The 50 best TV shows on HBO Max in December: 'The White Lotus' finale and more
HBO Max has really, well, maxed out on great programming.
The streaming service has quickly become one of the best since it launched in May 2020. HBO Max combines films and original TV shows, including Emmy-nominated "Hacks," with the entire library of HBO and many series from its corporate siblings such as TNT, TBS and CNN. So you'll find "Friends" and also series like "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown," "The Sopranos," "Sex and the City" and new "Looney Tunes" cartoons. This summer HBO and HBO Max's biggest and most anticipated new show debuted: "House of the Dragon," a prequel series spun-off from "Game of Thrones."
Although its archive of TV is deep and exciting, there are plenty of duds mixed in with critically acclaimed and Emmy-winning series. We've picked the 50 best series to watch in December 2022, from reality to documentary, to children's shows to dark dramas (listed in alphabetical order).
1. “Angels in America”
HBO’s 2003 adaptation of Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, an allegorical examination of the AIDS crisis and LGBTQ life in the 1980s, is absolutely mesmerizing. Its outstanding cast, including Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Patrick Wilson, Mary-Louise Parker, Emma Thompson and Jeffrey Wright, makes it an absolute classic.
2. “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown”
The travel and food show was always a thoughtful exploration of culture and cuisine, and its 12 seasons, which originally ran on CNN, became even more poignant and touching after the death of chef Bourdain in 2018.
3. “The Bachelor” franchise
If the bachelors and bachelorettes of ABC's long-running reality dating franchise can find love in a hopeless place (like in front of millions of TV viewers), then there's hope for the rest of us, too.
4. “Band of Brothers” and ”The Pacific”
Created by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, these two World War II-set miniseries are exquisite. Like Spielberg’s lauded “Saving Private Ryan,” the HBO series capture the epic scale of war but are measured and realistic in the costs and sacrifices of soldiers and bystanders.
5. “Barry”
In HBO’s black comedy as dark as Batman’s cape, Bill Hader plays a depressed hitman who finds new purpose taking acting classes in LA. A concept that sounds too out there to work is pulled off thanks to Hader; Henry Winkler; and Anthony Carrigan, whose dumb mobster NoHo Hank is a breath of lightness the show needs.
Review: Bill Hader makes the wild and weird 'Barry' wonderful
6. “The Big Bang Theory”
CBS’ hangout sitcom starring Jim Parsons and Kaley Cuoco was often TV's most popular show for a reason – its big, broad humor and nerdy characters are comforting and familiar.
More: The 50 best TV shows to watch on Amazon Prime right now
7. “A Black Lady Sketch Show”
Created by Robin Thede and produced by Issa Rae, HBO’s tiny-but-mighty sketch comedy series is knee-slappingly hilarious. Its talented Black lady comedians excel in sketches that are unique to their experiences and universal in their humor.
8. “The Boondocks”
With a stunning voice cast (Regina King! John Witherspoon!) and provocative material, this Adult Swim animated series was woefully underrated when it aired from 2005-2014. But hopefully its new home on HBO Max, which streams the original seasons and has commissioned two new installments, will bring the adaptation of Aaron McGruder’s comic strip the acclaim it deserves.
9. “Chernobyl”
The brilliance of HBO’s historical miniseries, which chronicles the 1986 nuclear disaster at a power plant in Soviet Ukraine, creeps up on you. “Chernobyl” is never crass or exploitative, but rather it simply, and anger-inducingly, explains the failures and hubris that led to the disaster and introduces the people who tried to mitigate its consequences.
10. “Curb Your Enthusiasm”
Larry David’s dry, meta comedy, in which he plays a fictionalized version of himself, is a reliable source of humor for his fans. Whenever he returns to HBO for a new season, David is ready to poke fun at his peculiarities and neurosis.
Ranked: Larry David of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' and his fellow masters of comedic discomfort
11. “Deadwood”
Creator David Milch’s masterpiece of a Western, which originally aired on HBO for for a criminally short three-season run in the 2000s, is one of TV’s all-time best series, and a 2019 revival movie didn't disappoint.
12. “Doctor Who”
With a time machine, a screwdriver and a plucky spirit, there is no limit to where (or when) the Doctor (currently embodied by Jodie Whittaker, for a little while longer before Ncuti Gatwa takes over the role) can take you in this British sci-fi institution.
13. “Doom Patrol”
The best superhero show on TV right now is this irreverent team-up show that originally streamed on DC Universe. Starring Alan Tudyk, Brendan Fraser, Timothy Dalton, Matt Bomer and more, the series steers clear of tired tropes and fake optimism for a gritty-but-not-exhausting version of superheroics.
14. “Enlightened”
If you liked Laura Dern in “Big Little Lies,” you’ll love her razor-sharp, nearly unhinged role as Amy Jellicoe in this two-season HBO series from creator Mike White. A cringe dramedy that never goes too far (but gets very, very close), the smart series sees Dern turn in one of her best performances.
15. "The Flight Attendant"
Penny no more, Kaley Cuoco shows off her comedic and dramatic chops in "Flight Attendant," a juicy melodrama that mixes dark comedy, murder mystery and an emotional story about addiction. Cuoco plays a flight attendant and barely functioning alcoholic who gets wrapped up in a murder case after a wild night in Thailand with a dashing passenger. Cuoco's sharp performance makes the series coalesce into something pulpy, compelling and fun.
16. “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”
While a dramatic reboot of Will Smith’s seminal NBC comedy has arrived on streaming service Peacock, HBO Max has the original six seasons of the sitcom about a teen (Smith) from West Philadelphia (born and raised) who moves in with his rich relatives in California.
17. “Friends”
More than two decades after it premiered, "Friends" remains a cultural institution and reliable source of delight and laughs. Its long afterlife in cable reruns and streaming (it was on Netflix for years before it moved to its new HBO Max home) has introduced it to new generations. It may be a cliché, but it is nice to spend some time with our "Friends."
More: The 'Friends' reunion is everything fans hoped it would be
18. “Game of Thrones”
At any moment during its eight seasons and 73 episodes, “Game of Thrones” could be the best or worst series on TV, but when it was at its peak, there was nothing else like it. A full exploration of this complex series reveals impeccable acting, gorgeous costuming and an expansion of our collective ideas about what TV can achieve. A prequel series, "House of the Dragon," about the Targaryen family hundreds of years before the events of "Thrones," premieres August 21.
More: The 50 best TV shows to watch on Hulu right now, from 'Fargo' to 'Buffy' to 'Pen15'
19. "The Gilded Age"
Co-created by Julian Fellowes ("Downton Abbey"), this period drama follows a young woman as she navigates the aristocratic world of her wealthy aunts in the wake of her father's death. The clashes between tradition and coming-of-age revelations both electrify and enthrall. The series features riveting performances from Emmy winner Christine Baranski and "Sex and the City" alum Cynthia Nixon.
20."Hacks"
In this darkly funny comedy, Jean Smart gets the star turn she’s long deserved (and she won an Emmy for it). As Deb Vance, a Joan Rivers-type comedian with a Las Vegas residency and a QVC empire, Smart is in her element and at her best, a prickly diva with hidden depths. When Deb’s gig is threatened, she is forced to take on Ava (Hannah Einbinder, a revelation), a young, self-centered comedy writer who is forced to work with Deb after a dumb tweet leaves her jobless.
21. “Harley Quinn”
Kaley Cuoco gives voice to this animated version of the DC Comics villain (and sometimes anti-hero) that Margot Robbie brought to life on the big screen. As wonderful as Robbie’s performance is, the DC Universe series is a smarter, slicker more dynamic portrait of wicked Harley, with superb scripts and an excellent supporting voice cast, including Alan Tudyk and Christopher Meloni. Season 3 of the deliciously dark comedy premieres July 28.
22. "Happy Endings"
OneOf the many "Friends"-like hangout sitcoms to emerge over the past two decades, ABC's "Endings" is on the quirkier (but far funnier) side, following five thirtysomethings in Chicago.
23. “I May Destroy You”
British actor and writer Michaela Coel broke out in the U.S. with her beloved Netflix comedy “Chewing Gum,” but “I May Destroy You” is where she truly triumphs. A vital examination of sexual assault and consent in the modern world, Cole’s performance is heartbreaking and vivid.
More: 'I May Destroy You': How HBO's tragicomedy brilliantly depicts sexual assault trauma, consent
24. “Insecure”
Issa Rae crafts a distinctly millennial and hilarious series in this HBO comedy about a Black woman in Los Angeles who, as she approaches 30, begins to question her life decisions, including her long-term boyfriend.
25. "It's A Sin"
HBO Max's British import miniseries, about a group of young gay friends at the height of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, is a masterpiece. Beautiful, funny, profound and heartbreaking, the series tells the stories of found families, lives cut short and the deadly consequences of homophobia.
Review: HBO Max's AIDS crisis drama 'It's A Sin' is the best show of 2021 so far
26. “Leaving Neverland”
Among the many true-crime documentaries of late about sexual assault allegations, this one – about two men who accused Michael Jackson of sexual abuse when they were children – stood out. Wade Robson and James Safechuck were given a platform on HBO to tell their harrowing stories, and director Dan Reed is unflinching as he captures the pain and suffering of the men and their families. Tough to watch, it's also an eye-opening look at the lasting effects of abuse and the way the media handles allegations against powerful men.
27. “The Leftovers”
Even if the tone of HBO’s overwhelmingly somber series isn’t your style, it’s hard to ignore the level of artistry delivered over three seasons from co-creators Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta. Two percent of the earth’s population disappears without an explanation, but the story is not in the mystery but in the aftermath, the broken people forced to keep living in a world that doesn’t make any sense.
28. "Mare of Easttown"
Kate Winslet could pass for a suburban Philly native in this crime miniseries from HBO. The Oscar winner plays a small-town detective trying to solve the murder of one young girl and the disappearance of another, while battling her own personal trauma and family problems. The series is surprisingly compelling, a character drama piece in cop-show clothing.
29. "The Middle"
During its 2009-2018 run, this ABC comedy starring Patricia Heaton, Neil Flynn and national treasure Eden Sher was woefully underrated, outshined by its buzzier and flashier family sitcom cousins on the network. But now you can stream all nine seasons and revel in the hilarious averageness (they're very middle of the road, you might say) of Indiana's Heck family.
30. “Mr. Show with Bob and David”
Bob Odenkirk and David Cross are delightful, hilarious and unhinged in their 1995-1998 HBO sketch comedy series, considered to be one of the best sketch comedies of all time.
31. "The Nanny"
One of the few great 1990s sitcoms that hasn't streamed in the past few years, CBS' "The Nanny" is finally available to be binge-watched in all its glory. Fran Drescher's inimitable performance as the eponymous childcare provider – the voice! the clothes! the hair! – and the slow burn of her relationship with boss Max Sheffield (Charles Shaughnessy) added up to a sweet, boisterous comedy.
32. “The Office (UK)”
Before Steve Carell made us cringe as Michael Scott, Ricky Gervais played the somehow-even-more-cringeworthy David Brent, king of his own little office, in the U.K. version of the series he co-created.
33. "Our Flag Means Death"
Jocular, joyous and jolly (roger), this pirate romcom from Taika Waititi and David Jenkins is an absolutely lovely surprise. The series follows the hapless “gentleman pirate” Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) as he fumbles his way through third-rate swashbuckling and eventually catches the eye of the legendary Blackbeard (Waititi). Full of guest roles from great comedians, including Leslie Jones, Fred Armisen and Will Arnett, “Our Flag” mixes romance and farce with ease.
34. “The Plot Against America”
An alternate history drama with dire warnings about modern culture, “Plot,” based on Philip Roth’s 2004 novel, tracks what would have happened in the U.S. if Franklin Roosevelt had lost the 1940 presidential election to Charles Lindbergh. Adapted by “The Wire” creator David Simon, “Plot” evocatively brings a scary could-have-been to life.
More: HBO's 'The Plot Against America' rewrites history with fascist, anti-Semitic president
35. “Pride and Prejudice”
There’s no Mr. Darcy quite like Colin Firth. This miniseries adaptation of Jane Austen’s celebrated novel, which originally aired on PBS in the U.S., is the definitive take on “Pride and Prejudice,” thanks to Firth’s performance and its faithful, but not restricted, translation of the story from page to screen.
36. “Robot Chicken”
Stop-motion and distinctly adult humor make this Adult Swim series, created by Seth Green, one of the network’s biggest successes, gaining the show celebrity guest stars, six Emmys and counting in Cartoon Network’s mature programming block.
37. “Samurai Jack”
Another Cartoon Network series with plenty for adults to enjoy, “Samurai” is fun, gripping, visually daring and has a loyal cult fan base.
38. “Sesame Street”
A 52-year institution for a reason, there is no children’s show quite like “Sesame Street,” which has both old PBS episodes and new HBO installments available to stream.
39. “Search Party”
This surreal comedy (which originally aired on TBS but jumped to HBO Max) is both relatable and infinitely absurd. A group of twenty20-somethings, led by Alia Shawkat (“Arrested Development”), gets over involved in the disappearance of a former classmate, leading to hilarious, horrifying and morbid discoveries.
40. “Sex and the City”
Although it may be a bit dated, “Sex and the City” remains a classic sitcom, both for the magnetism and performances of its four leads: Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), Samantha (Kim Cattrall) and Charlotte (Kristin Davis). Dating in New York now means more apps and fewer cosmopolitans, but “Sex” still captures the uncertainty of putting yourself out there, looking for love and affection. Recent revival "And Just Like That," which reunites Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte, but not Cattrall's Samantha, is not tops on our list.
41. “The Sopranos”
HBO’s New Jersey mobster drama that launched a thousand antihero knockoffs still has punch (pun intended) two decades after its debut.
42. “South Park”
Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s adult animated series may not, in current episodes on Comedy Central, have quite the same bite it did in its heyday during the mid-2000s, but it is still a generational touchstone and one-of-a-kind satire of American life.
43. "Starstruck"
This delightful romantic comedy from New Zealand comedian Rose Matafeo follows 29-year-old Jessie (Matafeo), who's working dead-end jobs and flitting through life when she gets involved with a movie star (Nikesh Patel). Matafeo is a comedic delight, a master of both physical high jinks and witty repartee.
44. "Station Eleven"
This post-apocalyptic drama follows the harrowing journey of the survivors of a flu pandemic, as they attempt to move forward and restore the world they knew, despite the devastation. The show's lean toward sci-fi takes it beyond your run-of-the-mill medical drama, and its earnest optimism offers a poignant allegory for our modern times.
45. “True Detective”
If you ignore the subpar second season, HBO’s crime anthology series has two compelling mysteries and two superb casts for your viewing pleasure. In particular, Mahershala Ali shines in Season 3 as a Black detective working in the 1980s.
46. “Veep”
Some of the political satire's bite faded in later seasons, as our world has become more absurd and shocking, but that doesn't dull the sharpness of star Julia Louis-Dreyfus' performance.
47. “Watchmen”
HBO’s very loose adaptation of the graphic novel has blossomed into one of creator Damon Lindelof’s best series, and from the man behind “Lost” and “The Leftovers,” that’s some achievement. The series has a superb cast – including Emmy-winner Regina King – that elevates smart scripts that get better as the season progresses. Lindelof and his writers find surprising ways to bring the superhero story from the 1980s into today’s culture, helping “Watchmen” upend the comic book formula once again.
48. "The West Wing"
The simplicity of politics in Aaron Sorkin's White House drama feels almost quaint in 2022, but the rousing speeches of President Jed Bartlett (Martin Sheen) still inspire and captivate. HBO Max is also home to a "West Wing" special, which featured the original cast reuniting for a staged reading of a Season 3 episode to benefit get-out-the-vote efforts leading up to the 2020 presidential election.
49. "The White Lotus"
"Enlightened" creator Mike White won Emmys for the first season of this scathing satire of the very wealthy at an exclusive resort, and now he's back with a mostly new group of the uber-rich at an Italian White Lotus resort. This season, starring Aubrey Plaza, Theo James, Michael Imperioli, F. Murray Abraham and Jennifer Coolidge (one of two returning characters from Season 1) is set in Sicily and brings gender dynamics and sex to the forefront of the lives of its unhappy vacationers.
50. “The Wire”
Touted by many as the best TV show of all time, writer David Simon's meticulous crime drama is gorgeously wrought and acted by the likes of Dominic West, Idris Elba and Michael B. Jordan.
Contributing: Edward Segarra
Have a different streaming service? Here are the shows worth checking out:
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: HBO Max in December 2022: The 50 best shows to watch
