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Greg is a Lead TV Writer & Critic at Screen Rant who also covers Movies and Music. He's published over 2500 articles at SR, including weekly binge guides and dozens of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. He previously worked in Development at ABC Television & Lawrence Bender Productions.
Greg majored in Film Production at Chapman University's Dodge College. Greg also has years of broadcast TV production experience at major networks such as NBC, TNT, and ESPN. He currently lives in Greater Boston.
Following the 2026 Golden Globes, the top 5 HBO Max series to binge-watch this week, January 12–16, 2026, include several winners and nominees, as well as modern masterpieces that have recently taken home top prizes in television categories.
HBO Max is known for its premium slate of content, including all-time greats like The Sopranos, as well as viral new hits like Heated Rivalry. These five selections represent some of the very best HBO Max has to offer right now, each holding an esteemed rank in TV history.
House Of The Dragon
House of the Dragon is a previous Golden Globe winner for Best TV Series - Drama in 2023, following its acclaimed first season. While season 3 is just months away for its projected Summer 2026 release, a new Game of Thrones prequel series, A Knight of Seven Kingdoms, premieres this Sunday, January 18. What better way to get excited than to binge House of the Dragon this week?
A Knight of Seven Kingdoms exists right in the middle of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon on the franchise timeline, making it a sequel to House of the Dragon. If you're planning on checking out the Seven Kingdoms premiere this weekend, you'll be best prepared by being fully caught up on House of the Dragon, which features outstanding performances by Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D'Arcy, and more.
Succession
Another notable recent past Golden Globe winner is Succession, often deemed one of HBO's true masterpiece series, along with The Wire and Six Feet Under. Blending high-stakes corporate drama with hilarious, at times childish, humor between the four main adult children characters, and of course, extended-family members Tom and Greg, Succession is a one-of-a-kind drama with epic scale and incredible binge-watching value.
Some would say that Succession paved the way for HBO series like Industry, which just dropped its highly anticipated season 4 premiere on Sunday, January 11. Succession had the chops and chemistry to last for at least five seasons, but series creator Jesse Armstrong felt the series was complete with four. With one of the best ensemble casts in a drama series of the 21st century, Succession is essentially required viewing for all HBO Max subscribers.
The White Lotus
The White Lotus season 3 was one of HBO Max's flagship and viral series last year, and was nominated for six 2026 Golden Globes, including Best TV Series - Drama (although some may call it a comedy). It also received individual acting noms for Walton Goggins, Carrie Coon, Parker Posey, Aimee Lou Wood, and Jason Isaacs.
The White Lotus season 3 takes the series to Thailand after season 1 took place in Hawaii and season 2 in Italy. Season 4 is in development and will take place in Saint-Tropez, France. While The White Lotus has been full of surprises in each of its seasons, season 3 had the most shocking moments of the franchise by far, combining a Western sense of excess and materialism with spiritual Eastern tradition.
Whether you're watching the latest season, season 1 starring Sydney Sweeney, or season 2 starring Aubrey Plaza, The White Lotus is also a highly entertaining option for HBO Max subscribers that's well worth re-binge-watching.
Hacks
Another Golden Globes ceremony, another win for Jean Smart, who has now won three Best Actress in a TV Series - Musical or Comedy awards for her performance as Deborah Vance in HBO Max's beloved comedy series Hacks. The series was also nominated for Best TV Series - Musical or Comedy, and Smart's co-star and Emmy winner Hannah Einbinder was nominated for Supporting Actress.
Hacks has succeeded for four seasons on HBO Max with the utmost critical acclaim, landing it a coveted near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 99%. Season 4 took the biggest creative leap in series history after Deborah lands her dream job, shifting the show's main setting from Las Vegas or touring on the road to Los Angeles. For the best comedy writing on HBO Max right now, you won't find many, or any, better options than Hacks.
The Pitt
Unsurprisingly, 2025's Emmy winner for Outstanding Drama Series,The Pitt, took home the top prize at the 2026 Golden Globes, tying a bow on what has been a remarkable awards season for the new HBO Max medical drama. With HBO Max already releasing new season 2 episodes every Thursday, there could not be a better time to binge-watch The Pitt – whether it's the first or the 10th time – than this week.
The Pitt won both of its Golden Globe nominations, including Best Male Actor in Drama Series for Noah Wyle. Between its widespread critical acclaim, its awards season dominance, its adoration from fans, and its #1 trending status on HBO Max's U.S. and global charts, January 2026 is officially the time of The Pitt – the one show on HBO Max right now that simply can't be missed.
If you are still searching for more new and trending streaming options this week, check out Screen Rant's freshly updated TV binge-watching guides for Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV, and Paramount+.
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