--- description: Here's a list for anyone who has trouble picking what to watch title: The 21 Best HBO Max Shows to Stream image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc0e4af92aaa245bb/698a3347b3fce3c2a10c9678/hbo-max-shows-stream.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [streaming](/tag/streaming/) ## streaming Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The 21 Best Shows to Watch on HBO Max by [Shannon Carlin](/author/shannon-carlin/) ## Shannon Carlin Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Carlin is a contributor for TIME. Jun 30, 2022 6:49 PM CUT  Clockwise from top left: Starstruck, Los Espookys, The Sex Lives of College Girls, Station Eleven Clockwise from top left: Starstruck, Los Espookys, The Sex Lives of College Girls, Station ElevenHBO (4) by [Shannon Carlin](/author/shannon-carlin/) ## Shannon Carlin Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Carlin is a contributor for TIME. Jun 30, 2022 6:49 PM CUT It’s not TV, it’s [HBO Max](https://time.com/5838822/hbo-max-content/ "undefined"), 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_](https://time.com/5662975/succession-theme-song/ "undefined") or [_Euphoria_](https://time.com/6152502/euphoria-hbo-teenage-drug-use/ "undefined")_,_ and have already watched every season of [_The Sopranos_](https://time.com/4769270/twin-peaks-lost-fargo-sopranos/ "undefined") and [_Big Little Lies_](https://time.com/5629769/big-little-lies-legal-case/ "undefined"). From HBO Max Originals to shows that have found new life on the streaming service, like TBS castoff [_Search Party_](https://time.com/6137793/search-party-season-5-review/ "undefined"), these are the 21 [best HBO Max shows](https://time.com/5841541/hbo-max-originals-what-to-watch/ "undefined") to watch right now. ## **_Barry_** [_SNL_ alum Bill Hader](https://time.com/5210517/bill-hader-on-playing-a-hit-man-anxiety-and-avoiding-social-media/ "undefined") 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)](https://time.com/6046663/hacks-review-hbo-max/ "undefined") 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](https://time.com/5804007/emily-st-john-mandel-station-eleven-coronavirus/ "undefined") 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)](https://time.com/6184509/taika-waititi-time100-summit/ "undefined") 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](https://time.com/6169712/baby-hbo-review/ "undefined") of this horror-comedy about an infant that goes on a murdering spree. ## **_The Sex Lives of College Girls_** The [wholesome co-ed comedy](https://time.com/6118591/sex-lives-college-girls-review/ "undefined") co-created by [Mindy Kaling](https://time.com/collection/time100-companies-2022/6159385/mindy-kaling-production-company-interview/ "undefined") 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_](https://time.com/3691610/wire-serial-baltimore/ "undefined")_,_ 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](https://time.com/6168269/we-own-this-city-true-story-hbo-max/ "undefined") of the same name. ## **_Starstruck_** The [delightful British rom-com](https://time.com/5864534/unique-rom-coms/ "undefined") stars creator [Rose Matafeo](https://time.com/6076905/best-tv-shows-june-2021/ "undefined") 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](https://time.com/5908293/industry-hbo-review/ "undefined") 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](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qKJsfsfBW4 "undefined"). ## **_It’s a Sin_** The emotional limited series from [creator Russell T Davies](https://time.com/5940173/its-a-sin-review-hbo-max/ "undefined") ([_Queer as Folk_](https://time.com/6188510/queer-as-folk-gay-television/ "undefined")) 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](https://time.com/5540280/funny-people/ "undefined"), 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](https://time.com/6083307/the-suicide-squad-end-credits-scene/ "undefined") 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](https://time.com/6145151/quinta-brunson-abbott-elementary-interview/ "undefined"), Gabrielle Dennis, and Skye Townsend–skewering the culture. ## **_Search Party_** After a college friend goes missing, [Dory Sief (Alia Shawkat)](https://time.com/4567119/alia-shawkat-search-party-interview/ "undefined") 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](https://time.com/5882902/harley-quinn-suicide-squad-animated-series/ "undefined"). 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](https://time.com/6163441/david-hyde-pierce-julia-child/ "undefined") is inspired by the life and career of cooking teacher [Julia Child](https://time.com/6103409/stanley-tucci-taste-julia-child/ "undefined") (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_](https://time.com/6147088/inventing-anna-true-story/ "undefined") to [_The Dropout_](https://time.com/6153335/elizabeth-holmes-the-dropout-true-story/ "undefined") and everything in between_,_ 2022 has been the [year of the docudrama](https://time.com/6170722/the-staircase-review-hbo-max/ "undefined"). 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](https://time.com/5304761/the-staircase-netflix-true-crime/ "undefined"), 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](https://time.com/collection/time100-next-2021/5937665/john-wilson/ "undefined") 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? ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6191990/best-hbo-max-shows/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6191990/best-hbo-max-shows/"},"headline":"The 21 Best Shows to Watch on HBO Max","datePublished":"2022-06-30T18:49:29.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-24T14:26:32.013Z","description":"Here's a list for anyone who has trouble picking what to watch","url":"https://time.com/6191990/best-hbo-max-shows/","keywords":["streaming","list","freelance","culturepod"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc0e4af92aaa245bb/698a3347b3fce3c2a10c9678/hbo-max-shows-stream.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Shannon Carlin","jobTitle":"Carlin is a contributor for TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/shannon-carlin/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc0e4af92aaa245bb/698a3347b3fce3c2a10c9678/hbo-max-shows-stream.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"hbo-max-shows-stream","caption":"scenes from Starstruck, Los Espookys, Station Eleven, and The Sex Lives of College Girls","creditText":"HBO (4)","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/streaming/","name":"streaming"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/6191990/best-hbo-max-shows/","name":"The 21 Best Shows to Watch on HBO Max"}}]}] ```