What To Watch On HBO Max: 17 Shows To Stream Now

Alright, we get it – the arrival of a new streaming service is hardly a cause for celebration in 2026. In fact, there are so many of them kicking about these days it barely constitutes a news event.

But trust us when we say that the UK launch of HBO Max is actually a bigger deal than you might realise.

The US streaming platform is responsible for some of the most acclaimed original shows of the last few years, and while some of them have already been available to watch on Sky and Now, others will be making their UK screen debut now HBO Max is up and running on this side of the Atlantic.

If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by choice – or, indeed, you’re just contemplating whether it’s worth your while subscribing – here are 17 of our top recommendations currently streaming on the platform, including classics from American broadcaster HBO and other more new and exciting additions…

Arguably the biggest reason for TV fans to get excited about HBO Max’s UK launch is the fact that British viewers finally have a place to stream the hit medical drama The Pitt.

Co-produced by and starring ER Noah Wyle, the show has become one of the most talked-about and critically-acclaimed US telly offerings of the last 12 months, sweeping the board at the Golden Globes, Emmys, Actor Awards and Critics’ Choice Awards.

However, until now, it’s not been available to watch anywhere in the UK, but thanks to the debut of HBO Max finally debuting here, it’s time to find out what all the fuss is about.

Friends fans were bereft when the classic show disappeared from Netflix UK at the end of last year – and we know that because we were among them.

HBO Max has been the streaming home of Friends across the pond for the last six years, the platform was even responsible for the 2021 reunion special that proved so popular with long-term fans of the award-winning sitcom.

Now, after a four-month absence from Netflix, TV fans on this side of the Atlantic finally have a place to watch Friends on demand again.

Let the nostalgia-fest commence!

There are two types of people in the world – those who love The Comeback, and those who haven’t watched The Comeback yet.

Launched in 2005, Lisa Kudrow’s cringe comedy takes the form of a mockumentary about Valerie Cherish, a struggling sitcom who is given a second chance at a TV career, but only if she lets a camera crew follow her every move, with mortifying results, as she tries in vain to navigate an industry she no longer understands, all while putting on a brave face for those watching her at home.

While initially cancelled after one show, it developed such a cult following that HBO revived The Comeback a decade on, and after another 11-year absence, it’s back for a third and final run.

The current season – with new episodes dropping every Monday for UK fans – sees Valerie once again trying to wrap her head around an ever-changing industry, tackling the complicated world of AI, social media and modern junket culture.

One of HBO Max’s most popular originals, the multi-award-winning comedy Hacks only continues to grow and grow with each season that comes.

The show centres around veteran comic Deborah Vance (played impeccably by Jean Smart), whose career has reached something of a plateau when her manager suggests pairing her up with a younger comedy writer, Ava Daniels (a star-making role for series lead Hannah Einbinder, herself a stand-up outside of the show).

While season one saw the two butting heads due to their different views on… well… pretty much everything, Deborah and Ava’s relationship has only become increasingly knotty, complicated and, let’s face it, toxic as the years have gone on.

Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder are set to reprise their roles for one final outing later in the year, in what promises to be a must-see season.

If you loved The Comeback and The Other Two, we can all but guarantee that you’ll love The Other Two.

A razor-sharp skewering of the modern fame game, the dark comedy focusses on a jaded brother-sister duo whose family dynamic is turned upside down when their teenage brother becomes an overnight viral sensation.

Tonally, the show is like a cross between Girls and Will & Grace, with fast-paced zingers, pop culture parodies and countless cameos ensuring that it more than stands up to repeat viewings.

Inarguably the biggest TV phenomenon in recent memory, Heated Rivalry blew up beyond anyone’s expectations when it premiered on the Canadian broadcaster Crave late last year, before being snapped up by HBO, at which point it became an international success story.

The romantic sports drama introduces us to hockey players Ilya Rozanov and Shane Holland, fierce rivals on the ice who are harbouring a secret relationship away from the glare of the spotlight.

Heated Rivalry’s love story (and many, many sex scenes) have helped make household names of its leads, Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, with a second season quickly being ordered off the back of the first’s success.

The iconic Batman villain Harley Quinn was the break-out star of 2016’s Suicide Squad, and finally got the opportunity to stand on her own in the animated series Harley Quinn.

Picked up by HBO Max in 2020 (after its first two seasons were included on the now-defunct DC Universe platform), the series features Kaley Cuoco as the titular anti-heroine, while Lake Bell voices Poison Ivy, portrayed in the series as her girlfriend.

Critical acclaim for the show has been pretty close to that coveted 100% as the seasons have gone on, with its cult following only continuing to expand, and everyone keeping their fingers crossed that a sixth season could be on the cards soon.

The White Lotus has been one of the biggest TV juggernauts to come out of the post-pandemic era, serving up barbed satire, sun-soaked settings and murder mystery in one.

An anthology series with a new cast for each season, past iterations of The White Lotus have taken place at resorts inhabited by spoiled guests and the disgruntled staff who wait on them in Hawaii, Sicily and Thailand, with a return to Europe planned for the upcoming fourth season, which looks poised to be its most ambitious to date.

While some critics might suggest the show is a little slow in pace (that’s kind of the point), viewers’ patience is invariably rewarded with The White Lotus providing some of the most gloriously chaotic season finales in 21st century telly.

Sam Levison’s unflinching teen drama is one of the most-watched HBO originals of all time, with nine Emmy wins and a Golden Globe.

The show has been a hit with both critics and viewers thanks to its frank depiction of issues like addiction, gender identity and sexual expression, and has helped make household names of cast members Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Colman Domingo, Hunter Schafer and Jacob Elordi.

A long-awaited third season of Euphoria is now just weeks away, so now would be a great time to check out the show for yourself.

Game Of Thrones is still the most-watched TV show in HBO’s history, and – aside from that iffy final season – it remains as popular with fans as ever.

In the years since it’s been off the air, the world of Westeros has only continued to expand, most notably with the hugely popular prequel series House Of The Dragon, which explores the tumultuous origin story of the Targaryen dynasty, while continuing to build on what made Game Of Thrones such a hit during its original run.

HBO Max is the home of all adaptations of George R.R. Martin’s works (including the recent spin-off A Night Of The Seven Kingdoms, plus a rumoured adult animated series), with House Of The Dragon returning for a third run in the summer.

Another of HBO’s all-time most-watched shows, the TV adaptation of the hit video game The Last Of Us became an instant smash when it premiered in 2023, with the second iteration following last year.

Filming on the third season began earlier this month, with rumours suggesting the next instalment in the story could be the last.

Like Downton Abbey before it, The Gilded Age is a period drama from creator Julian Fellowes, this time focussing on the so-called “boom period” in New York back in the late 1800s.

The show has only gone from strength to strength over the last three seasons, with particular praise for its female cast members, most notably Carrie Coon, Cynthia Nixon and Christine Baranski.

We’re getting to “oldie but goodie” territory now, but you just can’t have a conversation about HBO greats without mentioning Sex And The City.

The show was an absolute TV game-changer when it launched in the late 1990s, introducing the world to neurotic sex columnist Carrie Bradshaw, straight-talking lawyer Miranda Hobbes, idealistic art curator Charlotte York and sexually-empowered PR Samantha Jones.

While we have to concede that not all of Sex And The City has aged well, the show is still our go-to comfort watch whether we’re in need of a pick-me-up, a good laugh or just a check in with the girls.

HBO Max was also the home of the patchy reboot And Just Like That, but honestly, after that surprisingly-scatological finale, perhaps the less said about that the better…

If you’ve been putting off watching The Sopranos for the last… hmmm… two decades, consider this your sign that it’s finally time to give it a go.

The critically-acclaimed crime drama ran for six seasons between 1999 and 2007, and is still considered one of the most pioneering, influential and important TV shows of all time.

Another huge hit from the last few years, Succession introduced the world to the Roy media dynasty, including Brian Cox’s domineering patriarch Logan and his ruthlessly ambitious (with varying levels of competence) offspring, played by Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin and Sarah Snook.

Succession became appointment viewing during its four-season run, culminating in the gripping finale back in 2023.

Between the infamous Snyder cut of Justice League and the aforementioned Harley Quinn spin-off, HBO Max is the home of numerous DC Comics offerings.

One surprise hit was The Penguin, a spin-off of the 2022 film The Batman hooked on Colin Farrell’s transformative villain character.

As villain origin stories go, this one is one of the most popular ever, not only pulling in praise for its central performances and film noir stylings, but also picking up Emmys, Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards left, right and centre.

And then there’s Somebody Somewhere, which is truly in its own league compared to everything else on our list.

Renowned for its gentle tone and slow pace, the show centres around a woman who returns to her home town to care for her terminally ill sister, and her struggles to connect with those around her after her sister’s death.

If that sounds like hard going, believe us when we say that Somebody Somewhere is anything but – in fact, it’s a life-affirming and beautiful celebration of chosen family and self-love.

Brigitte Everett’s central performance as Sam Miller is one for the ages, while co-star Jeff Hiller is also an absolute scene-stealer as her BFF Joel, even triumphing at last year’s Emmys for his work on the show.