5 Best HBO Max Series To Binge-Watch This Week (Aug 31–Sept 4, 2026)

Published Aug 31, 2026, 6:42 PM EDT Greg is a Lead TV Writer & Critic at Screen Rant with expertise in new streaming releases. He's published over 3000 articles at SR, including weekly recommendation guides and dozens of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. He previously worked in Development at ABC Television & Lawrence Bender Productions. Greg majored in Film Production at Chapman University's Dodge College. Greg also has years of broadcast TV production experience at major networks such as NBC, TNT, and ESPN. He currently lives in Greater Boston. These five masterfully crafted and award-winning HBO Max original series are all worth binge-watching this week, August 31–September 4, 2026. While once-in-a-generation series like Band of Brothers, The Sopranos, The Wire, and Succession are always available to watch and rewatch with an HBO Max subscription, the following series are each modern masterpieces that deserve recognition at the very top. The best new shows to binge on HBO Max last weekend included modern hits like Rooster, Hard Knocks, and the #1 show worldwide, Lanterns. This week, ScreenRant's TV experts are pulling out five of the most elite and celebrated HBO series of all time, ranging from a dark crime thriller with sci-fi elements to a hilarious 4-season family comedy, an action-packed psychological thriller, an atmospheric murder mystery, and a twisted dramedy with a star-studded cast. Watchmen Watchmen has remained one of HBO's best limited series since it premiered in October 2019, winning a total of 11 Emmys including Outstanding Limited Series and Outstanding Lead Actress for Regina King. Based on the iconic DC Comics graphic novel published in 1986, Watchmen was developed for television by Damon Lindelof, best known for his work on The Leftovers and Lost. The 9-part series takes place in an alternate version of Tulsa, Oklahoma, 34 years after the events of the original story, where vigilantes are treated as criminals. Watchmen earned a near-perfect 96% Rotten Tomatoes score and will forever be one of HBO's best miniseries. The Righteous Gemstones The Righteous Gemstones is one of HBO's best original comedy series in recent memory, featuring a stacked ensemble cast led by John Goodman, Danny McBride, Adam Devine, Edi Patterson, Walton Goggins, and more. The series was created by McBride, who is also responsible for other HBO comedy hits like Eastbound & Down and Vice Principals. Set across four seasons and 36 episodes, The Righteous Gemstones follows the Gemstone family in South Carolina and their globally famous televangelist father, Eli, whose three adult children are always vying for his approval and making all sorts of messes. If you're looking for a comedy that will truly make you laugh, The Righteous Gemstones is one of the best on HBO Max. Banshee Banshee grew from being a cult favorite on HBO's sister network Cinemax to becoming one of the best original series of the 2010s. Starring Anthony Starr, best known for his role as Homelander on Prime Video's hit series The Boys, this action crime thriller was co-created by Jonathan Tropper (Your Friends & Neighbors, Lucky). Banshee follows Lucas Hood, played by Starr, an ex-con who takes on the identity of a murdered sheriff in a small Amish town in Pennsylvania called Banshee. Banshee earned a 93% Rotten Tomatoes audience score and is a fan-favorite on HBO Max. Big Little Lies Big Little Lies is one of the most popular and star-studded psychological thriller series on HBO Max, featuring performances by Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, Zoë Kravitz, Laura Dern, Adam Scott, and Alexander Skarsgård. Created by David E. Kelley, the series examines a group of upper-class mothers in an idyllic coastal California town who all get wrapped up in a shocking and mysterious murder. Big Little Lies won 8 Emmys, has a 90% Rotten Tomatoes audience score, and currently consists of two seasons, with a third season expected sometime soon. Six Feet Under Six Feet Under is one of HBO's true masterpiece series that all subscribers should watch at some point in their lives. Released back in 2001, Six Feet Under still holds up as a dark comedy and psychological drama that was ahead of its time during its five-season run in the early 2000s. Featuring performances by Michael C. Hall, Peter Krause, Lauren Ambrose, Freddy Rodriguez, and more, Six Feet Under earned 9 Emmys, including two for Outstanding Casting in a Drama Series, and has a near-perfect 95% Rotten Tomatoes audience score. If you're looking to watch one of the best HBO shows ever made, Six Feet Under is certainly one worth diving into this week.