It’s not TV. It’s HBO.
That’s the moniker that graced pay cable screens throughout the 1990s, as the “Home Box Office” network began experimenting with original programming for the first time. Most of those early shows were comedies, and some were even groundbreaking (lookin’ at youThe Larry Sanders Show), but it wasn’t until the late 90s and early 2000s that HBO became responsible for inventing what is now known as “prestige TV.”
The WireandThe Sopranoswere unlike anything else on television, not only at the time but in history. HBO’s subscription model allowed the content to be darker, sure, but also more creative. Writers weren’t working towards ad breaks, and bottle episodes ofThe Sopranosbegan to feel more like short feature films than television.
For decades now, HBO has solidified itself as a place for quality original TV shows. When a good HBO show is premiering on a Sunday night, you know it’s at least worth checking out to see if it’s for you. But the breadth of the material may seem overwhelming. There’sa lotto choose from whether you’re watching HBO on-demand or online.
So we’ve put together a list of the best HBO Original shows ever made, which should hopefully serve as a starting point to help guide you to the absolute best that HBO has to offer. These shows range from historical dramas to sci-fi thrillers to unique comedies. There’s something for everyone here, and again, most of it is unlike anything else you’re able to find on TV. But of course, HBO isn’t just “TV” is it?
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated with The White Lotus as of June 25, 2025.
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Six Feet Under
Created by:Alan Ball
Cast:Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Frances Conroy, Lauren Ambrose, Freddy Rodriguez, Matew St. Patrick, Jeremy Sisto, Rachel Griffiths, and James Cromwell
Proof positive that HBO was doing “prestige TV” extremely well before “prestige TV” was even a thing,Six Feet Underis an absolute gem of a drama series. The show debuted in 2001 and ran for five seasons, telling the story of a family who runs a funeral home in Los Angeles. As the title suggests, this is a show about death, and indeed each episode begins by depicting the death of the person coming to the funeral home that week. CreatorAlan Ballwould later go on to create the soapy vampire seriesTrue Blood, butSix Feet Undershows a softer, more mature side from the writer. The show also happens to have one of the best series finales ever made, if notthebest. And it’s well worth taking the journey to get there. –Adam Chitwood
Created by:Armando Iannucci
Cast:Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tony Hale, Anna Chlumsky, Reid Scott, Timothy Simons, Matt Walsh, Kevin Dunn, Gary Cole, Sarah Sutherland, Sam Richardson and Clea Duvall
One of the best TV comedies of the 21st century,Veepis an absolute riot.Julia Louis-Dreyfusplays the Vice President of the United States, Selina Meyer, who struggles to find anything meaningful to do in her largely ceremonial role. But what began as satire soon became reality, as the very actions that seemed outlandish and hilarious onVeepstarted happening in real U.S. politics. The show does a swell job of keeping the story fresh by switching up Meyer’s role over the seven seasons, and also has one of the most seamless TV showrunner transitions in history asArmanda Iannuccileaves the series and is replaced bySeinfeldalumDavid Mandel.Veepcan be prickly, and it’s not for those easily offended, but Louis-Dreyfus does all-timer level work here. –Adam Chitwood
Created by:Bill Hader and Alec Berg
Cast:Bill Hader, Henry Winkler, Stephen Root, Sarah Goldberg, and Anthony Carrigan
It’s hard to describe exactly whatBarryis, other than to say it’s justgreatstorytelling. It’s kind of a dark comedy, but also kind of a drama. The stakes feel real and this showwillmake you cry, but it’s also hilarious.Bill Haderco-created, writes, directs, and stars in the series as the titular Barry, a hitman who’s had enough with this profession and decides he wants to pursue a career in acting. He begins taking acting classes from a charismatic teacher (Henry Winkler), but quickly discovers leaving the past behind is easier said than done. Everything aboutBarryis next-level. The comedy and writing, yes, but also the filmmaking and execution. Again, it’s a show that defies easy categorization, but just trust me. WatchBarryand you won’t be disappointed. –Adam Chitwood
Created by:David Simon
Cast:Dominic West, Wendell Pierce, Wood Harris, Deirdre Lovejoy, Larry Gillard, Jr., Idris Elba, Lance Reddick, Chris Bauer, Sonja Sohn, Aidan Gillen, Amy Ryan, and Michael K. Williams
David Simon’s signature crime opus is arguably five of the best seasons of television ever made.The Wiretackles drug crime and corrupt institutions in Baltimore by examining the problem at every conceivable level, with the specific area of focus changing every season. Season 1 centers on a block of tenements in the slums where most of kingpin Avon Barksdale’s operation is conducted. Season 2 moves to the docks, a predominantly white working-class community similarly mired in drugs and two-bit crooks. We eventually see the bureaucratic side, as a bold police captain attempts to quietly legalize the drug trade in one neighborhood in a desperate attempt to reduce violent crime. And we also see how crime in Baltimore bleeds into the schools, when a former detective begins working as a teacher. In addition to just being a gritty, gripping story,The Wireis absolutely loaded with charismatic actors, turning every player in the game into a rich, compelling character. The clinically cold mastermind Stringer Bell (Idris Elba), the devil-may-care stickup man Omar Little (Michael K. Williams), and the quietly brilliant detective Lester Freamon (Clarke Peters) are particular standouts, centered around professional disaster Detective Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West), who more or less serves as the lead character in all five seasons. I really can’t say anything Wirewithout potentially spoiling the story, but if you’ve never seen it, there has never been a better time to post up on the couch and absolutely blaze your way through all 60 hours. -Tom Reimann
Created by:Damon Lindelof
Cast:Regina King, Don Johnson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jean Smart, Jeremy Irons, Tim Blake Nelson
Straight up,Damon Lindelofpulled off a thermodynamic miracle withWatchmen. It’s audacious enough to try and adapt the landmark comic book by writerAlan Mooreand artistDave Gibbons, but to create a sequel set 30 years later that fundamentally changes aspects of the original work? That’s the closest you’re able to come to blasphemy in the comic book world. ButWatchmenjust works, and on a few different levels at that. Led by a powerhouse performance byRegina Kingas vigilante Sister Night, the show manages to dissect the superhumanly unfair racial divide across all of American history while still unraveling a twisty puzzle-box mystery all dressed up in spandex. (All set to a thumping banger of a score byTrent ReznorandAtticus Ross.)Jeremy Ironsis trapped in a castle with an army of clones, chewing scenery to pieces. There’s a rogue Lube Man on the loose.Watchmenis alot, but the wild ride is worth it every step of the way. –Vinnie Mancuso
Created by:Michael Lannan
Cast:Jonathan Groff, Frankie J. Alvarez, Murray Bartlett, Lauren Weedman, Russell Tovey, Raúl Castillo
A slice-of-life odyssey brimming with personality, authenticity, soulful performances, and some of the most handsome dramedy cinematography you’ll ever see,Lookingis a severely underseen jewel in the HBO crown.Jonathan Groffleads a warm and witty ensemble cast of gay men trying to get by in San Francisco. Only running two seasons and a finale movie, the show feels like it has always existed and continues to exist forever, a testament to how effortless, how pure, and how simple-yet-complex the show’s preview and aesthetics are. During its original air date (2014-2016), it was oft unfairly compared to more showy HBO programs likeGirlsorSex and the City. But where those shows wear “slice of life relationship drama” like a showy fur coat,Lookingpresents material in a similar vein with less affect, less “look at whatwe’redoing!” This is not to say you won’t notice the filmmaking ofLooking– indie auteurAndrew Haighis an executive producer and directs many of the episodes, and his sumptuous handheld vibes crossed with, truly, the best television color correction I’ve ever seen yields an inviting and wholly unique visual language. For an absolute gem of quietly beautiful LGBTQ+ storytelling, look no further thanLooking. -Greg Smith
Flight of the Conchords
Created by: James Bobin, Jemaine Clement, Bret McKenzie
Cast: Jemaine Clement, Bret McKenzie, Rhys Darby, Kristen Schaal, Arj Barker
New Zealand duo Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie took their musical comedy act to HBO in 2007 withFlight of the Conchords, and managed to mint for themselves a very fun and successful crossover. Clement. and McKenzie play Jemaine and Bret, fictionalized versions of themselves, in a show which follows the pair’s pursuit of fame and fortune in the music world as the folk-rock duo Flight of the Conchords. Managed by a bumbling, adorably inept manager (Rhys Darby) and hounded by their sole fan (Kristen Schaal), Jemaine and Bret have to navigate trying to stay afloat living in New York City while somehow trying to pull off a successful music career.Flight of the Conchordsis a delight for fans of deadpan comedy, with Clement and McKenzie’s chemistry firing on all cylinders as the throw out one-liners or witty banter. The mid-00s HBO comedy also features Clement and McKenzie performing songs like"The Most Beautiful Girl (In the Room)".Flight of the Conchordsmay have been short-lived, but the show continues to age well and remains a glorious slice of comedy. –Allie Gemmill
Game of Thrones
Created by:David Benioff and D.B. Weiss
Cast:Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Michelle Fairley, Richard Madden, Gwendoline Christie, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Sean Bean, and many more
Game of Thronesis one of those things that only happens once in a lifetime, like celebrating your 21st birthday or hang gliding into an active volcano. Everyone in the world was into this goddamn show, and the final season finally completed the epic story and wrapped up the many mysteries and loose ends. Kind of. Mostly. Ok, it may be only wrapped up a few of them, but at least it ended, right? That was something!
Look, however you feel about theextremely divisivefinal season,Game of Thronesmanaged to grab us all by the throat and refused to let go for nearly an entire decade. The experience of sitting down to watch the next chapter of a story virtually every single person I know wasdeeplyinvested in was unique, and honestly even a little profound. Dissecting every episode, trading theories, and making predictions was just something you did whenever you got together with friends and coworkers. We all super gave a shit about Westeros, Jon Snow’s parents, and Dany’s dragons. And while the finale may have felt a bit like getting tackled out a 400 story window into a city-wide garbage fire by a drunk giant,Game of Throneswas one of the most epic fantasy stories ever told in any medium.
The feeling of community around the series was on the level of Harry Potter, Star Wars, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and those are absolutely crazy heights for a cable TV show to reach.Game of Thronesmay have banished Jon Snow to the North Pole and left the kingdom in the hands of King Boringturd the Dull, but something like 44 million of us watched that shit go down around the world. You don’t get storytelling that epic on television, it just doesn’t happen. I’m not likely to sit down for a full series rewatch any time soon, but it’s even less likely that I’ll ever again experience anything like watchingGame of Thronesunfold over the past 8 years with a mind-boggling chunk of my fellow humans. –Tom Reimann
The Sopranos
Creator:David Chase
Cast:James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Lorraine Bracco, Michael Imperioli, Tony Sirico, Steven Van Zandt, Dominic Chianese
Simply put, there is nothing else in entertainment history quite likeThe Sopranos, the godfather of our modern TV boom.David Chasebrought a gangster epic down to an intensely personal level, turning criminals into suburban folk figures that you want to watch navigate a BBQ as much as a mob hit. Leading the charge isJames Gandolfinias Tony Soprano, one of the most powerful performances in any medium. Gandolfini could scare the crap out of you with a change in how aggressively he’s breathing through his nose, so it’s a miracle that you also can’t help but love Tony even as he grows nastier with each season. Gandolfini’s mob boss is achingly vulnerable, and his sessions across from therapist Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco) are still a marvel to watch. Add in some of the sharpest writing of all time alongside a rotating cast of instantly iconic supporting characters andThe Sopranosremains the timeless backbone of HBO’s original slate. –Vinnie Mancuso
Eastbound and Down
Created by: Ben Best, Jody Hill, Danny McBride
Cast: Danny McBride, Steve Little, John Hawkes, Katy Mixon, Jennifer Irwin, Elizabeth De Razzo
There has never been a redemption story quite like Kenny Powers’ (Danny McBride) inEastbound and Down.A former baseball star clinging to his past and dealing with delightfully cringe delusions of grandeur, Kenny’s path back to achieving the level of notoriety he once enjoyed is bumpier than most, with lots of obstacles — like taking a job as a middle school P.E. teacher to pay the bills until the MLB comes a-knockin' — preventing him from achieving his goals. McBride’s successful creative partnership is well documented, beginning withThe Foot Fist Way, moving inEastbound & Down, and culminating with follow-up TV showVice Principals.Eastboundmight just be the best of the efforts as McBride comfortably takes center stage as the lovingly delusional Kenny while Hill writes and directs every absurd, wild, and wonderful twist and turn.Eastbound’s commitment to heightening the absurdity of this aforementioned quest while grounding the series in the real world makes it a binge-able watch. Additional performances turned in byKaty Mixonas Kenny’s high school sweetheart-turned-work colleague he’s trying to win back,John Hawkesas Kenny’s beleaguered but loving brother, andSteve Littleas Kenny’s devoted ally and pseudo-henchman add some rich emotional depth to one fading star’s pursuit of a second chance at fame. -Allie Gemmill
