Starz

More of what you want... for less!

Starz is an American premium cable and satellite television network which serves as the flagship service of Starz Inc., which is ultimately owned by Lionsgate. Starz's programming features theatrically released motion pictures and first-run original television series.

The headquarters of Starz, and its sister networks Starz Encore and MoviePlex, are located at the Meridian International Business Center complex in Englewood, Colorado. As of January 2016, Starz is available to 31 million households in the United States.

Why It Deserves the Starz

1. Unlike most of the premium cable channels (especially Encore), which was aired most of the repeats of the movies that released previously, Starz was the only premium cable TV channel to aired most of the recent movies.
2. During its first four years, the on-air graphics was superb.
3. Like most of the premium cable channels (especially HBO), it had several multiplex channels.
   • Starz! Theater (from 1999 to 2005), the channel's format incorporated a limited selection of films scheduled in a format mirroring the showtime scheduling used by movie theaters.
   • Starz! Family (from 1994 to 2005) features commercial-free family movies – including action and adventure movies, dramas and comedies, along with some animated and imported live-action children's series. Unlike WAM!, it features some PG-13 rated films within its schedule, in addition to G- and PG-rated films. Due to its family-targeted format, the network broadcasts no R-rated movies or TV-MA rated programming, only showing programs that are rated G, PG or PG-13 (or the equivalent TV-G, TV-PG or TV-14).
     • The channel features two program blocks: "Building Blocks", a weekday morning block of animated series (primarily imported from Canada) and "Six Block", a weekday evening block of imported live-action series aimed at a pre-teen audience.
   • Starz! Cinema carries films outside the mainstream cinema, incorporating critically acclaimed studio and independent releases, and arthouse films.
   • Action (from 1994 to 2005) focuses on action films, adventure films and martial arts films.
   • Westerns (from 1994 to 2005) features a mix of classic and recent western movies, as well as reruns of popular western series from the 1950s to the 1970s.
   • Love Stories (from 1994 to 2005) focused on romantic comedy and drama films.
   • Mystery (from 1994 to 2005) features mystery and suspense films as well as detective movies and series, film noir and neo noir.
   • True Stories (from 1997 to 2005) focusing on movies based on historical events, biographical pictures and other dramatic films.
   • Encore (from 1994 to 2016) aired most of the films from the 1960s, the 1970s and the 1980s.
   • WAM! America's Youth Network (from 1994 to 2005) features live action, animated and anime films targeted at family audiences. It also ran imported series aimed at children and teenagers during the daytime hours.
4. Its 1994 logo was well-recieved before the 2005 rebrand.
5. With the success of Starz, it launched the in-house company Starz! Pictures, a production company that produced made-for-cable films for the television channel.
6. The original accompanying graphics were set around a CGI movie theater, with the main network ID featuring seats that opened by themselves, various theater imagery and even images resembling the Caduceus, while feature presentation bumpers also heavily used the movie theater themes (using spotlights and film canisters) and the "Encore 8" branding.
7. It aired its original programs, including Hollywood One on One (its first original program), The Bronx Bunny Show, Outlander, The Rook and Now Apocalypse.

Bad Qualities

1. The slogan, "Movies, Movies, New Hit Movies", was totally stiff.
2. The 2016 and the current 2023 logos are really cheap... without a star.

Trivia

• Starz, Inc. has yet to be acquired by Comcast.