For decades now, HBO has held an esteemed reputation as a premium network for high-quality TV shows. They’ve had a largely strong record of bringing on talented creatives to helm their projects and giving them a great degree of creative liberty to put something special together.
The likes of Game of Thrones are among the most obvious favorites given the astonishing cultural impact it had, but others including crime dramas The Sopranos and True Detective still hold high praises. Fans on Reddit have listed a variety of shows over the years that they believe to be some of the strongest original programs HBO has ever produced.
The Sopranos
When it comes to mobster crime dramas, HBO’s The Sopranos is one of the biggest standouts in the genre. Many have hailed the series as one of the greatest TV shows of all time, with James Gandolfini’s performance as Tony Soprano being often regarded as the biggest highlight. Redditor wooztheweb feeling that “It not only laid the groundwork for the many classic HBO dramas to follow, but it reinvented the TV drama genre as a whole.”
It became a gold standard for how high TV dramas should be at least aiming to achieve, as the show was groundbreaking for its unrelenting exploration of controversial social topics and gripping character-driven stories. The Sopranos is known for some thrillingly unexpected revelations in TV dramas.
Game Of Thrones
Few could have seen coming how much of a pop-culture titan and phenomenon Game of Thrones would be. The series was a live-action adaptation of author George R. R. Martin’s ongoing A Song of Ice and Fire book series and was a big part of how the fantasy genre surged back into the mainstream.
This dark-fantasy epic featured sprawling stories, lore, and worldbuilding, with Game of Thrones‘ compelling cast of characters giving engrossing character arcs throughout. Of course, the disastrous eighth and final season understandably soured the show for many, but Redditor Rikimaru555 still includes it in their list of HBO greats. The IP is set to make a big comeback in the form of spinoffs, with the prequel series House of the Dragon being the first of them set to premiere on August 21st.
Deadwood
HBO arguably gave rise to TV’s most iconic western series in the form of Deadwood, even across a concise three-season run. The show chronicled the rise of the 1870s camping settlement of Deadwood, South Dakota into an annexed town. Redditor befuddered included the show in their two-entry shortlist of what they believe to be HBO’s best work, with several others feeling similarly.
Only getting three seasons seems to have been the only minor criticism of Deadwood, though, much of the studded ensemble cast returned for the praised 2019 HBO movie. Deadwood received consistent acclaim across its lifespan, with critics and audiences lauding the compelling cast spearheaded by lead actors Timothy Olyphant (Seth Bullock) and Ian McShane (Al Swearengen).
Succession
While it’s not a fantasy or crime-drama series, the corporate dark-comedy drama Succession is one of HBO’s more recent shows that has gripped audiences. Throughout its (so far) three seasons, Succession has amassed a die-hard fan base thanks to the show’s entertainingly addictive characters.
Redditor MaximusMMIV admits that they’re “I’m completely addicted to Succession right now, but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.” The show is centered around a deeply dysfunctional family that are owners of the media company Waystar RoyCo, with the darkly hilarious yet colorful cast of characters ruthlessly vying for control of the company once their patriarch passes on his role.
True Detective
Detective thrillers make for some of the best-serialized stories on TV, and the anthology series True Detective has become a modern icon for the genre and HBO. The consensus seems to be that the show noticeably faltered in its second season, but the show overall stands as one of the network’s best.
Redditor Fuzzikopf thought that “True Detective Season 1 was also close to perfect IMO” in response to Chernobyl being given a worthy shout. True Detective has a dynamic cast of characters, namely Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson’s engrossing duo in season 1 was met with widespread critical acclaim, and Mahershala Ali headlining its third with Stephen Dorff in the most recent season being praised for bringing the show to a return to form.
The Wire
The Wire is a classic police procedural drama that frequently comes up when discussing HBO’s best TV shows. The series presented a gripping and brutal look into police bureaucracy and systematic oppression in downtrodden neighborhoods. Redditor optiplex9000 said when comparing it to the aforementioned True Detective that ” Overall as a show, I think The Wire is better, however.”
The Wire ran for five seasons, and while it didn’t get the spotlight it deserved at the time, it became more recognized as years went by. This was so much so that its retrospective acclaim put it in the category of the greatest TV shows ever, regardless of the network.
Westworld
Venturing more into science fiction, Westworld is one of the more recent HBO series to gain traction. The show was created by Lisa Joy and The Dark Knight Trilogy co-writer Jonathan Nolan and rebooted based on the 1973 movie of the same name by Michael Crichton. The series explores a western-themed park filled with lifelike android “hosts,” diving into themes of the obsessions with violence in media and human autonomy.
Redditor lightsongtheold mentions it as one of HBO’s dramas they believe “are all worth a go,” with season 1 largely being the most acclaimed among audiences. The show continued positive reception into its second and third seasons, even if it lost some of its elements when expanding beyond the park.
Rome
Despite being a historical drama series, Rome is one of the HBO shows that stands among the network’s other originals — like Game of Thrones — with grand production scopes. The show garnered massive acclaim in just two seasons, spanning a massive cast of characters set in the early age of the Roman Empire.
Redditor Thefishlord said that they “think HBO’s Rome is amazing and set the stage for bigger than life series like GoT.” It’s a common opinion among the many who praise the show, as Rome‘s expansive character roster does well to tell the rich stories of historical figures from different walks of life from the sprawling empire, including the infamous Caesar.
Chernobyl
Though it might take several more years to see how opinions sink in, Chernobyl could make its case for being HBO’s best historical drama series. This five-episode miniseries was a historically dramatic rendition of the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl, Russia during the days of the Soviet Union.
Redditor AgentofSPYRAL lists it alongside The Wire for the greatest HBO series of all time “possibly if we’re counting minis.” The thunderous reception to Chernobyl was particularly impressive given its short run and simultaneous release, as the show was lauded for its enthrallingly tragic depiction of this catastrophe.
Curb Your Enthusiasm
In a wildly different change of pace, Curb Your Enthusiasm is a raunchy comedy that’s proven to be one of the most enduring shows on HBO. The show started as a cult hit but has grown into mainstream success with an impressive level of critical acclaim since its October 2000 premiere.
Redditor befuddered also included it next to Deadwood as their favorite HBO series. Larry David’s series is praised for its unabashed embrace of dark and “cringe” comedy, coupled with exceptional execution of improv comedy. Curb Your Enthusiasm‘s success continues even after recently wrapping up its 11th season.
