From mobsters to movie stars, the cable network has a knack for developing great TV

By Dave Lake
Special to MSN TV

It wasn't until 1983 that HBO began showing its first pair of notable original series, "Fraggle Rock" and "Not Necessarily the News." The shows were nothing like each other, with one featuring Muppets and the other sketch comedy, though they did share one striking feature: They were nothing like anything else on television. Over its nearly 40 years as a network, HBO has maintained an incredibly high quality bar, a byproduct of being beholden not to advertisers but to subscribers, giving rise to an incredible array of original and iconic TV series. Next up for the network is "Girls," a series created by Lena Dunham, a 20-something Brooklyn hipster, about her experiences with her group of friends in New York. The series is executive produced by Judd Apatow, and early screenings garnered rave reviews, setting it up to be the network's next big thing -- and there have been many. From mobsters to movie stars, talk show hosts to taxicabs, here's a look at HBO's most iconic shows over the years.

Bing: More about 'Girls' | More on HBO

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"Girls" premieres Sunday, April 15, at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.

(HBO)