Entertainment
8 HBO Miniseries Without a Single Flaw
HBO was launched in late 1972, establishing the blueprint for premium channels and pretty much revolutionizing subscription television. In the years since then, they have made a jaw-dropping number of TV shows that are often counted among the greatest ever made—which includes several masterful miniseries that have virtually no flaws whatsoever.
The format of the miniseries (a show that tells a complete story in a limited number of pre-defined episodes) was born shortly after HBO’s launch, and the network’s first own miniseries was 1979’s The Seekers. It wouldn’t be until much later, though, that they would master the art of the miniseries and start producing undeniably perfect masterpieces of the stature of John Adams and Chernobyl.
‘The Corner’ (2000)
The Corner is one of those fantastic miniseries that nobody remembers, a show that walked so The Wire could run just two years later. Based on the nonfiction book The Corner: A Year in the Life of An Inner-City Neighborhood by David Simon and Ed Burns (who co-created The Wire), it’s a chronicle of the life of a poor family living in the open-air drug markets of Baltimore.
Composed of only six episodes, The Corner is a must-see not only for people who love The Wire and somehow still haven’t seen it, but for just about anyone who enjoys crime dramas but doesn’t want to commit to a multi-season one. Though it shares much of the DNA of HBO’s 2002 cult classic, it’s entirely its own thing, a wonderfully empathetic story told with raw emotion and powerful authenticity.
‘Scavengers Reign’ (2023)
Cartoons deserve every bit as much respect and love as live-action miniseries, and few animated HBO miniseries demonstrate that fact better than Scavengers Reign. One of the highest-rated sci-fi miniseries ever on IMDb, this enrapturing survival drama had all the potential to deliver several years’ worth of animated sci-fi bliss; but it was originally pitched as a self-contained miniseries, so even in spite of its tragic cancellation, it does provide a perfectly satisfying experience from start to finish.
Anyone who thinks of animation as a medium separate from, or even lesser than, live-action, ought to check out Scavengers Reign at least once in their lives. The animation and world-building are absolutely gorgeous and incredibly imaginative, the character writing is surprisingly complex and nuanced, and the methodical pacing makes the story utterly engrossing.
‘John Adams’ (2008)
With four Golden Globe wins and a whopping 13 Emmy Awards under its belt, John Adams is the most awarded miniseries in the history of both ceremonies—and deservedly so. Directed by Tom Hooper right before his string of Oscar-nominated movies from the 2010s, this adaptation of the 2001 biography penned by David McCullough is, indeed, one of the most impressively produced TV shows of the 21st century.
There’s really no shortage of reasons as to why John Adams is one of the best HBO miniseries of the 2000s. The art of condensing the life and work of a man of John Adams‘ stature into a perfectly self-contained miniseries is precisely that: an art in and of itself, and everyone involved with the creation of this miniseries nailed that art. Gritty, complex, and anchored by one of the best performances of Paul Giamatti’s career, it’s a show that even those uninterested in American history should consider watching.
‘The Penguin’ (2024)
It’s not only real people that HBO make character study miniseries about. As it turns out, they also make some incredible miniseries about supervillains, as irrefutably demonstrated by The Penguin. Starring an unrecognizable Colin Farrell in one of his most potent performances to date, this is far more than just a TV sequel to Matt Reeves‘ The Batman: It’s an absolute masterpiece in its entire own right.
One could go so far as to say that The Penguin is one of the best miniseries released since 2020, a perfect show which proves that there is still plenty of gripping stories to be told within the superhero genre, just as long as they’re told with this level of gravitas and creativity. Powerfully dramatic and wearing its influences on its sleeve with pride (most notably HBO’s own The Sopranos), it’s worth watching even for those irreparably tired of comic book adaptations.
‘It’s a Sin’ (2021)
Russell T Davies has been one of the kings of modern British television for years, creating and writing several shows that deserve to be considered among the UK’s best for years, but It’s a Sin may very well be his magnum opus. It was originally produced and broadcast by Channel 4, HBO joining as a co-producer and acquiring the miniseries’ U.S. rights in late 2019. The result of such a partnership is one of the best-scripted miniseries ever, according to IMDb.
Set in London between 1981 and 1991, the show tells the story of the HIV and AIDS crisis in the United Kingdom with an unparalleled balance between gut-wrenching poignancy and infectious joy. Davies, a champion of LGBTQ+ representation on the small screen, tells this five-part story with a level of profound emotion so heartbreaking that it’s admirable that he never lets the hope and energy surrounding the show disappear.
‘The Night Of’ (2016)
The Night Of is one of the best thriller TV shows with only one season, a crime drama based on the 2008 BBC series Criminal Justice. It’s one of the most acclaimed and highly awarded miniseries of the 2010s, including four Emmy victories, an Outstanding Lead Actor victory for the powerhouse Riz Ahmed among them. The series also features performances by the likes of John Turturro, and it may well be one of the best-acted miniseries of the last decade.
It’s a gritty, immensely powerful, undeniably bold critique of the American justice system and of deep institutional corruption, exploring these topics with a level of thematic and emotional depth not often seen in a show of any kind. But if there ever has been one television network willing to tell these sorts of complicated stories with such a raw commitment to authenticity and nuance, it’s HBO.
‘Chernobyl’ (2019)
Chernobyl is the second-highest-rated miniseries of all time on IMDb and the fifth-highest-rated show of all time, and that’s for good reason. After all, this is one of the most perfect miniseries of the last 25 years that we’re talking about, a recreation of the events leading up to and immediately following the 1986 disaster in the titular Ukrainian town that’s definitely not for the faint of heart.
That’s because Chernobyl is five episodes of pure psychological dread, a hauntingly slow-burning depiction of every horrifying element surrounding the Chernobyl disaster. But even though it can be a challenging watch at times, it’s an essential one nonetheless, a powerful critique of the cost of institutional deception and systemic denial. It’s such a complex, potently character-driven, and well-researched masterpiece that it’s stunning that the team behind it were able to condense it all into just five incredible episodes.
‘Band of Brothers’ (2001)
If there’s one miniseries strong enough to be universally considered better than Chernobyl, it’s the masterpiece that’s right above it in the ranking of HBO’s highest-rated TV shows of all time: Band of Brothers, co-created by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. The connections to Saving Private Ryan are clear, but Band of Brothers is a masterpiece more than capable of standing on its own two legs.
It’s far and away one of the best TV shows composed of fewer than 40 episodes, if not the very best of the best. World War II has been a historical event that has fascinated television for decades, but there is no depiction of the conflict more emotionally riveting, technically impressive, or dramatically powerful than Band of Brothers. It’s a deeply character-driven anti-war statement on a jaw-droppingly cinematic scale.
Band of Brothers
- Release Date
-
2001 – 2001
- Network
-
HBO
- Directors
-
David Frankel, David Nutter, Mikael Salomon, Phil Alden Robinson, Richard Loncraine, Tom Hanks
You must be logged in to post a comment Login