“American Horror Story: Murder House”: The freshman installment of Ryan Murphy’s FX anthology series introduced a new method of TV storytelling in 2011 — and scared the bejesus out of viewers in the process.
“Fargo”: FX once again went the anthology route with this adaptation of the beloved Coen Brothers film, which boasted an enviable cast and racked up an impressive pile of Emmy nominations (along with one win).
“American Horror Story: Asylum”: For the second iteration of “AHS,” Murphy went crazy — literally — and explored the twisted behind-the-scenes events at an insane asylum.
HBO got into the anthology game with “True Detective,” which starred Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson in its maiden season and became one of the most buzzed-about series of the year.
“American Horror Story: Coven” took Murphy’s ever-shifting vision to New Orleans for a tale of supernatural rivalry, and a multi-layered exploration of oppression.
“The Girlfriend Experience”: Starz is currently developing a small-screen adaptation of the 2009 Steven Soderbergh film. Soderbergh is also behind the television version, which will feature a different story and different characters each season.
Starz is also considering an extension of “The White Queen,” its 2013 partnership with the BBC, dubbed “The White Princess.”
Murphy returns Wednesday night with a fourth iteration of “American Horror Story,” subtitled “Freak Show,” in which Sarah Paulson pulls a double-header.