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Seasons come and go, but there’s always room for new television shows to debut throughout the year. Can you imagine having to wait until the fall or the middle of the season to see something new? However, with the advent of the streaming age, you won’t have to wait long. HBO Max excels in this area, offering a variety of original programming not available on regular HBO. There are also a lot of TV shows from other networks and even other countries to expand the series library. Some of them, such as Doctor Who and Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s original version of The Office, are now available on HBO Max as a result of a deal struck between Warner and the BBC. Some of them, such as Friends and Pretty Little Liars, you may not have realized were owned by Warner Bros. due to the way network and studio deals work. In a nutshell, HBO Max has a tonne of great TV shows to watch. Check out our latest picks for the best shows on HBO Max right now if you’re looking for something to watch.
If you have HBO Max, here are over 15 of the best shows you can watch on the service right now, with a special focus on HBO originals that have helped the network win many, many awards during its long history. In the future, there will be a lot more classic shows that will be on the service, as well as a lot of new shows that will hopefully be done in time to join this list.
Peacemaker:
Year: 2022
Creator: James Gunn
Cast: John Cena, Danielle Brooks, Freddie Stroma, Chukwudi Iwuji, Jennifer Holland, Steve Agee, Robert Patrick, Annie Chang, Lochlyn Munro, Dee Bradley Baker, Elizabeth Faith Ludlow
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy
Runtime: 40m
IMDB: 8.4/10
Synopsis
Peacemaker is about as far from superheroes as you can get without being on the top of the list of the best ones. And yet, the Peacemaker series is one of the best DC-themed shows of the last few years. John Cena reprises his role as Peacemaker/Christopher Smith from James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. Gunn also came back to make this show for Cena. During the series, Peacemaker learns that he can no longer kill very easily. At the same time, his skills are needed to save the world from a very unusual threat. This is how it works: Even though this show has a lot of great comedy and action, there are also a lot of heartfelt scenes in there. But be warned: This series is not for kids.
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Fringe:
Year: 2008
Creator: J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci
Cast: Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, Jasika Nicole, John Noble, Lance Reddick
Genre: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Drama, Mystery
Runtime: 46m
IMDB: 8.5/10
Synopsis
Is The X-Files too tame? If so, you should watch Fringe. When Olivia Dunham, an FBI agent, investigates the strange and unusual cases with Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble) and his estranged son, Peter Bishop, this sci-fi procedural has a very good storyline and is very well made. Fringe is mostly about single-episode stories, but it also has season-long arcs about parallel universes, psychic abilities, and even a quest to save the future. It also has an ending that makes sense at the end of its five-season run.
The Gilded Age:
Year: 2022
Creator: Julian Fellowes
Cast: Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Denée Benton, Louisa Jacobson, Taissa Farmiga, Audra McDonald, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Michael Cerveris, Blake Ritson, Simon Jones, Harry Richardson, Thomas Cocquerel, Jack Gilpin, Katie Finneran, Kelli O’Hara
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 1h21m
IMDB: 8.1/10
Synopsis
You don’t have to look any further than Julian Fellowes’ first post-Downton Abbey series, which was originally meant to be a prequel to the show about Lord and Lady Crawley but then took off on its own, becoming one of the most popular shows of all time. There was a long premiere this month, but when you look at the group of legends above, it’s almost like you have to go on a journey. Is a lot like Fellowes’ other shows, but it also focuses on a very specific time in American history and how the wealthy families who lived in Manhattan built up their wealth. A lot of the story gets a lot darker as you go along. Even though the show might take a while to find its rhythm, you can’t go wrong with icons like Carrie Coon and Christine Baranski entertaining you for a few hours on an afternoon.
Bunker:
Year: 2022
Creator: Esteban Seimandi
Cast: Bruno Bichir, Miguel Rodarte, Claudette Maillé
Genre: Comedy, Action & Adventure
Runtime: 30m
IMDB: 7.8/10
Synopsis
A show called Bunker is one of HBO Max’s international originals. It stars Bruno Bichir as Vladimiro, a plunger salesman who feels the weight of the world, and his eccentric family, on his shoulders. It’s the only place where he can get some peace and quiet. It’s in the basement of his house. When Vladimiro’s son gets caught up in a criminal plan, Vladimiro’s safe house is no longer his own. And Vladimiro’s life is going to get a lot more complicated soon, too.
Station Eleven:
Year: 2021
Creator: Patrick Somerville
Cast: Mackenzie Davis, Himesh Patel, Daniel Zovatto
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Runtime: 8h27m
IMDB: 7.7/10
Synopsis
HBO Max’s version of Emily St. John Mandel’s “Station Eleven” is different now that the world has been hit by a real disease for almost two years. Many people are killed by a very bad flu during a global pandemic in the miniseries. Years later, Kirsten (Mackenzie Davis) is a member of a traveling theatre group. Unfortunately, the group’s journey is thrown off course by a dangerous cult. The cult comes after Kirsten soon. In this dark story, there are also parts that make you smile. In this dark world, there is still hope.
How To with John Wilson:
Year: 2020
Creator: John Wilson
Cast: John Wilson, Kyle MacLachlan, Niko Nelson, Yanjaa Wintersoul, Ron Low,
Genre: Documentary, Comedy
Runtime: 30m
IMDB: 8.7/10
Synopsis
It’s nearly impossible to summarise How To with John Wilson’s utter hilarity and brilliance in a few words. The docuseries from the self-proclaimed “anxious New Yorker” and filmmaker is not only a beautiful example of daily life in one of the world’s largest and most unpredictable cities, but it also highlights people who most of us would pass by on the street without giving them a second glance. Wilson, on the other hand, does, and it is through his lens that we meet some of the strangest, funniest and surprisingly heartwarming people ever captured in documentary form. Wilson’s series, which is entering its second season on HBO Max, is also set to turn the camera inward for a much more personal exploration of himself and his relationships. If you want to know “How To Put Up Scaffolding” or “How To Cook the Perfect Risotto,” Wilson is the man to ask.
The Flight Attendant:
Year: 2020
Creator: Steve Yockey
Cast: Kaley Cuoco, Zosia Mamet, T.R. Knight, T.R. Knight, Rosie Perez, Griffin Matthews, Yasha Jackson, Audrey Grace Marshall, Deniz Akdeniz
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Mystery
Runtime: 1h27m
IMDB: 7.1/10
Synopsis
In this darkly comedic thriller, Kaley Cuoco takes on the role of Cassie Bowden, a hard-partying flight attendant. On a flight to Bangkok, she meets Alex Sokolov (Michiel Huisman), a handsome first-class passenger, and ends up spending the night with him. Cassie, who is hungover, freaks out and flees when she discovers him murdered in the bed next to her. This puts her in hot water with law enforcement as well as shady business figures.
The Flight Attendant’s zany, fast-paced plot twists make it an easy binge. But it’s the writer’s depth and appealing characters (including Cassie’s BFF Annie, played by Zosia Mamet) that make it one of HBO Max’s best shows.
Game of Thrones:
Year: 2011
Creator: David Benioff, D.B. Weiss
Cast: Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Iain Glen
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Runtime: 57m
IMDB: 9.3/10
Synopsis
Since season one, Game of Thrones has been HBO’s flagship series, and it has been the gritty, racy, edge-of-your-seat series that every sci-fi/fantasy nerd worth his salt needed to see. It’s brutal, scary, thrilling, and funny, and it balances fear, humor, and action in an entirely new way. Dragons, too! “Winter is coming,” with an all-star cast that includes Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Sophie Turner, and Peter Dinklage (to name a few), so strap in and start streaming! However, don’t become too attached to your favorite characters.
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The Wire:
Year: 2002
Creator: David Simon
Cast: Dominic West, John Doman, Deirdre Lovejoy, Wendell Pierce, Lance Reddick, Sonja Sohn, Seth Gilliam, Domenick Lombardozzi
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Runtime: 59m
IMDB: 9.3/10
Synopsis
The Wire is one of the best television shows ever made, according to critics. There are even some universities that provide classes solely devoted to the television series! With its several viewpoints, this multi-perspective crime drama by David Simonis one of the best of its kind. As a result of the war on drugs, taking a stand has never been more important. It’s as complex and detailed as any novel, and it’s all here in this incredible series. Aside from that, it’s very possibly the most quotable show ever.
Watchmen:
Year: 2019
Creator: Damon Lindelof
Cast: Regina King, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Tom Mison, Sara Vickers, Jeremy Irons, Andrew Howard, Louis Gossett Jr., Jean Smart, Tim Blake Nelson
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Runtime: 8h47m
IMDB: 8.2/10
Synopsis
In Alan Moore’s America, Watchmen on HBO Max takes place in the same dark superhero world. It doesn’t matter that the characters on the screen have masks, capes, and flying cars; the point is to make people think about what they think. In Damon Lindelof’s modern masterpiece, you’re sure to get a sense of the gritty, dark feel of DC comic books as well as the DC universe itself. Because it shouldn’t work, but it does. After the events of 2020, it’s even more important.
Chernobyl:
Year: 2019
Creator: Craig Mazin
Cast: Jessie Buckley, Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Adam Nagaitis, Emily Watson, Paul Ritter, Robert Emms, Sam Troughton, Karl Davies, Michael Socha
Genre: Drama, History, Thriller
Runtime: 5h30m
IMDB: 9.4/10
Synopsis
There’s a lot of suspense in this miniseries about the real story of the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown. But it’s not just about one bad thing. It’s about a lot of things. It’s a great look at what happens when a country doesn’t look out for its own people, and how brave it is to stand up against huge odds. This movie was nominated for 19 Emmy Awards and won 10. If you watch the first few scenes, you’ll be hooked, and you can finish the whole miniseries in a few days.
Six Feet Under:
Year: 2001
Creator: Alan Ball
Cast: Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Frances Conroy, Lauren Ambrose, Freddy Rodríguez, Mathew St. Patrick, Rachel Griffiths, Justina Machado, Jeremy Sisto
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Runtime: 1h
IMDB: 8.8/10
Synopsis
The show looks at death through the eyes of the Fisher family, who owns and runs a funeral home in Los Angeles. It’s filled with irony and dark situational humour, but it also makes fun of death. It’s Nate, played by Peter Krause. After his father died, Nate has to become a partner in the funeral home, even though he doesn’t want to.
DARKLY COMIC: This movie is about a dysfunctional LA family that owns and runs a funeral home. When death is what you do, what is your life? It’s still hard for the Fisher family to deal with the world outside their family-owned funeral home. It’s also much more unpredictable than the one inside.
Veep:
Year: 2012
Creator: Armando Iannucci
Cast: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Anna Chlumsky, Tony Hale, Reid Scott, Timothy Simons, Matt Walsh, Gary Cole, Kevin Dunn, Sufe Bradshaw, Sarah Sutherland
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 28m
IMDB: 8.4/10
Synopsis
Veep was well-received and won a lot of awards, including seven nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. It won that award for its fourth, fifth, and sixth seasons. It won the Writers Guild of America Award for TV: Comedy Series for its second, fourth, and sixth seasons. It also won the Television Critics Association Award for Outstanding Comedy Performance for its third season, which was the show’s best season.
“Veep” follows the new vice president as she puts out political fires, balances her public and private lives, and does everything in her power to improve her relationship with the CEO.
The Other Two:
Year: 2019
Creator: Chris Kelly, Sarah Schneider
Cast: Heléne Yorke, Drew Tarver, Ken Marino, Case Walker, Molly Shannon, Josh Segarra, Wanda Sykes, Brandon Scott Jones, Alison Rich
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 30m
IMDB: 7.8/10
Synopsis
HBO Max’s The Other Two has a lot of great comedy and a lot of heart, but it also takes a very hard look at the business of making shows that we spend so much time on. Drew Tarver and Heléne Yorke play Chase’s older siblings. Chase is a Bieber-like teenage pop star who gains instant fame and brings his family along for the ride. Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider, who used to write for SNL, made The Other Two, which is full of jokes in the style of shows like 30 Rock. At its heart, the show is about family, relationships, and ambition, and Molly Shannon, who played their mother Pat, is an award-winning actress.
Miracle Workers:
Year: 2019
Creator: Simon Rich
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Steve Buscemi, Geraldine Viswanathan, Karan Soni, and Jon Bass
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Runtime: 22m
IMDB: 7.1/10
Synopsis
The anthology comedy series Miracle Workers is a real treat, and it’s sure to make you feel better. Each season has a different story and setting, but the same cast. This is how it works: During the first season, Steve Buscemi plays God. Daniel Radcliffe is an angel who is trying to convince God that Earth is still worth saving in the face of almost certain destruction. Season 2 moves the story to the Dark Ages, where Radcliffe plays a spoiled prince and Buscemi plays a servant outside the castle. Season 3 is about the Oregon Trail, which is now on TBS. Through it all, the show has a modern sense of humor and also shows the best in people.
