When it comes to series, HBO is still the measure of all things. Ratings, prices, public attention – but which HBO series are actually the most worth seeing?
HBO series have a good reputation across the board. The station has made a name for itself in the drama sector in particular; the in-house productions are now one of the most important pillars of the company. And if you look at the best series of all time (or the best rated ones), HBO is conspicuously represented. But which HBO series are actually the best and most worth seeing?
HBO and its series
The acronym HBO stands for “Home Box Office” and means something like “the ticket office for the home”. The name is intended to suggest that the station is the “ticket” to films and series in your own home – instead of in the cinema. HBO and its parent company, Home Box Office, Inc., belong to Warner Bros. Discovery. The network produces much of its high-quality content itself. In fact, the New York-based company has been around since the 1960s. Since then, the station has been one of the pioneers of television in terms of both content and technology. In 1975, for example, HBO was the first television station in the world to transmit its signal via satellite – incidentally with the legendary boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, the “Thrilla in Manila”.
The first self-produced series then appeared in 1997. At that time, the prison drama “Oz” marked an important step in US TV history and also in the history of the station, which had previously specialized in broadcasting major Hollywood productions. Incidentally, with an IMDb rating of 8.7, “Oz” shares 5th place on the HBO leaderboard. But what other series can be found in the top spots and where can you stream them in Germany?
5th place: “Rome”, “Six Feet Under” and “Oz”
With an IMDb rating of 8.7, in addition to the aforementioned prison drama “Oz – Hell behind bars” you will also find the historical series “Rome” and the drama “Six Feet Under – Died wird immer”.
In “ozAn inmate of the US American prison “Oswald” tells of everyday life behind bars. The title “Oz” is both a short form of the prison name and an allusion to the Emerald City from “The Wizard of Oz”. According to this, a program of the prison is known that pursues the rehabilitation approach of its participants with an experimental approach. The HBO series was broadcast in six seasons between 1997 and 2003 and is currently being broadcast on Paramount+ in Germany.
“Rome“ was released between 2005 and 2007 and was, especially by the standards of the time, one of the most expensive television productions. The HBO series chronicles the fall of the Roman Republic and the rise of Julius Caesar and Emperor Augustus. For actors like Kevin McKidd or Tobias Menzies, the production also meant a personal breakthrough. In Germany you can see the series on Sky or the associated streaming platform Wow.
In “Six Feet Under – There is always death“ is the name program. It’s all about a family of undertakers. The personal dramas of the members in combination with the omnipresent death and the confrontation with the bereaved result in an explosive mixture. The series was broadcast between 2001 and 2005 and also runs in Germany on Sky and Wow.
4th place: “Succession” and “Leave it, Larry!”
“Succession” and “Leave it, Larry!” are marginally ahead of the 5th places, each with a rating of 8.8 on IMDb. The former in particular has caused a sensation in recent years.
“Leave it, Larry!“ is almost a series veteran. The improv sitcom has been running since 2000, albeit with a longer break in between. In the titular leading role, “Seinfield” co-creator Larry David tells about his life, partly through true events, partly through made-up anecdotes. In Germany, the award-winning HBO series runs on Sky and Wow.
In the drama series “Succession‘ is all about the Roy family and the media empire created by patriarch Logan. He wants to retire from the business and bequeath it to his children. In the family, however, there have been various disputes for years and everyone primarily pursues their own interests. The four seasons that appeared between 2018 and 2023 can all be streamed on Sky Germany and Wow.
3rd place: “True Detective” and “The Last of Us”
With some great shows, you might not even realize that they’re also from HBO. This is also the case with the crime series “True Detective” This shares third place in the station’s best-rated series with the new hit from the successful company “The Last of Us”.
At “true detectiveis an anthology series from HBO; each season tells a different story. The series knows like no other how to weave the dark mood in front of a crime background with the personal dramas of its main characters, sometimes over several time levels. Stars like Matthew McConaughey, Rachel McAdams, Woody Harrelson, Colin Farrell, Mahershala Ali or Alexandra Daddario step in and out of the seasons. In Germany, the three seasons are once again available on Sky and Wow.
“The Last of Us’ hit like a bomb in early 2023. With its first season, the video game adaptation managed the balancing act of convincing both fans of the games and newcomers. It tells the story of Ellie (Bella Ramsay) and Joel (Pedro Pascal) who travel together through a post-apocalyptic America. Ellie has developed antibodies against the rampant fungal disease “Cordyceps”, which is why Joel is supposed to take her to a research facility. Along the way, however, Joel must increasingly ask himself what sacrifices he is willing to make. If you want to see the first season that has been released so far, you can also do so on Sky Germany and Wow.
2nd place: “Game of Thrones” and “The Sopranos”
The two probably best-known series from HBO land together at number 2 in the current best list of the station. Both hold an IMDb rating of 9.2.
Hardly any production in the past decade has kept the series world on its toes like “game of Thrones“. The fantasy epic repeatedly surprised with brutal twists, lots of blood, sex and intrigues. On the fictional continent of Westeros, everything revolves around the Iron Throne, which the big families fight over after King Robert meets a rather inglorious end. A sinister menace is also approaching from the frigid north. Even if there are still arguments about the final season of the series, as a series fan you can hardly avoid “Game of Thrones”, which you can also stream on Sky Germany and Wow.
“The Sopranos‘, on the other hand, shaped the decade before ‘Game of Thrones’. The focus is once again on a family drama, only this special family is the mafia. In addition to the pressures of organized crime, Tony Soprano (James Gondolfini) is kept on his toes by his own family. “The Sopranos” also runs on Sky and Wow in Germany.
1st place: “The Wire”
Perhaps one or the other was surprised that “Game of Thrones” and “The Sopranos” “only” ended up in second place. But the undisputed number one is “The Wire” with a rating of 9.3.
At first glance, the series revolves around the drug trade in Baltimore. The viewer in “The Wire” gets many different perspectives on what is happening. You see the fight between the police and the judiciary, but also take the perspective of the drug lords and sellers, as well as the victims, journalists, relatives and many other victims. This series also runs as part of the deal in Germany on Sky and Wow.
Other popular HBO series
If you limit yourself to the top 5 (or even top 10 actually), many equally great series fall by the wayside. So if you’re wondering where productions like “Newsroom”, “Euphoria”, “House of the Dragon”, “Sex and the City” (yes, that’s also an HBO series), “Big Little Lies” or “Westworld” remained – all these series also have ratings well above eight, but are to be found further down in the overall ranking.
However, it has to be said that we only considered HBO series for the leaderboard that have more than one season. If you look at the numerous mini-series of the station, then there are even two series that outstrip “The Wire”. The productions “Band of Brothers – We were like brothers” and “Chernobyl“.