At this moment in our culture, any pop culture enthusiast worth their salt knows that the Max monthly charge is a non-negotiable, right in line behind rent and utilities. The current cost of the best streaming service on the market is $10 with ads, or $16 if you go ad-free. If you have the funds to spare, prepare to welcome prestige television into your space.
Long before the rise of the streaming era, HBO was known for producing hits and showing boobs. The network represents the absolute highest caliber of television, with only the very best talents in acting, writing, and production. Time and time again, it releases top-tier shows that achieve cult-favorite status.
If you need help justifying that extra streaming expense, here is a taste of what you can expect. Behold: From Sex and the City to Game of Thrones, here are the best HBO series of all time.
The White Lotus
Probably HBO’s most successful recent series (after Succession) The White Lotus is a dark comedy anthology that follows the staff and guests at a luxury resort chain, with each season taking place in a new resort locale. Season one gives us Hawaiian fantasy with a splash of elitism and class division, and season two gives us Italian romance with a sprinkle of infidelity and betrayal. The third season of your favorite show is set to take place in Thailand and will surely collect a few Emmy Awards to add to the pile, which currently sits at 10 statues.
The Gilded Age
Historical drama fans, this one’s for you. The Gilded Age takes place in 1880s New York City, following the social hierarchies of that time. The series features an ensemble cast which includes Carrie Coon, Cynthia Nixon, and Christine Baranski and breathes fresh air into the age-old “new money, old money” dichotomy.
The Night Of
We beg you, watch this miniseries. The Night Of stars Riz Ahmed as a young Pakistani-American man in New York City who finds himself accused of a brutal murder, forced to reckon with a broken judicial system while surviving daily life in Rikers Island. The series also stars John Turturro as his attorney and took home 13 Emmy nominations in its year, winning five.
Scenes From a Marriage
We once again beg you, watch this miniseries. A 2021 remake of Ingmar Bergman’s 1973 Swedish miniseries of the same name, Scenes From a Marriage stars Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac as a modern American couple struggling with all of the things married couples seem to struggle with. Each of the series’ five episodes is a time capsule, focused on five specific moments in their relationship. The writing, the acting, the direction, all of it is f*cking genius and utterly heartbreaking.
I Know This Much Is True
This six-episode miniseries comes from Derek Cianfrance, the mind behind Blue Valentine and The Place Beyond the Pines, and stars Mark Ruffalo in dual roles — twin brothers Dominick and Thomas Birdsey. The series begins with Thomas, suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, cutting off his hand at a public library in an act of anti-war protest. His brother Dominick then has to act as his guardian, seeing him through a dismal and prison-like hospital while unpacking their twisted family history.
I May Destroy You
Joining HBO’s collection of single-season gems (scroll up), I May Destroy You is a comedy drama series written by and starring Michaela Coel and centered around such messy issues as consent, sexuality, and anxiety. The series opens with Arabella, a young writer on a deadline whose entire life is thrown into disarray after she is drugged and raped by a stranger at a bar.
Barry
This well loved comedy drama series stars Bill Hader as a jaded hitman for hire who discovers a passion for acting and improv. The series, which officially ended earlier this year, ran for four seasons and collected 44 Emmy nominations throughout its run. It’s a perfect watch for lovers of genre-bending, well-written with a heart and splash of hilarity among genuinely suspenseful storylines.
Entourage
Sex and the City for men in Los Angeles, that’s Entourage. This HBO hit series ran for seven years from 2004 to 2011 and starred Adrian Grenier as an A-list actor, loosely based on the experiences of Mark Wahlberg circa early 2000s. The show follows his personal and career highs and lows in LA, along with those of his crew of childhood friends and manager.
House of the Dragon
The hit Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon takes place 200 years before the happenings of the original series, following the early decline of the House Targaryen. The series, like its predecessor, stars an ensemble cast which includes Matt Smith, Olivia Cookie, and Emma D’Arcy. Upon its premiere, HBO Max clocked more than 10 million viewers on its first day of streaming, marking the biggest premiere day in HBO history.
How To with John Wilson
This comedic docuseries comes from filmmaker John Wilson and producer Nathan Fielder. Over three seasons, the series features “how to” tutorials related to life in New York City, often derailing into the hilarious personal issues and experiences of the man behind the camera. Not getting it? Episodes include “How To Make Small Talk,” “How To Throw Out Your Batteries,” and “How To Watch the Game.” One of the episodes brings Wilson to a vacuum cleaner convention, can you guess which one?
The Rehearsal
Since we invoked the name of God above, let’s talk about Nathan Fielder. The comedic genius brought his talents to HBO in 2022 with The Rehearsal, which has since been renewed for a second season. The series begins in the classic Fielder way, with the comedian attempting to help average people with everyday issues with mind-bending and truly out of pocket solutions. He finds people who are nervous about a certain encounter in their life, and works with them to rehearse the scenario to exhaustion. The series soon evolves into something much bigger, and much weirder, showing Fielder stage an entire life for a woman nervous about raising a child. We did our best, but when describing this show, words fail. There is simply nothing like it on TV.
Industry
Industry is where Succession meets Girls, and that’s not just because Lena Dunham directed the series’ pilot episode. The series follows young post-grad financiers competing for positions at a London investment bank. I’m nothing more than a lowly writer girl, but my finance friends say Industry is a spot-on look into one of the most sordid, stressful, and sexy industries in the world. Complete with drug addictions and workplace affairs.
Landscapers
This four-episode miniseries stars Olivia Colman and David Thewlis as a meager woman and her sweet husband who kill her parents and bury them in their garden. In-laws, am I right? The true story comes from the 1998 murders of William and Patricia Wycherley, whose deaths went undiscovered for many years, the truth ultimately coming to light in 2012.
Sharp Objects
Gone Girl girls, have you seen Sharp Objects? One of HBO’s first big name miniseries, the 2018 adaptation of the Gillian Flynn novel really holds up. Starring Amy Adams and Patricia Clarkson, the 2018 series follows an emotionally unwell reporter who returns to her southern hometown to investigate the mysterious murders of two young girls. The series is dark and twisty, sexy and suspenseful, and a great vessel for some of our most loved actresses.
Telemarketers
This new true-crime docuseries details the rise of the sinister telemarketing industry from the eyes (and home videos) of two employees at a sketchy New Jersey call center. Produced by the Safdie brothers, Telemarketers unveils the truth of certain “charities” who claim to raise money for police forces and firemen, but ultimately just pocket the money and move on.
The Last of Us
This is hands down the best adaptation of a video game ever made, not that there are so many of those. The Last of Us takes place in the (not so) far off future in a world ravaged by pandemic, overrun by fungally-infected mushroom zombies. The series stars Pedro Pascal as a hot sad man tasked with protecting an immune teenager, played by Bella Ramsey, and smuggling her across the country in the hopes of creating a vaccine to replicate her immunity. All nine episodes are Emmy-worthy, but special flowers to episode three, titled “Long, Long Time” and starring Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett. IYKYK.
Watchmen
HBO doesn’t often venture into the superhero space, but when it does, it does so well. Watchmen stars Regina King as an underground detective forced to conceal her identity from a powerful group of white supremacists who have taken over the city of Tulsa. The series comes from the 1986 DC Comics series of the same name and tackles such issues as vigilantism and, obviously, racism.
We’re Here
In the era of nonsensical drag bans and conservative hysteria, We’re Here is basically a PSA. Starring former Drag Race icons Bob the Drag Queen, Shangela, and Eureka O’Hara, the series is like the drag version of Queer Eye, seeing these stars travel to small towns across the country to create one-night-only drag shows for the public good.
The Undoing
Nicole Kidman’s performance in this thrilling, dark, psychologically twisted show is, to be frank, f*cking amazing. And don’t even get me started on her coats! If you’re into gawping at gorgeous New York City real estate, Hugh Grant’s accent, and crimes of passions, you’ll be into The Undoing. I’m not exaggerating when I say I watched all six episodes in less than two days and had several hour-long phone calls with my mom to parse through all the nitty-gritty details. Yeah, it’s that type of show.
Euphoria
Produced by Drake and starring Zendaya, Euphoria will wreck you (in, like, a good way) with its stunningly raw portrait of teenagers in high school overcoming addiction and abuse while navigating sex, love, and friendships—all in a world that is increasingly (and perhaps dangerously) influenced by social media. Zendaya has taken home two Emmy Awards for her performance across the series’ two seasons, with hopes of more in the forthcoming third and final season. Of arguably equal importance, the show forever changed the way we wear makeup.
Succession
Bear with us as we continue to mourn the loss of Succession, a juicy drama about power, money, and family. The series follows various members of the Roy dynasty, owners of a global media and entertainment conglomerate, as they attempt to joust for the top corporate spot that their father will eventually vacate. Come for the sibling rivalry on steroids, stay for Kieran Culkin being Kieran Culkin.
Silicon Valley
This hilarious comedy series follows a group of socially awkward, smart-as-hell coding geniuses as they work to build their own company and avoid selling to one of the eager business tycoons sniffing around for their next trillion-dollar investment. It’s a satire and a parody, but thanks to co-creator Mike Judge’s real-life experience in the industry, the show is more than a little spot-on. I mean, even the O.G. Silicon Valley hot-shot Bill Gates says the HBO series “gets the tech industry just right.”
Chernobyl
You probably learned about the 1986 accident at Ukraine’s Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in A.P. history, but it’s worth brushing up on. The massive explosion, one of the worst man-made catastrophes in history, released radioactive material across eastern and western Europe. The miniseries earned ten Emmys and two Golden Globes for its depiction of the tragic events.
Insecure
Cosmo cover star Issa Rae keeps it real in Insecure, a show that’ll make you laugh/pee one minute and hit you hard in your existential feels the next. In Insecure, Issa (the star *and* executive producer) explores what it means to really grow up—in your career, your relationship, your friendships, and more. Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.
True Detective
The True Detective series go deep into convoluted criminal investigations and the detectives who devote their lives to solving them. Each season introduces a new cast of characters and a spine-chilling crime that is so abhorrent, you might need to occasionally close your eyes. Creepy and smart, True Detective is also complicated and complex—it’s honestly hard to write about without giving anything away. So I’ll just say this: Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson star in season one, Colin Farrell and Rachel McAdams star in season two, and Mahershala Ali stars in season three. Intrigued yet?
Sex and the City
Sex and the City wasn’t just a show—it was a cultural phenomenon. Even now, people can’t stop debating whether they’re a Carrie, a Samantha, a Charlotte, or a Miranda…and yes, it’s still totally mind-blowing that Carrie actually got broken up with on a Post-it. After six seasons and two hit movies, this franchise made Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon, and Kristin Davis into icons.
The Sopranos
This long-running series about mobster Tony Soprano (played by the late James Gandolfini), his family, and a life of organized crime ran for six seasons and ended up having such a huge impact on pop culture that people still make references to the show to this day, even though it’s been over since 2007. It scooped up all kinds of Emmy awards and nominations, and that’s just scratching the surface.
Big Love
Before there was Sister Wives on TLC, there was Big Love on HBO. This series, which starred Bill Paxton, Amanda Seyfried, Chloë Sevigny, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Jeannie Tripplehorn, followed the Henrickson family and their plural marriage for five fantastic seasons. It was nominated for both Emmys and Golden Globes, and the cast garnered tons of critical acclaim, as well.
Girls
Lena Dunham’s series about four friends living in New York City and trying to survive their independent adult lives for the first time definitely made its mark on pop culture—and it gave us talents like Adam Driver and Allison Williams. Anyone who’s ever experienced how deep and intense female friendship can be will relate to Hannah, Marnie, Shosh, and Jessa.
Big Little Lies
Starring Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Reese Witherspoon, Zoë Kravitz, and Laura Dern, Big Little Lies delivers a delicious mystery surrounding an incident at a private school in an affluent California neighborhood…and a murder that led to some pretty scary consequences. Based on Liane Moriarty’s novel of the same name, Big Little Lies also had a (somewhat controversial) second season, in which the one and only Meryl Streep played Nicole Kidman’s mother-in-law.
Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones is another one of those shows that falls under the “cultural phenomenon” category…even if fans were seriously pissed at the way it all ended. Still, this series about George R. R. Martin’s best-selling fantasy novels was just about all anyone could talk about for the entire 8-season, 73-episode series run.
The Wire
Let’s add another crime drama to the list, because it’s obviously something that HBO does very well. Over the course of five seasons, The Wire takes viewers into different parts of Baltimore, showing life from the perspective of both criminals and law enforcement.
Veep
Starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer, the vice president of the United States, Veep was a political comedy that ran for seven seasons. It managed to create one of the most unforgettable characters in HBO history, and anyone who wants to ignore the political reality of the U.S. as it stands today should give this one a try.
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Words fall short when attempting to describe the greatness that is Curb Your Enthusiasm. Capturing the absurdity that is Larry David, the Seinfeld writer and co-creator, the show is satirical gold. David plays an exaggerated caricature of himself as a retired TV writer causing a ruckus in Hollywood. But just how fictional is it? Rumor has it that on-screen Larry David is not so different than off-screen Larry David. Oy vey. Curb continues to claim its spot as one of the best and most popular shows of all time, even 20 years after it premiered. You could say that it’s pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good.
Westworld
This series (starring Evan Rachel Wood) is based on a dystopian theme park from the future that relies on androids and a whole lot of technology we hope never actually exists in the real world, because, scary. Both deeply violent and deeply sexy, you’ll sprint through all three seasons.
Courtney Young is a freelance writer covering all things entertainment and pop culture, having previously written for Betches, Mic, and The Cut. Her Real Housewives locale of choice is New Jersey, her emotional support show is Girls, and her toxic trait is romanticizing mafia culture. You can follow her on Instagram @courtneyyoungg.
Hunter Levitan is a freelance journalist specializing in fashion, style, culture, sex, and wellness stories, as well as a writer/poet, photographer, and mixed media brand consultant. Her work has appeared in Who What Wear, Cosmopolitan, Women’s Health Magazine, and The Improper Bostonian, among others. She is a graduate of New York University and lives in New York City.
Nicole Pomarico is an entertainment writer who’s obsessed with Kate Middleton, Chrissy Teigen, and takes Riverdale way too seriously. When she’s not writing, she’s spending all of her money at Disney World.
