HBO Max was one of the most popular streaming services in the world due to both the volume and the quality of the shows and movies on the platform. You’ve probably noticed when you log into HBO Max that the platform has been replaced by Max. What does this mean? WarnerMedia and Discovery have merged all of their content into one convenient location. You can still enjoy all of the shows like Succession and The Sopranos that were available on HBO Max, and this new streaming service also includes the kinds of reality shows that were available on Discovery+. Essentially, the libraries of the two services have been merged.
Whatever kind of show you’re looking for, you’re likely to find it on Max. From iconic dramas to some of the funniest comedies ever created, every show on this list is a must-watch, whether it’s 30 years old or just came out this year. Here are the best Max shows.
The Rehearsal (2022)
1 Season
Genre
Comedy, Documentary
Cast
Nathan Fielder
Created by
Nathan Fielder
One of the more surreal limited series to ever grace Max, The Rehearsal is a documentary series that follows Nathan Fielder as he attempts to rehearse actually situations from life so that he is prepared when they happen for real. While the show starts out with a fairly light, funny premise, it eventually becomes a rumination on what it means to go through life not knowing what comes next and how impossible it ultimately is to prepare for whatever might be coming.
The Wire (2002)
5 Seasons
Genre
Crime, Drama
Cast
Dominic West, Lance Reddick, Sonja Sohn
Created by
David Simon
Arguably the greatest show in the history of TV generally, not just HBO, The Wire tells the story of the Baltimore drug trade from a wide array of different perspectives. The series famously takes on a variety of different perspectives, from the school system to the police department to the drug dealers themselves, to provide a humanist portrait of how the system is failing everybody. It’s a brilliant, incisive series that reminds us that people are what matters most. It’s a stinging indictment of everything, and that’s the whole point.
Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000)
11 Seasons
Genre
Comedy
Cast
Larry David, Jeff Garlin, Susie Essman
Created by
Larry David
A side-splitting comedy to add to your collection, Curb Your Enthusiasm is a Larry David masterpiece that is both absurd and rooted in the normal annoyances of everyday life. Wonderfully satirizing and exaggerating his own life, Larry David attempts to weave through small inconveniences but continues to get hung up on the details, causing an episode-length set of problems for him and his friends. Curb has been going for well over a decade, and it’s one of the best HBO shows.
The White Lotus (2021)
2 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Mystery
Cast
Theo James, F. Murray Abraham, Jennifer Coolidge
Created by
Mike White
Both a high-strung mystery and a pretty great comedy, The White Lotus is a show that will make you want to scream if you’ve ever worked in the service industry before. The show takes its name from a fictional, expensive destination resort chain with locations in Hawaii and Italy where only the richest people go, and where, if money is never an issue, multitudes of other issues are either created out of boredom or sheer arrogance.
Barry (2018)
4 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Crime
Cast
Bill Hader, Stephen Root, Henry Winkler
Created by
Bill Hader, Alec Berg
An excellent but undefinable mix of genres, Barry is a story of a depressed hitman who discovers his passion for acting after being sent to Hollywood to find his latest “mark.” Featuring Bill Hader as the hitman and Henry Winkler as his acting coach, the show draws frequent and hilarious parallels between the world of acting and Barry’s actual job. As the show evolved, it only continued to get more experimental and earned even more acclaim, as a result.
I May Destroy You (2020)
1 Season
Genre
Drama
Cast
Michaela Coel, Weruche Opia, Paapa Essiedu
Created by
Michaela Coel
Carried masterfully by a moving central performance from its creator Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You takes a deep and abstract dive into the trauma of sexual assault and how it can change the very fabric of who you are. Though the premise is dark and may be triggering for some, it brings some smart and dark comedy along with it while showing what it can mean to be forced to reassess your entire life.
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (2014)
10 Seasons
Genre
Talk, Comedy, News
Cast
John Oliver
Created by
John Oliver
One of the most hard-hitting sources for what’s actually going on in the world today, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver is highly informative and thorough, even as Oliver is careful to balance his topics out with a panoply of jokes. Oliver’s polemics have only gotten sharper with each passing year, and while it’s a bit annoying that he just keeps winning the Emmy, it’s hard to argue that he doesn’t sort of deserve it.
Watchmen (2019)
1 Season
Genre
Crime, Drama, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Cast
Regina King, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jeremy Irons
Created by
Damon Lindelof
Set in an alternate history and based on the graphic novel of the same name, Watchmen is a show with plenty of ideas on its mind that is also the perfect complement to the graphic novel story it takes its inspiration from. Anchored by an unbelievably good performance from Regina King, and featuring an ending that neatly ties the entire story together, Watchmen is one of the great HBO series ever produced.
The Larry Sanders Show (1992)
6 Seasons
Genre
Comedy
Cast
Garry Shandling, Jeffrey Tambor, Wallace Langham
Created by
Dennis Klein, Garry Shandling
Truly one-of-a-kind, The Larry Sanders Show followed the behind-the-scenes happenings of a late-night talk show. Due to its endlessly witty and crisp writing, the show is an absolutely hilarious perspective on how these shows run that still feels fresh today. Featuring an ensemble of all-time great comedic talents, few series have had a bigger impact on what comedy is than The Larry Sanders Show.
Hacks (2021)
2 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Cast
Jean Smart, Hannah Einbinder, Carl Clemons-Hopkins
Created by
Jen Statsky, Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs
When a young and inexperienced comedy writer happens upon the once-incredible Las Vegas comedian Deborah Vance (Jean Smart), a twisted and dysfunctional mentorship begins to form and fester. Hacks is as cleverly written as it is dark, detailing the highs and lows of the entertainment industry and all the push and pull it takes to make it whether you’re in the spotlight or not.
Chernobyl (2019)
1 Season
Genre
Drama
Cast
Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Emily Watson
Created by
Craig Mazin
Chernobyl tells the story of the brave men and women who fought to extinguish the disastrous 1986 nuclear accident, as well as the irresponsible and arrogant men who made it happen. Besides having some fantastic characters backed by some incredible performances, the story told in Chernobyl is an important reminder about the pervasive power of the truth, even when every attempt is made to obfuscate it.
Band of Brothers (2001)
1 Season
Genre
Drama, War & Politics
Cast
Damian Lewis, Donnie Wahlberg, Eion Bailey
A show known in part because it managed to cast so many stars before they were stars, Band of Brothers is like an incredible — and accurate — war movie that just keeps going. Following the American 101st Airborne Division through their missions in WWII, “Easy Company” goes through hardships and loss as we follow their story, and see interviews with the actual soldiers who were a part of those missions.
Succession (2018)
4 Seasons
Genre
Drama
Cast
Nicholas Braun, Brian Cox, Kieran Culkin
Created by
Jesse Armstrong
It’s hard to summarize what Succession is about without it feeling contrived or trite in nature. The greatness of this dark comedy is in the minutiae of a conversation, a zipping one-liner that cuts razor-sharp wounds in your psyche, or the pity you feel for the rich people on screen who should be infinitely happy, yet aren’t. The Roy family has generational wealth and generational trauma; the fact that the latter often outweighs the former is what makes the show so absolutely compelling. After four seasons, Succession has proven to be one of the best shows on HBO Max.
The Sopranos (1999)
6 Seasons
Genre
Drama
Cast
James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Jamie-Lynn Sigler
Created by
David Chase
The Sopranos first aired its pilot almost a quarter of a century ago, but the show that brought the world the misery and the mishaps of Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) and his business and family associates is still a story many people can relate to. With the mob as the backdrop to something much deeper, Tony’s juggling act of being a gangster and a father is often secondary in the story to the questions around Tony’s mental health and the way toxic masculinity absolutely ruined a generation of men.
The Last of Us (2023)
1 Season
Genre
Drama
Cast
Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey
Created by
Craig Mazin, Neil Druckmann
Video game adaptations basically never work, which is part of the reason so many people were apprehensive about The Last of Us. In spite of all of those concerns, though, this show, which follows a young girl and an older smuggler as they travel across the country 20 years after an apocalyptic virus decimated humanity, delivered on everything fans of the show wanted. Telling the story of the first game, The Last of Us is a story about found family, survival, and the greater good, and it’s anchored by two incredible performances from Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal.
Game of Thrones (2011)
8 Seasons
Genre
Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Drama, Action & Adventure
Cast
Peter Dinklage, Kit Harington, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
Created by
David Benioff, D.B. Weiss
Fans may not have been thrilled with the way Game of Thrones ended, but it’s hard to deny that the show had an immense cultural impact. Telling a fantastical story that involves ice zombies, dragons, and tons of palace intrigue, Game of Thrones at its best knew how to balance its fascinating world with intricate, idiosyncratic characters who were often smart and always unpredictable. Featuring an ensemble cast giving some of the best performances in TV history, as well as some stunning set pieces, Game of Thrones is the kind of sprawling fantasy saga we don’t get enough of, even if it wasn’t perfect.
Station Eleven (2021)
1 Season
Genre
Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Mystery
Cast
Mackenzie Davis, Himesh Patel, Matilda Lawler
Created by
Patrick Somerville
Adapted from a novel of the same name, Station Eleven tells the story of the aftermath of a global pandemic that wipes out most of humanity. It was released in the middle of an actual pandemic, and so was understandably pretty brutal viewing for some people. If you can make it through the COVID-19 parallels, though, Station Eleven is a beautiful show about what it means to survive in a world where everything has changed. Featuring a riveting performance from Mackenzie Davis and a broad ensemble cast, Station Eleven is one of the best and most underseen limited series Max has ever released.
The Leftovers (2014)
3 Seasons
Genre
Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Drama
Cast
Justin Theroux, Amy Brenneman, Christopher Eccleston
Created by
Tom Perrotta, Damon Lindelof
Although it was critically acclaimed throughout its three-season run, The Leftovers never got the love it deserved from awards voters or the public. The show, which imagines a world in which 2% of the population just disappeared, and the other 98% are left to cope with their loss, is a beautiful show about unimaginable grief and the impossibility of ever truly moving on. Featuring standout performances from Justin Theroux, Carrie Coon, and the rest of its sprawling ensemble, The Leftovers is a beautiful, weird show about living with loss.
True Detective (2014)
4 Seasons
Genre
Drama
Cast
Jodie Foster, Kali Reis, Fiona Shaw
Created by
Issa López, Nic Pizzolatto
It’s been a full decade since the first season of True Detective premiered, and every other prestige crime show is still trying to imitate it. This anthology series follows a different investigation in every season, and while those seasons vary in quality, all of them are fascinating for one reason or another. Because the show is an anthology, it’s also able to draw in incredible talents who may not be willing to commit to a longer-running show. From Matthew McConaughey to Jodie Foster, True Detective has more than enough wattage to make it worth watching for their performances alone.
The Sex Lives of College Girls (2021)
2 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Cast
Pauline Chalamet, Amrit Kaur, Reneé Rapp
Created by
Mindy Kaling, Justin Noble
Featuring a wonderful lineup of future stars, The Sex Lives of College Girls is one of the best Max originals out there. The show was developed in part by Mindy Kaling, and it follows four college girls who are thrown together as suitemates and begin to form a real bond as they deal with the ups and downs of trying to have a sex life and get a good education at the same time. Thanks to some genuinely funny writing, as well as a roster of deeply talented young performers, The Sex Lives of College Girls is deeply enjoyable and even manages to have some profound moments along the way.
What shows are coming to Max in March?
March 1
- Royal Crackers, Season 2 (Adult Swim)
- Selling The Hamptons, Season 2
March 3
- OWN Spotlight: Oprah & Angela Bassett (OWN)
- The Regime (HBO Original)
- Small Town Potential (HGTV)
March 4
- Rock the Block, Season 5 (HGTV)
- Seeking Sister Wife, Season 5 (TLC)
- Spring Baking Championship, Season 10 (Food Network)
- Wardens of the North, Season 2 (Animal Planet)
March 5
- A Revolution on Canvas (HBO Original)
March 6
- My 600-Lb. Life, Season 12 (TLC)
- On The Case with Paula Zahn, Season 27 (ID)
March 7
- The Dog House: UK, Season 5 (Max Original)
March 8
- Care Bears: Unlock the Magic: Grumpy’s Ginormous Adventure (Special)
- Gold Rush: White Water (Discovery Channel)
- Tiny Toons Looniversity, Season 2A (Cartoon Network)
- Tiny Toons Looniversity: Spring Break (Special)
March 11
- Lakefront Empire (HGTV)
March 12
- 7 Little Johnsons, Season 14 (TLC)
- Fixer To Fabulous: Italiano (HGTV)
- The Lionheart (HBO Original)
- The Many Lives of Martha Stewart (CNN Original)
- Wildcard Kitchen (Food Network)
March 14
- The Girls on the Bus (Max Original)
- Justice, USA (Max Original)
March 15
- 90 Day Fiancé: Pillow Talk, Season 10 (TLC)
- Mini Beat Power Rockers, Season 1-4A (Discovery LATAM)
March 16
- The Pioneer Woman, Season 36 (Food Network)
March 17
- 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?, Season 8 (TLC)
- Mary Makes It Easy, Season 3 (Food Network)
- Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV (ID)
March 19
- Contraband: Seized at the Border, Season 3 (Discovery Channel)
March 21
- Down Home Fab, Season 2 (HGTV)
- House Hunters: All Stars (HGTV)
March 23
- Design Goals (Magnolia Network)
March 25
- Lethally Blonde (ID)
- Mean Girl Murders, Season 2 (ID)
March 26
- Bugs Bunny Builders, Season 2A (Cartoon Network)
March 28
- Ghost Adventures: Screaming Room, Season 3 (Discovery Channel)
March 29
- Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, Season 47 (Food Network)
- Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show (HBO Original)
March 30
- Guy’s Ranch Kitchen, Season 7 (Food Network)
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