HBO has been pretty much dominating the drama series game since 1997, when it came onto the scene with the one-two punch ofOzfollowed byThe Sopranos. Though things have faltered a little in the last few years – projects being scrapped at the last minute, deals not working out, or big series failing to find an audience or their own voice – HBO has still produced some of the best series on TV and helped usher in an era of exceptional dramas.
The list below ranks the premium network’s drama series from the worst to best. “Worst” is a little harsh, because even the worst are still better than most, and the list very quickly moves into some great series that are still very worthy of a re-watch (or watching for the very first time)
For our purposes, a drama series is defined as an hourlong show that is scripted, though miniseries are left out (further, I’m consideringThe No.1 Ladies' Detective Agencya comedy) As it so happens, HBO has someamazingminiseries:John Adams,Band of Brothers,Parade’s End,The Pacific,Generation Kill… go and watch those. They arealmostall top tier (I didn’t loveOlive Kitteridge). As forThe Night Of, it’s staying in the miniseries category.
The rankings below are based not only on how solid the series were throughout their run, but also their legacy and influence on pop culture and television as a whole. With the premiere ofDavid Simon’s latest seriesThe Deuce, we’re re-posting this list, with an update to come of whereThe Deucelands at the end of its first season. Also of note, the 2003 political seriesK Streetis not here because I never saw it, and it’s not available on streaming (not even on HBOGo!)
Check out the full list below, and be sure to sound of with your picks for the best HBO series in the comments below.
21. The Newsroom
Aired: 2012-2014Created By: Aaron Sorkin
Cast: Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer, John Gallagher, Jr., Alison Pill, Thomas Sadoski, Dev Patel, Olivia Munn, Sam Waterston
If you could distill unbridled arrogance into a TV show, you’d end up withThe Newsroom, a TV show that was essentially a soapbox for creator Aaron Sorkin. Sure, there were some aspects that weren’t so bad, but overallThe Newsroombecame a cultural punching bag for its sense of self-importance and lack of awareness — even though some of that was corrected over the course of its three-season run. Its dismissal of women and attempts at unearned grandiosity left most viewers cold, and ultimately, the show ended without much fanfare.
Aired: 2016
Created By: Mick Jagger, Martin Scorsese, Rich Cohen, Terence Winter
Cast: Bobby Cannavale, Ato Essandoh, James Jagger, Juno Temple, Olivia Wilde
OhVinyl. So much hype, so much pedigree, so much waste. The bloated, two-hour premiere did nothing to make viewers want to hang around to see the rest, and though HBO initially renewed it (perhaps thinking they had already invested too much to pull back), a new programming director cut it before it could do any more damage.Vinyl’s biggest problem was not that it was bad so much as it was boring. Plus, though the series tried to make its lead a conflicted antihero, he was ultimately just an self-indulgent jerk.How a story about a record executive during such a fantastic era of music could lack any emotional resonance or a cohesive narrative is difficult to know, although the series likely faltered from simply having too many cooks.But the costumes were pretty.
19. John from Cincinnati
Aired: 2007
Created By: David Milch, Kem Nunn
Cast: Bruce Greenwood, Rebecca De Mornay, Austin Nichols, Ed O’Neill, Luke Perry
One of the several David Milch projects on the list,John from Cincinnaticonfused critics and its handful of viewers when it aired on the heels ofThe Sopranos, and in no way was able to continue that show’s legacy. The “surf noir” plot and style of the series was truly bizarre, though it was filled with great performances (a constant on this list). But its examination of surf culture and its lofty philosophical ideas weren’t conveyed well, and were mostly half-baked. Adding insult to injury, its ending provided no resolution for those who stuck with it. Though it inspired a following at the time, it ultimately remains an enigma.
18. Tell Me You Love Me
Created By: Cynthia Mort
Cast: Jane Alexander, Michelle Borth, Tim DeKay, Luke Kirby, Adam Scott, David Selby, Katharine Towne, Sonya Walger, Ally Walker
Kind of likeIn Treatment, but with much more graphic sex,Tell Me You Love Mefollows a group of couples grappling with different relationship issues that largely revolve around physical intimacy, fertility, and monogamy. The show strives for authenticity, with both the realness of its conversations and its sexual encounters (leading to a rumor at the time at the sex was not simulated). But sometimes you just want an escape from reality, and not to be so closely involved in other people’s arguments and continuous woes for entertainment. Still, if you want to get what you pay for with HBO …
17. True Blood
Aired: 2008- 2014
Created By: Alan Ball
Cast: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten, Rutina Wesley, Alexander Skarsgård, Nelsan Ellis, Carrie Preston
Remember whenTrue Bloodwas the best show on TV? Lord love it,True Bloodwas the perfect summer show, full of eye candy and sultry southern nights, but it wasn’t amazing television. While it started off fairly grounded — for a vampire show — it went crazy off the rails fairly quickly. After showrunner Alan Ball left towards the end of its run, the series recovered slightly to end in a way that polarized fans and closed the chapter on a story that, truly, should have ended years before. The accents were all over the place, and the series soon lost its sense of Louisiana flavor that made it so distinct to begin with, and it was often a frustrating journey for fans. ButTrue Bloodwas always entertaining, even when its cartoonish sensibilities went too far.
16. In Treatment
Aired: 2008 - 2010
Developed By: Rodrigo Garcia
Cast: Gabriel Byrne, Dianne Wiest, Michelle Forbes, Melissa George, Blair Underwood, Mia Wasikowska, Embeth Davidtz
An oft-forgotten HBO series,In Treatmenttook its plot cues from a popular Israeli series, as well as its schedule: the show ran five nights a week, with each night showing a different therapy session for a particular cast member. The series was engrossing, and a great acting showcase. It was occasionally a little boring, but its hook was that the backgrounds and lives of the characters were revealed only through their sessions. When hints were dropped at interesting things, you had to wait until their next session to experience more. It was infuriating but also engrossing, and the ambition of the show’s format has remained unparalleled. (Looking back now, it might make for a great binge-watch). It was heralded at the time, and nominated for a slew of primetime awards during its run, but it hasn’t left much of a mark on TV or on its own network.
15. The Leftovers
Aired: 2015 - current
Created By: Damon Lindelof, Tom Perrotta
Cast: Justin Theroux, Amy Brenneman, Christopher Eccleston, Liv Tyler, Carrie Coon
This is probably the most polarizing show on this list. I don’t care what anyone says aboutThe Leftovers, no show should require a season and a half of wandering for a few episodes of payoff. There’s a difference between being the kind of show that doesn’t underestimate the intelligence of its viewers, and the kind that is so purposefully obtuse that it’s impossible to know, or even care, what is happening.The Leftoversstretched out a small book with a big idea into a confounded mess that had no sense of itself. Even if the last few episodes of Season 2 and the first episodes of its final season are considered by some to be the greatest things know to man (on television), it’s not worth the toil of getting there.
And yet … if it’s your thing, well, I guess it’s a beautiful thing (which is why I’m improving its ranking slightly since the end of Season 2, given how many critics I know and trust continue to faint over it). But if it’s not, man, it is an interminable slog.
One thing we can all agree on is Carrie Coon is a national treasure, and the show’s greatest legacy is introducing the world to more of her.
Aired: 2011
Created By: David Milch
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Dennis Farina, Richard Kind, Kevin Dunn, Ian Hart, Ritchie Coster, Kerry Condon, Nick Nolte, Michael Gambon
If you can, for a moment, get past the horses dying on set (which …),Luckwas actually a good show. A little uneven, especially when it came to its sprawling cast, but the unique series wonderfully examined the inner workings of the race track from the owners down to the “railbirds” who gamble on the winners. It was often gritty and grumbly (literally it was hard to ever know what Nick Nolte was saying), but even though it led with a movie star in Dustin Hoffman, the series was slow and reserved, and often meditative. There was a lot of heart and knowledge that went into buildingLuck’s world, with the same kind of poetry thatDeadwood(also created by David Milch) possessed in its writing. It also was one of the first in a growing trend of movie stars coming to TV. But unfortunately, the accidents and safety concerns regarding the beautiful animals the series was meant to exalt caused production to be shut down.
Aired: 2005- 2007
Created By: John Milius, William J. MacDonald, Bruno Heller
Cast: Kevin McKidd, Ray Stevenson, Ciarán Hinds, Polly Walker
Romewas a vibrant entry into HBO’s drama slate, a kind of proto-Game of Thronesthat examined the shifting politics and alliances of the empire through the eyes of both the powerful and lowly. It was historical but also deeply emotional, action-packed, and full of intrigue. The central relationship between two Roman centurions was a beautiful portrait of true friendship and loyalty, and design of the series as well as the cast (as is so often the case with HBO series) was absolutely exceptional, particularly Polly Walker.
The issue was that the series — a British and Italian co-production — was notoriously expensive, and when the series creator got word that the show would be cancelled after a truncated Season 2, he (by his own admission) crammed three seasons worth of story into the final episodes. The result was a confusing tailspin towards the fall of Rome, and the show has (unjustly) been largely forgotten.
Aired: 2010 - 2013
Created By: David Simon, Eric Overmeyer
Cast: Khandi Alexander, Kim Dickens, Michiel Huisman, Melissa Leo, David Morse, Clarke Peters, Wendell Pierce, Jon Seda, Steve Zahn
David Simon’s follow-up toThe Wirehas a legacy of being a little like homework for casual viewers. It’s true that some of its main characters were hard to like or care about, and extended musical numbers made the series feel more like a jazz documentary or exceptional sleep aid than a great drama. But Simon and Overmeyer approached the series with the same dogged desire they had in examining the fabric of the Baltimore streets, and truly dove into every aspect of post-Katrina New Orleans.
In that, it was fantastic.Tremeshowed a city in a transitory period, drawing itself out of its tragedy towards a new future. Some took advantage of that, some were swallowed up by it, but resilience defined the series. Its detail and specificity about the fabric of the city made it one of HBO’s most difficult to engage with, but also one of its most underrated.
