32 Best Shows On HBO Max Right Now

"It's not TV. It's HBO," is the slogan the company debuted 30 years ago when it began testing the water as a premium cable network. HBO quickly became known for its quality, and for daring to showcase visuals and storylines never before seen on television.

Since then, HBO has been through many streaming and corporate iterations, and is now a part of Warner Bros. Discovery, which is being circled for a takeover by Paramount and Netflix. Yet while HBO Max's offerings have grown to include many titles beyond HBO originals, its current impressive library proves that shows under the HBO name remain tied to quality.

Oz

1997-2003

HBO's first original one-hour drama, Oz came out of the gate with what would become the brand's signature graphic sex and violence. The show follows the inmates in an experimental wing ("Em City") of the Oswald State Correctional Facility. For anyone ready for an even darker Orange Is the New Black, Oz is your next show.

I Love LA

2025-Present

Rachel Sennott's Girls replacement may just take the cake as the superior modern comedy about 20-somethings in the city. The show's friend group, mostly working in the influencer industry, proves that today's young people can be depicted as scrappy without being entitled and relatable without being reduced to stereotypes.

The Righteous Gemstones

2019-2025

There's nothing quite like The Righteous Gemstones, which is equal parts wacky, funny, and surprisingly earnest. The series following the Gemstone family's megachurch empire reached a well-received conclusion in 2025, and both the third and final fourth seasons are sitting at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Sex And The City

1998-2004

Through Sex and the City, HBO proclaimed that messy female-led stories have just as much of a place in prestige TV as male-driven action shows. Premiering a year before The Sopranos, the endearingly chaotic love lives of Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha proved to be one of HBO's first fixtures that would withstand the test of time.

IT: Welcome To Derry

2025-Present

The prequel story based on Stephen King's hit novel is surprisingly necessary. King's original IT story is ripe with history and lore that weren't explored in the films, though fans of the most recent feature adaptations will appreciate the on and off-screen consistency as creative leads Andy and Barbara Muschietti and Pennywise's Bill Skarsgård reprise their respective roles.

Rick And Morty

2013-Present

Rick and Morty proves that adult animation is more than meets the eye. Depending on how intently you choose to watch it, Rick and Morty's interdimensional escapades can either be lighthearted fun or a stark look into the vastness of the universe. To top it off, the show also has one of TV's best title sequences, adult animation and beyond.

The Sopranos

1999-2007

The Sopranos is synonymous with HBO — and with quality — for good reason. James Gandolfini's performance as Tony Soprano is in a class of its own, as is the story built around him. The juxtaposition between domestic suburban life, complete with a psychiatrist, and the gruesome opulence of mob life makes the viewer oddly complicit in The Sropanos' murky ethics.

Hacks

2021-Present

Hacks' Ava and Deborah are a duo that truly resonate across generations. The hardworking Baby Boomer comedian and her Gen Z writer's assistant gracefully (and hilariously) demonstrate everything both women can learn from each other. Where Reboot suffered from cheesiness, Hacks finds genuine heart and memorable characters.

The West Wing

1999-2006

Warm, idealistic, funny, and challenging, The West Wing is the quintessential political drama. Currently residing on both Netflix and HBO Max, there's never been a better time to watch Aaron Sorkin's most successful series. Separating itself from nearly every other fictional Presidency, the Bartlett administration is a refreshing revitalization of hope, ambition, and integrity.

The Newsroom

2012-2014

This 2012 drama focusing on the journalism industry put Aaron Sorkin's signature style in a modern, unrestrained setting. The show was unique in its premise — set in the recent past, the staff of a fictional news network cover real-life stories from the years leading up to the show's release. It's a memorable show; the pilot's opening monologue went viral, both in The Newsroom's world and in ours.

Friends

1994-2004

The enduring popularity of Friends is no fluke. The characters are almost absurdly quirky — a masseuse/amateur musician, a thrice-divorced paleontologist, and an average corporate Joe with serious childhood trauma, for starters — but their specificity is what makes them memorable and lovable. An episode of Friends feels like inviting your own into your living room.

Six Feet Under

2001-2005

Six Feet Under is another early HBO original that cements the brand's focus on quality over any one tone, format, or genre. The show, following a family-run funeral home, is wholly unique in its unusual style. A procedural funeral-of-the-week structure blends with serialized character development and moments of surrealism to turn its somber subject matter into a celebration of life.

White House Plumbers

2023

This 5-episode limited series didn't get nearly enough attention. Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux are pitch-perfect in their buffoonery as they depict two of the real-life figures behind the Watergate scandal. White House Plumbers strikes a unique tone as it succeeds in satirizing the event without trivializing its implications.

Euphoria

2019-Present

This spectacle of a show will finally be returning for its long-awaited third season in April 2026. Euphoria has its ups and downs, but Zendaya's performance as Rue, without question, makes the show worth watching. Rue's struggles with mental health and addiction are heart-wrenchingly displayed, giving the series an undeniable level of importance despite its other, flashier storylines.

Barry

2018-2023

When military-grade hit man Barry tails a target to an acting class and decides that he, too, wants a career in Hollywood, it's as zany and jarring as it sounds. The juxtaposition of Barry's two lives serves to highlight both the dishonesty in the acting world and the humanity in the mob world, making a commentary on each that couldn't be told without the other.

Heated Rivalry

2025-Present

The hockey-rivals-turned-lovers saga has proven to be a smash-hit acquisition for HBO Max. While the Canadian series automatically speaks to fans of the novels it was based on, Heated Rivalry's reach has transcended its romance demographic through genuinely strong writing and performances from leads Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie.

The Wire

2002-2008

The Wire strives for accuracy in its depiction of the Baltimore police and crime scenes to the point of being the television equivalent of a photo-realistic painting. On both sides of the law, the show's characters are meticulously detailed, giving them a depth and humanity that paints a raw, honest picture of the city's law enforcement landscape.

The Pitt

2025-Present

Similarly praised for its hyperrealism, The Pitt swept the 2025 Emmys. The show successfully employs a 24-esque real-time format, allowing the audience to vicariously experience the characters' grueling 15-hour workday in the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center. Now's the time to catch up on season 1 — The Pitt returns for season 2 on Thursday, January 8th.

The Leftovers

2014-2017

The Leftovers unpacks the fallout of an inexplicable event: in an instant, 2% of the world's population disappeared into thin air, seemingly at random. It's a bold premise led by one of the creators of Lost, but The Leftovers sticks the landing. In addition to a stunning beginning and middle, the series has one of the best finales of all time.

Game Of Thrones

2011-2019

The sheer scope of the Game of Thrones world would be nearly impossible to digest if it weren't for the show's magnetic writing and character work. Amazingly, the adaptation of George R.R. Martin's series of novels is as relevant as ever — a second prequel, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, is set to premiere this year.

Big Little Lies

2017-Present

The number of shows that have attempted to imitate Big Little Lies should speak to its significance. The web of secrets and female solidarity that spreads throughout the Monterey community — even after the main murder mystery is resolved — is both gripping and moving. Despite being originally formatted as a limited series, season 3 is currently in development.

Deadwood

2004-2006

Deadwood is notable for its depiction of the real town and residents of late 1800s Deadwood, including figures like Wyatt Earp and Calamity Jane. Yet Deadwood also stands out for its signature visual and writing style, making it simultaneously artistic and historical.

Avenue 5

2020-2022

Avenue 5 is so much funnier than it gets credit for. The show follows the crew and passengers of the titular luxury cruise spaceship, when a planned 8-week voyage is knocked off course, forcing the ship onto a path that will take three years to return to Earth. The inept crew and entitled passengers are all a riot, and Hugh Laurie delivers an underrated performance.

The Last Of Us

2023-Present

This video game adaptation is really a character-driven revenge story with the backdrop of a zombie apocalypse. The moving relationship between Bella Ramsey's Ellie and Pedro Pascal's Joel remains the heartbeat of the show, even after Joel's death, which Ellie spent much of season 2 working to avenge. The cycle of revenge will continue in the upcoming third season.

True Detective

2014-Present

This broody crime anthology follows a new pair of sleuths every season as they investigate a mysterious case and grapple with their pre-existing emotional baggage. Each season brings a new cast, a new story, and new strengths, but Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson's first season is unparalleled.

The Rehearsal

2022-Present

The Rehearsal bends reality as Nathan Fielder creates massive, picture-perfect recreations of real-life scenarios to help real-life people "rehearse" a situation that they're trepidatious about. It's all a bit strange, especially given Fielder's own awkward persona, but it's impossible to look away from. Season 2, with a higher budget and sharper focus, is especially essential viewing.

True Blood

2008-2014

This vampire series — which also features werewolves, fairies, shape-shifters, witches, and more — ran the risk of overwhelming its audience with fantasy fatigue. Yet the show remained grounded through its strong storytelling and down-to-earth characters. The show's endearing lead, Anna Paquin's Sookie Stackhouse, is especially a delight from start to finish.

Sharp Objects

2018

This limited series gives Big Little Lies a run for its money. Sharp Objects is completely saturated in melancholy, a tone true to the Gillian Flynn novel it was based on, in which a troubled journalist returns to her hometown to report on the murders of two young girls. The emotional stakes are perfectly tied to the mystery, giving the story new urgency with every turn.

The White Lotus

2021-Present

This murder mystery anthology is a comedic satire delivered with a straight face. The characters are insistently earnest in their investment in their own personal drama, but the backdrop of privilege at the luxury White Lotus resort and the knowledge that death is on the table elevate the stakes above the guests' trivial preoccupations.

Mad Men

2007-2015

Mad Men painted a nuanced yet accurate portrait of the 1960s. The show's setting of corporate advertising agencies offered a fresh lens through which its characters represented all the flaws, vices, values, and ideologies of the time. Mad Men also offers a unique modern commentary, as its thorough rumination on the '60s highlights the differences of the time, creating an implied juxtaposition.

Somebody Somewhere

2022-2024

Somebody Somewhere is aptly named; it truly is a slice-of-life story. The show primarily follows small-town friends Sam and Joel and their modest Kansas community as they find light in the little things and persevere through life's hardships. Raw in both its joy and its sadness, Somebody Somewhere is a necessary watch.

Succession

2018-2023

Succession manages to make a show about unlikable people incredibly captivating. The wealthy Roy family's fight for power within their media empire is made universally appealing through striking dialogue, coy satire, and even surprising moments of unexpected sympathy. Kieran Culkin, Jeremy Strong, and Sarah Snook bring a caliber of performance that elevates the show to a timeless title in HBO Max's library.