Since its formation in 1972, HBO has maintained a highly respected place in the entertainment medium, giving viewers some of the most universally acclaimed shows in television history. Offering a bountiful fare of unforgettable dramas, comedies, fantasy series, and superhero epics, HBO has held onto its favorable reputation as a go-to source for first-rate television from the late ‘90s to the present day. While most of HBO’s series are worthy of praise, it’s also important to note the influence certain HBO dramas have had on the network’s continued popularity. These series include everything from in-depth portraits of New Jersey’s criminal underworld to ambitious adaptations of best-selling fantasy novels.
The Sopranos
Following in the footsteps of HBO’s Oz, The Sopranos brought renewed fan interest in the fledgling HBO, helping the network gain on greater recognition as they entered the 2000s. Focusing on the day-to-day life of New Jersey gangster Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), The Sopranos provided a fresh, more realistic overhaul of the hard-boiled gangster genre. Taking ample inspiration from the ‘90s films of Martin Scorsese (Goodfellas and Casino, especially), it’s a series that deserves to be at the top of everyone’s TV bucket list.
The Wire
Along with The Sopranos, The Wire forever changed everyone’s opinion of HBO programming, ushering in a golden era for the burgeoning TV network. A comprehensive breakdown of Baltimore’s more dangerous neighborhoods, The Wire offered an intense look at the city’s law enforcement agencies, political organizations, and illegal criminal elements. With its poignant political and socioeconomic conversations, The Wire’s complexity and realism set the standard for more grounded drama series moving forward.
Game of Thrones
Yes, the latter seasons might have fallen flat. Yet at its very peak, Game of Thrones’ stood apart as one of the most-watched television series of its era, commanding the same avid attention from viewers as The Sopranos or Breaking Bad. A first-rate adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s encyclopedic fantasy series, Game of Thrones conjures up a fictional universe as expansive as Star Wars or The Lord of the Rings, delighting viewers with its large list of morally ambiguous characters.
Band of Brothers
Though a mere 10 episodes long, HBO’s Band of Brothers ranks as one of the greatest miniseries ever put to the small screen. A factual recreation of a U.S. paratrooper company’s experiences in the Second World War, HBO never shied away from portraying the unglamorous reality of combat or the harrowing conditions of the frontline. Balancing its sheer brutality with warmer themes, the series also did a phenomenal job emphasizing the one-of-a-kind fraternal bond that exists between soldiers on and off the battlefield.
Chernobyl
In the spring of 1986, the Russian city of Chernobyl experienced a major nuclear incident that left the city an irradiated wasteland. Documenting the startling events leading up to this infamous disaster is HBO’s limited series, Chernobyl. Opting for a meticulous recreation of the actual incident, Chernobyl shines a light on the intrepid heroes responsible for containing the site–as well as the government officials who worked hard to cover the entire incident up.
Succession
A show that traipsed back and forth between poignant drama and pitch-dark comedy, Succession only seemed to grow better with each new season. Focusing on the intense power struggle of a billionaire family as they vye for their patriarch’s (Brian Cox) media empire, Succession delved into the disconnect between familial love and the quest for limitless wealth. Like all the best HBO shows, Succession made a habit of introducing characters who appeared startlingly despicable one moment, yet wholly relatable in the next, allowing the show to win instant renown from the late 2010s into the early 2020s.
Six Feet Under
Like Succession, Six Feet Under defied conventional norms separating comedy from drama, often stitching the two together into one ghoulish, hilarious, Frankenstein-esque creation. Set in contemporary Los Angeles, the series follows a family of morticians in the wake of a personal tragedy. Despite its grim subject matter, Six Feet Under never harped on a pessimistic message about the inevitably of death. Rather, the series chose to focus on the wondrous possibilities of life, encouraging every viewer to enjoy their existence to the fullest.
