Dexter Not so long ago, Showtime was struggling to emerge from the shadow of rival premium network HBO. Now, the network is generating its own buzz with original series that are being recognized by the Emmys and Golden Globes and pulling in some of its highest ratings ever.

The attention given such shows as Weeds and Dexter is a nice payoff for Showtime president of entertainment Robert Greenblatt, who began aggressively developing original series when he joined the network in 2003. His goal was to improve the quality of all of the network's series--current and future--and to "make the whole network come up to the level of what I think premium television really means."

Says Greenblatt: "It always goes slower than you want it to go, but we're moving really steadily in the right direction."

Indeed, it hasn't been all success since his arrival--for example, Huff, Barbershop, and Fat Actress were short lived--but Greenblatt says it's important to take risks with "bold, arresting, groundbreaking" series.

He also emphasizes that ratings aren't the primary factor in what drives him to renew or cancel a show. Because the premium network isn't beholden to advertisers, Greenblatt also takes into consideration critical acclaim and kudos, which led to a second-season pickup of the critically praised but low-rated drama Brotherhood.

"For us, it's a matter of having a great lineup of shows that (subscribers) want to spend money on," he says.

But it's also a matter of limited shelf space, which led to the demise of the acclaimed Sleeper Cell after two installments.

"I would love to do more, but it really comes down to the economic question," he says. "These shows are very expensive to produce."

From a producer's standpoint, Showtime is the "ideal partner," says Kevin Beggs, president of television programming and production at Lionsgate, which produces the envelope-pushing Weeds, about a pot-dealing widowed mother in the suburbs.

"I've got plenty of experience with other shows and other scenarios where the network lacked the conviction and didn't really push all the way through, but these guys have been consistent from the beginning," he says. "Their fortunes have turned over the last two years, and I take great pride in being part of that."

Greenblatt adds that Showtime's series sell well overseas, but domestic syndication is more of a challenge since it takes longer to build up a significant number of episodes because of the network's shortened seasons (typically 10 to 12 episodes) and the shows' "racier, darker, edgier" content.

Next up for Showtime are the debuts of This American Life, a series based on Ira Glass' radio show, on March 22, and The Tudors, a drama about the early years of King Henry VIII's reign, which premieres April 1.

Over the long term, Greenblatt says he's looking to add another comedy and possibly reintroduce original movies. But overall, it's all about "staying the course with a limited but top-drawer list of shows."