52 Of The Best TV Shows To Stream On HBO Max In January
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1.Adventure Time (2010–18)
If you thought this animated adventure series was just for kids, try telling that to its legions of fans spanning all ages. One of the internet’s favorite cartoons (seriously), Adventure Time follows Finn, a 12-year-old boy, and his best friend Jake, a 28-year-old magical dog who changes size and shape as he pleases. The pair lives in the post-apocalyptic land of Ooo, a place ravaged long ago by a nuclear war. In their adventures, they meet a roster of now-pop-culture-beloved characters including the Ice King, BMO (a name that was a strong contender for my dog), Lumpy Space Princess, and, of course, the two halves of the couple “Bubbline,” aka Princess Bubblegum and Marceline. Because it’s about time for the ruler of the Candy Kingdom to have a vampire girlfriend. The original nine seasons of Adventure Time and the anthology-style spinoff Adventure Time: Distant Lands are available to watch on the platform.
Watch it on HBO Max.
2.And Just Like That... (2021)
Look, the first few episodes have been a (rough is an understatement) roller coaster of a reboot, but I don't think that we should let awkward death scenes, Miranda's character 180, and everyone acting way older than they actually are ruin this Sex and the City revival. In And Just Like That..., we return to find former newspaper columnist Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) as a struggling podcast personality with a very random fashion Instagram account (despite her tech aversions). Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) is back to school, and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) is attempting to be supermom. Moving on from the stinging wound that is Samantha Jones' absence, I still firmly believe there's time for And Just Like That... to find the Sex and the City magic we've all been missing, especially now that *spoiler alert* Carrie has come home.
Watch it on HBO Max.
3.Boardwalk Empire (2010–14)
A 1920s crime drama starring Steve Buscemi — need I say more? Boardwalk Empire follows Enoch "Nucky" Thompson, inspired by historical figure Enoch L. Johnson. Atlantic City treasurer-turned-bootlegger Nucky rises to power in the early days of the Prohibition era, building a liquor-fueled empire and brushing elbows with other shady, historical characters. With a cinematic aesthetic established by Martin Scorsese, a heaping portion of HBO-style nudity and violence, and 20 Emmy Awards under its belt, Boardwalk Empire is a show you shouldn’t skip out on.
Watch it on HBO Max.
4.Chernobyl (2019)
Oh, good, a story about a global disaster grossly mishandled by government officials. We need more of that in our lives. Fortunately, every element of Chernobyl makes it worth the watch — maybe it’ll be cathartic? Stellan Skarsg?rd (Mamma Mia!), Jared Harris (The Crown), and Emily Watson (Punch-Drunk Love) all received Emmy nominations for their roles in the five-part miniseries that depicts the events surrounding the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Although the series notably takes some creative liberties, Chernobyl has overall received praise for its attention to detail and accuracy when retelling the story of the worst nuclear disaster in history.
Watch it on HBO Max.
5.Doctor Who (2005–)
Every episode of Doctor Who is now available to stream exclusively on HBO Max. The BBC sci-fi show has been around for so long, it’d be quite the challenge to not know anything about it (a challenge I attempted throughout most of my high school years before ultimately succumbing to the phenomenon). Whether you’re a Matt Smith stan or more drawn to David Tennant’s gut-wrenching stint on the show, there are 13 series of the reimagined Doctor Who and 26 seasons of the classic to dive into. News just broke that we’ll be getting a new Doctor soon, so try not to get too attached to the lovely Jodie Whittaker.
Watch it on HBO Max.
6.Enlightened (2011–13)
Sure, we all give Laura Dern the respect and adoration she so rightfully deserves now, but even before Little Women and Big Little Lies, Laura was giving us work worth rewatching again and again. Enlightened follows Amy Jellicoe, an overtired corporate cog on the verge of what the show calls “a nervous breakthrough.” Queen of shamelessly screaming and crying in public (aspirational, to say the least), Amy spends two months on a holistic healing retreat after suffering a somewhat self-induced implosion of both her personal and professional life. She returns a “changed” woman with a meditation schedule, searching for the chance to be an agent of more change. Luke Wilson (Legally Blonde) and Laura’s real-life mother join her in this two-season exploration of what it means to hit rock bottom and bounce back.
Watch it on HBO Max.
7.*Euphoria (2019–)
Before Zendaya was a totally badass Fremen in Dune, she was the completely compelling and sympathetic teenager Rue in HBO’s Euphoria. Basically, she's giving us all a run for our money with costume ideas. Hunter Schafer, Sydney Sweeney (The White Lotus), Jacob Elordi (The Kissing Booth), and Barbie Ferreira (Unpregnant) also star in this teen drama that had every well-meaning parent who unfortunately gave Euphoria a shot (including my own) asking their young adult children, “Is this show accurate?” Please, nobody answer that. Beyond the sex, drugs, and underground raves, Euphoria’s got true heart, grit, and some legendary outfits. Season 2 is finally gracing our screen, bearing slightly more subtle (but still iconic) makeup looks and a whole new set of very adult issues for our favorite teens to attempt to handle (however poorly). Catch up now so we can all discuss.
Watch it on HBO Max.
8.The Flight Attendant (2020–)
If you know and love Kaley Cuoco from The Big Bang Theory, well, I don’t know how much I can trust your taste. But you can definitely trust me when I say the sitcom actor was certainly holding back from us and we get to see a much clearer picture of her talent in The Flight Attendant. Kaley plays Cassie Bowden, a charming and well-meaning but intolerably reckless alcoholic who enjoys drinking on the job as a flight attendant and flirting with her passengers. But after her flirtation goes a step further while on a flight to Bangkok, Cassie wakes up and finds her impromptu date dead. In a state of shock, she clumsily attempts to clean up evidence of a murder she’s (mostly) sure she didn’t commit and returns home to her life in NYC. Obviously, things do not go up from there. Zosia Mamet (Girls, Dickinson) and Michiel Huisman (The Age of Adaline) both shine as the respective devil and angel on Cassie’s shoulders, and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina's Michelle Gomez makes for a sinister and surprising villain in the show. Despite initially being branded as a “limited series,” HBO Max has greenlighted this chaotic dark comedy for a second season, release date TBD.
Watch it on HBO Max.
9.Frayed (2019–)
Frayed is one of those shows you stumble upon and immediately wonder why it isn’t being ravenously discussed by the fans of similar series like Fleabag or Crashing (basically anything with Phoebe Waller-Bridge). This absurdly funny and chaotic series stars (and was created by) stand-up comic Sarah Kendall as Sammy Cooper, an Australian living the life as a London socialite who goes by Simone. After her husband unexpectedly passes, Sammy learns that her husband had secrets of his own, and his estate must be frozen and subsequently sold off. So left with no money, Sammy brings her kids, Lenny and Tess, back to her family in her hometown of Newcastle, Australia after over two decades away. The trio are not met with any tearful and joyous reunions, but find Sammy’s former family members understandably upset over her sudden departure from their lives. The series takes a very Search Party-style turn toward the end of the first season, setting up Season 2 to pivot genres and really play with the show’s boundaries in both comedic and dramatic ways. In typical British and Australian TV fashion, all two seasons of Frayed unfold in just 12 episodes, making this bizarre comedy an easy weekend binge.
Watch it on HBO Max.
10.The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990–96)
Now this is a story all about how Will Smith’s life got flipped-turned upside down. The zany sitcom that launched Will into stardom is now available to binge in full on HBO Max, so you can watch Will play basically himself as he’s shipped off to live with his wealthy family in Bel-Air after just one little fight. AND there’s even a reunion special. (It’s over a year old. How did we miss that one, y’all?) Plus, in even bigger Bel-Air news: Bel-Air, the hour-long drama reimagining of Smith’s sitcom, is coming to Peacock in 2022, so now is the perfect time to get reacquainted with the Banks family.
Watch it on HBO Max.
11.Friends (1994–2004)
Did anyone ever settle the Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer dating rumors that started circulating again after the reunion special? No one told me life was going to be this way — that I’d still be shipping these two after all this time... Anyway, speaking of the Friends reunion, you really can skip it, I promise. Instead, take a walk down memory lane to our favorite pair of apartments and try to sort out which character you feel the most like, why it isn't Phoebe, and why you wish it was. This NYC-based sitcom has some of the best holiday episodes in TV history, so now is the perfect time of year to switch on the OG comfort show, clap along to the theme song, and kick back with Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey, and everyone’s collective favorite Phoebe.
Watch it on HBO Max.
12.Game of Thrones (2011–19)
Before the airing of what I think will go down in history as one of the most controversial final seasons in television history, Game of Thrones was the show to be watching. The bloodthirsty fantasy series launched the careers of some of the most significant celebrities in the zeitgeist right now (I’m looking at you, Sophie Turner), so if you know Emilia Clarke as the lovely Lou Clark from Me Before You, you’re in for some earth-shattering viewing sessions. The series is for the most part based on the books by George R. R. Martin. Only they had to go vaguely off-text at the end there. Maybe that’s what led to the Starbucks cup incident. At face value, this series can feel like a true "you had to be there" moment for TV, but it’s also incredibly bingeable and set in a world wide enough to lose yourself in, a rare quality to find in some of the copycat series that have followed.
Watch it on HBO Max.
13.Girls (2012–17)
Adam Driver has lived many lives. Most recently, he’s portrayed a man fighting for his life to maintain an Italian accent, but he’s also been a divorced father, an utterly dreamy Star Wars villain, the object of John Oliver’s affection, and — before all of that — Lena Dunham’s flighty and foolish but charming on-again-off-again boyfriend in the Judd Apatow–produced comedy series Girls. The show that launched Lena into the not-always-kind spotlight, Girls follows a privileged NYC writer and her dysfunctionally funny circle of friends. Allison Williams (Get Out), Jemima Kirke (Sex Education), and Zosia Mamet (The Flight Attendant) also star in this heavily criticized and critically acclaimed dramedy. If for no other reason, give the origin story of TikTok’s “Good Soup” sound a little attention.
Watch it on HBO Max.
14.*The Gilded Age (2022)
Costumes, accents, excessive wealth! The Gilded Age has got all this and more. Is And Just Like That... not fulfilling your desire for a series about sophisticated New York women? This period piece about the Old New York? one-percenters comes from Downton Abbey writer and producer Julian Fellowes, and (conveniently) also stars Cynthia Nixon. After her father’s passing, Marian Brook must move to New York City to reside with her aunts Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski, The Good Fight) and Ada Brook, two well-established members of the New York aristocracy. But between Marian’s penniless past and some glamorous new neighbors, Agnes and Ada have their work cut out for them. Fellowes has already addressed the expected accusations that this new HBO show will become Downton Abbey 2.0 (and really, what would be so wrong about that?), but it appears this drama is ready to forge a new path, adorned in absolutely fantastic set-dressing, all on its own. The first episode of The Gilded Age drops Jan. 24.
Available to watch on HBO Max Jan. 24.
15.Gossip Girl (2021–)
After several months on hiatus, the Gossip Girl reboot is back and better than ever. Well, OK, better relative to this current reboot, not the original. Look, this new Gossip Girl doesn’t have our Serena and Blair, nor is there a Chuck Bass anywhere in sight. And we all know Dan Humphrey has retreated into the world of Joe Goldberg, utilizing his observational skills in a new (and significantly creepier) way. But don’t count the reboot out just yet. Our seemingly omniscient blog has made its way over to Instagram with some new, not-at-all-secret (or age-appropriate) owners with a plan to hold the arrogant and overly privileged students of Constance Billard accountable for their frequently rude, often reckless behavior. This time around, we’ve got a half-sister rivalry and a handful of real-life NYC influencers to entertain us in that guilty pleasure way that is very much of the Gossip Girl brand. Though it might not be the OG, with each scandal, this new generation of Gossip Girl is finding its highly dramatized footing. XOXO...
Watch it on HBO Max.
16.Hacks (2021–)
This generational comedy stars Jean Smart (Mare of Easttown, Watchmen) as Deborah Vance, a past-her-prime comedian who has been relegated to a regular show on the Las Vegas Strip, and real-life comedian Hannah Einbinder as Ava, a newly unemployed TV writer under fire for some controversial tweets. The two form an odd, couple-style partnership after being set up by their agent in common and set out to revive Deborah's career. If the meta nature of this comedy show about comedy doesn't draw you in, perhaps Hacks' fresh and inherently female perspective on the comedian narrative will. And if you still need convincing, know that the chemistry between this dynamic duo, both on- and offscreen, is electric, or as Hannah put it in her interview on Late Night With Seth Meyers, "Jean and I have this awesome little joke where she's mean to me and I'm in love with her."
Watch it on HBO Max.
17.Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts (2022)
From the (debatably) oversaturated sea of reboots and reunions rises the one we’ve all been waiting for, Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts. Twenty years after the first magical moments of Harry Potter graced our screens, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and practically anyone else you’ve been dreaming of seeing stride through the halls of Hogwarts again are back for the anniversary special of, well, the decade. Look, it’s a reunion special, so you don’t need a plot summary — you just need to stock up on tissues. So if you haven’t yet booked your return ticket to your Harry Potter phase, it’s time.
Watch it on HBO Max.
18.Insecure (2016–21)
Partially based on Issa Rae’s acclaimed web series Awkward Black Girl, Insecure is five seasons' worth of heartwarming hilarity. Issa and Molly (Yvonne Orji) are best friends who both grew up in South Los Angeles. The pair work wildly different jobs: Molly as a corporate attorney and Issa as a nonprofit worker dealing with middle school students of color. The series follows the two friends’ different (but at times equally awkward) experiences as Black women, and Season 5 brings viewers full circle, back to the same questions these women have struggled with throughout the entire series: Will Issa stay with her boyfriend? Will Molly and Issa be able to maintain their friendship? Regardless of what happens, with Issa Rae leading the charge, it’s guaranteed to be entertaining.
Watch it on HBO Max.
19.Last Week Tonight (2014–)
OK, yes, nearly all the news is terrible. But what if you could learn about said awful news from a self-aware, semi-condescending British comedian who has somehow convinced his producers to allow him to consistently bully the show's sponsors on air, publicly thirst after Adam Driver, and spend exorbitant amounts of money on press stunts — including setting up a tax-exempt religious organization, purchasing (and then forgiving) $15 million in medical debt, and purchasing Russell Crowe’s leather jockstrap from the 2005 film Cinderella Man for $7,000? Last Week Tonight With John Oliver is belly-laugh-inducing, rage-fueling, quality news satire that will piss you off and keep you well informed on all the issues that matter, from his main topics of every show to the segment “And Now, This,” which frequently pokes fun at actual TV journalists and daytime TV hosts, and (in my personal opinion) makes every episode, no matter how dark or heavy, worth the watch.
Watch it on HBO Max.
20.The Leftovers (2014–17)
What happens when a huge chunk of the world’s population just suddenly vanishes? Before Marvel’s Infinity War tried it, The Leftovers proposed an answer. Long story short, everyone understandably flips out. The Leftovers follows the Garvey family three years after the "Sudden Departure,” which is what they’ve named the unexplained disappearance of 2% of the world’s population. Mainstream religions partly fall apart and give way to freaky cults, one of which Kevin Garvey Jr.’s (Justin Theroux, Wanderlust) wife (Amy Brenneman, Judging Amy) has left their family to join. From the co-creator of Lost, this supernatural mystery series is guaranteed to leave you with a lot of feelings, and I can’t promise they’ll all be positive, but this show is quite the experience and will certainly keep you on the edge of your couch.
Watch it on HBO Max.
21.Lovecraft Country (2020)
Lovecraft Country is based on a book by the same name, and executive-produced by Jordan Peele, two immediate green flags right off the bat. In an effort to find his missing father, Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors), his friend Letitia (Jurnee Smollett), and his uncle George (Courtney B. Vance) venture on a road trip across a segregated 1950s America. On their journey, the group quickly realizes that the racist horrors of white America aren't the only monsters they need to be wary of. This supernatural series has the J.J. Abrams touch, meaning it’ll leave you with so many questions unanswered and yet you won’t be able to stop watching.Watch it on HBO Max.
22.Love Life (2020–)
In the first season of this rom-com anthology series, we got an endearingly misguided, people-pleasing Darby (Anna Kendrick) stumbling through relationships with hardly any hope (but in a fun and entertaining way that’s totally not sad). This time around, we get William Jackson Harper (The Good Place, Midsommar) as Marcus, who suddenly finds himself single after engaging in some definitely shady emotional cheating and actively sabotaging his marriage. This isn’t the adamantly ethical Chidi Anagonye we all know and love. Marcus is rough around the edges in the way that makes for the best kind of TV. The best part of the nature of this show? Each season can stand alone, so if you don’t want to go back and catch up on Season 1, you can still easily dive right into the midlife crisis surrounding action in Season 2.
Watch it on HBO Max.
23.Made for Love (2021–)
Finally, Cristin Milioti is getting the attention she so rightfully deserves. The thoroughly underrated Palm Springs actor stars as Hazel, the wife of tech billionaire Byron, played by Billy Magnussen (Game Night, No Time to Die) in Made for Love. After emerging from a 10-year stint living in a VR paradise of his making, the tech mogul determines that the best course of action to keep his marriage healthy is to, in Stepford-wife style, implant a chip into his wife's brain that will allow him to track her, see through her eyes, and study her emotional data. After Hazel escapes from her husband's villainous clutches (don't worry, it's really not a spoiler), she runs off to hide out at her estranged father's place. Nobody does "trapped in some scary sci-fi scenario" quite like Cristin, and she definitely doesn't disappoint in this horrifyingly hilarious series, which (thankfully) is slated to see a Season 2.
Watch it on HBO Max.
24.Mare of Easttown (2021)
Small-town police detective and high school basketball hero Mare Sheehan (Kate Winslet) is struggling to solve the murder of a local girl when another body turns up in her close-knit Pennsylvania community, where every resident appears to have a skeleton or two in the closet. County Detective Colin Zabel (Evan Peters, American Horror Story) arrives to help out on both cases, but things just grow more complicated from there. If you’re looking to feel nervous about your own small-town community or just watch the British Titanic star struggle with a Delco accent, then this Emmy-winning series is totally for you.
Watch it on HBO Max.
25.*My Mom, Your Dad (2022)
Is the secondhand embarrassment you’re getting from this season of The Bachelor just not enough for you? Enter: My Mom, Your Dad, an absolute fever dream of a reality series created by the people who gave us the gifts of Love Island, Queer Eye, FBOY Island, and so much more fantastic unscripted content. Hosted by Insecure’s Yvonne Orji, My Mom, Your Dad follows a group of single parents all nominated for a second chance at love (via reality dating show) by their college-aged kids. Don’t worry, it only gets more awkward from there. In typical reality TV fashion, all these parents move into a house together, entirely unaware that the cameras aren’t just broadcasting their every move to HBO Max, but directly to their adult children, down the street in their own house. The kids get to provide commentary on all their parents' choices, and also hand select who their parents get matched up with for one-on-one dates — totally fine and normal. This absolute horror show of a series unfortunately has a lot of heart to go hand in hand with the endless cringeworthy moments. Fans of reality TV will not be disappointed.
Watch it on HBO Max.
26.The Nanny (1993–99)
If you haven’t seen The Nanny and for some odd reason you need a push to add it to your queue, Fran Fine gave us some of the most unforgettable fashion inspiration from the '90s. And if the simple but sweet antics of a Jewish fashionista from Queens don’t rope you in, the style content should do so. The premise of The Nanny is actually quite similar to that of the film The Sound of Music, or rather, the parts of The Sound of Music that we retained from our childhoods — why did we all collectively forget about part two? Anyway, you’ve got a vivacious woman waltzing into the mansion of the Sheffield family to become the children’s larger-than-life nanny and (not-so-spoiler alert) eventually marrying the patriarch of the bunch. This quintessential '90s sitcom arrived on HBO Max in April and has been having a moment ever since. It’s even in the works to become a Broadway musical soon.
Watch it on HBO Max.
27.The O.C. (2003–07)
As much as we love the teen shows of today like Riverdale, the new Gossip Girl, Outer Banks, etc., they’ve got literally nothing on the teen dramas of the early 2000s. Set in stunning Newport Beach, California, The O.C. follows troubled teen Ryan Atwood (Ben McKenzie, Gotham) as he adjusts to his new wealthy community after being taken in by Kirsten (Kelly Rowan, Hook) and Sandy Cohen (Peter Gallagher, Burlesque, American Beauty). This series has got everything: romance, drama, the pressures of getting into the right college, and *spoiler alert* actual murder. They just don’t make them like this anymore…or rather, they do, but it feels so played out these days. And speaking of early 2000s teen shows, The O.C. is also responsible for stealing Dave Rygalski (Adam Brody) away from Lane. If that’s not a good indicator of the show’s cultural significance, I don’t know what is.
Watch it on HBO Max.
28.Olive Kitteridge (2014)
To call Olive Kitteridge a TV show feels vaguely insulting (no offense to all the other fantastic shows on this list) because the four-part miniseries feels more like several Oscarworthy films or a spectacularly bootlegged Broadway play. Frances McDormand (Three Billboards, Nomadland) is Olive Kitteridge, a middle school math teacher residing in a seaside town in Maine. The story unfolds over 25 years and explores the intricacies of small-town life and the highs and lows of the human experience. Richard Jenkins (The Shape of Water) stars as Olive’s husband. The ever-charming Zoe Kazan (The Big Sick) portrays a somehow still-charming hurdle in the Kitteridge marriage, and Bill Murray makes an appearance in the second half of the series as the widower Jack Kennison. What is it about these not-so-sleepy small towns that makes for a great miniseries? Who can say. Regardless, Olive Kitteridge is worth the nearly four-hour commitment.
Watch it on HBO Max.
29.100 Foot Wave (2021–)
Do you like experiencing secondhand anxiety? Thoroughly enjoyed the experience of watching Free Solo, but kinda wished there was more water and risk of drowning involved? Then you’re going to LOVE 100 Foot Wave. HBO's 100 Foot Wave is a docuseries that follows big wave surfer Garrett McNamara, who is fearlessly (and often recklessly) chasing his dream of surfing a 100-foot tall wave. In his pursuit of said ever-elusive, record-breaking wave, McNamara and his wife, Nicole, are credited with putting the small Portugal fishing village, Nazare, on the surfing map, drawing other big wave surfers to the destination known for its massive waves. The six-episode docuseries has been renewed for a second season, meaning despite his repeated life-threatening injuries, McNamara plans to paddle right back out in search of the big one. And I, for one, can’t wait to nervously cheer him on in Season 2.
Watch it on HBO Max.
30.The Other Two (2018–)
How would you feel if your 13-year-old brother suddenly became the next Justin Bieber? The Other Two follows the elder siblings of an overnight pop sensation while they attempt to navigate their own lives as millennials who feel they "missed their wave." Real-life TikToker Case Walker stars as the aforementioned teen celebrity, while Molly Shannon (Saturday Night Live, The White Lotus) absolutely shines as his fame-famished mother. The Other Two takes every assumption you'd make about the family it follows and flips it on its head between laugh-out-loud funny jokes and cutting commentary on the world of modern-day celebrities.
Watch it on HBO Max.
31.*Peacemaker (2022)
Our favorite overly muscled murderer is back in James Gunn’s Suicide Squad spinoff series, Peacemaker. Sure, the last Suicide Squad film spent roughly half an hour successfully coaxing us into hating John Cena’s patriotic and severely misguided hero, but that's all in the past now. The spinoff series catches up with Christopher Smith, aka Peacemaker, post-recovery from the bullet that Idris Elba’s Bloodsport put through his head. This time around, he's been recruited for a brand-new mysterious (and morally questionable) assignment, Project: Butterfly. His new team consists of the lovable Danielle Brooks (Orange Is the New Black), Jennifer Holland (American Horror Story: Asylum), Freddie Stroma (Harry Potter), Chukwudi Iwuji (The Underground Railroad), and Steve Agee (New Girl’s iconic Outside Dave). It looks like in his episodic format, Peacemaker is finally figuring out how to achieve some character growth, but maybe the hero willing to do anything for peace (even, and sometimes especially, kill) is just testing out some new methods.
Watch it on HBO Max.
32.Rick and Morty (2013–)
And speaking of worlds you can get lost in, Rick and Morty manages to deliver season after season of mind-bending entertainment. The Adult Swim series came out swinging — albeit drunkenly — in Season 1 and hasn’t stopped throwing punches since. Whether you’re in it for the shocking moments of sentimentality that break through Rick’s never-quite-sober stupor or the sheer absurdity crammed into every episode, I never thought I’d write these words, but there’s something for everyone in this animated log of interdimensional space travel, even if you don’t get the Szechuan sauce hype.
Watch the first four seasons on HBO Max.
33.*The Righteous Gemstones (2019–)
If you have a Succession-sized hole in your heart after the shocking Season 3 finale, then it might be time to let The Righteous Gemstones take the wheel. This dark comedy follows the Gemstone family as they run their scam-laden business as televangelists and megachurch pastors. This satirical take on televangelism has all the beloved trappings of Succession, including but not limited to: selfish and immature adult children (Danny McBride, Adam DeVine, Edi Patterson), a morally questionable patriarch tasked with reining in the family drama (John Goodman), and an excess of wealth and ego. After a two-year pandemic-induced hiatus, The Righteous Gemstones returns for its sophomore season with the much-welcome addition of Eric André and Jason Schwartzman.
Watch it on HBO Max.
34.Scenes From a Marriage (2021)
Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain have palpable, near-painful chemistry in this limited series, based on the 1973 Swedish miniseries of the same name. That viral red carpet arm kiss situation at the Venice Film Festival offered up just a mere hint of the power this pair is packing in each of the five parts of Scenes From a Marriage. Mira is a tech executive with big ambitions for her career and much less hope for her marriage, and Jonathan is her intellectual, philosophy professor husband who clings to the dream of making their marriage work. This heart-wrenching study of relationships is far from what I’d deem a comforting show to experience. But despite the fascinating fourth wall breaks that dare you to distance yourself from the storyline, it is wholly engaging to say the least.Watch it on HBO Max.
35.*Search Party (2016–22)
Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development) stars as the twentysomething Dory, who finds herself feeling dissatisfied with everything from her relationships to her career trajectory. While in the midst of her quarter-life crisis, she learns that a “friend” (read: acquaintance) from college has gone missing and takes it upon herself to start searching for her. While Dory's friends dismiss her stories of spotting the missing girl at first, eventually they all find themselves wrapped up in the darker-than-expected shenanigans. John Reynolds (Stranger Things), Meredith Hagner (Hits, Ingrid Goes West) and John Early (Late Night, The Disaster Artist) also star in this dark comedy that I haven’t been able to stop watching. The fifth and final season just wrapped up, meaning you can now binge this roller coaster of a series from start to finish (if you dare).
Watch it on HBO Max.
36.Selena + Chef (2020–)
Selena Gomez can sing, dance, sometimes perform wizardry, has her own fantastic cosmetics line, and…can’t cook? Well, that’s the hook for her cooking show anyway. Now in its third season, Selena + Chef features a wide variety of chefs who virtually teach the “Lose You to Love Me” singer how to cook elaborate, occasionally themed meals while she attempts not to slice her finger open (again) from the (relative) safety of her own kitchen. The series started out during the early days of the pandemic, causing every episode to have this intimate, high-budget YouTube series–like style that makes it uniquely compelling in today’s over-seasoned cooking show market. Plus, I think we all could use a reminder of just how charming the former Wizards of Waverly Place star really is. So in case you haven't gotten into Only Murders in the Building yet, definitely give this show a try.
Watch it on HBO Max.
37.The Sex Lives of College Girls (2021–)
Mindy Kaling is bringing some of her Never Have I Ever and The Mindy Project magic over to HBO Max with the help of Brooklyn Nine-Nine writer Justin Noble. Four college first-years (one of whom is played by none other than Pauline Chalamet, aka Timothée’s sister) share a living space and plenty of growing pains in this sometimes sexy, often uncomfortable, and consistently hilarious new series that focuses on — you guessed it — their sex lives. As if you need any more encouragement to check this show out, Gavin Leatherwood from Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is in it, in case you’ve been missing his oft demon-plagued self since the Spellmans got canned.
Watch it on HBO Max.
38.Sex and the City (1998–2004)
If you'd prefer to catch up with the SATC gals back in the days of the (seemingly) solid foursome, you can always take a stroll down memory lane. Because despite what Carrie tells Big during one of their major Season 6 fights, she does seem to still live in that iconic apartment. The chokehold that closet had (still has) on me… Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and, yes, Samantha, are just a quick search on HBO Max away. Frozen in time where their rock-solid, fashion-forward friendship will last forever.
Watch it on HBO Max.
39.Six Feet Under (2001–05)
Six Feet Under first premiered over 20 years ago, but it still remains unrivaled in its insightful portrayal of grief, loss, and the interconnectedness of life and death. Sounds like a total hoot, right? But truly, this quirky show can deliver large laughs and even bigger emotions in each and every episode. When their father (Richard Jenkins) dies, Nate (Peter Krause, Parenthood) and David Fisher (Michael C. Hall, Dexter) have to step up and run his business, Fisher & Sons Funeral Home. Every episode of this family drama starts off with a death, but don’t let that deter you. Six Feet Under’s exploration of life is definitely worth the grief.
Watch it on HBO Max.
40.*Somebody Somewhere (2022)
This seven-part HBO series finds its protagonist in the wake of major loss: Sam returns to her hometown of Manhattan, Kansas, to take care of her sister, Holly, while she is sick. Now, six months after Holly’s death, she’s still living in her sister’s totally untouched house, just sort of floating. What follows is a midlife coming-of-age story that sees Sam slowly but surely creep out of her shell with the help of her coworker and former high school classmate, Joel. Bridget Everett (Inside Amy Schumer) steps brilliantly into the role of Sam as a Manhattan (the Kansas one) native herself, and makes her small town feel almost like the one you moved away from all those years ago. This comedy series is warm, heavy, and familiar in the best sense of the word.
Watch it on HBO Max.
41.The Sopranos (1999–2007)
TV’s best kept secret, maybe you haven’t heard of this super-underrated show before… OK, we get it, everyone knows about the show that’s widely hailed as one of the greatest TV series of all time. Do I even need to summarize the plot of The Sopranos? James Gandolfini is Tony Soprano, a husband, a father, and a notorious mob boss. But he’s also in therapy, so he’s working on himself, and that’s what’s really important here. And what’s important to Tony, above all else, is his family, spearheaded in part by his wife, Carmela (Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie). If, for some reason, The Sopranos hasn’t made it into your rotation yet, with The Many Saints of Newark just released, now is as good a time as any to start watching.
Watch it on HBO Max.
42.Starstruck (2021–)
I think I’ve read this fanfiction before… Jessie (Rose Matafeo) is just an average millennial living in London and juggling two jobs she doesn’t care for, until she has what’s intended to be a one-night stand with Tom (Nikesh Patel, Four Weddings and a Funeral), who turns out to be a very famous movie star. What unfolds is very much a Y/N insert-style fanfiction plot, only our Y/N is Jessie, who defies this trope by existing as a well-rounded character who doesn’t give too much weight to Tom’s stardom and gets on with her life despite her somewhat casual celebrity crush. If you’ve ever watched the Disney Channel original movie of the same name and longed for a more realistic plot, better characters, and cool accents, then Starstruck is the series for you.
Watch it on HBO Max.
43.Station Eleven (2021–)
If the past few weeks dealing with the latest COVID-19 variant haven't given you flashbacks to March 2020, you could always try Station Eleven. The new miniseries is based on the 2014 novel by the same name and tells the story of a pandemic and what it does to civilization across multiple timelines. Mackenzie Davis (Black Mirror) stars as Kirsten, who, 20 years after watching the fall of society as the avian flu has ravaged the world, performs in a traveling Shakespeare troupe who aim to spread art and culture throughout a Great Lakes region populated by small groups of remaining survivors. In this "new normal" the characters of Station Eleven are living in, there are danger and violence, but also love, hope, and joy. Above all else, this post-apocalyptic show, created partly during our own pandemic, is about joy.
Watch it on HBO Max.
44.Steven Universe (2013–20)
"Oh, Steven! There's one more thing I have to mention!" Whether you were a cartoon kid or not, this series (clearly very recently discovered by TikTok) is a total gem. Cartoon Network’s first animated show created solely by a woman tells the story of Steven Universe, a young kid who lives with these adorable magical aliens called the Crystal Gems. Steven himself is half Crystal Gem, half human, and struggles with sorting out his identity and coming into his powers throughout the show. The group goes around protecting humanity from monsters and dealing with surprisingly complex emotions for its cartoon medium. After the show ran its course, there was also a TV movie and a limited-series epilogue, so there's plenty of Steven Universe content to get into.
Watch it on HBO Max.
45.Succession (2018–)
Taking home the Emmy for Best Drama Series in 2020, this intensely dramatic, darkly comedic show is often referred to as a “must-watch” on HBO Max, a label that the depths of the internet seem shockingly in agreement on. The series follows the Roy family, who own and operate Waystar RoyCo, a global media and entertainment conglomerate. When Logan Roy (Brian Cox) announces his plans to step down from the helm of the family business, bloodthirsty, morally questionable chaos ensues among his offspring. Beyond the killer theme music (which makes for a great TikTok sound) and the appearance of Sky High’s Nicholas Braun as Cousin Greg, this series operates in that compelling gray area where none of its characters are people we should root for, and yet, despite your better judgment, you might soon find yourself firmly on team Logan or team Kendall (Jeremy Strong).
Watch it on HBO Max.
46.True Detective (2014–19)
Each season of True Detective is its own true crime drama neatly (or not-so-neatly) wrapped up in eight episodes. The first season follows Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson into the crosshairs of a seemingly supernatural serial killer wreaking havoc on Louisiana. Season 2 sees Vince Vaughn, Colin Farrell, and Rachel McAdams working together in an attempt to take down a politician suspected of murder. The third season, after a several-year hiatus, stars Mahershala Ali, searching for two missing children in the now-familiarly eerie setting of the Ozarks. You don’t need to watch the seasons in order — or even in their entirety — to enjoy the hair-raising mystery and drama of True Detective.
Watch it on HBO Max.
47.Veep (2012–19)
If the characters on Parks and Recreation had been allowed to swear and made it to higher office a tad sooner, you’d get Veep. This political satire series follows former senator Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Seinfeld), who, after becoming vice president of the United States, finds that her dream job is actually more of a waking nightmare. Tony Hale, Anna Chlumsky, Matt Walsh (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Ted) and Reid Scott (The Big C, Curb Your Enthusiasm) round out the cast of this chaotic comedy that boasts a similar vibe as The Office, Arrested Development, and Silicon Valley. Veep ran for seven great seasons, so if you need a new show to watch now that Parks and Recreation is being held hostage by Peacock, give it a try.
Watch it on HBO Max.
48.Watchmen (2019)
Tired of Marvel movies and looking to get your superhero fix elsewhere? HBO’s adaptation of the 1986 DC comics series Watchmen drops in on some familiar faces 34 years later, beginning a new chapter of Watchmen’s story. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, a white supremacist group begins a violent war on minorities and the police that protect them. After the group enacts a mass killing spree on the Tulsa police force, all the city's cops are either dead or quit the force, with only two remaining: detective Angela Abar (Regina King) and police chief Judd Crawford. As the plot unfolds, we get flashes of the original Watchmen plot refreshed and reframed for this 2019 limited series, making it an enthralling journey for old and new fans alike.
Watch it on HBO Max.
49.Westworld (2016–)
Westworld: It's like Disneyland, only for the super rich... OK, so it's exactly like Disneyland, but the guests in attendance get to live "without limits," and no, I don't just mean they get the fancy fast passes and unlimited popcorn refills. This dystopian sci-fi show follows the “hosts” of Westworld, an Old West–themed amusement park wherein advanced androids populate and run the park, living out the same plot each day while enduring abuse and harassment from the high-paying guests and getting their memories wiped every evening. What a life. When a system update causes hosts Dolores Abernathy (Evan Rachel Wood, The West Wing) and Maeve Millay (Thandiwe Newton, Crash) to become aware of the nightmare loop they’re trapped in, chaos ensues. Who doesn’t love a cowboy and robot mashup? Westworld is three seasons deep now, but it’s managed to keep that Wild West spark alive so far and is worth catching up on before Season 4 arrives sometime in 2022.
Watch it on HBO Max.
50.What Happened, Brittany Murphy? (2021)
Explosive and insightful, this two-part docuseries reframes the life story of Brittany Murphy. The Clueless actor was known as one of Hollywood’s sweethearts before falling victim to the beloved-to-berated pipeline as paparazzi and tabloid culture began to taint Murphy’s reputation. This series retraces the origins of her success and subsequent career spiral and delves into the mysterious circumstances surrounding the actor's seemingly sudden death. Though it's produced by Blumhouse, there’s nothing campy or over the top about this real-life Hollywood horror story.
Watch it on HBO Max.
51.The White Lotus (2021–)
Looking to feel extremely unsettled on your next vacation or feel really good about the fact that you don’t have travel plans anytime soon? Try The White Lotus. The show that dominated the summer TV discourse might no longer be the talk of Twitter, but it’s most definitely worth the watch. This satirical comedy-drama stars Sydney Sweeney, Jennifer Coolidge, and Connie Britton among other heavy-hitting actors as vacationers who arrive in Maui for a rejuvenating reset. As these individuals' week of relaxation unfolds, the intimate dramas of their lives are revealed and tensions rise in contrast to the characters' idyllic setting. Boy, I sure am grateful to not be on my way to "paradise" right now…
Watch it on HBO Max.
52.The Wire (2002–08)
David Simon, literal crime reporter for the Baltimore Sun, created The Wire to explore writing partner Ed Burns’ experiences as a former homicide detective and public school teacher. The Wire is a study in crime and dysfunction, and it’s one of the original blueprints for an actually good cop drama. The show starts off by exploring the Baltimore drug scene from the perspectives of both the dealers and the cops trying to put them away, and every season that follows takes on a different squeaky wheel inside the city’s system. If you’re a fan of bleaker dramas focused on law enforcement (emphasis on bleak — I’m not talking about Brooklyn Nine-Nine here), you may want to give this early crime series a shot.
Watch it on HBO Max.
* Denotes title (or season) has been newly added to HBO Max for January.