We Officially Ranked the 8 Best HBO Shows of All Time

Published Nov 11, 2026, 6:45 AM EST Emma Saletta has been a contributing list writer since November 2026. She's known for her vast knowledge of popular crime, and drama shows, along with all things sketch comedy. While she specializes in television, Emma is also a fan of music, blockbuster films, and award shows. A graduate of Saint Joseph's College of Maine with a degree in communications, Emma began her writing career during the pandemic in 2020. She wrote for entertainment blogs before contributing stories to MTV News and EDM.com. Emma took her skills to Valnet in 2021, and served as a news and features writer for TheThings. She later contrbuted stories centered around entertainment regularly to Just Jared and Daily Mail, and freelanced for The US Sun. Emma is based in North Carolina, but is no stranger to cold weather due to her Maine roots. When she's not working, Emma is busy reading, visiting restaurants, listening to music, and watching shows with her cat, Squirrel. Sign in to your Collider account HBO is responsible for creating some of the best television shows of all time. Originals like Sex and the City, The White Lotus, and Euphoria have changed television as we know it, and were responsible for many stars' breakout performances. Actors that fall under this success list include Sarah Jessica Parker, Sydney Sweeney, and Idris Elba. The network has produced over 200 shows since 1983, many of which became award winners, cult classics, or both. Its pattern of skyrocketing celebrities' careers appears to be never-ending, and it is only a matter of time when new stars will enter the spotlight following the debuts of upcoming shows. In the end, some shows are better than others, and here is our list of the 8 best HBO shows of all time. 8 'The Wire' (2002-'08) Image via HBO The Wire focussed on a specific issue in Baltimore for each of its six seasons, and its connection to law enforcement. While the first season focuses on ceasing the illegal drug trade by the Barksdale family, Season 2 shines light on how deindustrialization affects labor unions, particularly the Baltimore docks. Other issues addressed during the show include city government, public school systems, urban reform, city politics in the media, and the Baltimore Sun newspaper combined with the decline of journalism. The crime drama's choice of not making anyone a true main character is a rare thing on television, but it was a smart decision for this show, as it doesn't take one or two main characters to initiate change all the time. The characters needed to do the work, and not just have determination and passion to improve Baltimore, and The Wire did a phenomenal job in proving that to viewers who were looking to make a difference. Unlike most shows on this list, The Wire did not receive many awards following its universal praise, but its plot lines and diverse cast were groundbreakers that changed television for the better. 7 'The Gilded Age' (2022-present) Image via Apple TV The Gilded Age has become one of HBO's top television shows following its series premiere in 2022. The historical drama is set in the 1880s, and begins with Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson) moving in with her aunts, Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski), and Ada Forte (Cynthia Nixon), following the death of her father. What she didn't expect to witness was tension between families that came from new and old money, along with the things that aquaintances would do to be one step closer to climbing the Manhattan social ladder. The show's characters are an accurate representation of the New York elite in the 19th century. Not only do the actors portray their characters with grace, but they also fully embrace the time period, and make each scene feel like a piece of history one won't read in a textbook. The drama is currently airing its fourth season, and like its previous seasons, it received universal acclaim from fans and critics. 6 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' (2000-2024) Image via HBO Larry David was known for co-creating Seinfeld before starring as a fictionalized version of himself in Curb Your Enthusiasm. In the show, Larry is a semi-retired television writer who finds himself in hundreds of unusual circumstances. Those situations and resolutions helped make the show an instant success, and featured a string of celebrities portraying characters or fictionalized versions of themselves, including John Hamm, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the late Catherine O'Hara. Unlike most popular HBO shows, Curb Your Enthusiasm aimed to make viewers smile from beginning to end rather than have them fear something dreadful would happen. It brought out the whacky sides of every actor who appeared on the show, and provided a new level of comedic relief to fans who needed it. Even though Curb Your Enthusiasm concluded its 12-season run in 2024, the award-winning show is still missed by fans looking to laugh before going to sleep. 5 'Game of Thrones' (2011-'19) Image via HBO The must-see fantasy drama of the 2010s was Game of Thrones, which featured a long list of celebrities portraying complex characters in their breakout roles. The show featured several story arcs during all 8 seasons, including political conflicts between noble houses and fights to reclaim power that characters believe they deserve. The impressive plot lines and actors' performances alone were enough to score higher viewership, but its frequent nudity and fight sequences prevented it from ever being something appropriate for young children. Although the show's final season wasn't a favorite amongst fans, it does not take away from the excitement it provided them throughout the first seven seasons. It reignited the popularity of fantasy, and turned a nerdy genre into a global sensation for adults who believed fantasy was only for kids. The iconic show also inspired HBO to create two spin-offs: House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. COLLIDERInteractive War Council Westeros/Quizzes/Your House Collider QuizWhich Game of ThronesHouse Are You?8 Questions · 5 Great HousesFive great houses. Five completely different answers to the same question: how do you hold power in a world that will take it from you the moment you stop paying attention? Eight questions will determine where your loyalties, and your nature, truly lie.The Five Houses Stark Lannister Targaryen Baratheon Tyrell Find Your House Question 01HONOR 01Someone powerful is acting dishonorably and everyone knows it. What do you do?In Westeros, the answer to this question has ended more than one great house. ACall it out, openly and on the record. If honor means anything, it has to mean something when it's costly.BUse it. Information about someone else's dishonor is leverage, and leverage is power.CAct decisively to correct it, with or without the approval of those around me.DChallenge them directly. Strength settles disputes more honestly than courtroom maneuvering.ENavigate carefully. Build alliances, apply quiet pressure, and create a situation where the right outcome becomes inevitable. ← BackPick one, then Next Next Question Question 02STRENGTH 02What is the source of your power?Every house endures because of something. What is it for yours? AThe loyalty of people who trust me, earned over generations, not bought with gold.BWealth, intelligence, and the willingness to use both without sentiment.CA legacy so fearsome and a vision so total that opposition becomes unthinkable.DPhysical strength, military force, and the respect that comes from being the kind of person nobody wants to cross.ECharm, connection, and the ability to make powerful people feel that my success is also theirs. ← BackPick one, then Next Next Question Question 03LOYALTY 03Who do you truly fight for?Strip away the banners and the words. The honest answer tells you everything. AMy family and my people, those who depend on me and have kept faith with me through everything.BMy family, the ones who share my name, even when they exhaust me, even when they disappoint me.CMy cause, a vision larger than any single person, including me.DMyself, and those few who've proven themselves worth standing beside.EMy house: its name, its future, the position I intend to leave it in when I'm gone. ← BackPick one, then Next Next Question Question 04RIVALS 04How do you deal with your rivals?A house's method reveals its character as clearly as its words ever could. AHonestly. I face them directly, and I give quarter when it's warranted.BThoroughly. I don't leave loose ends, and I don't make the same rival twice.CDecisively. Fire answers questions that diplomacy only delays.DHead-on. I'd rather settle a dispute in the open than behind closed doors.EElegantly. I prefer to make former rivals into allies, or at least into people who owe me something. ← BackPick one, then Next Next Question Question 05RULE 05What kind of ruler do you believe in?Westeros is full of answers to this question. Most of them end badly. AA just one. Someone who serves the realm rather than using it, who leads by example rather than fear.BA capable one. Someone smart enough to navigate the game, ruthless enough to win it, and realistic about what winning costs.CA transformative one. Someone who doesn't just rule what exists but reshapes what's possible.DA strong one. Someone whose authority is beyond question because the alternative is obviously worse.EA wise one. Someone who understands that the realm is fed by more than armies, and that a full stomach keeps more peace than a show of force. ← BackPick one, then Next Next Question Question 06LOSS 06You suffer a devastating loss. How does your house respond?How a house handles defeat tells you more about it than how it handles victory. AWe grieve, properly and together, and then we endure, because endurance is what we do.BWe adapt. We reassess. And we ensure that whoever caused this loss comes to regret it completely.CWe burn hotter. Setbacks don't soften us, they clarify what needs to happen next.DWe hit back. Grief and reckoning are the same motion in our house.EWe regroup quietly, rebuild our position, and return when we're ready, on our terms, not theirs. ← BackPick one, then Next Next Question Question 07WORDS 07Which of these truths about Westeros do you most believe?Every house has a philosophy. This is yours. AThe lone wolf dies, but the pack survives. Nothing matters more than the people you protect.BA Lannister always pays their debts, in gold or in kind. Reputation is built on consistency.CI am of the dragon's line. Some destinies are written before the person who carries them is born.DOurs is the fury. When we move, we move completely, and we don't stop until it's done.EGrowing strong means knowing when to bloom and when to wait. Patience is its own kind of power. ← BackPick one, then Next Next Question Question 08THE THRONE 08The Iron Throne is within reach. What do you do?The answer reveals not just your ambition but your character. AClaim it only if the realm needs me to, and rule in a way that makes it worth having.BEnsure someone who owes us sits in it. The power behind the throne is safer than the throne itself.CTake it. It was always meant to be mine. I feel that in my bones.DSeize it, with both hands, without hesitation. Opportunity in Westeros does not wait to be asked.EPosition my house to be indispensable to whoever sits there. Influence outlasts any single reign. ← BackPick one, then Next Reveal My House The Maester Has SpokenYour House Is Your answers point to the great house whose words, values, and way of surviving in Westeros match your own. Bend the knee, or don't. That's very much up to you. The NorthHouse Stark“Winter Is Coming”Seat of WinterfellYou took the long view before anyone asked you to. Winter Is Coming, and you have always known it. You prepare not out of fear but out of duty, because the people who depend on you deserve someone who takes the long view.Why You Belong Here You lead with honor even when it costs you, because you understand that a reputation built on integrity is the only one worth having. Your loyalty to family and people runs deep, not as sentiment but as a code that doesn't bend when things get difficult. The North endures because Starks endure, not by being the cleverest players in the game, but by being the kind of people others are willing to follow into the cold. You are that kind of person. The pack survives. The lone wolf does not. You already know which one you are. The Long ViewThe PackWinterfell The WesterlandsHouse Lannister“Hear Me Roar”Seat of Casterly RockYou read the room before you walk into it. You understand the game: its rules, its exceptions, and exactly when the rules become the exception. You play it without illusions and without apology.Why You Belong Here You are sharper than most people realize, and you have learned to use that gap to your advantage. A Lannister always pays their debts, and you always keep your word, because your word is an instrument of power, and instruments must be kept in working order. You love your family with a ferocity that sometimes blinds you, and you know it, and you do it anyway. The lion doesn't concern itself with the opinion of sheep. Neither, in the end, do you. Plays The GamePays DebtsCasterly Rock The Iron ThroneHouse Targaryen“Fire and Blood”Seat of DragonstoneYou were never going to settle for the world as handed to you. You carry a sense of destiny that is difficult to explain and impossible to ignore, the feeling that you are not simply participating in the world but meant to reshape it.Why You Belong Here You are capable of extraordinary things, and you know it, and that knowledge is both your greatest strength and your most dangerous quality. The Targaryen words are not just words to you. They are a philosophy about what change requires and what it costs. The Targaryens at their best were transformative rulers who broke chains and defied the limits of what anyone thought possible. At your best, so are you. The dragon has three heads. You are one of them. DestinyTransformativeDragonstone The StormlandsHouse Baratheon“Ours Is the Fury”Seat of Storm's EndYou arrive in a room and the room knows it. You are a force: direct, powerful, and difficult to ignore when you enter a room or a disagreement. You do not negotiate with challenges. You meet them.Why You Belong Here Ours is the fury, and yours is a kind of intensity that commands attention, respect, and occasionally caution from those who underestimate what's behind it. You value strength and straight dealing. You'd rather know where you stand than navigate a web of courtly whispers. The Baratheons built their house on the back of one of the greatest military victories in Westerosi history, and then struggled with what came after. The lesson of your house is that winning is not the end of the story. Governing is. You are learning that too. DirectStraight DealingStorm's End The ReachHouse Tyrell“Growing Strong”Seat of HighgardenPower arrives with flowers and good wine. You understand that power does not always announce itself, that sometimes it arrives with flowers, good wine, and a smile that doesn't quite reach the eyes.Why You Belong Here Growing Strong is your house's motto, and you live it: patiently, strategically, always investing in the relationships and resources that will matter most when it counts. You are charming by choice and calculating by nature, a combination that makes you one of the most effective players in any room you enter. The Tyrells fed King's Landing and shaped its politics without ever sitting on the Iron Throne, and they were arguably more powerful for it. You know that the person who controls the food controls the kingdom. And you always know where the food is. PatientCharmingHighgarden Where Your Loyalty Lies 1· · ·0% 2· · ·0% 3· · ·0% Retake The QuizCopied A Collider InteractiveCOLLIDERMore quizzes at collider.com 4 'Big Little Lies' (2017-'19) Image via HBO HBO had originally billed Big Little Lies as a miniseries, but the show's overwhelming praise led to the network renewing the show for a second season. Season 1 begins with the arrival of Jane Chapman (Shailene Woodley), a single mom who befriends Madeline Mackenzie (Reese Witherspoon) and Celeste Wright (Nicole Kidman). As the season progresses, the darkness in their lives comes to light, and it leads to deathly consequences they, along with fellow moms Renata Klein (Laura Dern) and Bonnie Carlson (Zoë Kravitz), must face throughout Season 2. Every actress in Big Little Lies showed audiences that no matter how hard one tries to pretend everything is fine, nothing is ever perfect. Fans could feel the guilt, sadness, and fright each character had, and even though it took time, the women showed viewers the perfect example of an unbreakable bond. The emotions and chemistry portrayed by the actors contributed to the show's Emmy and Golden Globe Award wins, and fans are antsy to learn when full production of the show's upcoming third season will begin. 3 'Succession' (2018-2023) Image via HBO Succession is a prominent HBO classic that showed viewers what happens when a family is ruined by greed. The show centered around the Roys, and the fight to take over the family-owned company, Waystar RoyCo. The three frontrunners in the takeover were Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong), Roman Roy (Kieran Culkin), and Siobhan "Shiv" Roy (Sarah Snook), all of whom were children of the company's CEO, Logan Roy (Brian Cox). The race for the CEO position was terrifying to watch, as viewers watched the children ruin their own lives for the possibility of a fancy job. In the end, Logan's third son, Connor Roy (Alan Ruck), was the sibling with the happiest ending, and the only one who wanted nothing to do with running the company. Although none of Logan's children became the CEO, the actors portraying them did win Golden Globes for their performances, and they taught audiences throughout the show's four-season run that no life of privilege is worth ruining one's life or family over. 2 'The Pitt' (2025-present) Image via HBO Max Fans immediately fell in love with Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch (Noah Wyle) within the first five minutes of the series premiere of The Pitt for his hardworking demeanor. The show centers around Robby and the events of his shifts at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center's ER, which he and his co-workers call The Pitt. Some of the cases were minor, others were life-threatening, but what they all had in common was the ability to surprise viewers who believed every patient would have a happy ending. Critics and medical professionals praised the show for its realistic depiction of the lives of ER doctors and nurses. It gives audiences the gift of understanding what an ER is like in real life, and even though some cases are truly heartbreaking, it's the reality of the medical field that fans aren't used to seeing. The show has already won Emmy and Golden Globe Awards, and its third season is set to premiere next year. 1 'The Sopranos' (1999-2007) Image via HBO The Sopranos is not only the best HBO series, but it's also one of the only mafia shows where audiences have trouble despising members of the mob. The show introduced viewers to Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a mob boss who managed to balance work and family life in his own twisted way. Tony committed heinous crimes with friends and relatives, but after six seasons, it was impossible to hate or want him in jail. The diabolical behavior of some of these mobsters never got boring, and the show always found ways to add twists to pivotal plot points throughout all six seasons. No one can imagine a criminal getting away with everything forever, but this show made fans hope the members of Tony's crime family were immortal. Even though audiences will never know if Tony Soprano lived or died, the character will always be one of the most inspirational and evil protagonists of all time. Release Date 1999 - 2007-00-00 Network HBO Showrunner David Chase Directors Tim Van Patten, John Patterson, Alan Taylor, Jack Bender, Steve Buscemi, Daniel Attias, David Chase, Andy Wolk, Danny Leiner, David Nutter, James Hayman, Lee Tamahori, Lorraine Senna, Matthew Penn, Mike Figgis, Nick Gomez, Peter Bogdanovich, Phil Abraham, Rodrigo García Writers Michael Imperioli, Jason Cahill, Lawrence Konner, David Flebotte, James Manos, Jr., Salvatore Stabile, Toni Kalem, Mark Saraceni, Nick Santora Creator(s) David Chase