The 21 Best Shows to Watch on HBO Max

Clockwise from top left: Starstruck, Los Espookys, The Sex Lives of College Girls, Station Eleven Credit - HBO (4)

It’s not TV, it’s HBO Max, which means instead of mindlessly flipping channels, TV lovers are now endlessly scrolling to find their next great series. For those who feel as if they spend more time looking for TV shows to watch rather than watching TV itself, this list should help make things a little easier.

HBO’s two-year-old streaming service has plenty of recent additions that are worth checking out, especially if you are all caught up on up on Succession or Euphoria, and have already watched every season of The Sopranos and Big Little Lies. From HBO Max Originals to shows that have found new life on the streaming service, like TBS castoff Search Party, these are the 21 best HBO Max shows to watch right now.

Barry

SNL alum Bill Hader stars as the dark comedy’s titular hitman who longs to be a professional actor. Unfortunately, even with the help of his acting teacher Gene Cousineau (played by a very against type Henry Winkler), he can’t seem to quit his day job.

Hacks

When legendary standup Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) needs to freshen up her material, her manager enlists Ava (Hannah Einbinder), a struggling millennial comedy writer, to help her. Think The Odd Couple for hardcore humorists.

The Flight Attendant

After a night of hard partying, flight attendant Cassie (Kayley Cuoco) wakes up to find herself in bed with a dead man. Now, she must figure out how he got there and how much she has to do with his murder. Girls’ Zosia Mamet, Grey’s Anatomy’s T.R. Knight, and Rosie Perez also star in this darkly funny mystery.

Station Eleven

The dystopian thriller based on Emily St. Mandel’s 2014 novel of the same name stars Mackenzie Davis as Kirsten Raymonde, a survivor of a flu pandemic that led to the collapse of civilization. Twenty years after the global catastrophe, she’s the leader of a traveling theater group. When the troupe is asked to perform for a mysterious new community, Kirsten encounters a person from her past, who has definitely changed, but not for the better.

Our Flag Means Death

Get ready to ship Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) and Blackbeard (Taika Waititi) in this queer rom-com that wrestles with the toxic masculinity that comes with being a pirate.

The Baby

If you thought Rosemary’s baby was a problem, then you haven’t met the devilish little star of this horror-comedy about an infant that goes on a murdering spree.

The Sex Lives of College Girls

The wholesome co-ed comedy co-created by Mindy Kaling follows four students at a Vermont college as they try to navigate their studies, friendship, and, yes, sex lives.

We Own This City

David Simon’s new series, described as a spiritual sequel to The Wire, delves into the corruption behind the Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force. What makes this miniseries starring Jon Bernthal even more chilling is that it’s based on Baltimore Sun reporter Justin Fenton’s book of the same name.

Starstruck

The delightful British rom-com stars creator Rose Matafeo as a cinema loving Kiwi living in London who has a one-night stand with a famous movie star, played by Nikesh Patel. For fans of Notting Hill, who wish that Julia Roberts movie was way sexier.

Industry

The anxiety-inducing drama about a group of recent college grads competing for a job at a prestigious investment bank in London might just convince you to hire a personal financial advisor.

Somebody Somewhere

Following the death of her sister, Sam (Bridget Everett) finds herself back in her Kansas hometown struggling to process her grief. Luckily, she’s not the only one in town who’s in need of a little cheering up in this dramedy about middle-aged ennui.

The Other Two

What if your kid brother became an overnight pop sensation? The comedy starring Drew Tarver and Hélene Yorke as the siblings of a Bieberesque teen star dares to answer that question with a lot of heart, humor, and straight-up bangers.

It’s a Sin

The emotional limited series from creator Russell T Davies (Queer as Folk) follows a group of gay men living in London during the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s.

Los Espookys

The surreal Spanish-language comedy centers on three friends, played by Julio Torres, Cassandra Ciangherotti, and Bernardo Velasco–who decide to start a spooky new business in which they provide scares for anyone who needs it.

Peacemaker

Those looking for a different kind of superhero show will find it with The Suicide Squad-spinoff series that follows John Cena’s comically patriotic hero as he attempts to eliminate a swarm of parasitic butterflies that are taking over people’s bodies.

A Black Lady Sketch Show

Robin Thede’s sketch comedy series features a who’s who of funny women–Full Frontal With Samantha Bee’s Ashley Nicole Black, Abbott Elementary’s Quinta Brunson, Gabrielle Dennis, and Skye Townsend–skewering the culture.

Search Party

After a college friend goes missing, Dory Sief (Alia Shawkat) becomes a modern day Nancy Drew in this dark comedy that satirizes the millennial experience.

Harley Quinn

Harley (voiced by Kaley Cuoco) is single and loving it in this animated series for adults. After breaking things off with The Joker, she heads to Gotham City looking to make a name for herself as the metropolis’ newest girl boss.

Julia

This delicious comedy is inspired by the life and career of cooking teacher Julia Child (played by Sarah Lancashire), who pioneered the concept of a TV chef with her long-running series, The French Chef.

The Staircase

From Inventing Anna to The Dropout and everything in between, 2022 has been the year of the docudrama. But if you only watch one of these based on a true story series, it’s this one, which delves into the story of Michael Peterson, an author who was charged with murdering his wife Kathleen after she died on the staircase of their Durham, N.C. home in 2001.

How To With John Wilson

Whether John Wilson is learning to make the perfect risotto or why cities need scaffolding, his charming DIY documentary series is bound to make you smile. Honestly, in 2022, is there a better recommendation than that?