How do HBO and Showtime fit into the drama category?

How do HBO and Showtime fit into the drama category?

Pamela Douglas (Screenwriter) gives expert video advice on: What are the lastest trends in TV dramas?; Why are more screenwriters writing for television? and more...

HBO and Showtime are trailblazers, HBO especially. They have this saying, "It's not TV, it's HBO", but it is TV. Both of them are not advertiser based, and because they're subscriber based rather than advertising, they're able to go ahead and do what pleases their core audience, rather than dumbing it down so that they don't offend.