It’s not TV, it’sHBO. If this is theGolden Age of television. That would make HBO the crown jewel of all the networks. For decades, HBO has given us countless series that have put their marks on history.Tony Sopranoreinvented the Mafia story, while Larry David showed us how to makea hit improvisational comedy series. HBO has not lost its edge in any way. It’s still pumping out classics every year. Among its collection are shows that are so good they live in our hearts forever.
Updated August 15, 2025: To keep this article fresh and relevant by adding more information and entries, this article has been updated byGaurav Krishnanto feature more great HBO series.
HBO has redefined television for over three decades now. With therecent shift from HBO Max to Max, there are now more audiences than ever who can check out HBO’s rich history of shows. With that in mind, here are the best HBO series. For the sake of simplicity, this will only include series that air on the HBO network, so Max original series likeOur Flag Means Death,Harley Quinn, andThe Sex Lives of College Girlsare not eligible for this list but are still all worth checking out.
20Euphoria
Euphoriahas certainly been one of HBO’s buzziest new series since it premiered in 2019. Zendaya shines as the drug-addicted Rue alongside an ensemble cast of talented young performers, including Sydney Sweeney, Hunter Schafer, Maude Apatow, Barbie Ferreira, and more.Euphoriahas been a popular hit with audiences and awards voters, and anticipation for season 3 is high despitebehind-the-scenes rumors about conflictsbetween various stars and the creator.
19Entourage
Entourageis not for everyone, and of all the series on this list has not aged well. That having been said, it is hard to deny just how funEntourageon in terms of watching the ultimate Los Angeles Hollywood lifestyle where it is all going out to eat and parties. Entourage is very much part of HBO’s DNA, and while the network may not be as proud of the multiple Emmy-winning series, there were still happy enough with it to give it a feature film that was released in 2015.
18Westworld
Westworldis as imaginative and inventive as a TV show can get. The show explores the intersection of sci-fi and Westerns with futurist and dystopian underpinnings. Created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy and based on a 1973 film of the same name, the show centers around how a futuristic wild west theme park in the 2050s caters to its high-paying guests wherein they can live out their innate wild desires, indulgences, and fantasies.
Related:Westworld: Why Canceling the Series was a Bad Idea
This is intertwined with life in the reimagined 21st century, where artificial intelligence is slowly emerging. With action, drama, a distinctive plot, and excellent direction, along witha compelling score by Ramin Djawadi, Westworld is one of HBO’s finest sci-fi releases.
Lena Dunham’s masterpiece defined a generation of young adults. It follows a group of twenty-something girls navigating love, friendship, and adulthood in New York City.Girls was a refreshingly honest and hilarious take on what it means to be a young woman in the real world. The series is notable for the number of talented stars whose careers broke out from it, including Alison Williams and Adam Driver.
16Boardwalk Empire
With guns, booze, sex, music, glamor, and crime,Boardwalk Empireis your complete throwback into the roaring 20s and a portrayal of that forgotten golden era of American history. The show follows Nucky Thompson, the linchpin of Atlantic City played by Steve Buscemi, in arguably what is his greatest performance of all time, and fellow notorious mob bosses Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, Arnold Rothstein, Meyer Lansky, Joe Masseria, and others, in a hard-hitting crime drama show that’s the most vivid, dramatic and well-written portrayal of the period.
The show, produced by Martin Scorsese and Mark Wahlberg, amongst others, is as brashly violent and brutal as a Scorsese production can get and is the most visceral and vehement exploration of the prominent gangsters of those years and the vast empires they commanded. Add that to all the venality and notoriety that they resorted to, along withsome intense scenes which are extravagantly shotand a plethora of interesting characters, and it’s your front seat into the lives of the mob bosses and the American mafia and life in the 1920s and 30s.
15True Detective
True Detectiveis your quintessential crime drama series depicting different cases with each progressing season, keeping things fresh and interesting. It’s a novel concept where each season sees a shuffle in characters and cases that they have to solve. The show is shot in a nonlinear fashion which makes the plots and storylines even more absorbing and intriguing to watch while also touching upon the cerebral aspect of how crimes are solved.
The HBO series explores how detectives analyze cases and track down criminals using intelligent deductive analysis and fine attention to detail. The series featured incredible performances from a star-studded cast that included Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Colin Farrell, and Rachel McAdams, to name a few. While the later seasons never quite captured the magic of season 1, there is no doubtTrue Detectivehas secured its legacy in HBO’s incredible history.
14Six Feet Under
Alan Ball’s seriesSix Feet Undertells the story of the Fishers, a family who owns a funeral home in Los Angeles. The series focuses on death, life, family, and love. Each member of the ensemble cast brings something special to the table. By the end of the series, you will undoubtedly feel like a part of the dysfunctional Fisher family.
Romewas a joint collaboration between HBO and BBC, and the series is certainly one of the network’s most massive in terms of sets, costumes, and cast. The series is set as the Roman Republic transition into the Roman Empire and is told from the perspective of two Roman soldiers, played by Kevin McKidd and therecently deceased great Ray Stevenson.
Romeis a historical epic that manages to keep its drama while also sticking rather closely to historical accuracy. It features plenty of blood, gore, sex, and nudity and, in many ways, was a precursor to the sword and sandals epic likeGame of Thrones, but here it was all real.
12True Blood
We all remember the time when vampires were all the rage, and in 2008 just a couple of months before the release of Twilight, HBO and creator Alan Ball deliveredTrue Blood. Based onThe Southern Vampire Mysteriesbooks by author Charlene Harris, the series was a cultural juggernaut when it premiered. It featured plenty of gore and sex, and with its large ensemble cast of attractive characters felt like a true modern gothic soap opera. While the later seasons certainly lacked the bite of the first five,True Bloodendured with a passionate fanbase.
Bill Hader has reinvented his career as the deadly assassin who decides to pursue acting.Barryis equal parts hilarious and dramatic, and Hader has shown his strengths as not just a performer but also a writer and director. Henry Winkler shines as his acting teacher, Gene, alongside the frustratingly narcissistic but lovable romantic interest, Sally, played by Sarah Goldberg. The series truly stand out might by Anthony Carrigan as Noho Hank, the most lovable criminal of all time.Barryis set to conclude its series run, and there is no doubt it is one of the best series HBO ever produced.
