7 Most Perfect HBO Shows of the Last 20 Years, Ranked

Image via HBO Published Sep 19, 2026, 6:52 AM EDT Daniel is a 27-year-old List Writer for Collider living in the south suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. As an avid film buff, he watches and analyzes many films and TV shows, especially in the horror genre, and regularly attends movie screenings. Sign in to your Collider account The HBO network has been the go-to for gripping television entertainment for more than twenty years now. It has become a wildly acclaimed, endlessly enjoyed channel for those seeking the next great hits and the most marvelous new shows with a cinematic feel. Featuring Emmy and Golden Globe-winning juggernauts and unforgettable classics, for two decades, HBO has brought us entertainment that will be beloved for as long as television exists. Today, we have so many lists praising the absolute best that HBO has to offer. Whether we're gushing over incredible dramas like The Wire or Succession, or getting lost in epic fantasies like Game of Thrones, or immersing ourselves in remarkable miniseries like Band of Brothers, HBO certainly has so many incredible achievements that need to be discussed. So, let's look back at these two previous decades, ranking the best of the best. The shows below are the ones that defined HBO's legacy as the most acclaimed network over the last twenty years. 7 'The White Lotus' (2021–Present) Image via HBO Making quite a huge splash in recent years, The White Lotus became an instant hit due to sharp writing, direction, and a long list of career-boosting performances. Created by comedian and writer Mike White, this dark satirical drama explores social tensions and disruptions among several guests and employees of a luxurious resort across the span of a week. It delves into the complexities of human behaviors and major class issues, pushing the very limits of TV storytelling with some of the bold subject matter being shown here. The writing, as mentioned above, is exceptionally top-notch, making the characters seem unique and believable, while also making them work within the boundaries of these interwoven storylines. It's also a stacked series featuring stars at the top of their game, like Walton Goggins, Jennifer Coolidge, and Aimee Lou Wood, to name a few. The White Lotus is a step above most modern dramas with its A-list cast and flawless story writing, making it undoubtedly one of HBO's most talked-about shows recently. 6 'House of the Dragon' (2022–Present) Image via HBO Sword fights, tense battles, epic drama, and tons of dragons; this next HBO hit is certainly one of the hottest shows on TV right now. The mid 2020s are going strong for the network thanks to House of the Dragon, the grand dark fantasy spin-off series from the world of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. Set centuries before the War of the Five Kings, it follows House Targaryen fighting to maintain order of the kingdom during the height of their reign. Featuring a near-perfect cast, striking visuals, and compelling writing, House of the Dragon defied the odds to become a spin-off in a league with its highly successful predecessor. Though it doesn't quite reach the height of viewership and acclaim that Game of Thrones did at its peak, it's still widely praised by fans for being a well-crafted and satisfying continuation that keeps that previous show relevant in the public eye. Along with its two outstanding Emmy wins and constant recognition, House of the Dragon truly is one of the most noticeable fantasy series in recent years. 5 'Game of Thrones' (2011–2019) Image via HBO From one memorable fantasy show to the next, Game of Thrones, of course, deserves to be placed on this list not only for being a solid tale full of fantastical adventure and action, but also for being one of the most popular shows in the network's history. George R. R. Martin's best-selling book series of murders, betrayals, and complex characters has been powerfully translated to the small screen here thanks to its huge Hollywood-level budget and A-list stars. It follows several notable leaders in the land of Westeros fighting for control of the crown while an ancient undead evil awakens in the north. It has been hailed as one of the most gripping, must-watch shows for much of the 2010s, a highly anticipated series every year from 2011 to 2019. Martin's story was mostly faithfully adapted; the characters were rich and compelling, and played by mostly unknown actors at the time who have since risen to notable success. The action is tense, beautifully set up, and filled with stunning visuals. You get a great scope of this world and can feel immersed in it. Now, is it entirely perfect? Well, fans and critics do agree the show runners fumbled the last two seasons, but it was, for the most part, expertly told and made a splash in pop culture. It's flawed, but it is certainly HBO's most recognizable achievement. 4 'Succession' (2018–2023) Image via HBO Riding high for six years as one of the greatest comedic dramas on television, the Emmy-winning juggernaut Succession exploded onto screens with a thunderous clap that's still felt now. This Jesse Armstrong-created workplace drama with a touch of comedic satire has fascinated fans with how impressive its story and performances get with each episode. Starring Jeremy Strong and Brian Cox in a tremendous supporting performance, it follows a media giant as he shows signs of slipping, leading his cutthroat children to fight for control of his empire once he steps down. It's an excellent blend of two widely opposing genres, combined with excellent writing and direction, and acclaimed performances from a memorable cast who knew how to make their characters unique, and even quite despicable. Brian Cox is the exceptional highlight, playing Logan Roy as a central and complex antagonist whose psychological manipulation and ruthlessness have become a driving force in why this show is powerful to watch. Overall, Succession packs an incredible punch that HBO fans haven't forgotten in the few years since it's been off the air. Collider Exclusive · 8 Questions · 2 Minutes Which Coen Brothers Movie Would You Thrive In? Lebowski · O Brother · Fargo · No Country Nobody writes people like the Coen brothers. The decent ones. The talkers. The ones who stopped trying years ago. And the ones who can already see how bad this is going to get. Four films, four completely different ways of handling trouble. Eight questions decide which one you would actually walk out of. 🎳Lebowski(1998) 🎸O Brother(2000) ❄️Fargo(1996) 🪙No Country(2007) FIND YOUR FILM → 01 A bag of money lands in your lap. What happens next? Every Coen film starts roughly here. It never goes smoothly. AI do not overthink it. Rent is paid, evening is free. BI have a plan for this. It involves other people. CI hand it in. Somebody is looking for this. DI am gone before anyone knows I have it. NEXT QUESTION → 02 Somebody is being completely unreasonable with you. How does it go? Coen dialogue is mostly people failing to understand each other. AI let it go. It is not worth the energy. BI talk. At length. Until they are on my side. CI stay polite and repeat myself until they hear me. DI stop talking. Talking has not been working. NEXT QUESTION → 03 What is your actual relationship with work? Everyone in these films is either working far too hard or not at all. AI have arranged things so I do as little as possible. BI would rather chase one big idea than hold a steady job. CI do it properly, including the boring parts. DIt pays. I do not need it to mean anything. NEXT QUESTION → 04 Long drive, bad weather, nobody else on the road. How are you? There is always a drive in these films. It is never a good drive. AMusic on, in no hurry, perfectly content. BTalking the whole way, whether anybody answers or not. CBoth hands on the wheel, checking everyone is warm enough. DQuiet, watching the mirrors. NEXT QUESTION → 05 You are offered a shortcut that is not quite legal. This is the moment where the Coens find out who you really are. ANo, but not on principle. It sounds like effort. BYes, and I will make it sound like a great idea. CNo. And I would probably say something about it. DOnly if I am certain nobody finds out. NEXT QUESTION → 06 The plan has fallen apart completely. What is your move? In a Coen film the plan always falls apart. That is the genre. AOrder a drink and let things settle down. BImprovise loudly and hope momentum carries it. CStart again from the beginning and do it right. DCut my losses and leave before it gets worse. NEXT QUESTION → 07 Which of these sounds most like something you would say? Nobody writes a line quite like the Coens. Which one is yours? AIt is really not that serious. BTrust me, I have thought about this. CI just think we could all be a bit kinder. DThat was always going to happen. NEXT QUESTION → 08 How does your film end? Eight questions in, this is the one that decides your movie. ANothing is resolved and I am completely fine with it. BA ridiculous piece of luck saves everybody. CQuietly, at home, with somebody I love. DSomebody older admits they no longer understand the world. REVEAL MY FILM → The Verdict Is In Your Coen Film Is…Four films, four completely different ways of handling money, trouble and other people. This is the one you would survive, why it suits you, and what it would cost you to be there. The Big LebowskiYou have quietly arranged your life so that very little can get to you, and a surprising number of people find that infuriating. You would be completely at home here. The Dude is the only person in the film with no ambition, and the only one who comes out the other side undamaged. That is not an accident. You do not chase things. You let situations arrive and you deal with them at your own pace, which is a genuine skill however lazy it looks. This is a full crime plot happening around a man who mostly wants his rug back, and that is exactly the energy you would bring to it. Everything goes wrong. You abide. The film ends. O BrotherYou talk your way through life and it works far more often than it should. Give you a bad situation and an audience and you will find a way out of both at once. Everett never has a plan that survives contact with reality. He has something better, which is the ability to keep talking until a new one turns up. You are the optimist in the group, the one who makes a ridiculous idea sound reasonable at two in the morning. This is the warmest film the Coens have made. It is a chase, a comedy and a musical at once, and nobody in it is quite beyond saving. You would end up famous entirely by accident, and act like you planned it all along. FargoYou would survive Fargo because you are the only kind of person who does: patient, decent, and completely unimpressed by anybody trying to be clever. Marge Gunderson solves the whole case by being polite, thorough and unhurried while everybody around her panics. That is the entire argument of the film. You do the boring parts of the job, which is precisely why you would notice the thing everyone else walked straight past. Fargo is about ordinary greed causing enormous damage, and about one person who simply refuses to be corrupted by any of it. You would go home at the end of it, have dinner, and sleep perfectly well. No CountryYou do not expect the world to be fair and you stopped being surprised about it a long time ago. That clear-eyed quality is exactly what this film asks for. No Country is the Coens at their coldest: a film where being smart, fast and careful might still not be anywhere near enough. You plan for the worst, you keep your own counsel, and some part of you is already working out the exit. Llewelyn Moss is competent, prepared and resourceful, and the film is honest about whether any of that is ever sufficient. You would see it coming. Whether that helps is the one question the film refuses to answer. ↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ 3 'The Pitt' (2025–Present) Image via HBO Max 2025 marked a new era of medical dramas on the network with The Pitt, a tense and hardcore hospital-set series created by R. Scott Gemmill. Though running for less than two years now, it's already hailed as a masterpiece of its genre, a more brutal and psychologically gripping take that flips medical drama on its head. The acclaimed Noah Wyle stars as a seasoned head doctor at a Pittsburgh hospital as he leads his team of hardworking workers through grueling workdays. Using HBO's high production values, exceptionally talented writers, and showing no unrestrained TV censorship, The Pitt shines as the most well-crafted, heart-pounding medical show in recent memory. The performances are award-worthy, the setting is claustrophobic and chaotic, and the writers went to extreme lengths to portray medical authenticity, becoming one of the most accurate hospital series to do so. It's exceptionally perfect and currently reigns as the network's biggest critical success. 2 'Chernobyl (2019) Image via HBO Truly, one of the edgiest shows in recent years was Chernobyl, the HBO-released miniseries created by Craig Mazin, which detailed one of the most chaotic man-made disasters in human history. For five masterful episodes, it follows several Soviet bureaucrats and scientists trying to contain the spread of radiation and later deal with the fallout after the Chernobyl power plant in Ukraine suffers a catastrophic meltdown. It's rich with historical accuracy and impressive attention to detail. You get a feel for the severity and chaos of what went down in the Soviet Union during this turbulent time. Jared Harris and Stellan Skarsgård are phenomenal as the leads trying to manage the disaster, with Harris getting exceptional praise for playing someone desperately seeking to save as many lives as possible and tell the truth of what really happened. While it's not entirely faithful to true events, it really does capture it fairly well and really gets intense, heartbreaking, and almost horrific at times. It's a standout that defined HBO before going into the early 2020s. 1 'True Detective' (2014–Present) A sharply paced, intense series that has breathed new life into the cop procedural formula, HBO's True Detective is a step above that fascinates us each new season. It's an anthology series following different police investigations across the country, focusing on the psychological toll these cases have on the detectives involved and the lines they are willing to cross to solve them. Each season adds more than just new leads and locations; they're completely new and distinct tales with similar themes but exploring different areas of social and human behavior. It's a complex anthology of stories that aren't so much focused on the actual crimes but more on the characters trying to solve them and what each case means to them. It's backed by legendary performances by equally legendary actors, including Academy Award winners Matthew McConaughey, Jodie Foster, and Mahershala Ali. Just as emotionally charged as it is perfectly acted and told, True Detective is a must-watch for all who appreciate HBO. True Detective Release Date January 12, 2014 Network HBO Max Showrunner Nic Pizzolatto Directors Cary Fukunaga Writers Nic Pizzolatto Main Genre Drama Seasons 4 Creator(s) Issa López, Nic Pizzolatto Story By NIC PIZZOLATTO Streaming Service(s) Hulu, MAX Where To Watch M