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Game of Thrones, Insecure, Westworld, Silicon Valley (Helen Sloan; Justina Mintz; John P Johnson/HBO)

(Photo by Helen Sloan; Justina Mintz; John P Johnson/HBO)

The 80 Best HBO Series Ranked

Game of Thrones’ final season might have debuted to major fanfare — audiences did have to wait multiple years between seasons, after all — but is the epic fantasy series HBO’s all-time best show?

Not necessarily. The cable network has plenty of buzzworthy series on its current lineup, including dark comedy Barry (two seasons are Certified Fresh in the high 90s on the Tomatometer), the mysterious technological mystery of Westworld (two seasons Certified Fresh in the high 80s), and award-winning drama Big Little Lies (the first season is Certified Fresh at 93%). And that’s not to mention HBO’s signature prestige dramas including The Sopranos (92%), Western period drama Deadwood (95%), and newer comedy Insecure (97%).

We’ve crunched the numbers on HBO series and miniseries with Tomatometer scores, as well as compared our ratings to other editorially curated lists to determine the most premium of the premium network’s series.

We also considered cultural impact, which is why some series that don’t have enough reviews for a series-level score made the list (they may have season-level scores, however). So while Sex and the City may not have the highest Tomatometer score, Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha were a collective phenomenon that spawned movies and inspired countless knockoffs of their female-fueled formula – and we’re better TV watchers for it.

Is your favorite HBO title missing? Tell us in the comments.

HBO SERIES

The Newsroom (2012)
59%

#80

Synopsis: A drama set at a fictional cable-news network re-creates actual events to show how they're covered by "News Night" anchor... [More]

Starring: Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer, Sam Waterston, Alison Pill

Directed By: Paul Lieberstein, Jason Ensler, Julian Farino, Alan Poul

Divorce (2016)
72%

#79

Synopsis: Frances and Robert endure each other and some of the lowest points of their extremely long divorce, in this comedy-drama... [More]

Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Molly Shannon, Talia Balsam, Thomas Haden Church

Directed By: Ben Taylor, Jamie Babbit, Janicza Bravo, Wendey Stanzler

Real Time With Bill Maher (2003)

#78

Synopsis: A talk show about current events.... [More]

Starring: Ernest Moniz, Tom Perez, Bill Maher, Rosa Brooks

Directed By: Hal Grant, Paul Casey, Paul L. Casey

Luck (2011)
82%

#77

Synopsis: A drama set in the world of horse racing focuses on the owners, trainers, jockeys and gamblers.... [More]

Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Nick Nolte, Dennis Farina, John Ortiz

Directed By: Michael Mann, Allen Coulter, Brian Kirk, Brian Kirk

Mosaic (2018)
80%

#76

Synopsis: Explores the psychological underpinnings of love and murder in a small town, blurring the line between reality and memory. ... [More]

Starring: Sharon Stone, Garrett Hedlund, Frederick Weller, Jennifer Ferrin

Room 104 (2017)
88%

#75

Synopsis: Set in a single room of an average American motel, ROOM 104 tells a different story of the assorted characters... [More]

Starring: Charlyne Yi, Rainn Wilson, Hugo Armstrong, Tom Lenk

Directed By: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, Patrick Brice, Marta Cunningham

Tracey Ullman's Show (2016)

#74

Synopsis: Comedy sketch show. Tracey Ullman's return to British screens brings with it her unique take on some extraordinary characters living... [More]

Starring: Tracey Ullman, Rupert Grint, Julie Kavner, Michael Brandon

Directed By: Nick Collett, Ted Bessell

Dream On (1990)

#73

Synopsis: Old TV and movie clips punctuate the thoughts of a neurotic book editor in a risqué cable comedy that balances... [More]

Starring: Michael McKean, Daisy Fuentes, Brian Benben, Chris Demetral

Directed By: Betty Thomas, Eric Laneuville, Rob Thompson, Mel Smith

Sally4Ever (2018)
97%

#72

Synopsis: A woman about to marry her boyfriend falls for another woman.... [More]

Starring: Catherine Shepherd, Alex MacQueen, Julia Davis, Julian Barratt

2 Dope Queens (2018)
94%

#71

Synopsis: Taped before a live audience at Brooklyn's Kings Theatre, the show features these fun, fearless queens dishing on Cocoa Khaleesis,... [More]

Starring: Uzo Aduba, Janet Mock, Jessica Williams, Tituss Burgess

Da Ali G Show (2003)
92%

#70

Synopsis: An American version of the British comedy series featuring Ali G.... [More]

Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Buzz Aldrin, James Baker, Patrick J. Buchanan

Ballers (2015)
69%

#69

Synopsis: The lives of current and former NFL players aren't as glamorous as they seem in this comedy-drama that focuses on... [More]

Starring: Dwayne Johnson, John David Washington, Omar Benson Miller, Donovan Carter

Directed By: Seith Mann, John Fortenberry, Simon Cellan Jones, Millicent Shelton

Arli$$ (1996)

#68

Synopsis: Satire about an `ethically challenged' sports superagent with an A-list clientele of professional athletes. The series is packed with cameos.... [More]

Starring: Patricia Manterola, Andrew Jackson, Yogi Berra, John Glover

Directed By: Michael N. Grossman, Roger Director, Chrisanne Eastwood, Mike Tollin

Vice Principals (2016)
83%

#67

Synopsis: Comedy about a power struggle between two high-school administrators who are vying for the top job of principal. An overly... [More]

Starring: Danny McBride (IV), Walton Goggins, Kimberly Herbert Gregory, Georgia King

Directed By: Jody Hill, David Gordon Green

Tales from the Crypt (1989)
82%

#66

Synopsis: Horror tales based on the E.C. Comics of the 1940s and '50s, introduced by the Cryptkeeper, who was created by... [More]

Starring: Timothy Dalton, Richard Jordan, Dylan McDermott, Vincent Spano

Directed By: Mary Lambert, Steve Perry, Gregory Widen, Kevin Yagher

The Hitchhiker (1983)

#65

Synopsis: A popular anthology of suspense tales introduced by the titular character. Guest actors included Willem Dafoe, Kirstie Alley, Gary Busey... [More]

Starring: Page Fletcher, Nicholas Campbell, Susan Anspach, Karen Black

Directed By: Phillip Noyce, Carl Schenkel, Paul Verhoeven, Mike Hodges

Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel (1995)

#64

Synopsis: Journalists report on contemporary athletics in this prize-winning sports magazine.... [More]

Starring: Bryant Gumbel, Marc Buoniconti, Chancellor Lee Adams, Noah Aldrich

Fraggle Rock (1983)

#63

Synopsis: 'Muppet' master Jim Henson's popular children's series about fun-loving creatures who live underground, along with the workaholic Doozers and the... [More]

Starring: Gerard Parkes, Lee Armstrong, Phil Balsam, Myra Fried

Directed By: Martin Lavut, Doug Williams, Stephen Katz, Horst Eppinger

The Chris Rock Show (1997)

#62

Synopsis: The edgy, bitingly funny, Emmy-winning series features a monologue and guests.... [More]

Starring: Chris Rock, Mayblean Ephriam, Bernie Mac, Stanley Crouch

Sesame Street (1969)

#61

Synopsis: Muppets teach preschoolers basic educational and social concepts.... [More]

Starring: Tori Kelly, Kim Raver, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Michael Cooney

Directed By: Victor DiNapoli, Kevin Clash, Ken Diego, Tim Carter

The Kids in the Hall (0)

#60

Synopsis: One of Canada's funniest exports has a number of wonderfully odd characters who take sharp, satiric jabs at social conventions... [More]

Starring: Dave Foley, Mike McKinney, Scott Thompson, Kevin McDonald

Vice (2013)

#59

Synopsis: A newsmagazine that investigates global current events, including political and cultural topics.... [More]

Starring: Barack Obama, Jason Box, Ben Ferguson, Antonio Guterres

Dennis Miller Live (1994)

#58

Synopsis: The comedian discusses current events with celebrity guests.... [More]

Starring: Jim Carrey, Dennis Miller, Jon Lovitz, Jon Stewart

Tracey Takes On... (1996)

#57

Synopsis: Tracey Ullman's considerable comic gifts are on full display in an Emmy-winning series in which each episode wittily explores a... [More]

Starring: Tracey Ullman, Penny Marshall, Corbin Bernsen, Michael McKean

Directed By: Thomas Schlamme

Tenacious D (1997)
100%

#56

Synopsis: A comic series of improvised songs by acoustic guitarists.... [More]

Starring: Jack Black, Tenacious D

Directed By: Troy Miller

The Ricky Gervais Show (2010)

#55

Synopsis: An animated version of the podcast discussing a variety of unusual topics, which includes a recurring segment called 'Monkey News.'... [More]

Starring: Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant

Directed By: Dan Fraga

In Treatment (2008)
84%

#54

Synopsis: A psychotherapist meets with his regular patients Monday through Thursday, and seeks help for himself with his former therapist on... [More]

Starring: Gabriel Byrne, Dane DeHaan, Josh Charles, Glynn E. Turman

Directed By: Warren Leight, Joshua Marston, Michael Pressman, Jim McKay

Looking (2014)
90%

#53

Synopsis: A dramedy following the personal and professional lives of a trio of gay men in San Francisco.... [More]

Starring: Jonathan Groff, Frankie J. Alvarez, Murray Bartlett, Scott Bakula

Directed By: Craig Johnson, Rian Johnson, Joe Swanberg, Andrew Haigh

Togetherness (2015)
90%

#52

Synopsis: Marriage does not work out for Michelle and Brett who live in an apartment in Los Angeles. As they stumble... [More]

Starring: Mark Duplass, Melanie Lynskey, Steve Zissis, Amanda Peet

Directed By: Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass

The Young Pope (2017)
78%

#51

Synopsis: A ten-part miniseries following the reign of Pope Pius XIII, the first American pontiff.... [More]

Starring: Jude Law, Diane Keaton, James Cromwell, Silvio Orlando

Show Me a Hero (2015)
97%

#50

Synopsis: A bitter dispute over federally mandated public housing divides Yonkers, N.Y., in the late 1980s in this six-part miniseries based... [More]

Starring: Oscar Isaac, Alfred Molina, Catherine Keener, Clarke Peters

The Corner (2000)
100%

#49

Synopsis: A tough Emmy-winning series about a drug-infested neighborhood in 1990s Baltimore and the broken, battered families who struggle every day... [More]

Starring: T.K. Carter, Khandi Alexander, Sean Nelson, Clarke Peters

Generation Kill (2008)
86%

#48

Synopsis: Generation Kill is a seven-part miniseries that follows the struggles of Marines fighting in the Iraq War. An elite unit... [More]

Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, James Ransone, Lee Tergesen, Billy Lush

Directed By: Susanna White

Getting On (2013)
92%

#47

Synopsis: Set in a geriatric broadened mind wing of a down-at-the-heels hospital, Getting On takes after put-upon medical caretakers like nurses,... [More]

Starring: Laurie Metcalf, Jo Brand, Vicki Pepperdine, Alex Borstein

Directed By: Howard Deutch, Miguel Arteta

Succession (2018)
86%

#46

Synopsis: The Roy family -- Logan Roy and his four children -- controls one of the biggest media and entertainment conglomerates... [More]

Starring: Brian Cox, Alan Ruck, Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin

Directed By: Adam McKay, Mark Mylod, Adam Arkin, Andrij Parekh

The Defiant Ones (2017)
100%

#45

Synopsis: The unlikely partnership between music producer Jimmy Iovine and rapper Dr. Dre is spotlighted in this documentary series.... [More]

Starring: Dr. Dre

Random Acts of Flyness (2018)
100%

#44

Synopsis: A late-night series from artist Terence Nance.... [More]

Starring: Terence Nance, Tonya Pinkins, Melvin Mogoli, Robert Kirk

Directed By: Terence Nance

The Comeback (2005)
69%

#43

Synopsis: Former sitcom "It Girl" Valerie Cherish tries to jump-start her career with a series of ill-advised forays into reality TV.... [More]

Starring: Lisa Kudrow, Damian Young, Malin Akerman, Victoria Carroll

Directed By: Michael Patrick King, Michael Lehmann, John Riggi, Clark Mathis

Extras (2005)
89%

#42

Synopsis: A frustrated wannabe actor continually lands bit parts on major film projects with real stars (who play themselves). Fortysomething Englishman... [More]

Starring: David Bowie, Ian McKellen, Ricky Gervais, Ben Stiller

Directed By: Ricky Gervais

Angels in America (2003)
92%

#41

Synopsis: Brilliant adaptation of Tony Kushner's award-winning play about the dawn of AIDS in the 1980s, focusing on a powerful lawyer,... [More]

Starring: Meryl Streep, Emma Thompson, Al Pacino, Jeffrey Wright

Enlightened (0)
87%

#40

Synopsis: A woman returns from a mental-health retreat with a new outlook on life, and hopes to get her corporate job... [More]

Starring: Laura Dern, Luke Wilson, Diane Ladd, M.C. Gainey

Directed By: Nicole Holofcener, Jonathan Demme, Phil Morrison, Todd Haynes

Big Love (2006)
79%

#39

Synopsis: The complicated life of Bill Henrickson, a Utah businessman who also happens to be a polygamist with three wives and... [More]

Starring: Robert Pine, David Sullivan, Matt Lanter, Jenny O'Hara

Directed By: Steven Shill, Michael Lehmann, Mary Harron, Charles McDougall

High Maintenance (2016)
98%

#38

Synopsis: Comedy about a New York cannabis dealer who slips in and out of the lives of his clients.... [More]

Starring: Ryan Woodle, Ben Sinclair, Lee Tergesen, Candace Thompson

Directed By: Ben Sinclair, Silas Howard, Shaka King, Eliza Hittman

Rome (2005)
84%

#37

Synopsis: The Roman Empire's rise gets a royal treatment in this sprawling drama, which begins in 52 B.C., when Julius Caesar... [More]

Starring: Ciarán Hinds, Zuleikha Robinson, David Kennedy, Kevin Mckidd

Directed By: Robert Young, Timothy Van Patten, Steven Shill, Alan Taylor

Bored to Death (2009)
79%

#36

Synopsis: A struggling Brooklyn writer lives out his detective fantasies by moonlighting as a private eye after his girlfriend leaves him... [More]

Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Ted Danson, Zach Galifianakis, Olivia Thirlby

Directed By: Michael Lehmann, Tristram Shapeero, Alan Taylor, Adam Bernstein

Mr. Show With Bob and David (1995)
100%

#35

Synopsis: Often inspired sketch lunacy with an absurdist, stream-of-consciousness style, this series found a cult following similar to that of `Monty... [More]

Starring: Bob Odenkirk, David Cross, Brian Doyle-Murray, Ben Stiller

Directed By: Stacy Peralta, Troy Miller, Peyton Reed, Valerie Faris

Eastbound & Down (2009)
91%

#34

Synopsis: Kenny Powers is a former baseball pitcher who aimed for the Big Leagues. However, his intolerable attitude and fading fastballs... [More]

Starring: Danny McBride (IV), Will Ferrell, Craig Robinson, Steve Little

Directed By: Chetan Hansraj, Adam McKay, David Gordon Green

My Brilliant Friend (2018)
94%

#33

Synopsis: When the most important friend in her life seems to have disappeared without a trace, Elena Greco, a now-elderly woman... [More]

Starring: Margherita Mazzucco, Gaia Girace, Alessio Gallo, Elisa Del Genio

Treme (2010)
96%

#32

Synopsis: A drama set in New Orleans three months after Hurricane Katrina follows musicians and residents as they try to put... [More]

Starring: Khandi Alexander, Michael Showers, Wendell Pierce, Chris Coy

Directed By: Simon Cellan Jones, Simon Cellan Jones, Anthony Hemingway, Agnieszka Holland

Six Feet Under (2001)
83%

#31

Synopsis: Life---and death---at a family-owned funeral home in Los Angeles plays out in this provocative, at times macabre series created by... [More]

Starring: Mo Collins, Michelle Trachtenberg, Peter Krause, Kathy Bates

Directed By: Daniel Attias, Peter Webber, Adam Davidson, Alan Caso

Entourage (2004)
66%

#30

Synopsis: A young movie star from Queens lives the good life in Hollywood surrounded by his boyhood pals, who shamelessly milk... [More]

Starring: Dennis Hopper, James Woods, Stephen Gaghan, Martin Landau

Directed By: Doug Ellin, Brian Burns, Adam Bernstein, David Frankel

Sharp Objects (2018)
92%

#29

Synopsis: Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Gillian Flynn, Sharp Objects stars Amy Adams as reporter Camille Preaker,... [More]

Starring: Amy Adams, Patricia Clarkson, Elizabeth Perkins, Matt Craven

Insecure (2016)
97%

#28

Synopsis: Two black women who are best friends navigate the pitfalls of their personal and professional lives in south Los Angeles.... [More]

Starring: Issa Rae, Yvonne Orji, Natasha Rothwell, Lisa Joyce

Directed By: Kevin Bray, Debbie Allen, Marta Cunningham, Tina Mabry

Flight of the Conchords (2007)
94%

#27

Synopsis: Flight of the Conchords are a New Zealand-based comedy pair composed of musicians Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement. The duo's... [More]

Starring: Bret McKenzie, Kristen Wiig, Jim Gaffigan, Jemaine Clement

Directed By: Taika Waititi, Troy Miller, Michael Patrick Jann, Paul Simms

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (2014)
98%

#26

Synopsis: John Oliver's satirical look at the previous week's news, politics and headlines.... [More]

Starring: Rip Taylor, Rachel Dratch, H. Jon Benjamin, Steve Schirripa

Directed By: James Hoskinson, Jim Hoskinson

John Adams (2008)
81%

#25

Synopsis: A seven-part adaptation of David McCullough's biography of Founding Father and second U.S. president, John Adams.... [More]

Starring: Paul Giamatti, Laura Linney, Stephen Dillane, David Morse

Mildred Pierce (2011)
80%

#24

Synopsis: A five-part adaptation of James M. Cain's 1941 novel about a Depression-era housewife whose husband leaves her with two young... [More]

Starring: Kate Winslet, Guy Pearce, Evan Rachel Wood, Melissa Leo

Directed By: Todd Haynes

The Deuce (2017)
96%

#23

Synopsis: THE DEUCE chronicles that moment in time when sex went from being a back-alley, brown-paper-bag commodity to a billion-dollar universal... [More]

Starring: James Franco, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Carr, Margarita Levieva

Directed By: Uta Briesewitz, James Franco, Michelle McLaren, Ernest R. Dickerson

Olive Kitteridge (2014)
95%

#22

Synopsis: Adaptation of Elizabeth Strout's Pultizer Prize-winning novel about life in a small Maine town over the course of 25 years... [More]

Starring: Frances McDormand, Richard Jenkins, Bill Murray, John Gallagher Jr.

Directed By: Lisa Cholodenko

Barry (2018)
99%

#21

Synopsis: A comedy about a former marine working as a hit man in the Midwest who goes to the West Coast... [More]

Starring: Bill Hader, Henry Winkler, Stephen Root, Sarah Goldberg

Directed By: Bill Hader, Minkie Spiro, Maggie Carey, Liza Johnson

True Blood (2008)
70%

#20

Synopsis: HBO's hit drama series created by Alan Ball ('Six Feet Under') and based on the best-selling Sookie Stackhouse novels by... [More]

Starring: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten

Directed By: Simon Jayes, Alan Ball, Gregg Fienberg, Michael Cuesta

The Leftovers (2014)
91%

#19

Synopsis: Adaptation of Tom Perrotta's novel about life in a small town after many of its residents vanished in a Rapture-like... [More]

Starring: Justin Theroux, Amy Brenneman, Carrie Coon, Christopher Eccleston

Directed By: Justin Theroux, Craig Zobel, Tom Shankland, Nicole Kassell

Oz (1997)
89%

#18

Synopsis: A grim and graphically raw drama about life (and often death) in an experimental prison ward called Emerald City at... [More]

Starring: Frederick Koehler, Terry Kinney, Reg E. Cathey, Arija Bareikis

Directed By: Roger Reese, Kathy Bates, Nick Gomez, Matt Dillon

True Detective (2014)
78%

#17

Synopsis: An anthology crime drama written by novelist Nic Pizzolatto. In the third season, a retired detective reexamines a 35-year-old case... [More]

Starring: Vince Vaughn, Mahershala Ali, Colin Farrell, Carmen Ejogo

Directed By: John Crowley (III), Jeremy Saulnier, Nic Pizzolatto, Daniel Sackheim

The Pacific (2010)
91%

#16

Synopsis: A 10-part miniseries about U.S. Marines fighting the Japanese in the Pacific in World War II begins in the aftermath... [More]

Starring: Damian Lewis, Donnie Wahlberg, James Badge Dale, Jon Seda

Directed By: Tony To, Graham Yost, Carl Franklin, Timothy Van Patten

Band of Brothers (2001)
94%

#15

Synopsis: A 10-part miniseries based on Stephen Ambrose's bestseller about a World War II unit called Easy Company, 2nd Battalion of... [More]

Starring: Ian Sharp, Damian Lewis, Donnie Wahlberg, Frank John Hughes

Directed By: Phil Alden Robinson, Richard Loncraine, Michael Salomon, David Nutter

Westworld (2015)
86%

#14

Synopsis: A sci-fi drama set in an Old West theme park where guests interact with automatons in scenarios that are developed,... [More]

Starring: Angela Sarafyan, Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Evan Rachel Wood

Directed By: Jonathan Nolan, Richard J. Lewis, Neil Marshall, Jonny Campbell

Girls (2012)
89%

#13

Synopsis: A comedy about twentysomething women navigating their way through life in New York.... [More]

Starring: Lena Dunham, Jemima Kirke, Allison Williams, Adam Driver

Directed By: Nisha Ganatra, Richard Shepherd, Murray Miller, Jesse Peretz

Boardwalk Empire (2010)
92%

#12

Synopsis: Political boss Enoch 'Nucky' Thompson runs Atlantic City at the dawn of Prohibition in this drama inspired by Nelson Johnson's... [More]

Starring: Steve Buscemi, Michael Pitt, Kelly Macdonald, Michael Shannon

Directed By: Jeremy Podeswa, Tim Van Patten, Timothy Van Patten, Ed Bianchi

The Night Of (2016)
94%

#11

Synopsis: Naz is a moralistic Pakistani-American student who is on his way to attend a party in Manhattan on Friday night.... [More]

Starring: John Turturro, Riz Ahmed, Michael Kenneth Williams, Bill Camp

Directed By: Steven Zaillian

Sex and the City (1998)
71%

#10

Synopsis: This series explores New York City's dating scene, where four sassy women, Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha are in search... [More]

Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Kim Cattrall

Directed By: Alison Maclean, Matthew Harrison, Susan Seidelman, Daniel Algrant

Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000)
92%

Synopsis: A neurotic TV writer copes with life in L.A. in a tart, hilarious and semi-improvised sitcom that follows him dealing... [More]

Starring: Toshi Toda, Dalton Brooks, Neil Vipond, Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon

Directed By: Keith Truesdell, Jeff Garlin, Tom Kramer, David Steinberg

The Larry Sanders Show (1992)
100%

Synopsis: Classic satire about late-night TV host Larry Sanders, a neurotic (when he's not being self-obsessive) performer. The show boasted celebrity... [More]

Starring: Wallace Langham, Garry Shandling, Peter Falk, Sting

Directed By: Peter Tolan, David Mirkin, Dennis Erdman, Garry Shandling