Billions is an American television drama series created by Brian Koppelman, David Levien, and Andrew Ross Sorkin, starring Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis premiering on Showtime. The series is loosely based on the activities of crusading federal prosecutor of financial crimes Preet Bharara, the former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York,[1][2] and his legal battles with hedge fund manager Steve Cohen of SAC Capital.[3] The second season premiered on February 19, 2017. On March 8, 2017, Showtime renewed the series for a third season.[4]