The first quarter of 2026 is now done (at the time of writing this), and yet, HBO has already racked up multiple big hits. After years of fearing that the streaming rush would kill watercooler TV, HBO has proven the doubters wrong by continuing to make its content the talk of the pop-culture zeitgeist. Not only has HBO gotten its groove back with appointment viewing TV, but the network has also managed to generate some big wins on streaming through HBO Max.
As you will see in the list below, we’ve narrowed down the content that HBO has released in 2026 to the seven best shows you should be watching, ranked in the order you should be watching them.
7. Hacks (Season 5)
HBO Max
Hacks has been a dark horse success for HBO Max. After starting in 2021, the show (about an aging comedienne trying to stay relevant, and the young assistant helping her do it) has grown into one of the most acclaimed cult-hit series of the decade. Lead actress Jean Smart practically owns the Primetime Emmy for Best Actress at this point, having won in 2021, 2022, 2024, and 2025, as well as three Golden Globes in 2022, 2025, and 2026. The show and its supporting cast (Hannah Einbinder) have both been rewarded with Emmys and Golden Globes, making Hacks one of the most acclaimed series of the last decade.
In Season 5, the final season, Smart’s character Deborah Vance is shooting to complete her EGOT run (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony), and launch a major comeback tour to cement her comedic legacy, and end her career on top, with dignity.
6. Rooster
HBO
The Office star Steve Carell is back on top with his new HBO series Rooster, which premiered in March. Carell plays an author named Greg Russo, who is famous for writing a series of beach read novels about a private detective named “Rooster.” Greg comes to a liberal arts college in New England to give a lecture, and also to do a surprise check-in on his art teacher daughter, Katie (Charly Clive), whose marriage to a colleague has just gone off the rails. After a series of messy events, Greg ends up hanging around and starting a residency at the school, trying to work out both his personal and professional lives. The show has gotten overwhelming acclaim from both critics and viewers, who are glad to see Carell back on TV in this kid of role.
5. DTF St. Louis
HBO
Steven Conrad (The Weather Man, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty) has an intense eye for stories about middle-aged angst, and his HBO miniseries DTF St. Louis probed that idea deeper than any other show arguably has. Framed as a murder-mystery, each episode of DTFSL peeled back another layer of the onion to reveal stranger truths than most viewers were prepared for. By the finale, a lot of viewers couldn’t believe what the biggest twists actually were – and we’re still trying to process it ourselves. Still, Jason Bateman (Ozark), David Harbour (Stranger Things), and Linda Cardellini (Avengers: Age of Ultron) are a great lead trio.
4. Neighbors
HBO Max
Netflix’s documentary The Perfect Neighbor became an Oscars darling this year, for chronicling the tragic story of how a local feud with one ornery neighbor ended in a senseless killing. With the hype for that documentary surging, HBO came through at the perfect time with Neighbors, a documentary series from A24 that examines many other disputes like the one in The Perfect Neighbor. From beach communities in Florida to a farm in Indiana or southern regions like Nashville and Texas, there’s drama and conflict happening between all kinds of people living right next to one another. It’s a compelling train wreck to watch, just like the documentary was; HBO has already ordered Season 2.
3. The Comeback (Season 3)
Lisa Kudrow is back as Valerie Cherish in The Comeback Season 3, twelve years after Season 2 aired, and 21 years after the show first premiered. Kudrow and Michael Patrick King (Sex and the City) are experts at satirizing and mocking Hollywood and the film industry, and every time they pop out with a new season of The Comeback, they have their sniper sights squarely set on all the new absurdity coming from the entertainment industry. Season 1 took on the rise of reality TV and the diminishing star power of actors; Season 2 took on the rise of “content culture,” and the personal cost of feeding it. Season 3 is looking at the rise of AI and how it is strangling the creative spirit of Hollywood. Kudrow has never missed with this series, and Season 3 (the final season) is cementing the show’s legacy as one of the best cult-hit mockumentaries ever.
2. Game of Thrones: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
HBO
Many Game of Thrones fans were skeptical when A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was announced; after all, few remembered the legend of the Hedge Knight, Sir Duncan the Tall, from the original GoT series. However, the show took the bold step of building its characters and lore slowly, before getting to the big reveal that the show was (SPOILER!) actually about a reluctant young prince and would-be knight, who are both lying about who they truly are. More importantly, it was another link in the Targaryen Dynasty chain, and a pretty compelling one at that. The story of how one Targaryen (Egg) decided on a very different path to his throne. As a standalone season, The Hedge Knight told one of the best and most endearing stories in the Game of Thrones franchise.
1. The Pitt (Season 2)
HBO Max
There is no disputing it: HBO has the biggest hit show on TV/streaming right now, and it is The Pitt. Season 2 of The Pitt has been doing fantastic in terms of performance, nearly doubling the viewership numbers of both DTF St. Louis and Rooster. The Pitt Season 2 was so big it finally killed the momentum of Netflix’s big breakout show, Heated Rivalry; the sophomore season dominated TV/streaming charts and the pop-culture zeitgeist until the Season 2 finale aired on April 16th. The Pitt is the new king of medical dramas, and fans are already clamoring for Season 3 to arrive in January 2027.
What are your favorite HBO shows from the past year? Discuss with us on the ComicBook Forum!
