HBO Shows by Samhita Adapa

HBO is one of America’s oldest television networks and over the years, it’s accumulated a ton of amazing shows to its catalogs, from The Sopranos to a more recent show, The Chair Company. With Paramount’s recent acquisition of Warner Brothers, HBO’s quality television has been brought into question. Will it remain as iconic and amazing as it was and is? Or will the quality take a drop as shows are cancelled and not greenlit? Though I cannot give you a definite ranking of all the shows on HBO, I can give you 6 recommendations(not ranked) so you can find your next show to binge watch.

 House of the Dragon (2022-Present) After the lackluster ending, according to the majority of viewers, of the cultural phenomena Game of Thrones, it only took another 3 years for George R. R. Martin’s novel Fire and Blood to be adapted into television. The first season is stellar, highlighting the peak of Targaryen Rule and then its eventual downfall. It has everything that made GoT great, the politics, brutality, dragons, characters. The show follows Rhaenyra Targaryen and the House 172 years before Daenerys Targaryen is born and her journey to claim the throne. Though the second season didn’t reach the heights that the first did, the third season, coming out this June, still has an immense wave of hype for it as many fans, including me, look forward to it eagerly.

 A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms(2026-Present) Another GoT spinoff! AkotSK follows the noble Knight Ser Duncan and his journey in the Ashford Tourney along with his young squire, Egg. Here you see the Targaryens are still in power, significantly weakened after the loss of their dragons. As opposed to GoT and HotD, aKoTSK is way more lighthearted with its short episode season and 30 minute episodes. The characters are compelling and lovable, especially Dunk. The series focuses more on normal people rather than royals and highborns and seems especially grounded. The show is extremely fun and I recommend giving it a watch, especially since it can be binged pretty quickly. 

 Veep (2012-2019) Think Parks and Recreation on Steroids. Veep is more of an adult show and has sort of a scathing humor. The show has 7 seasons with each episode being around 30 minutes. It's a political satire comedy that follows American Vice President Selina Meyer. Whereas Parks and Rec is very clear that despite how people act, they still care, Veep shines a light on hypocrisy within the government. These people only pretend to care and are self-serving and constantly scheme to remain in power. Despite getting extremely dark and cynical at times, Veep is extremely funny and a successful satire, arguably one of the best comedies of all time. 

 The Wire (2002-2008) You can’t talk about HBO without mentioning quite possibly its best show, The Wire. The Wire is an American Crime drama series that follows West Baltimore and its various different institutions and law enforcement. The show tackles drug trade, the ports, city government, education system, and the newspapers with each respective season. The show isn’t flashy and is pretty grounded. However, this doesn't show that you can just throw it on in the background. It requires commitment and effort. The show paints a more realistic view of Baltimore and if you’re looking for flashy sequences and cool camera shots, this isn't for you. Everything in this show matters and you have to pay attention, that’s what makes it so excellent.

 Deadwood (2004-2006) Set in the American Frontier of Deadwood, South Dakota, the show is about how a gold mining camp built on crime, greed and corruption evolves into an organized and civilized town. The show is a gritty and unflinching western drama and that is especially shown in its dialogue. The prose is Shakespearean and extremely dense. It’s easy to miss something so I recommend watching with subtitles. It’s so poetic and half the enjoyment, for me, was derived from listening to them talk. Overall, Deadwood is an amazing show and it definitely should be on your watchlist.