FX has to be one of my favourite Sky channels: it dispenses with the dreadful soaps and God-awful reality TV that floods our screens over here, and delivers some of the finest crime drama and comedy from the U.S. Seeing as they unequivocally do drama better than us, it's nice to see a whole channel devoted to shows that I'm a big fan of. FX are also a TV network in America, making shows such as The Shield and Nip/Tuck, so the programming consists largely of their own content. Here are my favourite shows that regularly appear on FX:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer = we all know it. It's Joss Whedon's classic vampire show starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, and is a huge cultural milestone of the TV medium. Witty and very entertaining.

Family Guy = although it has waned a bit recently, this is still a bitingly funny series and FX frequently air the older episodes which is refreshing given their superior quality.

The Shield = possibly FX's best home-grown show, this is a gritty, intense and supremely well-acted show about police corruption in California. Certainly one of the best TV shows ever made and one that's worth catching from the beginning (so maybe not watching on this network!)

Nip/Tuck = a slick and glossy show that is nevertheless insanely addictive and well acted. The quality of its production is only matched by how thoroughly, gloriously ridiculous it is.

The Wire = often cited as the best show of all time, this is another gritty and intelligent crime drama that unfolds with the scale of a novel. It takes a bit of getting into, and despite not being owned by F/X (HBO made it), they are one of the few networks to champion it so I praise them.