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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The Gilded Age
While it hasn’t made quite the splash that Downton Abbey did, Julian Fellowes’ latest period piece is just as decadent—and really came into its own with its second season. In this case, the drama moves stateside to document the struggle between New York City’s old-money aristocrats and the vulgar new-money types attempting to infiltrate their social circles. There’s also plenty of the Upstairs, Downstairs–type drama that Fellowes is known for, with the servants who cater to Manhattan’s elite playing a big part of the story here too. Somewhere in the middle of it all is Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson, Meryl Streep's youngest child), a young woman attempting to navigate a world she only belongs to by proxy. Christine Baranski, Carrie Coon, and Cynthia Nixon lead a stellar cast. Its third season, which premiered on June 22, is getting some of the series’ strongest reviews.
Duster
Fifteen years after Lost said goodbye, J.J. Abrams and Josh Holloway have re-teamed for the 1970s-set action-crime-comedy about a top-notch getaway driver (Holloway) who partners with the FBI’s first Black woman agent (Rachel Hilson) to take down a notorious crime boss (the always-pitch-perfect Keith David). With its quirky mix of genres, distinctly ’70s look, and unmistakable sense of humor, Duster feels a bit like what Quentin Tarantino might do as a TV showrunner.
The Mortician
HBO delivered one of its most iconic series in the mid-2000s with the family funeral home-set Six Feet Under. The Mortician is essentially the flip side of that critically acclaimed drama: It’s a three-part docuseries that explores the disturbing story of the Lamb Funeral Home, a real-life Los Angeles business that made headlines in the 1980s when it was revealed that its new owner, David Sconce, was engaging in reprehensible practices that seemed to value profit over human life. Years later, and after spending more than a decade in prison on two separate occasions (the second time for violating his parole), Sconce sits down to speak about his crimes, and still seems unmoved by the emotional damage he has caused.
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