The Best Shows on HBO Max Right Now (December 2023)

Good shows on HBO are plentiful — even great ones aren’t hard to come by. The platform has earned its prestige TV distinction, and its streaming service has the luxury of housing classic favorites like Friends alongside more recent Emmy-winning masterpieces like Succession and The White Lotus. There’s a lot of excellent content to choose from: Here’s our list of the best shows on HBO Max to help you get started.

For more recommendations, check out our list of the best movies on HBO, the best drama movies on HBO, and the best horror movies on HBO.

Editor’s Note: This article was updated December 8th to include Lovecraft County.

Lovecraft County

Rotten Tomatoes: 88% | IMDb: 7.1/10

Read Our Review

Created by Misha Green and based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Matt Ruff, Lovecraft Country is set in the 1950s and follows Atticus “Tic” Freeman (Jonathan Majors), a young African-American man and avid sci-fi fan. After receiving a letter from his missing father, Montrose (Michael K. Williams), Tic, along with his uncle George (Courtney B. Vance) and friend Letitia “Leti” Lewis (Jurnee Smollett), embarks on a road trip to find him. As they travel across the racially segregated United States, encountering both overt and supernatural racism, the group discovers that Lovecraftian horrors from the world of H.P. Lovecraft’s fiction are not the only threats they face.

Even though HBO canceled the show after just one season, Lovecraft Country stands as a perfect example of what can be accomplished when one embraces the limitless potential that comes with diversity. It’s not only a grand, fantastical, and pulpy horror series, but at every moment, it remains rooted in recognizable experiences and genuine emotions. Additionally, Majors delivers an outstanding performance, seamlessly blending statuesque physicality with an emotive and expressive face. His portrayal adds depth to a role that could easily veer into cartoonish fantasy. – Jessie Nguyen

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Scenes from a Marriage

Rotten Tomatoes: 83% | IMDb: 8.1/10

Scenes from a Marriage is a miniseries that originally aired in 1973 on Swedish television and gained international acclaim for its insightful exploration of the complexities of marital relationships. In 2021, an English-language adaptation of the same name was released on HBO starring Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac. The series follows the evolving relationship between Jonathan and Mira over several years, with the narrative divided into five episodes, each depicting crucial moments in their marriage.

While the 2021 version of Scenes From a Marriage might be seen as an unnecessary remake, the stellar performances of Chastain and Isaac elevate it to a point where it feels indispensable. The success of the show hinges on the exceptional chemistry and masterful performances of the leading couple, who flawlessly deliver poignant and charged dialogue as the marriage begins to unravel. While this isn’t a novel theme to delve into, the series remains an intelligent and insightful examination of modern relationships. With potent dialogue and meticulously crafted characters, it stands as a compelling rival to Marriage Story in terms of raw emotive power and evokes shades of Closer for its painful, unspoken truths. – Jessie Nguyen

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Six Feet Under

Rotten Tomatoes: 81% | IMDb: 8.7/10

Created by Alan Ball, Six Feet Under revolves around the Fisher family, who owns and operates Fisher & Sons Funeral Home in Los Angeles. The patriarch of the family, Nathaniel Fisher Sr. (Richard Jenkins), dies in a tragic accident, and his death sets the stage for the unfolding narrative. Each episode typically begins with a death, often unrelated to the Fisher family, and explores the impact of mortality on the characters’ lives.

Six Feet Under boasts numerous commendable aspects, such as outstanding performances, skillful direction, and inventive storytelling that incorporates various techniques, including dream sequences and parody commercials. The characters in the show experience substantial growth and confront authentic challenges, rendering them relatable and captivating. Furthermore, despite the seemingly somber subject matter, the show effectively engenders a sense of inclusivity, enveloping viewers in a universal narrative and emotions as they navigate grief and life after the loss of loved ones. Six Feet Under also promptly establishes its comprehension of loss by depicting the distinct initial reactions of each family member. Additionally, what’s remarkable about Six Feet Under is how the audience’s perception of it can shift depending on their life stage. – Jessie Nguyen

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Chernobyl

Rotten Tomatoes: 95% | IMDb: 9.3/10

Read Our Review Jessie Buckley (Women Talking) and Jared Harris (Foundation) star in Chernobyl, a dramatic miniseries based on the horrific explosion of a nuclear power plant in 1986 in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Chernobyl is a captivating historical drama created by Craig Mazin (The Last of Us) revolving around the disaster and clean-up effort, shining a light on a catastrophe that occurred not too long ago. Praised for delicate authenticity, Chornobyl handled the story of one of the world’s worst man-made accidents with care by focusing on both the humanity and reality of the situation. “Chernobyl is a series where you will have to remind yourself to unclench your jaw and un-tense your shoulders while watching it,” says critic Allison Keene. “It is heartbreaking and intense…but it’s also necessary.” – Yael Tygiel

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Telemarketers

Rotten Tomatoes: 96% | IMDb: 7.4/10

Read Our Review An unexpectedly captivating true crime documentary series, Telemarketers is a three-part comedic reveal of two unlikely heroes, Adam Bhala Lough and Sam Lipman-Stern, who spent 20 years documenting shady scams behind the telemarketing industry. Telemarketers is produced by Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie, and Danny McBride, along with Lough and Lipman-Stern, whose journey begins with frivolous employment, leading them to become investigative whistleblowers. Throughout the bizarre story, Telemarketers shares the truly wild, dark realities of capitalism, resulting in a weird merger of McMillions and Tiger King — especially with the use of personal footage from the stars’ workplace. – Yael Tygiel

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Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 8.9/10

Spinning off from the long-running animated series Adventure Time, Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake brings an alternate universe version of the original main characters to the screen for an exciting and vivid new series that further uncovers the rich Adventure Time mythology. Co-starring Madeleine Martin as the voice of Fionna and Roz Ryan voicing Cake, Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake is ten episodes of colorful shenanigans assisted by former Ice King Simon Petrikov (Tom Kenny). While Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake focuses on Fionna’s journey of self-discovery, the series also playfully welcomes beloved characters like Marceline the Vampire Queen and Princess Bubblegum, among others. – Yael Tygiel

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Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty

Rotten Tomatoes: 83% | IMDb: 8.3/10

Read Our Review Inspired by a book about Magic Johnson and the LA Lakers, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty is a fictional interpretation of events taking place in the world of basketball in Los Angeles during the early 1980s. Co-created by Max Borenstein and Jim Hecht, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty stars John C. Reilly as Jerry Buss, owner of the Lakers, with Quincy Isaiah as Magic Johnson. Although garnering criticism for inaccuracies, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty is able to entertain and provide context for a pivotal moment in NBA history. – Yael Tygiel

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A Black Lady Sketch Show

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 7.5/10

Read Our Review Comedian and actress Robin Thede (The Queen Latifah Show) has gathered some of the funniest Black women in show business to create a hilarious sketch show that’s unabashedly for the culture. The show is excellent at lampooning the unique experience of being a Black woman in America while acting out gut-busting situations that everyone can enjoy. The humor is the perfect combination of absurd, witty, and thought-provoking that’s only enhanced by some of the best wig and costume work in the business. Plus, the show has a plethora of guest stars like Nicole Byer (Grand Crew), Laverne Cox (Orange Is the New Black), and Loretta Devine (Grey’s Anatomy) that bring their own flavor to an already spicy comedy show. – Tauri Miller

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Pushing Daisies

Rotten Tomatoes: 96% | IMDb: 8.4/10

Created by Bryan Fuller (Star Trek: Discovery), Pushing Daisies is a whimsical fantasy crime comedy about a humble pie maker who uses his ability to temporarily bring the dead back to life to help solve murder cases. Lee Pace (Halt and Catch Fire) stars as the magical pie maker alongside Anna Friel (Limitless) as his formerly dead beloved, whom he can never touch lest she drops dead on the spot. The show has the aesthetic and narrative style of a fairytale — every frame is steeped in vibrant colors, and the costuming has a distinctly retro vibe that makes the show feel timeless. This highly acclaimed series is a light and bouncy watch that everyone should enjoy at least once.

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Somebody Somewhere

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 8.1/10

Somebody Somewhere is a semi-autobiographical drama inspired by the real life of actress, singer, and comedian Bridget Everett, who takes on the lead role. Everett plays Sam, a midwestern woman who moves back to Manhattan, Kansas, to take care of her sister shortly before she passes away. The show is a wonderful depiction of the ways grief can strip us of who we are and is an uplifting story about the journey of getting through to the other side. And that’s just season one. Now that the second season has been released, audiences get to spend more time with these quirky hometown characters, who feel as real as your very own neighbors, as Sam slowly finds community.

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Succession

Rotten Tomatoes: 95% | IMDb: 8.9/10

Read Our Review Every single character on Succession is a five-alarm trash factory in their own unique way and you will come to love them like your own family. Jesse Armstrong’s one-percenter dark comedy follows the uber-rich Roy family and their business empire Waystar Royco. When patriarch Logan Roy (Brian Cox, wielding the phrase “fuck off” like a baseball bat) falls ill, various vultures start to circle, including Logan’s scheming children Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Shiv (Sarah Snook), and Roman (Kieran Culkin). After a (literally) shaky first episode, this show blasts off and never looks back, morphing into a backstab-filled delight that’s produced more quotable lines than most straight comedies. The entire cast is next level. The writing is sharp enough to draw blood. Nicholas Braun is at least 9 feet tall. Out of all the originals to hit HBO in the last few years, Succession is one of the best. Critic Samantha Coley raved about the show’s final season, saying that it tells “a more cohesive story than ever before, with all the threads weaving together quite nicely. The result is a season that is even more engaging than its predecessors, leaving you hanging on every word of snappy dialogue.” – Vinnie Mancuso

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Barry

Rotten Tomatoes: 98% | IMDb: 8.4/10

Read Our Review It’s a premise that’s just so ludicrous that it could almost be an SNL sketch in and of itself — but Bill Hader’s half-hour scripted series manages to be part-comedy, part-drama, part-action thriller without losing grip on any of its impressive ingredients. The comedian and actor stars as Barry Berkman, a successful (one might say almost too successful) hitman who doesn’t realize that his heart truly lies on the stage — but becoming an actor isn’t as easy as it sounds, and not just because the audition circuit can be brutal. Barry has to not only contend with the people in his everyday life, like his girlfriend Sally (Goldberg) and his acting teacher Gene Cousineau (Winkler), but he’s also facing off with the continuing criminal element he can’t shake, from his associate Fuches (Root) to aspiring mafia lead NoHo Hank (Carrigan). In Season 2, which promises to be even more of a thrill ride than before, Barry’s life continues to unspool as threats from his past start to be unearthed. Maybe normal is just a pipe dream after all when you’re hired to kill people for a living. “Barry never stopped adding layers to its sitcom-y ‘hitman wants to switch jobs and become an actor’ premise,” said critic Robert Brian Taylor in his review of the final season. “It piled on enough thrills to compete with the best crime dramas TV has to offer and still found time to thoroughly examine the human condition.” – Carly Lane

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Gentleman Jack

Rotten Tomatoes: 92% | IMDb: 8.2/10

Read Our Review Based on the real-life journals of Anne Lister, the HBO series Gentleman Jack follows the struggles, misadventures, and triumphs of a fictionalized version of the woman (Suranne Jones) as she strives to take care of her family’s estate in Halifax known as Shibden Hall (where the show actually filmed for its first and upcoming second season). Lister, who was regarded as somewhat peculiar in life, lived semi-openly as a lesbian and pursued romantic relationships with many women in her lifetime, but Gentleman Jack picks up right before she meets the woman who would become her wife in all but under the law, Ann Walker (Rundle). Their road to love is rocky and tumultuous but ultimately triumphant, and Season 2 picks up with the two of them trying to adjust to the circumstances of their new relationship — as Anne also makes attempts to win over Ann’s disapproving family and help her wife assert herself and her needs. Plus, the moments when the series breaks the fourth wall are as delightful as they are powerful. – Carly Lane

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Our Flag Means Death

Rotten Tomatoes: 94% | IMDb: 7.8/10

Read Our Review With Our Flag Means Death, pirates have officially become cool again — but maybe not in the way anyone could have predicted. It’s not entirely accurate to say that this series is “What We Do in the Shadows, only pirates,” but having Rhys Darby and Taika Waititi on-screen together again is always going to be a combination that produces comedic treasure. What differentiates this show from anything they’ve done together before, however, isn’t just an avoidance of the mockumentary format; it’s a workplace comedy, set on a ship with a crew that thinks they’re going to be the best plunderers on the open sea, led by an absolutely inane captain in Stede Bonnet (Darby) — who, coincidentally, was based on a real pirate from history. When Bonnet inevitably crosses paths with the infamous Blackbeard (Waititi, rocking the hell out of a leather jacket and epic facial hair), the two realize that theirs might actually be a dynamic of friendship rather than foes from the jump. – Carly Lane

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Perry Mason

Rotten Tomatoes: 79% | IMDb: 7.6/10

Read Our Review An origin story, Perry Mason stars Matthew Rhys (Cocaine Bear) in the titular role of the iconic defense attorney. Focusing not only on Mason’s struggles as an indigent and melancholy man, the crime drama series also shrewdly emphasizes the inequalities of prosperous Los Angeles during the United States’ recovery from the Great Depression. Created by Rolin Jones and Ron Fitzgerald, the prequel series explores a fascinating time period while revealing the life of the famous lawyer during his time as a private investigator. Co-starring Juliet Rylance and Shea Whigham, as well as featuring Tatiana Maslany (She-Hulk: Attorney at Law) and John Lithgow, Perry Mason is a thrilling mystery. – Yael Tygiel

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Rain Dogs

Rotten Tomatoes: 93% | IMDb: 7.0/10

Read Our Review Created by Cash Carraway, Rain Dogs is a touching dark comedy series from the UK. Rain Dogs follows a blunt-mannered yet devoted single mother, played charmingly by Daisy May Cooper, who — with her mood-swinging adolescent daughter (Fleur Tashjian) — is just struggling to make ends meet. Along with the mother-daughter duo are their friends and supporters, Selby (Jack Farthing) and Gloria (Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo). Together, this unconventional family fights for each other, bringing joy and happiness to their dysfunctional lives. With a moving message and absurdly relatable circumstances, Rain Dogs is an exceptional delight. – Yael Tygiel

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Sex and the City

Rotten Tomatoes: 70% | IMDb: 7.3/10

Created by Darren Star (Emily in Paris), who was inspired by Candace Bushnell’s book, Sex and the City is an iconic series that defined a generation. Set against the glamorous backdrop of turn-of-the-millennium Manhattan and starring Sarah Jessica Parker (Hocus Pocus), Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, and Cynthia Nixon, Sex and the City introduced the world to four single friends in their 30s and their adventures in dating. Although many older episodes don’t hold up to being viewed with a modern eye, Sex and the City undeniably allowed audiences to openly discuss sex and relationships through a comical, albeit narrow, lens. – Yael Tygiel

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The Staircase

Rotten Tomatoes: 92% | IMDb: 7.1/10

Read Our Review It was a ripped-from-the-headlines story that flew under the radar of public consciousness when it first occurred: novelist and aspiring local politician Michael Peterson discovered his wife Kathleen lying at the bottom of the stairs in their Durham home. Theories swirled around the possible culprit or cause of her death, some of them seeming as improbable as they were outlandish at the time. The new HBO miniseries doesn’t attempt to take a page straight from the award-winning documentary by Lestrade; it incorporates it into the narrative, with the director becoming a character himself in the engrossing story that also includes Colin Firth disappearing into the role of Michael Peterson and Toni Collette infusing Kathleen Peterson with a striking amount of depth and humanity prior to her death. This series doesn’t just make for a good pairing with the original documentary, though; it demands a tandem viewing. – Carly Lane

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The Last of Us

Rotten Tomatoes: 96% | IMDb: 8.8/10

Read Our Review Based on the successful video game and created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic drama about a hardened smuggler and a teenage girl. The Last of Us follows these unlikely allies as they journey across what is left of the United States. Starring Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian) as Joel and Bella Ramsey (Catherine Called Birdy) as Ellie, The Last of Us reveals that young Ellie might be the key to survival, as she’s immune to the deadly fungal infection which turns people into ruthless, bloodthirsty killers. Also featuring Gabriel Luna, Merle Dandridge, and Anna Torv, The Last of Us is a heart-pumping adventure wrapped in gritty scenescapes and graphic violence. “The Last of Us is a phenomenal retelling of a story that was already one of the best narratives ever told in a video game,” raves critic Ross Bonaime. “Druckmann and Mazin have taken this unforgettable story and made it richer and more impactful, letting us live with these characters and this world in a way that we couldn’t in the game. The Last of Us is a monumental success, and in this universe of incredible darkness, Mazin and Druckmann show us the light that makes this story so powerful.” – Yael Tygiel

Watch on HBO