HBOhas been a pioneer in creating and delivering high-quality series since the 1990s. With its first original drama,Ozpremiering in 1997,the barrier to what’s acceptable in a TV show was brokenand conversations about real issues started to rise.Ozopened up a door for TV to be gritty, controversial, realistic, and falling out of the conventional bounds of drama. Today, the influence ofOzcan be seen in most original HBO dramas and shows outside the network.
Choosing only ten HBO shows from the past 25 years is incredibly difficult, though some have stood out more than others for particular reasons;whether it’s public appeal, a cult status achievement, or the number of awards, the ten best HBO shows since the year 2000 have one or all of those factors in common. Everyone will say there should be a different show there, that there were other, more influential shows, and the catch is - everyone will be right. This is a discussion to be had, and one that can be opened with a list.
10’Eastbound & Down' (2009–2013)
Created by Ben Best, Jody Hill, and Danny McBride
Eastbound & Downmay be a wild choice, but it’sone of those underrated showsthat became an instant hit on HBO and has a devoted fandom to this day.Danny McBrideplays a washed-up baseball player, Kenny Powers,whose lack of self-awareness is constantly made up for by efforts to be a better personfor his family; the show is beyond its laughs - it has a story it likes to stick to, making this sports/dark comedy feel like a rise and fall (or better said a fall and a rise) of an athlete looking for recognition and redemption.
McBride is one of the best comedians of our time, and his humor can often be crass, absurd, and unpredictable. He infusesEastbound & Downwith that skill, but the cast accompanying him is just as good in comedic delivery and depth; the biggest surprise might beJohn Hawkes, who’s been proving to us he can be quite the funny guy.Eastbound & Downismore of a cult classic than a mainstream hit, but it deserves a spoton the list of HBO’s best shows because it’s funny and outrageous. It’s also one of the most quotable shows of all time, and many people have likely heard one of Kenny’s one-liners at least once.
Eastbound and Down
9’Curb Your Enthusiasm' (2000–2024)
Created by Larry David
What better to include on a list of the best shows of the last 25 years than a show that literally lasted as much? Though it had long pauses between several seasons - the longest being six years -Larry David’s long-running cringe comedyCurb Your Enthusiasmremained relevant until its final episode. Curb’s main star is its creator, Larry David, playing his fictionalized self. He lives with Leon (JB Smoove), and his best friend and manager is Jeff Greene (Jeff Garlin); many actors and stars appear as themselves in a fictional setting, such asTed Dansonbeing Larry’s romantic rival.
Curb Your Enthusiasmdoesn’t have a singular storyline, though there are oftenoverarching plots and running jokesin each of the seasons; most of the episodes are just a day in the life ofLarry David, who is grouchy, tactless, and quite peculiar. He’s bothered by random things that people almost never think about, and viewers would often relate to his rants; if anyone had the versatility to reach a wide audience, it was David and his show, for sure.Curbofficially ended after 12 seasons in 2024, which was, undoubtedly, Larry David’s magnum opus of social awkwardness.
Curb Your Enthusiasm
8’Succession' (2018–2023)
Created by Jesse Armstrong
When looking at the HBO shows that had brilliant award runs and are generally highly favored among critics and audiences,Successiondefinitely deserves a spot among the best. That’s not the only reason, though; together withan iconic opening sequence,every episode ofSuccessionwas thought out to the smallest details from the first to the final moments. The directing and editing serve the emotional states of the characters, showcasing the gravity of a situation even when no one is speaking.Jesse Armstrongdelivered one of the best-written modern dramas of today, but the directing and visual identity of the show make it uniquely brilliant.
Successionfollows the Roy family, led by the cold patriarch Logan (Brian Cox); Logan has four children, though three are the real pretenders for the “throne” to his media empire; with each fighting to win over dad’s love and a spot in his will,viewers observe the family crashing down on itself during some devastating situations.Successionis a very Shakespearean power struggle, but it’s also full of dark humor, which is mostly the duty ofKieran Culkinto deliver directly; the devastating family dynamic can be hard to watch, but it’s hypnotizing. Fun fact:SuccessionandEastboud & Downhave the same executive producers -Will FerrellandAdam McKay.
Succession
7’Silicon Valley' (2014–2019)
Created by Mike Judge, John Altschuler, and Dave Krinsky
If you thinkSilicon Valleyis just about laughing at tech bros, you’d be half-right.Silicon Valleyprovided us with something not seen before 2014 - a scathing and hilarious take on the tech world that was asclever, versatile, and knowledgeable as it was ridiculous and ridiculing. It’s the equivalent of nerds making jokes among each other, but the creators ofSilicon Valleymade those jokes accessible to everyone, at all levels of tech literacy. Incredibly so, a show about start-ups, developers, and programmers succeeded in being one of the biggest series of the 2010s.
Silicon Valleyfollows Richard (Thomas Middleditch), a programmer at the tech giant Hooli, owned by the eccentric billionaire Gavin Belson (Matt Ross). Richard develops a data compression app called Pied Piper during his spare time at Hooli, realizing his app has the potential to become great.Richard ventures out on his own and hires programmer friends to help him develop the app, while Belson wants to acquire Pied Piper for Hooli. This is one of the rare shows that gets better with each season,with season 2 being an absolute highlight. The more you watch, the better it gets, and they just don’t make shows like this anymore (spoken like a true Millennial).
Silicon Valley
6’Game of Thrones' (2011–2019)
Created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss
Did you know thatGame of Thronesholds the record for the most Emmy Awards won by a primetime series? With a staggering160 nominations and 59 wins,Game of Thronesis, according to these numbers, HBO’s most successful primetime series ever. So, with all those wins - is the show worthy of being called one of their best? Absolutely.Game of Thronesdominated viewership rankings and even the pop culture landscape.Almost every episode was covered by various media, from serious reviewers to meme creators; despite the controversial ending, the early seasons still help rank it among HBO’s crème de la crème.
Game of Thronesis an epic fantasy saga of power, betrayal, and war; it started as abook series byGeorge R.R. Martin, who created an elaborate world of the Seven Kingdoms, on the continent of Westeros. Different families fight for the Iron Throne, a throne of the ruler of Westeros, andGame of Thronesputs viewers in the shoes of the northern family Stark, whose patriarch Ned (Sean Bean) is the King’s best friend and right-hand man.Political intrigue, games, war, and deceit are the prevalent themes, anda stellar ensemble castshows a medieval epic can be as fun and intriguing as any other modern story.
Game Of Thrones
5’Deadwood' (2004–2006)
Created by David Milch
Deadwoodis the whisper on everyone’s lips whenever the best HBO original dramas are discussed;fans who were on the bandwagon in 2004 still ride for this Western show, but fairly so. There’s rarely a person who hasn’t heard ofDeadwoodone way or another. The greatest Western show to grace the primetime slot is a delight for fans of Westerns and crime dramas alike. It’sa brilliant character study, giving the world some ofthe most fascinating charactersin TV history. Plenty were based on real people, such as Seth Bullock, Sol Star, Al Swearengen, and Calamity Jane.
The show starsTimothy Olyphantas Bullock andJohn Hawkes as Star, and the two run a hardware shop in a goldmining lawless town of Deadwood. The rest of the series follows the town’s other residents, such as Al Swearengen, local saloon and bar owner, played by the fantasticIan McShane. Thisraw and gritty depiction of the American frontier is often considered one of the greatest showsof all time, using a secret ingredient that makes it special, rewatchable, and memorable. If we’re slinging awards, too,Deadwoodwon eight Primetime Emmys and McShane won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Swearengen.
4’Chernobyl' (2019)
Created by Craig Mazin
Chernobylis a miniseries, so it’s not a typical HBO show spanning across several seasons, but it’s also one ofthe highest-rated series on IMDb.Chernobylwasbased on true eventsfollowing the 1986 nuclear disaster, especially the participants in the disaster’s aftermath and mitigation, and some citizens of theatomgradPripyat, a town that housed workers in the Chernobyl plant. Most of the real-life characters' names remained the same in the series, and the show was generally praised for being historically accurate in storytelling, visuals, and props.
Chernobyl focuses on various characters, though viewers are often put alongside Valeriy Legasov, played byJared Harris. Legasov is the deputy director of the Kurchatov Institute, and on its behalf, he arrives in Pripyat to investigate the Chernobyl explosion and clean up its consequences.The show also depicts first responders whose stories were never told, from the firefighters to the mining crews. Retelling a historical event is always risky, but if done respectfully and with a lot of research - likeChernobylseemingly was - it has the potential to be in the ranks of the greatest stories ever told. This show is exactly that.
3’The Wire' (2002–2008)
Created by David Simon
The Wireis HBO canon by now, and, no,you don’t have to watch it, but understanding conversations at parties can often depend on how well you know this show. If someone jokes, “Omar coming!” you’ll just have to live with not getting it. Or, watchone of HBO’s greatest contributions to primetime dramaand get in on the conversation. This implies every single conversation outside of one’s home is aboutThe Wire, which isn’t far from the truth. It was often snubbed during award seasons, but critics and audiences were in love withThe Wirefrom the start.
The show follows Baltimore PD detectiveJimmy McNulty (Dominic West) and his squadtrying to pin down the neverending Baltimore drug ring. The story also focuses on wiretapping and listening in on the drug trade, hence the name,The Wire.David Simoncreated the show after spending time with the Baltimore police; his research andexperiences were further corroborated by his writing partner, ex-detective Ed Burns, who served as inspiration for McNulty.The Wiretends to feel like a documentary, as the showrunners wanted to depict a realistic Baltimore. Plus, most of the cast was fairly unknown and some guest stars were local Baltimore personalities relevant to the police work, giving the series a sort of secret credibility.
2’Band of Brothers' (2001)
Created by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg
Another miniseries,Band of Brothers, is a joint venture between creators and executive producersTom HanksandSteven Spielberg. Before this, the two collaborated onSaving Private Ryan, andBand of Brothersoften feels like that movie, but it’s a little more poignant and hard-hitting, possibly becausea 10-episode series dives deeperthan a two-hour movie.Band of Brothersmakes people fall in love and admire some of its protagonists, though it’s hard to pinpoint a leader in the massive ensemble. The most famous names are arguablyDavid SchwimmerandDamian Lewis, though the actors who portray the soldiers on the battlefield are just as, if not more, charming.
Band of Brothersdepicts the Easy Company’s experiences during WWII, all noted in historianStephen E. Ambrose’s non-fiction book of the same name.Ambrose’s research is boosted by interviews with Easy Company veterans, often shown at the beginning and end of each episode. Friendship and camaraderie often stave away the fear among the soldiers, though the challenges they face are never easy. The warfare is depicted realistically, and the show often becomes visceral and intense. Hitting every single emotion in the body,Band of Brothersis etched in viewers' memory long after episode ten;it’s a must-watch war series.
Band of Brothers
1’The Sopranos' (1999–2007)
Created by David Chase
OK, technically,The Sopranosstarted in 1999, but the show ran well into the 2000s, with the bulk of the series airing throughout the first half of the decade.Arguably the greatest TV series of all time,The Sopranosis often cited astheprototype of a good TV show. One could say that, withoutThe Sopranos, we wouldn’t have any other HBO originals orthe likes ofMad Men.David Chaseand his showrunners proved to the world that a TV series can be taken seriously as an art form, on par with movies and theater. It’s also the first show to depict a Mafia boss struggling with mental health issues, flipping the idea of an untouchable individual on its head.
The SopranosfollowsMafia boss Tony Soprano(James Gandolfini) as he balances family life with criminal activities. Tony also visits psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco), to discuss his ongoing panic attacks and struggles. To add to the technical reasons as to whyThe Sopranosis so great,the show won 21 Primetime Emmys, including Outstanding Drama Series. This darkly comedic, dramatic, intense masterpiece is still untouchable, and one of the reasons HBO is today known as a network that inspires real, gritty, original programming (afterOz, of course).
The Sopranos
KEEP READING:The 61 Best Shows on Max Right Now (March 2025)
