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For the nights when Netflix and Hulu binges aren't cutting it, HBO Max has plenty to offer. While some tune in for the action adventure of Game of Thrones and others for the glorious hate-watching only And Just Like That... can provide, there's still so much more to explore on the streamer.
If you're looking for something to watch and have an HBO Max subscription, below are 40 of their best shows available right now. Something old, something new, and something that will probably become a favorite comfort series for rainy Sundays.
The Sex Lives of College Girls
Created by Mindy Kaling, this comedy follows four girls assigned to be roommates their first year of college. Each one of them is facing different challenges, from trying to afford tuition to hiding their sexual identity. The show is funny and light with some soap opera-level twists and turns, and the leads are equally compelling and hilarious.
The Last of Us
Twenty years ago, the world was infected by a terrifying fungus that turns people into, well, zombies. Society breaks down quickly, but a man named Joel (Pedro Pascal) survives even though his teen daughter doesn't. Years later, Joel is given a chance at redemption when he is tasked with getting another teen girl, Ellie (Bella Ramsey), to safety after it is discovered she's immune to the highly contagious fungus and possibly the key to a cure.
The Other Two
Created by former Saturday Night Live head writers Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider, The Other Two follows a pair of siblings floundering with their younger brother's sudden fame. Brooke (Heléne York) and Cary (Drew Tarver) are a brother and sister and desperately trying to find their own road to the spotlight, but face setbacks at every corner. Molly Shannon is a delight as their mother Pat, a Rachel Ray type who is sincere to the bone.
Lovecraft Country
Based on the novel by Matt Ruff, the story follows Atticus Black, his friend Letitia, and his Uncle George as they traverse the U.S. during the Jim Crow era. The show explores complicated themes with a horror bent, touching on the work of controversial sci-fi writer H.P. Lovecraft.
Scenes From a Marriage
Starring Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain, this short miniseries is adapted from Ingmar Bergman's 1973 Swedish film. It follows two people through different eras of their life together, showing how their relationship breaks down over time.
The White Lotus
Each season of Mike White's award-winning dramedy The White Lotus takes place in a different location of the fictional resort chain. But there are a few throughlines: mysterious murders; pointed satires on gender, race, and class; star-studded casts; and, of course, Jennifer Coolidge. The series is incredibly engaging, nerve-wracking, and at times laugh-out-loud funny. It will also make you feel like traveling...and then make you very afraid to.
Dr. Who
This long-running series has gone through many iterations, and many lead actors, but it always follows Dr. Who, an extraterrestrial who can travel through time and space. (With that resume, viewers can obviously expect many sci-fi adventures.) And the best part is, if you don't like one Dr. Who, there are over a dozen others to watch.
True Detective
The premise of this mystery series changes each season, following a different set of officers in a different place with a different crime to unravel. The case at the center of each of their stories tends to reflect the challenges they face in their personal lives, forcing them into some pretty unconventional detective work. The show starts off strong with a stellar first season starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson.
The Leftovers
One day, 140 million people disappear off the face of the earth. But earth still continues, and the people left behind have to grapple with a massive loss that can't be explained. The show's protagonist is Kevin Garvey (Justin Theroux), a police officer trying to maintain some sense of normalcy even as his family falls apart—and more and more people are joining a cult of non-speakers who promote their own theories about where everyone has gone.
Silicon Valley
Co-created by comedy producer Mike Judge, who worked as a Silicon Valley engineer in the 1980s, this series is about computer programmer Richard and his buds as one of their powerful search algorithms gets noticed in Silicon Valley. The series spoofs the culture of the tech industry, and the misadventures of some ordinary guys sucked into a massive bidding war.
The Cleaning Lady
Thony De La Rosa was once a surgeon, but after a move to Las Vegas for the health of her son, she ends up working as a cleaning service worker. After accidentally witnessing a crime committed by a mob syndicate, Thony gets offered a job cleaning up their murders and applying her training as a doctor within their organization—for a lot of money.
Big Little Lies
A group of moms in a wealthy community meet around their children's private school, and find they have a lot in common when a violent incident threatens to expose everyone's secrets. Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Zoë Kravitz, Laura Dern, and Shailene Woodley make up the all-star cast.
South Side
In this thoughtful comedy, Simon and Kareme are two friends from Englewood, Chicago who are working to come up with their next business venture shortly after graduating from community college.
The Gilded Age
The title refers to the American Gilded Age, a time when the world was changing rapidly and industry was king. Set in 1882, the show follows naive Marian Brook as she moves to New York City to live with her aunts Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) and Ada Brook (Cynthia Nixon), following the death of her father. She meets Peggy Scott, an aspiring writer with a difficult family of her own. Both of them must make hard decisions about how to face the new world.
Ghosts
Abbott Elementary
This documentary-style comedy follows teachers in an underserved middle school in Philadelphia who are trying their best to give their students what the Board of Ed won't shell out for. There's also the ongoing romantic tension between creator Quinta Brunson's character Janine and her co-worker Gregory, played by Tyler James Williams, for people who want an additional will-they-won't they plot.
The Righteous Gemstones
Created by comedian Danny McBride, this comedy follows celebrity televangelist Eli Gemstone, who is trying to keep his demanding family together while managing their megachurch, the golden cow keeping them all afloat.
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Seinfeld co-creator Larry David lets loose playing a curmudgeonly version of himself in this mostly improvised series. David's biggest issues are life's annoyances, which he pretty much always handles in the worst possible way.
Mare of Easttown
Mare is a detective whose work has brought her back to her economically depressed home town. The murder of a young girl opens up a can of worms that threatens to ruin the lives of all the people Mare cares about, from friends to family. The mystery gets more complicated as Mare gets sucked in deeper, and she finds herself making the choice between justice and her heart.
His Dark Materials
Based on the novels by Philip Pullman, this series exists in a fantasy world where every human soul manifests as a “daemon,” or animal companion. The show follows Lyra, a young girl who stumbles on a secret that links her to a world-changing prophecy.
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