Summary
- HBO houses iconic and timeless series that are endlessly rewatchable.
- Succession, True Detective, The Wire, Game of Thrones, & The Sopranos are HBO's best.
- These shows offer top-tier performances, intricate narratives, and compelling storytelling.
When it comes to prestige and quality, a television show originating from Home Box Office, better known as HBO, is as close to a guaranteed stamp of quality as viewers are likely to find. Home to some of the most enduring, influential, and beloved series of all time, the American television network arguably has no equal.
From stunning fantasy sagas and evocative teen dramas all the way to some of the greatest crime epics ever brought to life on-screen, HBO has it all. As such, the network plays host to a number of iconic series that can be rewatched all over again without losing their inherent enjoyment factor. Whether it be the compelling nature of their characters or the engaging style of their narrative, a number of HBO's finest shows have kept viewers coming back for more, long after they originally aired.
5 Succession
A Ruthless Corporate Masterpiece
- Aired: 2018-2023
- Number of Seasons: 4
A sizzling corporate family drama of the highest order, Succession may not be HBO's longest-running offering, but it certainly ranks among its most rewatchable. Laced with outrageously satirical black comedy, the lauded Emmy magnet follows ultra-wealthy magnates, the Roy family, as their aging patriarch begins to show signs of mortality.
Some shows may begin to show signs of staleness upon second viewing, but not Succession. The razor sharp script writing and dialogue, combined with the phenomenal performances of the credentialed ensemble cast, means that there's never a dull moment watching the series, even when viewers are aware of what is about to happen. As morbidly hilarious as it is unrelentingly grounded, the electric pace of Jesse Armstrong's acclaimed show means that four seasons pass in the blink of an eye, no matter how many times audiences have seen them.
- Release Date
- 2018 - 2023
- Network
- HBO Max
- Showrunner
- Jesse Armstrong
- Directors
- Mark Mylod
- Writers
- Jesse Armstrong
Cast
-
Hiam Abbass -
Alan Ruck -
Sarah Snook -
Kieran Culkin
WHERE TO WATCH
4 True Detective
A Crime Anthology That Keeps On Giving
- Aired: 2014-present
- Number of Seasons: 4
Starring two of this generation's finest character actors in Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, the crime anthology series True Detective's first installment is widely regarded as one of the finest single seasons of television ever made. Utilizing a cocktail of atmospheric direction, philosophical depth, and haunting dialogue, the wider show remains one of the most rewatchable HBO series ever conceived, despite a more mixed critical response to later seasons.
True Detective Season 4 Ending, Explained
True Detective: Night Country came to a blistering end, with Danvers and Navarro solving the mystery, while leaving some questions unanswered.
While the quality of the series admittedly dips between the masterful debut outing and 2024's acclaimed return to form with True Detective: Night Country, the scope of True Detective's anthology-based narrative structure means that the show brings something new to the table with every season. Bouncing from occult-based serial killers to intricately woven tales of police corruption, even the show's weaker stories continually grab the viewer's attention by the throat from beginning to end.
- Release Date
- January 12, 2014
- Network
- HBO Max
- Showrunner
- Nic Pizzolatto
- Directors
- Cary Fukunaga
- Writers
- Nic Pizzolatto
Cast
-
Matthew McConaugheyRust Cohle -
Colin FarrellRay Velcoro -
Mahershala AliWayne Hays -
Woody HarrelsonMartin Hart
WHERE TO WATCH
Taking inspiration from the hard-boiled mystery genre, True Detective has told four separate stories about complicated men and women getting to the bottom of intense cases, all the while uncovering the darker sides of humanity. The latest season, Night Country, stars Jodie Foster and Kali Reis, and takes place in chilling Alaska.
3 The Wire
A Flawless Baltimore-Based Spectacle
- Aired: 2002-2008
- Number of Seasons: 5
Painting a relentlessly realistic picture of the real-life social issues that haunt America, HBO's The Wire is universally acclaimed as one of the best television shows ever made. Providing a grounded perspective into the lives of everybody from notorious drug gang members to world-weary police officers, David Simon's epic five-season crime series is renowned for the mesmerizing and realistic nature of its take on urban life in the city of Baltimore across a range of social classes.
The Wire is one of the most rewatchable shows ever made, primarily as a result of its intricate narrative and the rich nature of its diverse cast. The acting on display from the likes of Dominic West, Idris Elba, and the late Lance Reddick and Michael K. Williams, is also without equal, capturing the gritty essence of the War on Drugs in an engrossing manner that arguably will never be replicated.
- Release Date
- 2002 - 2008-00-00
- Network
- HBO
- Showrunner
- David Simon
- Directors
- Ernest R. Dickerson, Ed Bianchi, Steve Shill, Clark Johnson, Daniel Attias, Agnieszka Holland, Tim Van Patten, Alex Zakrzewski, Anthony Hemingway, Brad Anderson, Clement Virgo, Elodie Keene, Peter Medak, Rob Bailey, Seith Mann, Christine Moore, David Platt, Dominic West, Gloria Muzio, Jim McKay, Leslie Libman, Milcho Manchevski, Robert F. Colesberry, Thomas J. Wright
- Writers
- Richard Price, Joy Lusco, Rafael Alvarez, Dennis Lehane, David Mills, William F. Zorzi, Kia Corthron
Cast
-
Dominic WestJimmy McNulty -
Lance ReddickCedric Daniels -
Sonja SohnKima Greggs -
Wendell PierceBunk Moreland
WHERE TO WATCH
2 Game Of Thrones
An Epic Fantasy-Drama With No Equal
- Aired: 2011-2019
- Number of Seasons: 8
Based on George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series of novels, Game of Thrones is undoubtedly the most successful fantasy-drama series ever made. While the stellar quality of HBO's Westerosi epic fell off towards the end as the show veered away from its source material, Game of Thrones' sheer spectacular scale means that it remains one of the most rewatchable shows of all time.
Game Of Thrones: 25 Most Iconic Quotes
Game of Thrones featured dozens of memorable quotes that stayed with fans well beyond the series finale.
Featuring an endlessly compelling cast, spectacular action set pieces, and a sprawling, controversial narrative that never fails to grab the viewer's attention, Game of Thrones also features so many sub-plots and easily missed pieces of detail that it is the gift that never stops giving despite a lacklustre end to its proceedings. In addition to simply being one of the finest shows ever seen on television, it's a series where viewers register something new with every watch.
- Release Date
- 2011 - 2019-00-00
- Showrunner
- David Benioff, D.B. Weiss
- Directors
- David Nutter, Alan Taylor, D.B. Weiss, David Benioff
Cast
-
Kit HaringtonJon Snow -
Isaac Hempstead WrightBrandon Bran Stark
WHERE TO WATCH
1 The Sopranos
The Greatest Crime Drama In Television History
- Aired: 1999-2007
- Number of Seasons: 6
Depicting the life and exploits of New Jersey-based mobster Tony Soprano, The Sopranos isn't just HBO's most rewatchable show, it's contentiously the greatest television series ever made. A crime-drama masterpiece led by the late James Gandolfini and backed up by an incredible ensemble cast, The Sopranos set the bar for quality television so high that it has arguably never been surpassed.
The Sopranos: Tony's 13 Most Iconic Quotes
Tony Soprano is among the most quotable characters in TV history. These are among his best lines of all time.
The show's chronicling of Tony's efforts to balance his life as a violent crime boss with his responsibilities as a family man simply never gets old, no matter how many times viewers have watched it from start to finish. The Sopranos bears the remarkable accolade of possessing no weak episodes, meaning that it can be rewatched over and over again while still feeling like a stunning breath of fresh air every single time.
- Release Date
- 1999 - 2007
- 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
WHERE TO WATCH
Where Does HBO's The Penguin Fit Into Matt Reeves' Batman Universe?
HBO's The Penguin lies between Matt Reeves' The Batman Part I and II.