HBO’s streaming service has a mix of original programming and long-running series exclusive to HBO Max. Like the now-discontinued HBO Go service, HBO Max gives users access to everything available on the premium channel plus other exclusive content. Here’s what to watch on HBO Max this month.
South Side (2019): Best Buddy Comedy About Surviving in Late Capitalism
Fresh out of community college, Simon (Sultan Salahuddin) and Kareem (Kareme Young) have high aspirations for success. They begin their business empire in Chicago’s South Side, where they sell everything from erectile dysfunction pills to cryptocurrency.
IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
Created by people who grew up in Chicago, the show is a love letter to the city’s working-class neighborhoods. South Side does a good job of showcasing the urban landscape, so if you’ve been to Chicago, you’ll likely notice many of the locations. South Side originally aired on Comedy Central, but future seasons will be exclusive to HBO Max.
Insecure (2016): Best HBO Original Sitcom Starring Issa Rae
Actress and producer Issa Rae is all over HBO Max with shows like Sweet Life: Los Angeles, Rap Sh*t, and Insecure. A spin-off of her wildly popular web series Awkward Black Girl, Insecure has been a staple of HBO’s primetime lineup for half a decade.
IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
The popular sitcom follows two millennials, Issa (Issa Rae) and her best friend Molly (Yvonne Orji), as they adapt to post-college life in L.A. Each episode features original music from up-and-coming artists of color.
Station Eleven (2021): Most Timely Post-Apocalyptic Survival Story
In the aftermath of a pandemic that precipitated the fall of society, former actor Kirsten (Mackenzie Davis) joins a traveling Shakespearean troupe to help people make meaning out of the new world.
IMDb Rating: 6.9/10
Although it’s based on a novel written in 2014, Station Eleven feels like it was written for today’s world, and it delivers a much-needed positive message about the endurance of the human spirit.
Westworld (2016): Best Dystopian Sci-Fi Western
Welcome to Westworld, an artificial re-creation of the American Wild West where wealthy visitors can do anything they want in a village of defenseless androids. It’s a great place to indulge your basest desires until the robots become sentient and start fighting back.
IMDb Rating: 8.6/10
Inspired by Michael Crichton’s 1973 movie of the same title, Westworld is as thought-provoking as it is beautiful. Judging by the cast alone, it should be no surprise that the show has won nine Emmys and counting. That said, Westworld is also extremely violent, so stay away if you have an aversion to gore.
Betty (2021): Most Empowering Sports Sitcom for Teens
Skateboarding is often erroneously perceived as a boy’s sport, but Betty proves otherwise. In this teen-appropriate sitcom, a group of girl skateboarders in New York strives to outcompete their peers.
IMDb Rating: 6.8/10
Betty is inspired by the movie Skate Kitchen directed by Crystal Moselle, who also works on the show. Most of the characters and cast from the film make appearances in addition to many new faces.
Titans (2018): Most Action-Packed Superhero Sidekick Series
Titans manages to offer a fresh take on a classic franchise. All the stars of Teen Titans, led by Robin (Brenton Thwaites), are a little older and a lot grittier. This superhero show isn’t for kids.
IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
The episodic format makes Titans much easier to digest than the four-hour director’s cut of Justice League. If you like this series, be sure to check out Doom Patrol on HBO Max, which takes place in the same universe and features many of the same actors.
Succession (2018): Most Critically Acclaimed Show on HBO Max
As entrepreneur Logan Roy (Brian Cox) nears the end of his life and career, his four kids are already beginning to fight over the family business. However, on his 80th birthday, Logan announces that he has no plans of stepping down anytime soon.
While this family drama may sound similar in premise to the Starz series Empire, the series has enough refreshingly humorous moments sprinkled throughout to keep things from getting too tense. A massive hit with critics, Succession has won numerous accolades, including Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series and Best Actor (for Cox).
A Black Lady Sketch Show (2019): Funniest Sketchy Comedy With an All-Female Cast
Need a good laugh? We all do, and A Black Lady Sketch Show certainly delivers. The jokes resonate with everyone, and while skits occasionally get political, humor is prioritized above all else.
IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
In just its first season, the show received multiple Emmy nominations and won a Television Critics Association award for Outstanding Achievement in Sketch/Variety Shows. Keep an eye out for guest stars like Kelly Rowland, Laverne Cox, and Angela Bassett.
Stath Lets Flats (2018): Funniest NSFW Family Comedy
Siblings Stath (Jamie Demetriou) and Sophie (Natasia Demetriou) are determined to take over the family business. There’s just one problem: They are absolutely unqualified to run a company.
Stath Lets Flats stars show creator Jamie Demetriou and his real-life sister. The duo’s awesome comedic chemistry won the series a BAFTA award for Best Scripted Comedy in 2020.
Made for Love (2021): Most Comedically Dark Sci-Fi Family Drama
After walking away from her marriage, Hazel (Cristin Milioti) discovers that her tech bro ex-husband (Billy Magnussen) implanted a tracking device in her brain. This device doesn’t just monitor Hazel’s location; it can also read her thoughts. With nowhere to run, she turns to her estranged father (Ray Romano).
IMDb Rating: 7.0/10
The premise sounds kind of horrifying, but the show’s tone is surprisingly comedic, which prevents Made for Love from feeling like a knock-off of other dystopian sci-fi series like Westworld. Ray Romano of Everybody Loves Raymond fame shines as a believable father figure in this unique story.
Hacks (2021): Best Buddy Comedy About Show Business
Famous comedian Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and her ambitious apprentice Ava (Hannah Einbinder) constantly butt heads in this hilarious critique of the show business. It begins like your typical odd-couple story, but as the series progresses, the characters are revealed to be more serious than they appear on the surface.
IMDb Rating: 8.3/10
Hacks debuted to unanimous praise from critics for its strong performances and quick wit, all but guaranteeing a second season.
Sort Of (2021): Kookiest Canadian Comedy Mini-Series
In this refreshingly sweet Canadian sitcom, series creator Bilal Baig stars as Sabi Mehboob, a gender nonbinary thirty-something trying to chart their own path in the modern world. Along the way, they have to juggle two jobs and two disapproving Pakistani parents.
IMDb Rating: 5.9/10
Sort Of is more heartfelt than your average half-hour comedy show. It tackles hot button topics without being preachy or sensationalistic. Most importantly, Sort Of is funny, thanks to Baig’s charming screen presence.
The White Lotus (2021): Hottest Comedy Anthology Series
A resort in Hawaii seems like the perfect getaway, but behind all the palm trees and idyllic beaches, not everything is as it seems. Join the guests and staff of the White Lotus hotel for a darkly comedic trip into the wacky world of the hospitality industry.
Watching White Lotus might be the closest most of us get to Hawaii, so it’s worth watching just for the beautiful scenery. Thanks to the success of the first season, it White Lotus will continue as an anthology series that focuses on a new group of guests at a different destination.
The Other Two (2019): Funniest Family Drama About Show Biz
Being a child star isn’t easy, but imagine being their unfamous sibling. Cary (Drew Tarver) and Brooke (Heléne Yorke) have worked their whole lives to make it in the entertainment industry, only to be outshined by their 13-year-old little brother Chase (Case Walker) and his YouTube channel.
IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
The Other Two is a hilarious critique of celebrity culture and our social media-obsessed society. Keep an eye for D-list guest stars like Kathie Lee Gifford, Mario Lopez, and Michael Che.
Gossip Girl (2021): Most Timely Reboot About the Always-Online Generation
Although it’s been less than a decade since the original series ended, the world of social media has changed so much that a Gossip Girl reboot makes sense. In this follow-up to the wildly popular CW television series, a new class of students gets pitted against one other by an anonymous online troll.
IMDb Rating: 5.3/10
Kristen Bell returns as the narrator, but the rest of the cast is mostly comprised of fresh faces.
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses (2021)—Trivial Pursuit for Potterheads
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses is a game show that aired on the Cartoon Network over the course of four weeks in 2021. Teams representing the four Houses of Hogwarts compete in a tournament to determine the biggest Potterheads.
IMDb Rating: 4.6/10
Dame Helen Mirren serves as Mistress of Ceremonies, bringing a distinctively British touch to the show. You’ll also see some familiar faces from the movies. Gather your fellow Harry Potter fans and play along at home.
Other Parents (2019): Best French Sitcom About Parenthood
Known in France as Andere Eltern, Other Parents follows a crew of misfit parents who team up to open a daycare center in Cologne. Led by Nina (Lavinia Wilson), the group struggles to hold it together as different child-rearing styles clash and parental instincts kick into overdrive.
Other Parents is a mockumentary-style sitcom, a format that works exceptionally well for a show like this since viewers get to see how parents interact when they’re face-to-face compared with what they say behind the scenes.
Euphoria (2019): Best Original High School Drama
Inspired by an Israeli TV show, Euphoria is a teen drama that unflinchingly tackles controversial issues like drug abuse, teenage sexuality, and emotional trauma. It’s not a show for kids, but every parent should watch it.
IMDb Rating: 8.4/10
With all of the shows about how hard it is to be a teenager in today’s modern world, why watch this one? For starters, it stars Zendaya, who has won multiple awards for her performance. Euphoria has even received international acclaim, winning the British Academy Television Award for Best International Programme.
Doom Patrol (2019): Best DC Superhero Team-Up
Doom Patrol comes from the DC Universe and features characters from the 2018 series Titans. Chief (Timothy Dalton), a wealthy doctor who takes in social rejects with supernatural powers and trains them to fight evil, leads the titular team. It’s kind of like The Umbrella Academy, which means it’s awesome.
The first season of Doom Patrol received several award nominations, including Best Streaming Superhero Television Series at the Saturn Awards. The show originally debuted on the DC Universe streaming service, but future episodes will stream exclusively on HBO Max.
Through Our Eyes (2021): Best Educational Docuseries for Kids
Through Our Eyes is a limited series from Sesame Workshop, the same group that produces Sesame Street. Each episode of this kid-centered docuseries focuses on a specific issue like parental incarceration, poverty, and climate change.
Recommended for children ages 9 and up, Through Our Eyes does an excellent job of analyzing difficult topics in a kid-friendly manner. It’s best viewed with an adult in the room who can answer questions.
The Nevers (2021): Best Victorian Era Superhero Saga
At the turn of the 20th century, Amalia True (Laura Donnelly) operates a haven for girls and women with supernatural powers like herself. Known to the world as “the Touched,” the residents of St. Romaulda’s Orphanage learn to use their powers for good while the British government views them as a threat.
At its core, The Nevers is another team superhero show like Doom Patrol and Umbrella Academy; however, it stands on its own thanks to the unique setting and strong female cast.
Lovecraft Country (2020): Most Horrific Show About American History
In the 1950s, an African American man named Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors) travels to the segregated American south to find his missing father. On top of discrimination from locals, Atticus must also deal with the ghosts of slave owners and monsters from H.P Lovecraft’s twisted imagination.
IMDb Rating: 7.1/19
Lovecraft Country is based on a book of the same name, inspired by fantasy-horror author H.P Lovecraft, the show’s namesake. Some scenes are brutally violent, and it doesn’t pull punches when addressing America’s history of racism.
Nancy Drew (2019): Best Young Adult Book Adaptation
Nancy Drew’s plans of going to college get derailed when she witnesses a crime and becomes a chief suspect. With the help of her friends, she tries to track down the real culprit to clear her name.
IMDb Rating: 6.3/10
Nancy Drew’s third TV outing features everything you’d expect out of the series: convoluted mysteries, outlandish situations, and supernatural twists. The show has a darker edge than the books, but fortunately, it remains appropriate for teens.
Peacemaker (2022): Crudest Super Hero Comedy for Adults Only
In this spin-off of The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker (John Cena) continues his fight for peace, no matter how many people he must strike down along the way. As he tries to fit in with a new group of heroic villains, his flaws become increasingly apparent to everyone.
John Cena is best known for his family-friendly image, but let’s be clear: Peacemaker is not for kids. It’s an adult comedy with lots of action, crude jokes, and a patriotic pet eagle named Eagly.
Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000): Longest Running Show About Nothing
The brainchild of Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm is known for its mundane humor and unique production style. Although the show has a script, much of the dialogue is improvised, resulting in some hilarious situational comedy.
IMDb Rating: 8.7/10
Curb Your Enthusiasm has received dozens of Primetime Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series. The show went on hiatus for a few years before HBO revived it in 2017.
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