The Best TV Shows on HBO

Every HBO Show Ranked From Best To Worst

Showcasing over 20 shows from 1969 up until 2023, HBO stands as a beacon of television excellence. Icons of HBO, Sesame Street and Not Necessarily the News made their debut in 1969 and 1983, setting industry standards. Our curated list, current as of June 2025, showcases over 20 of HBO’s highest-rated series.

  • The Sopranos
    The Sopranos (1999)8.7

    The story of New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads. Those difficulties are often highlighted through his ongoing professional relationship with psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi. The show features Tony's family members and Mafia associates in prominent roles and story arcs, most notably his wife Carmela and his cousin and protégé Christopher Moltisanti.

  • Game of Thrones
    Game of Thrones (2011)8.5

    Seven noble families fight for control of the mythical land of Westeros. Friction between the houses leads to full-scale war. All while a very ancient evil awakens in the farthest north. Amidst the war, a neglected military order of misfits, the Night's Watch, is all that stands between the realms of men and icy horrors beyond.

  • The Last of Us
    The Last of Us (2023)8.5

    Twenty years after modern civilization has been destroyed, Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse the United States and depend on each other for survival.

  • True Detective
    True Detective (2014)8.3

    An American anthology police detective series utilizing multiple timelines in which investigations seem to unearth personal and professional secrets of those involved, both within or outside the law.

  • House of the Dragon
    House of the Dragon (2022)8.3

    The Targaryen dynasty is at the absolute apex of its power, with more than 15 dragons under their yoke. Most empires crumble from such heights. In the case of the Targaryens, their slow fall begins when King Viserys breaks with a century of tradition by naming his daughter Rhaenyra heir to the Iron Throne. But when Viserys later fathers a son, the court is shocked when Rhaenyra retains her status as his heir, and seeds of division sow friction across the realm.

  • Curb Your Enthusiasm
    Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000)8.0

    The off-kilter, unscripted comic vision of Larry David, who plays himself in a parallel universe in which he can't seem to do anything right, and, by his standards, neither can anyone else.

  • Boardwalk Empire
    Boardwalk Empire (2010)8.0

    Atlantic City at the dawn of Prohibition is a place where the rules don't apply. And the man who runs things -- legally and otherwise -- is the town's treasurer, Enoch "Nucky" Thompson, who is equal parts politician and gangster.

  • Westworld
    Westworld (2016)8.0

    A dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the evolution of sin. Set at the intersection of the near future and the reimagined past, it explores a world in which every human appetite, no matter how noble or depraved, can be indulged.

  • Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
    Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (2014)7.9

    A half-hour satirical look at the week in news, politics and current events.

  • The Larry Sanders Show
    The Larry Sanders Show (1992)7.7

    Comic Garry Shandling draws upon his own talk show experiences to create the character of Larry Sanders, a paranoid, insecure host of a late night talk show. Larry, along with his obsequious TV sidekick Hank Kingsley and his fiercely protective producer Artie, allows Garry Shandling and his talented writers to look behind the scenes and to show us a convincing slice of behind the camera life.

  • In Treatment
    In Treatment (2008)7.7

    Set within the highly charged confines of individual psychotherapy sessions and centering around Dr. Paul Weston, a psychotherapist who exhibits an insightful, reserved demeanor while treating his patients—but displays a crippling insecurity while counseled by his own therapist.

  • The Kids in the Hall
    The Kids in the Hall (1989)7.4

    The Kids in the Hall is a Canadian sketch comedy group formed in 1984, consisting of comedians Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Bruce McCulloch, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson.

  • Sex and the City
    Sex and the City (1998)7.4

    Based on the bestselling book by Candace Bushnell, Sex and the City tells the story of four best friends, all single and in their late thirties, as they pursue their careers and talk about their sex lives, all while trying to survive the New York social scene. 

  • Veep
    Veep (2012)7.4

    A look into American politics, revolving around former Senator Selina Meyer who finds being Vice President of the United States is nothing like she expected and everything everyone ever warned her about.

  • Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
    Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (1995)7.3

    A monthly sports newsmagazine which was "spawned by the fact that sports have changed dramatically, that it's no longer just fun and games, and that what happens off the field, beyond the scores, is worthy of some serious reporting," according to Bryant Gumbel, the host.

  • Entourage
    Entourage (2004)7.3

    Film star Vince Chase navigates the vapid terrain of Los Angeles with a close circle of friends and his trusty agent.

  • Sesame Street
    Sesame Street (1969)7.1

    On a special inner city street, the inhabitants—human and muppet—teach preschoolers basic educational and social concepts using comedy, cartoons, games, and songs.

  • VICE News Tonight
    VICE News Tonight (2016)6.6

    VICE News' half-hour nightly newscast. We now interrupt your regularly scheduled worldview.

  • Not Necessarily the News
    Not Necessarily the News (1983)6.2

    Not Necessarily the News is a satirical sketch comedy series that first aired on HBO in September 1982 as a comedy special, and then ran as a series from 1983 to 1990. It featured sketches, parody news items, commercial parodies, and humorous bits made from overdubbing or editing actual news footage. It was based on the British series, Not the Nine O'Clock News. Not Necessarily the News was also the birthplace of Rich Hall's sniglets.

  • Real Time with Bill Maher
    Real Time with Bill Maher (2003)6.0

    Each week Bill Maher surrounds himself with a panel of guests which include politicians, actors, comedians, musicians and the like to discuss what's going on in the world.