Is Showtime Heading to the Left of HBO?

HBO is home to not just fine programming like “The Sopranos” and “Boardwalk Empire,” but to some of the most liberally charged content on the small screen.

Consider “The Newsroom,” “Real Time with Bill Maher” and “Game Change” as exhibits A, B and C.

That would appear to leave a marketing opportunity for rival pay channel Showtime, which in recent years has started to gain real traction against HBO with programs like “Weeds” and “Dexter.” Yet Showtime may be challenging HBO to see which channel can bring the most left-of-center content to its subscribers.

Showtime recently debuted “Oliver Stone’s Untold History of the United States,” which proved to be as far-far left as one might imagine.

Now, Showtime is prepping a multi-part documentary on the ratings grabbing topic of climate change.

Yes, the network has lassoed George Clooney and Matt Damon for the project led by eco-hypocrite James Cameron, but it hardly seems like the type of documentary to draw a big crowd.

A few years back, Showtime aired the widely disputed miniseries “The Reagans,” but the channel hasn’t gotten as steadfastly political as HBO. Will that change in 2013?