Editing Cinemax (section)

===Original programming===
{{main|List of Cinemax original programming}}On August 12, 2011, {{Citation needed|date=December 2024}} Cinemax expanded into original programming with the U.S. premiere of the British action series [[Strike Back (TV series)|''Strike Back'']]. The series, which had originally aired in the UK, was produced in partnership with HBO {{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}. Cinemax's second original series, [[Hunted (2012 TV series)|''Hunted'']], premiered on October 19, 2012, in collaboration with [[BBC One]].<ref name="tvwise2">{{cite web |author=Patrick Munn |date=June 5, 2012 |title=Update: Cinemax's New Drama Series 'Hunted' To Premiere October 19th |url=http://www.tvwise.co.uk/2012/06/cinemaxs-new-drama-series-hunted-to-premiere-october-26th/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120621145711/http://www.tvwise.co.uk/2012/06/cinemaxs-new-drama-series-hunted-to-premiere-october-26th/ |archive-date=June 21, 2012 |access-date=June 22, 2012 |work=TVWise}}</ref> This was followed by [[Banshee (TV series)|''Banshee'']] in 2013,<ref>{{cite web |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=August 11, 2011 |title=Cinemax Prepping Amish Country Series Executive Produced by Alan Ball |url=https://deadline.com/2011/08/cinemax-prepping-amish-country-series-executive-produced-by-alan-ball-156189/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111226101120/http://www.deadline.com/2011/08/cinemax-prepping-amish-country-series-executive-produced-by-alan-ball/ |archive-date=December 26, 2011 |access-date=August 11, 2011 |website=Deadline Hollywood}}</ref> and in 2014, ''Sandbox'' and ''[[The Knick]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=August 31, 2011 |title=Cinemax Developing Action Vigilante Drama |url=https://deadline.com/2011/08/cinemax-developing-action-vigilate-drama-165697/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111018142240/http://www.deadline.com/2011/08/cinemax-developing-action-vigilate-drama/ |archive-date=October 18, 2011 |access-date=August 31, 2011 |website=Deadline Hollywood}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Travers |first=Ben |date=May 16, 2014 |title=Steven Soderbergh's Cinemax Series The Knick (Finally!) Lands a Release Date |url=https://www.indiewire.com/article/television/steven-soderberghs-cinemax-series-the-knick-finally-lands-a-release-date |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517172218/http://www.indiewire.com/article/television/steven-soderberghs-cinemax-series-the-knick-finally-lands-a-release-date |archive-date=May 17, 2014 |access-date=May 16, 2014 |work=[[IndieWire]]}}</ref>

In 2020, Cinemax announced it would stop commissioning original programming to focus on HBO Max.<ref name=":0" /> The martial arts drama ''Warrior'' was the last original series on Cinemax, with its third season moving to HBO Max in April 2021.<ref name=":1">{{Cite magazine |last=Sepinwall |first=Alan |date=October 1, 2020 |title='Warrior' Season 2 Ends an Era of Ass-Kicking Pulp at Cinemax |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-features/warrior-season-2-cinemax-pulp-strike-back-banshee-1065116/ |access-date=April 14, 2021 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Petski |first=Denise |date=April 14, 2021 |title='Warrior' Renewed For Season 3, Moving From Cinemax To HBO Max |url=https://deadline.com/2021/04/warrior-renewed-season-3-moving-from-cinemax-to-hbo-max-1234734339/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414191247/https://deadline.com/2021/04/warrior-renewed-season-3-moving-from-cinemax-to-hbo-max-1234734339/ |archive-date=April 14, 2021 |access-date=April 14, 2021 |website=Deadline Hollywood |language=en-US}}</ref>

====Max After Dark====
Cinemax's late-night block, '''Max After Dark''', featured softcore pornographic films and original series with TV-MA or R ratings, primarily for strong sexual content and nudity. This block, which began on May 4, 1984, as "Cinemax Friday After Dark", expanded to seven nights a week by the late 1990s.<ref name="Cinemax makeover" /> Programs included ''[[Lingerie (TV series)|Lingerie]]'', ''[[Life on Top]]'', [[Femme Fatales (TV series)|''Femme Fatales'']], and ''Topless Prophet''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Lengel |first=Allan |date=June 9, 2014 |title='Topless Prophet:' The Latest Detroit Entry in the TV World |url=http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/9542/topless_prophet_the_latest_detroit_entry_in_the_tv_world |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802002559/http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/9542/topless_prophet_the_latest_detroit_entry_in_the_tv_world |archive-date=August 2, 2017 |access-date=August 1, 2017 |work=Deadline Hollywood Detroit}}</ref> The block was known for its lenient scheduling around mainstream films and series and was often humorously referred to as "Skinemax".<ref name="skinemax">{{cite web |last=Burr |first=Ty |author-link=Ty Burr |date=February 19, 2006 |title='70's soft-core brought safe sex to cinemas |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/404992424 |access-date=August 1, 2017 |work=[[Boston Globe]] |id={{ProQuest|404992424}}}}</ref>

The adult content was not limited to the main Cinemax channel but also aired on multiplex channels like MoreMax, ActionMax, ThrillerMax, and OuterMax. However, channels like MovieMax and 5StarMax avoided adult programming. The block's presence, alongside other HBO channels, was partly due to the FCC's content regulations not applying to cable networks.

By 2013, Cinemax began reducing Max After Dark content to focus more on original programming, as internet porn's prevalence made the block's content seem relatively tame compared to HBO's original series.<ref name="Stealth" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Grobart |first=Sam |date=October 14, 2013 |title=Goodnight, Skinemax: The Death of Soft-Core Porn |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-10-14/goodnight-skinemax-the-death-of-soft-core-porn |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160418203319/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-10-14/goodnight-skinemax-the-death-of-soft-core-porn |archive-date=April 18, 2016 |access-date=August 1, 2017 |work=Bloomberg}}{{subscription required}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Shire |first=Emily |date=October 15, 2013 |title=The demise of Cinemax After Dark: How the internet killed softcore porn |url=https://theweek.com/articles/458896/demise-cinemax-after-dark-how-internet-killed-softcore-porn |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801235012/http://theweek.com/articles/458896/demise-cinemax-after-dark-how-internet-killed-softcore-porn |archive-date=August 1, 2017 |access-date=August 1, 2017 |work=The Week}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Steinberg |first=Brian |date=October 8, 2013 |title=Cinemax Has Become Uncomfortable in Its Skin |url=https://variety.com/2013/biz/news/cinemax-has-become-uncomfortable-in-its-skin-1200703748/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802002955/http://variety.com/2013/biz/news/cinemax-has-become-uncomfortable-in-its-skin-1200703748/ |archive-date=August 2, 2017 |access-date=October 8, 2013 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Sampson |first=Mike |date=October 8, 2013 |title=RIP Skinemax: Cinemax Looking to Ditch "After Dark" Softcore Porn |url=https://screencrush.com/rip-skinemax/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402002609/https://screencrush.com/rip-skinemax/ |archive-date=April 2, 2019 |access-date=October 9, 2013 |work=ScreenCrush.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=December 9, 2016 |title=Cinemax Returns To Action, Pulpy Series & Co-Prods In New Programming Strategy |url=https://deadline.com/2016/12/cinemax-returns-action-drama-series-co-productions-new-programming-strategy-strike-back-rellik-outcast-warrior-1201864870/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170817234809/http://deadline.com/2016/12/cinemax-returns-action-drama-series-co-productions-new-programming-strategy-strike-back-rellik-outcast-warrior-1201864870/ |archive-date=August 17, 2017 |access-date=December 9, 2016 |work=Deadline Hollywood}}</ref>