Best HBO Shows of All Time is the kind of ranking that can start a friendly argument very fast. Some people will always put The Sopranos at number one. Others will fight hard for The Wire, Succession, Game of Thrones, or Chernobyl.
That is what makes HBO such a rare TV brand. For decades, it has been home to dramas, comedies, limited series, crime stories, fantasy epics, political satire, and emotional family shows that still get discussed years after their finales.
For this ranked list, I looked at writing, performances, cultural impact, awards, rewatch value, critical reception, and how well each show holds up now. This is not only a list of the most famous HBO shows. It is a practical guide to the Best HBO Shows of All Time, and which ones are still worth watching today.
How this Best HBO Shows of All Time ranking was made
Before jumping into the list, here is the simple ranking rule: the best HBO series should be more than popular. It should have strong writing, memorable characters, clear identity, and a reason people still talk about it after the credits roll.
I also considered how the show changed TV around it. Some shows were massive award winners. Others were not huge at first but became respected over time. A few changed what viewers expected from cable and streaming drama.
This list focuses on HBO originals, not every show available through HBO Max. So, while you may find many great series on the platform, this article is about HBO’s own legacy.
Best HBO Shows of All Time ranked list
1. The Sopranos: One of the Best HBO Shows of All Time
The Sopranos sits at the top because it changed what a TV drama could feel like. David Chase’s crime drama followed Tony Soprano, played by James Gandolfini, as he tried to balance mob violence, family pressure, panic attacks, therapy, and his own ego.
The show ran from 1999 to 2007 for six seasons and 86 episodes. That long run matters because The Sopranos did not simply have one great season. It kept finding new ways to make Tony fascinating, funny, frightening, and hard to defend.
What still works is how personal it feels. Yes, it is a mob story, but it is also about depression, parenting, marriage, greed, guilt, and the lies people tell themselves to keep going. That is why it remains one of the Best HBO Shows of All Time, even for viewers who do not usually watch crime dramas.
Best for: viewers who want character drama, dark humour, crime tension, and one of TV’s most debated endings.
2. The Wire: Best HBO series for social realism
The Wire is the HBO show that feels longer every time you revisit it. Created by David Simon, the series ran from 2002 to 2008 and used Baltimore to examine policing, schools, politics, labour, journalism, drug markets, and broken institutions.
The first season starts like a police drama, but the show slowly becomes something wider and more painful. It is not about one hero fixing a city. It is about systems that keep moving, even when good people inside them try to do the right thing.
Dominic West, Wendell Pierce, Sonja Sohn, Idris Elba, Michael K. Williams, Lance Reddick, Clarke Peters, and Andre Royo all help make the world feel lived-in. The show rewards patience, so it may not grab everyone in the first episode. But once it clicks, it is hard to think of many dramas with more depth.
Best for: viewers who like slow-burn crime drama, social realism, and layered storytelling.
3. Succession: Best HBO drama about family power
Succession is one of the sharpest HBO shows of the modern era. Created by Jesse Armstrong, it follows the Roy family as they fight over control of a global media empire while pretending, badly, that they care about each other.
The show ran for four seasons from 2018 to 2023, and it ended before it lost its edge. That is one reason it ranks so high. Some great shows slowly fade. Succession stayed focused and gave viewers a final season that felt cruel, funny, and emotionally brutal in the right way.
Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook, Kieran Culkin, Matthew Macfadyen, J. Smith-Cameron, Nicholas Braun, and Alan Ruck all bring different kinds of damage to the table. The dialogue is fast, awkward, insulting, and painfully human. If you enjoy power games without dragons or guns, this is one of the Best HBO Shows of All Time to start with.
Best for: fans of family drama, business power plays, dark comedy, and brutal dialogue.
4. Game of Thrones: Best HBO fantasy series
Game of Thrones is complicated to rank because its ending still divides viewers. However, its best years were so huge, confident, and addictive that leaving it out of the top five would feel wrong.
Based on George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire books, the series ran from 2011 to 2019 for eight seasons and 73 episodes. At its peak, it made fantasy television feel like a global weekly event. People who never read fantasy novels suddenly knew names like Stark, Lannister, Targaryen, and White Walker.
The early seasons were especially strong because danger felt real. Major characters could die, alliances shifted fast, and political choices had consequences. Even with a controversial final stretch, Game of Thrones remains one of the most important HBO series ever made.
Best for: viewers who want fantasy, politics, shocking twists, big battles, and a huge cast.
5. Chernobyl: Best HBO limited series
Chernobyl is only five episodes, but it leaves a heavier mark than many shows with five seasons. Created by Craig Mazin and directed by Johan Renck, the 2019 limited series tells the story of the 1986 nuclear disaster and the system of denial around it.
Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Emily Watson, Jessie Buckley, and Paul Ritter give the story a human face without turning it into simple hero worship. The horror here is not just radiation. It is bureaucracy, fear, pride, and the cost of refusing to tell the truth.
Because it is short, Chernobyl is one of the easiest HBO shows to recommend. You can watch it in a weekend, but you will probably think about it much longer than that.
Best for: viewers who want a tense limited series with historical weight and serious emotional impact.
6. Six Feet Under: Best HBO family drama
Six Feet Under is one of HBO’s most emotional dramas, and it still has one of the most admired finales in TV history. Created by Alan Ball, the series follows the Fisher family, who run a funeral home in Los Angeles.
The show ran from 2001 to 2005 for five seasons and 63 episodes. On paper, that setup sounds dark, and yes, it often is. But Six Feet Under is also funny, strange, intimate, and surprisingly warm.
Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Frances Conroy, Lauren Ambrose, Rachel Griffiths, and Freddy Rodriguez make the Fisher family feel messy in a very real way. The show is about death, but it is also about how people avoid living honestly until loss forces them to look at themselves.
Best for: viewers who want family drama, emotional writing, and a finale that actually lands.
7. Veep: Best HBO comedy for political satire
Veep may be the funniest political comedy HBO has ever made. Created by Armando Iannucci and later steered by David Mandel, the show follows Selina Meyer, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, as she tries to climb, survive, and fail upward in American politics.
The show ran from 2012 to 2019 for seven seasons. Its jokes are fast, mean, and often weirdly elegant. Almost every insult sounds like it was sharpened before delivery.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus is the obvious centre, but the ensemble is just as important. Tony Hale, Anna Chlumsky, Matt Walsh, Reid Scott, Timothy Simons, Kevin Dunn, Gary Cole, and Sam Richardson help turn political incompetence into an art form. If your taste leans toward comedy, Veep absolutely belongs among the Best HBO Shows of All Time.
Best for: viewers who want fast jokes, political satire, and one of TV’s best comedy ensembles.
8. The Leftovers: Best HBO mystery drama
The Leftovers is not always an easy show, but it is one of HBO’s most rewarding. Created by Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta, it begins after 2% of the world’s population suddenly disappears without explanation.
The show ran for three seasons from 2014 to 2017. Instead of giving a simple mystery-box answer, it focuses on grief, belief, denial, cults, family wounds, and the different ways people try to survive the unexplained.
Justin Theroux, Carrie Coon, Amy Brenneman, Christopher Eccleston, Ann Dowd, Regina King, and Liv Tyler all bring serious emotional force. The first season can feel heavy, but Seasons 2 and 3 are where the show becomes more confident, strange, and moving.
Best for: viewers who like emotional mystery, grief-focused drama, and shows that invite debate.
9. Deadwood: Best HBO Western drama
Deadwood is one of HBO’s richest period dramas. Created by David Milch, it ran from 2004 to 2006 for three seasons, with a follow-up film released in 2019.
The series is set in the 1870s in the lawless settlement of Deadwood, South Dakota. What makes it special is not just the Western setting. It is the language, the moral chaos, and the way a dirty camp slowly becomes a community.
Ian McShane’s Al Swearengen is one of HBO’s greatest characters, while Timothy Olyphant, Molly Parker, Robin Weigert, Brad Dourif, John Hawkes, and Paula Malcomson all add texture. It is rough, poetic, violent, and weirdly funny.
Best for: viewers who like Westerns, dense dialogue, morally grey characters, and historical atmosphere.
10. Barry: Best HBO dark comedy
Barry starts with a simple dark-comedy hook: a hitman wants to become an actor. Then it gets much stranger, sadder, and more uncomfortable.
Bill Hader stars as Barry Berkman and also directed some of the show’s strongest episodes. Across four seasons, the series moves from awkward Hollywood satire to a darker look at violence, denial, guilt, and the fantasy of becoming a better person without actually doing the work.
Henry Winkler, Sarah Goldberg, Anthony Carrigan, and Stephen Root are all excellent. Anthony Carrigan’s NoHo Hank is especially memorable because he brings warmth and absurdity into scenes that could otherwise feel too bleak.
Best for: viewers who want dark comedy, crime, Hollywood satire, and a show that gets more daring as it goes.
11. Watchmen: Best HBO superhero limited series
Watchmen is one of HBO’s strongest limited series. Created by Damon Lindelof, the 2019 series does not simply retell the famous comic. Instead, it builds a new story around race, masks, policing, trauma, and inherited violence.
Regina King leads the cast as Angela Abar, and she gives the show its emotional centre. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jean Smart, Jeremy Irons, Tim Blake Nelson, Louis Gossett Jr., and Hong Chau also give the series a strong ensemble feel.
The reason Watchmen ranks this high is that it takes a risky idea and makes it feel purposeful. It is not just “more Watchmen.” It has a reason to exist.
Best for: viewers who want a bold limited series with superhero imagery, social tension, and mystery.
12. True Detective: Best HBO crime anthology
True Detective is an anthology, which makes it harder to rank as one whole show. Still, Season 1 is so strong that the series deserves a place here.
The first season aired in 2014 and starred Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson as detectives Rust Cohle and Marty Hart. The Louisiana setting, the time-jumping structure, and the strange atmosphere made it feel different from a normal police drama.
Later seasons have been more uneven, though they still brought in major talent, including Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams, Mahershala Ali, Jodie Foster, and Kali Reis. If we were ranking only single seasons, True Detective Season 1 would be near the very top.
Best for: viewers who want crime mysteries, eerie atmosphere, and detective stories with moral weight.
13. Sex and the City: Best HBO comedy-drama about friendship
Sex and the City is easy to mock now because fashion, dating culture, and some character choices have aged in complicated ways. But its influence is still huge.
The series ran from 1998 to 2004 and followed Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha through friendship, dating, work, sex, breakups, and reinvention in New York City. Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, and Kim Cattrall made the group dynamic the heart of the show.
At its best, Sex and the City is not just about romance. It is about adult friendship and the strange pressure to build a perfect life while still figuring yourself out.
Best for: viewers who want friendship, dating, comedy-drama, fashion, and late-90s/early-2000s TV energy.
14. Curb Your Enthusiasm: Best HBO cringe comedy
Curb Your Enthusiasm is basically Larry David turning social irritation into a long-running comedy machine. The show began as an HBO special in 1999 and then became a series that ran for 12 seasons.
Its loose, improvised feel gives it a strange realism. Larry says what most people know they should not say, then spends the rest of the episode making the situation worse.
Some seasons are sharper than others, but the best episodes are painfully funny. The show also became a great home for celebrity guest appearances, awkward social rules, petty arguments, and small misunderstandings that turn into disasters.
Best for: viewers who like cringe comedy, social awkwardness, and Larry David’s specific kind of chaos.
15. Boardwalk Empire: Best HBO historical crime drama
Boardwalk Empire may not be mentioned as often as The Sopranos or The Wire, but it is still one of HBO’s best-looking crime dramas. Created by Terence Winter, the series ran from 2010 to 2014 and focused on Atlantic City during Prohibition.
Steve Buscemi leads the show as Nucky Thompson, a political boss with criminal connections. The cast also includes Kelly Macdonald, Michael Shannon, Shea Whigham, Michael Stuhlbarg, Gretchen Mol, and a very memorable Michael K. Williams.
The show is stylish, expensive-looking, and full of strong performances. It may not have the emotional punch of HBO’s very top dramas, but its world-building and period detail make it worth watching.
Best for: viewers who want historical crime drama, Prohibition-era politics, and polished production design.
16. Big Little Lies: Best HBO mystery drama for binge-watching
Big Little Lies started as a limited series in 2017 and became a major HBO conversation piece because of its cast, setting, and mystery-driven structure. Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, Zoë Kravitz, and later Meryl Streep helped make it feel like prestige TV with movie-star power.
The first season is the main reason it belongs on this list. It balances glossy coastal wealth with private pain, domestic abuse, friendship, parenting pressure, and secrets that slowly become impossible to hide.
Season 2 is more debated, but the first season remains a strong recommendation for anyone who wants drama with mystery, emotion, and sharp performances.
Best for: viewers who want domestic drama, mystery, strong acting, and a binge-friendly story.
17. Euphoria: Best HBO teen drama
Euphoria is one of HBO’s most talked-about newer shows. Created by Sam Levinson, it follows Rue, played by Zendaya, and a group of teenagers dealing with addiction, identity, relationships, trauma, and social pressure.
The show is visually bold, sometimes messy, and often intense. Its storytelling can be divisive, but Zendaya’s performance gives it a strong emotional core, especially in episodes focused on Rue’s addiction and family damage.
Euphoria is not for everyone. It can feel overwhelming, and some viewers may find its style too heavy. Still, its impact on modern teen drama and pop culture is hard to ignore.
Best for: viewers who want stylish teen drama, emotional intensity, and a darker look at youth culture.
18. The Last of Us: Best newer HBO show
The Last of Us is still early compared with older HBO classics, but its first season was strong enough to make this ranked list. Based on the Naughty Dog video game, the series stars Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie.
The first season worked because it was not just a zombie-style survival show. It was a road story about grief, trust, found family, and the terrible choices people make when love becomes stronger than morality.
Episode 3, “Long, Long Time,” gave the show one of its most emotional standalone stories, with Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett turning a side chapter into something unforgettable. The series still needs more seasons before it can climb higher, but it already feels like one of HBO’s most important recent titles.
Best for: viewers who want survival drama, emotional character work, and a strong video game adaptation.
Best HBO shows honourable mentions
HBO has too many strong shows to fit into one ranked list cleanly. These titles did not make the main top 18, but they are still worth your time depending on your taste.
- Oz — a brutal prison drama that helped define HBO’s adult-drama identity before The Sopranos.
- Insecure — Issa Rae’s smart, funny, and honest look at friendship, love, work, and identity.
- Rome — an expensive, ambitious historical drama that ended too soon.
- Mare of Easttown — a tight crime limited series led by Kate Winslet.
- Angels in America — an acclaimed HBO miniseries with major stage and screen talent.
- Girls — divisive, awkward, influential, and still discussed for its view of young adulthood.
- The Night Of — a gripping legal-crime limited series with Riz Ahmed and John Turturro.
Best HBO shows by mood
If you do not want to start from number one, here is a simpler way to choose your next HBO binge.
- Best crime drama: The Sopranos, The Wire, Boardwalk Empire
- Best fantasy: Game of Thrones
- Best political comedy: Veep
- Best family power drama: Succession
- Best limited series: Chernobyl, Watchmen, Big Little Lies
- Best emotional drama: Six Feet Under, The Leftovers
- Best dark comedy: Barry, Curb Your Enthusiasm
- Best newer HBO show: The Last of Us
Where to watch the Best HBO Shows of All Time
Most of the Best HBO Shows of All Time are available through HBO Max in supported regions, but streaming rights and names can vary by country. In some regions, HBO shows may be available through partner platforms instead of a standalone HBO Max app.
That is why it is always better to check your local legal streaming option before you start. You can also check official show pages through HBO, IMDb, or the streaming platform available in your region. Avoid unofficial sites, because they often have poor quality, fake buttons, unsafe ads, and stolen uploads.
Which Best HBO show should you watch first?
If you want the safest first pick, start with The Sopranos. It gives you the crime, family drama, humour, and character depth that made HBO famous.
If you want something more realistic and patient, choose The Wire. It takes longer to settle into, but the payoff is huge if you like layered storytelling.
If you want a modern show with faster pacing, go with Succession. It is shorter than many HBO classics, very rewatchable, and easier to recommend to people who want something sharp but not fantasy-heavy.
If you only have one weekend, choose Chernobyl. It is short, focused, and powerful without needing a long commitment.
Final verdict: Best HBO Shows of All Time winner
For me, The Sopranos is still the best HBO show of all time. It has the strongest mix of character, influence, writing, performance, humour, danger, and rewatch value.
That said, the gap between the top three is very small. The Wire may be the smartest HBO drama. Succession may be the cleanest modern HBO drama. Game of Thrones may be the biggest global HBO event.
So the real answer depends on what you want from TV. But if you are building a watchlist, start with the top five: The Sopranos, The Wire, Succession, Game of Thrones, and Chernobyl. Those five alone explain why HBO has such a strong reputation for prestige television.
Best HBO Shows of All Time FAQ
What is the best HBO show of all time?
The Sopranos is often considered the best HBO show of all time because of its writing, acting, cultural impact, and influence on modern TV drama. In this list, it ranks number one.
What are the Best HBO Shows of All Time to watch first?
The best HBO shows to watch first are The Sopranos, The Wire, Succession, Game of Thrones, and Chernobyl. Together, they show HBO’s range across crime, drama, fantasy, family conflict, and limited series storytelling.
Is The Wire one of the Best HBO Shows of All Time?
Yes. The Wire is one of the Best HBO Shows of All Time because of its writing, realism, character depth, and powerful look at broken systems.
What is the best HBO limited series?
Chernobyl is the strongest HBO limited series for many viewers because it is short, tense, well-acted, and emotionally powerful. Watchmen, Big Little Lies, and Mare of Easttown are also excellent picks.
What is the best HBO comedy?
Veep is the best HBO comedy if you want sharp political satire and fast dialogue. Curb Your Enthusiasm is the better pick if you prefer awkward social comedy and improvised chaos.
What HBO show is best for binge-watching?
Chernobyl is the easiest HBO show to binge because it has only five episodes. For longer binges, Succession, Barry, and Big Little Lies are strong choices.
Are the Best HBO Shows of All Time available on HBO Max?
Many HBO originals are available on HBO Max in supported regions, but streaming availability can change by country. Some regions use local partner platforms instead.
What is the most awarded HBO show?
Game of Thrones is one of HBO’s biggest award-winning series, with 59 Emmy wins. Its scale, production design, music, costumes, and technical craft helped it dominate awards during its run.
What HBO show should I watch after Succession?
If you loved Succession, try The Sopranos for another family power story, Veep for political comedy, or Six Feet Under for a different kind of family drama.
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