HBO Max may not have the shine it once did, but the streaming service (previously just Max) is still home to some of the best TV shows of the past 25 years, from The Sopranos and The Wire to Game of Thrones and The Leftovers.
Whether you’re a longtime fan of the “it’s not TV” cable network or a HBO Max newbie trying to figure out where to start, the shows below should give you plenty upon which to feast your eyes.
Looking for more recommendations? Head to WIRED’s guide to the best TV shows on Netflix, the best TV shows on Amazon Prime, the best TV shows on Disney+, and the best TV shows on Hulu.
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It: Welcome to Derry
It director Andy Muschietti returns to the place where Stephen King’s clown killer was born in this ’60s-set prequel series that doles out Pennywise’s origins in hour-long doses. Bill Skarsgård is also back as both the sewer-dwelling horror icon and an executive producer on the show, which mixes the terror that fans have come to expect from the movies with well-executed period details. All of which amounts to an unexpected take on the genre—and one that should have coulrophobes running for the door.
The Chair Company
I Think You Should Leave cocreators Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin have teamed up yet again to showcase their brilliantly unhinged brand of comedy. In this case, Robinson stars as Ron Trosper, a father, husband, and regular corporate wonk who suffers a very public embarrassment at work. Rather than brush it off, Trosper becomes convinced that he’s a victim and eventually finds himself caught up in a truly bizarre conspiracy theory. The less you know going in the better. But if you’re a fan of the wildly uncomfortable characters Robinson is known for, The Chair Company takes it to the next level.
Task
Mare of Easttown creator Brad Ingelsby returns to HBO with a new crime-drama miniseries, this time swapping out Oscar winner Kate Winslet for Oscar winner Mark Ruffalo. Here the Hulk actor plays Tom Brandis, a Catholic priest turned FBI agent who is reeling from a family tragedy. But duty calls, and Brandis has a job to do, which ultimately sees his life colliding with that of Robbie Prendergrast (Ozark’s Tom Pelphrey), a trash collector by day who spends his nights robbing a local drug gang’s trap houses in the Philly suburbs. Like Mare of Easttown, expect lots of dropped Rs and plenty of Wawa references.
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