more entire seasons to allow binge-watching?

DN: I fundamentally don’t believe in it. … Our shows are built for hooks, and I think there’s benefit in the water cooler. And if we had to do it all in one week, I don’t think it does justice to the creativity of the shows. Our shows are very hand-crafted. Ray Donovan is going to make noise when it comes on.

MCN:What about selling to OTT providers?

DN: Our shows tend to have a lot of value when they come off of our network because they’re high-quality and they’re only seen in a limited universe, so there’s great demand from Netflix and Hulu and Amazon. We tend to do that only very late in the run, because we want people to know, “You want Ray Donovan; you want The Affair? You’ve got to go to Showtime.” So we try very hard not to muddy that by making The Affair available; just wait a season and then we’ll come on Netflix. No, you’re going to have to wait years if you want to wait for Netflix.

MCN:You’ve said in the past that Matt has been very supportive of you. And I’m just curious, what’s your vision of what you want your tenure to be like at Showtime?

DN: My goal is for Showtime to be one of the cutting-edge creative companies making the best content in a very hungry ecosystem looking for great content.

We have the business model already that everybody in the entertainment and media ecosystem wants, which is subscription-based. People see the value of writing a check for our brand on a monthly basis.

And I think also we can be a creative haven. I want, within the Hollywood community, people to feel like, “Go to Showtime, they will take care of you. They will make you the best version of yourself. They will take care of your shows so that you feel when you’re walking in, you’re going to a place where creativity is fostered.”

MCN:Do you think we’re in a content bubble right now?

DN: I think there could be some froth. I don’t think there’s a ton, because it’s a profitable business and there’s a lot of people trying to get their share. There’s already been some failure.

But I don’t see massive contraction because I think there’s enormous demand, and you have a lot of hungry viewers around the world who are getting connected, getting wired and consuming content, enjoying it.

CBS Corp. signed a long-term licensing agreement with Sky making Sky Atlantic the exclusive home of Showtime programming across a big chunk of Europe.

Sky had previously licensed Showtime programming on a show-by-show basis.

The deal includes new and future Showtime series including Billions and the upcoming return of Twin Peaks. Also included are current shows such as Ray Donovan and The Affair, as well as on-demand access to the Showtime catalog including Californication, Dexter and Nurse Jackie.

CBS said this is the largest and most expansive international deal to date for Showtime and its first deal that spans multiple European territories.

Get complete coverage of the TCA16 Winter Press Tour.

Pasadena, Calif. — Showtime will move from its traditional “Noah’s Ark” release schedule, as David Nevins, president and CEO, described pairing up premieres of popular series, in favor of a monthly premiere agenda. That includes House of Lies in April, Penny Dreadful in May and Ray Donovan in June.

The Andrew Dice Clay comedy Dice also debuts in the spring.

“In today’s streaming world, you have to earn your viewers every month,” Nevins said.

Lead-ins in a time shifted world don’t matter a whole lot, he added.

“Some people love Homeland, some are obsessed with The Affair, some love both,” Nevins said. “People tend to set their own schedules.”

Further out, Twin Peaks, the ballyhooed series reboot from David Lynch, is halfway done with shooting and is set to premiere in the first half of 2017. The network also announced it has renewed Shameless for a seventh season.

Read more at broadcastingcable.com.

USA's Mr. Robot and Amazon Video's Mozart in the Jungle each took home a pair of Golden Globe Awards Sunday night. 

Mr. Robot won the Globe for best TV series, drama, and creator Sam Esmail gave credit to USA's Alex Sepiol and Jackie De Crinis who "really backed this show from the beginning." Christian Slater (pictured before the ceremony in Beverly Hills) claimed the Globe for best performance by an actor in a supporting role for a series, limited series or TV movie for Mr. Robot.

The Globe for best TV series, musical or comedy, went to Amazon's Mozart in the Jungle. Best performance by an actor in a TV series, musical or comedy, went to Gael Garcia Bernal for Mozart in the Jungle. 

In other TV Globes: 

--The first TV award of the night went to Maura Tierney as best supporting actress in a series, limited series or TV movie, for her portrayal of Helen Solloway in Showtime's The Affair.

--The Globe for best performance by an actress in a TV musical or comedy, went to Rachel Bloom for The CW's Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

--The Globe for best limited series or TV movie went to Wolf Hall on PBS.

--Best performance by an actor in a limited series or TV movie went to Oscar Isaac for HBO's Show Me a Hero.

--Mad Men's Jon Hamm won for best performance by an actor in a television series -- drama.

--The Globe for an actress in a limited series or TV movie went to Lady Gaga for playing The Countess in FX's American Horror Story: Hotel; she declared it was "one of the greatest moments of my life."

--Empire's Taraji Henson won for best performance by an actress in a TV series, drama. She credited numerous Fox executives and pleaded for more speech time. 

Netflix took the Golden Globes nominations title with eight, one better than HBO’s seven, and seeks to convert that into the most trophies in Beverly Hills Sunday night.

Starz was next with six nominations and Amazon Prime Video and FX with five, then ABC, Fox and PBS at four.

Netflix will seek to reverse a rough Emmys in September, when the streaming service went home from the Microsoft Theatre in downtown Los Angeles with just one trophy while watching HBO claim 14.

UPDATE: The first TV award of the night went to Maura Tierney (pictured above in the group) as best supporting actress in a series, limited series or TV movie, for her portrayal of Helen Solloway in Showtime's The Affair.

--The second TV award, for best performance by an actress in a TV musical or comedy, went to Rachel Bloom for The CW's Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

--The third TV Globe, for best TV series, musical or comedy, went to Amazon's Mozart in the Jungle.

--The Globe for best limited series or TV movie went to Wolf Hall on PBS (which starred Mark Rylance and the above pictured Damian Lewis).

--Best performance by an actor in a limited series or TV movie was claimed by Oscar Isaac in HBO's Show Me a Hero.

--Christian Slater claimed the Globe for best performance by an actor in a supporting role for a series, limited series or TV movie for USA's Mr. Robot.

--Mad Men's Jon Hamm won for best performance by an actor in a television series -- drama.

--Best performance by an actor in a TV series, musical or comedy, went to Gael Garcia Bernal for Mozart in the Jungle. (Nominee Asiz Ansari, of Netflix's Master of None, was spotted reading a hardcover book entitled "Losing to [Transparent's] Jeffrey Tambor With Dignity," subtitled There's no shame in being second best; from the best-selling author of "Losing to Bryan Cranston With Dignity.")

--The Globe for an actress in a limited series or TV movie went to Lady Gaga for playing The Countess in FX's American Horror Story: Hotel; she declared it was "one of the greatest moments of my life."

--Another big win for USA's Mr. Robot as it claims the Globe for best TV series, drama. Creator Sam Esmail gives credit to USA's Alex Sepiol and Jackie De Crinis who "really backed this show from the beginning."

--Empire's Taraji Henson won for best performance by an actress in a TV series, drama. She credited numerous Fox executives and pleaded for more speech time. 

Read more at B&C.

Pictured: Showtime Networks chairman Matthew C. Blank, CBS CEO Leslie Moonves, Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan), Maura Tierney (The Affair), Damian Lewis (Billions), Showtime president and CEO David Nevins at Showtime Golden Globe dinner in Beverly Hills on Jan. 9. Eric Charbonneau/Showtime

Gary Levine has been named president of programming at Showtime Networks, where he will now add responsibility for casting and program operations to his previous duties, the development and creative oversight of the network's original series, documentaries and specials across all platforms.

Levine joned Showtime as executive VP of original programming in 2001, in his new position, he will continue continue reporting to David Nevins, president of Showtime Networks.

"Gary has been an integral part of building Showtime Networks' stellar original programming brand," Nevins said. "He also happens to be one of the most respected creative executives in the business because he knows how to bring out the best in everyone who works with him. Gary has proven to be an invaluable creative partner to me since the day I arrived at Showtime. I am confident that in his expanded role he will lead our programming team to outstanding new heights."

Showtime's originals include series Homeland, The Affair, Ray Donovan, Shameless and Masters of Sex, as well as a batch of movies and documentaries.

Prior to joining Showtime, Levine was president of Internet entertainment company Icebox. Previously, he headed development at Warner Brothers Television, Witt-Thomas Productions and ABC (drama).

Read mroe at broadcastingcable.com.

Showtime will release the second episode of The Affair in advance of its Oct. 11 premiere, the network said Friday.

The second episode will debut Oct. 4 at 11 p.m. – immediately after the premiere episode of the drama series – on the network’s Showtime Anytime, Showtime On Demand and through the network’s Showtime streaming service.

The pay TV service is offering the second episode in advance in order to give viewers the opportunity to experience all four points of view of the series – with character’s Noah and Helen’s perspectives showcased in the premiere, and Cole and Alison’s in the second episode, said network officials.

Showtime will premiere the second episode on Oct. 11, said network offiicals.

Premium network Showtime is headed to the Great White North.

Under a new a long-term content licensing and trademark agreement between network parent CBS Corp. and Canada's Bell Media, the pay TV service's brand will appear over blocks of content available outside the United States.

The agreement is an expansion for Showtime programming in Canada, building on a previous CBS/Bell Media agreement that licensed current Showtime series on pay TV in the country. Over the course of the new agreement, Bell Media platforms CraveTV, a streaming service, and The Movie Network will become the exclusive sources of Showtime-owned first-run programming as well as most its catalog of scripted and unscripted series, documentaries and specials.

For Showtime, the deal underscores the success it has had building a premium brand in the United States, including a sequence of hit shows under Showtime Networks Inc. president David Nevins. That has made Showtime more of a year-round destination than a place viewers would turn to when Dexter or Weeds were making their runs.

Showtime also owns outright nine of its series and has an ownership interest in two more. That gives the premium cabler a clear path to licensing rights and sales internationally, as well as to streaming partners domestically. In the current crop of shows are such names as two-time Golden Globe Best Drama winner Homeland and this year's winner in that category, The Affair.

Bell Media president Kevin Crull said in a release: “Showtime has clearly become one of TV’s preeminent brands, and its slate of world-class and award-winning scripted and unscripted series, documentaries and specials guarantee our subscribers more of the premium TV they want on the platform of their choice.”

Under the Bell Media agreement, streaming service CraveTV will launch a "Showtime Collection" featuring the network's series, specials and documentaries, including at launch the immediate past seasons of current hits The Affair, Ray Donovan and Penny Dreadful, as well as originals Masters of Sex, Nurse Jackie, Weeds and more. All total, CraveTV will have rights to about 600 assets, the network said.

Additionally, a Showtime-branded programming block will launch later this year on Bell's TMN, a pay TV network. The programming will be available in English and French.

“This is a great moment in the history of Showtime, when for the first time our award-winning programming will be distributed and aggressively marketed as one brand beyond the United States,” Nevins said in the release. “This ground-breaking new deal was driven by the depth and breadth of our critically acclaimed original series. Bell Media, with their incredible range of platforms, is uniquely positioned to present Showtime to Canadian audiences in whatever form they choose to watch us.”

In keeping with its tradition of lauding the new, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association honored freshman series, Showtime’s ‘The Affair,’ and Amazon’s ‘Transparent’ as the best TV drama and comedy at the 72nd Golden Globes Awards on Sunday night.

The HFPA’s statuefest, the last to be hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler on NBC, also favored the lead players in those shows, with Ruth Wilson (pictured) winning the best actress in a drama for her adultress turn as Allison Bailey and Jeffrey Tambor, the best actor for his portrayal of a father who reveals that he is a woman to his three adult children.

Another newcomer, Gina Rodriguez was the best actress in a musical or comedy for her Jane Villaneuva, in The CW’s ‘Jane The Virgin.’ The award was the first ever Globe for The CW and broadcast's only triumph of the night.

Premium network Showtime, which has renewed ‘The Affair’ for a second season, saw the series, starring Wilson, who is sexually and emotionally paired with Dominic West's writer Noah Solloway, as the married cheaters, beat out HBO's fantasy skein 'Game of Thrones,' CBS's revitalized 'The Good Wife,' Netflix's 'House of Cards,' and PBS's 'Downton Abbey' for TV drama laurels. 

Wilson unseated last year's winner Robin Wright, who was seeking a repeat for her role as Claire Underwood, in 'House of Cards.' A previous HFPA  nominee as best actress in a miniseries for 'Jane Eyre,' Wilson also topped Claire Danes, who was looking for a third Globe in the lead role of Carrie Mathison in Showtime's terrorist skein  'Homeland.' On the broadcast side,  Viola Davis in ABC's 'How to Get Away with Murder' and Julianna Marguiles in CBS's 'The Good Wife' were also recognized with nominations.

 West, though, could not match his TV lover's win. Instead, the top drama actor went to Keven Spacey, who plays Wright's husband, Frank Underwood, now the U.S. President, in 'House of Cards', as the veteran finally grabbed a Globe on this, his eighth nomination.

Clive Owens in Cinemax's 'The Knick,' James Spader in NBC's 'The Blacklist' and Liev Schreiber as the fixer in Showtime's ''Ray Donovan' were the other nominees.

Amazon placed two Golden Globes on its streaming mantle with 'Transparent' finishing ahead of HBO's 'Girls' and 'Silicon Valley,' the CW’s aforementioned 'Jane the Virgin,' and Netflix's 'Orange is the New Black.'

Tambor -- who during his acceptance speech dedicated his award to the transgender community -- beat out such cable notables as Don Cheadle in Showtime's 'House of Lies,' Louis C.K. in FX's 'Louie' and William H. Macy in Showtime's 'Shameless,'  as well as Ricky Gervais in Netflix's 'Derek.'

Rorriguez’s Golden moment came over such notables as Lena Dunham (HBO’s ‘Girls’), Julia Louis Dreyfus (HBO’s ‘Veep’), Edie Falco (Showtime’s ‘Nurse Jackie’) and Taylor Schilling (Netflix’s ‘Orange is the New Black’).

Not to be outdone, FX's freshman adaptation of Fargo won cable's first Golden Globe of the night, bringing home the award for best TV miniseries or movie. The show topped Starz's The Missing and HBO's trio of True Detective, The Normal Heart and Olive Kitteridge.

FX and Fargo, which will offer a different storyline during its second campaign, quickly doubled their total as Billy Bob Thornton grabbed the Globe for best actor in a TV miniseries or movie. Thornton, who kept his acceptance, short and safe from getting him in any trouble, topped fellow Fargoer Martin Freeman, HBO's initial ‘True Detective’ duo of Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey, and Mark Ruffalo for the premium network's The Normal Heart.

HBO did garner entry into the Globes trophy case on Jan. 11, when Matt Bomer was hailed as best supporting actor for his portrayal of Felix Turner in "The Normal Heart,' the earlly 1980's AIDS/HIV crisis telefilm that Larry Kramer wrote based on his play of the same name. 

Bomer beat out Alan Cumming of CBS's 'The Good Wife,' Colin Hanks in FX's 'Fargo,' Bill Murray in HBO's 'Olive Kitteridge' and Jon Voight, who was seeking a Globe repeat for his role a Mickey in Showtime's 'Ray Donovan.'

In an all-cable category, Maggie Gyllenhaal was the best actress in a TV miniseries or movie for Sundance TV’s 'The Honorable Woman,' in which she finds herself inheriting her father’s arms business and in the middle of reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians. Her competition: Jessica Lange, for FX’s ‘American Horror Story: Freak Show’; Frances McDormand , for HBO’s ‘Olive Kitteridge’;  Frances O’Connor, for Starz’s ‘The Missing’; and  Alison Tolman, for FX’s ‘Fargo.’

Joanne Froggatt of PBS' Downton Abbey won the first television award of the night, taking the Globe for best supporting actress in a TV miniseries or movie.

Margulies and Cheadle presented George Clooney with the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime acheivement. "

Below find a listing of TV category nominations, with the winners in bold:

Best TV Drama

The Affair
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife
House of Cards

Best Actor – TV Drama
Clive Owen – The Knick
Liev Schreiber – Ray Donovan
Kevin Spacey – House of Cards
James Spader – The Blacklist
Dominic West – The Affair

Best Actress – TV Drama
Claire Danes – Homeland
Viola Davis – How to Get Away with Murder
Julianna Margulies – The Good Wife
Ruth Wilson – The Affair
Robin Wright – House of Cards

Best TV Miniseries or Movie
Fargo
The Missing
True Detective
The Normal Heart
Olive Kitteridge

Best Actor – TV Miniseries or Movie
Martin Freeman – Fargo
Woody Harrelson – True Detective
Matthew McConaughey – True Detective
Mark Ruffalo – The Normal Heart
Billy Bob Thornton – Fargo

Best Actress – TV Miniseries or Movie
Maggie Gyllenhaal – The Honorable Woman
Jessica Lange – American Horror Story: Freak Show
Frances McDormand – Olive Kitteridge
Frances O’Connor – The Missing
Alison Tolman – Fargo

Best TV Comedy
Girls
Jane the Virgin
Orange Is the New Black
Silicon Valley
Transparent

Best Actor – TV Comedy
Don Cheadle – House of Lies
Ricky Gervais – Derek
Jeffrey Tambor – Transparent
Louis C.K. – Louie
William H. Macy – Shameless

Best Actress – TV Comedy
Lena Dunham – Girls
Edie Falco – Nurse Jackie
Gina Rodriguez – Jane the Virgin
Julia Louis Dreyfus – Veep
Taylor Schilling – Orange Is the New Black

Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries, or TV movie
Matt Bomer – The Normal Heart
Alan Cumming – The Good Wife
Colin Hanks – Fargo
Bill Murray – Olive Kitteridge
Jon Voight – Ray Donovan

Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries, or TV movie
Uzo Aduba – Orange Is the New Black
Kathy Bates – American Horror Story: Freak Show
Joanne Froggatt – Downton Abbey
Allison Janney – Mom
Michelle Monaghan – True Detective

Showtime’s The Affair and FX’s Fargo were cable’s big standouts during Sunday night's 72nd annual Golden Globe Awards telecast highlighted by big wins for online streaming shows.

Showtime’s freshman series The Affair won the Globe award for best drama, besting such veteran shows as PBS’ Downton Abbey, HBO’s Game Of Thrones, CBS’ The Good Wife and Netflix’s House of Cards.

The Affair star Ruth Wilson won best actress in a drama series, beating out last year’s winner Robin Wright (House of Cards) as well as Julianna Marguiles (The Good Wife); Viola Davis (How To Get Away With Murder); and Claire Danes (Homeland).

FX’s Fargo took home two major awards during the telecast, including top miniseries and a best actor in a miniseries or TV movie for series star Billy Bob Thornton.

Over the top streaming service Amazon’s series Transparent was a big winner, garnering top honors in the best comedy category over HBO’s Girls, CW’s Jane The Virgin, HBO’s Silicon Valley and Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black. The series’ star Jeffrey Tambor took home a best actor in a comedy series for his role in the comedy series.

Transparent's wins marked the first Golden Globes Awards for the streaming service.

Netflix's House Of Cards star Kevin Spacey won the Golden Globe for best actor in a drama series. 

Matt Bomer won best supporting actor in a series, miniseries or TV movie for his role in HBO’s The Normal Heart, while Maggie Gyllenhaal ‘s leading role in SundanceTV’s The Honorable Woman won her best actress in a miniseries or TV movie honors.

A partial list of winners in the Television Category appears below:

Best Musical Or Comedy

Transparent – Amazon

Best Performance In A Musical or Comedy -- Actor

JeffreyTambor – Transparent (Amazon)

Best Performance In A Musical Or Comedy -- Actress

Gina Rodriguez, Jane The Virgin (CW)

Best Drama

The Affair – Showtime

Best Performance In A Television Series Drama -- Actor 

Kevin Spacey, House Of Cards (Netflix)

Best Performance In A Television Series Drama -- Actress

Ruth Wilson, The Affair (Showtime)

Best Miniseries or Television Film

Fargo – FX

Best Performance In A Miniseries Or TV Film -- Actor

BillyBob Thorton, Fargo (FX)

Best Performance In A Miniseries Or TV Film -- Actress

Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Honorable Woman (SundanceTV)

Best Supporting  Performance In A Series Or Television Film -- Actor 

Matt Bomer, The Normal Heart (HBO)

Best Supporting Performance In A Series Or Television Film -- Actress

Joanne Froggatt, Dowton Abbey (PBS)

Showtime newcomer 'The Affair' topped a group of veteran shows across formats to nail down the Golden Globe for best TV series drama, while Ruth Wilson took home the statue for best actress.

The premium network, which has renewed the show for a second season, saw the program, starring Wilson's Allison Bailey, and Dominic West's writer Noah Solloway, as the married cheaters, beat out HBO's fantasy skein 'Game of Thrones,' CBS's revitalized 'The Good Wife,' Netflix's 'House of Cards,' and PBS's 'Downton Abbey.' 

Wilson unseated last year's winner Robin Wright, who was seeking a repeat for her role as Claire Underwood, in 'House of Cards.' A previous best actress in a miniseries for 'Jane Eyre,' Wilson also topped Claire Danes, who was looking for a third Globe in the lead role of Carrie Mathison in Showtime's terrorist skein  'Homeland.' On the broadcast side,  Viola Davis in ABC's 'How to Get Away with Murder' and Julianna Marguiles in CBS's 'The Good Wife' were also recognized with nominations.

West, though, could not match his TV lover's win. Instead, the top drama actor went to Keven Spacey, who plays Wright's husband, Frank Underwood, now the U.S. President, in 'House of Cards', as the veteran finally grabbed a Globe on this, his eighth nomination.

Clive Owens in HBO's 'The Knick,' James Spader in NBC's 'The Blacklist' and Liev Schreiber for Showtime's fixer in 'Ray Donovan' were the other nominees.

The ratings roll reached an eighth straight week for Homeland.

The terrorist drama, starring Clair Danes, ran its skein of audience growth in its premiere window to two full months as Sundays night’s installment, entitled "Kreig Nicht Lieb," captured 2.11 million viewers in the 9 p.m. hour, according to Nielsen data.

Not only was the Dec. 14 debut the highest-rated episode and highest-rated night of season four, but it stands as Showtime’s biggest of the year, besting the 1.97 million viewers who tuned in the second-season finale of the sophomore run of Ray Donovan.

Sunday night’s delivery was up 8% from the Dec. 7 episode and marked a 31% jump from the 1.61 million for the season four debut.

All told, the penultimate episode of Homeland’s fourth campaign, tallied 2.7 million for the night, up 5% from the previous week and 34% from the 2 million on this season’s opening night.

The Affair, Homeland’s lead-out, averaged 837,000 watchers, 10% more than the prior week and 65% more than the 507,000 who saw the pilot. 

With encores, penultimate installment of The Affair’s first season drew 1.1 million watchers. That matched its total of the past three weeks, according to officials at the premium network, and registered 31% amelioration from its premiere night.

Showtime’s Sunday night original pairing of Homeland and The Affair continues to build, with the series garnering their best time slot and nightly deliveries of their seasons to date.

Terrorist drama Homeland grew for the fifth consecutive week, delivering its top episode of the season on Nov. 16 with 1.66 million viewers for its 9 p.m. premiere, according to Nielsen data. The encore of “Halfway to a Donut” tacked on another half-million viewers or so, lifting its total for the night to 2.1 million.

Thus far, Homeland’s fourth campaign is averaging 5.6 million total weekly viewers across platforms. Showtime executives reports that 74% of the audience for the Claire Danes-starrer is tuning in on a time-shifted basis.

The Affair, starring Dominic West and Ruth Wilson (pictured), averaged 778,000 watchers during its 10 p.m. open on Sunday, up 16% from the prior week, and 53% more than for its premiere.

Adding in more than 200,000 with the encore of “6,” The Affair drew a season high of 985,000, a 26% jump from Nov. 10’s 781,000 and 22% above its debut night’s 809,000 watchers.

Season-to-date, The Affair is averaging 3.8 million total weekly viewers across platforms, with time-shifted viewing accounting for 86% of the number.

The premium programmer recently renewed Homeland and The Affair for fifth and sophomore runs, respectively.

Showtime has renewed two of its popular drama series, Homeland and The Affair, for new seasons, according to network officials.

Homeland will return for a fifth season in 2015 with 12 episodes. The revamped, Emmy Award-winning series is averaging 6 million viewers across several platforms in its current season four run, according to Showtime. 

The Affair (pictured) will return will return for a sophomore campaign in 2015 with 10 episodes, said the network.  The series is currently averaging 3.9 million viewers a week across various platforms. Approximately 87% of The Affair’s audience is time-shifted, putting it on track to be Showtime's most time-shifted series ever, according to the network.

“In its fourth season, Homeland has brilliantly reinvented itself.  It continues to capture the attention of a devoted fan base, and has provided an enviable platform for the successful launch of The Affair,” said David Nevins, president, Showtime Networks in a statement. “With thought-provoking, relevant and addictive storylines, both series have been embraced, dissected and much debated week after week.  We’re excited to see more from these complex shows in 2015.”

Showtime’s The Affair has some legs – not to mention other body parts.

The premium network’s new original show registered the best-ever live + 3-day bump for a series debut.  

Starring Dominic West, Maura Tierney and Ruth Wilson, The Affair’s Oct. 12 premiere at 10 p.m. garnered 507,000 live+same-day viewers, according to Nielsen. Gauged on a live+3 basis, the bow tacked on another 285,000 watchers to reach 792,000, a 56% jump. Showtime officials said that was the live+3 lift for any of its series’ debuts.

Similarly, The Affair improved significantly on its premiere night: the 809,000 for live+same-day rose 51% on live+3 measure, tacking on 412,000 watchers, bringing Sunday-night total to 1.22 million. The live+3 edge was tops for a Showtime series debut, according to network officials.

The amelioration by The Affair underscores the nation's predilection toward more delayed viewing: the fifth season live + same-day premiere of AMC's The Walking Dead scored the largest audience for a cable drama in history with some 17.3 million watchers, before another 5 million were counted via the live+ 3 measurement.  

Counting the live+3 adds, The Affair accumulated 1.68 million linear viewers for the show’s Sunday-night opening.  However, when on-demand and Showtime Anywhere views from authenticated platforms are accounted for, the tally reaches 2.5 million – and counting.  

Through Thursday, Oct. 16, The Affair’s on-demand action had already surpassed that of Penny Dreadful by 6%, Masters of Sex by 9% and Ray Donovan by 24% to become Showtime’s rookie series performer in that regard.

Gauged on authenticated platforms only, Showtime said The Affair’s pilot was 90%, 130% and 140% greater than the bows of Penny Dreadful, Ray Donovan and Masters of Sex, respectively.

Showtime will allow viewers to sample the pilot episode of its new drama series The Affair before its debut Sunday.

The series, which explores the emotional and psychological effects of an extramarital affair, can be seen starting today (Oct. 6) on YouTube, Sho.com, and several free on demand channels and websites as well as Showtime On Demand and Showtime Anytime.

In addition, the pilot can be seen on iPhone, iPad, Android, phones and tablets, Kindle Fire, Fire Phone, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Xbox 360 and Apple TV streaming players.

The Affair, which stars Dominic West (The Wire), Ruth Wilson (Luther), Maura Tierney (ER) and Joshua Jackson (Fringe), debuts Sunday, Oct. 12 at 10 p.m.