Summary

• HBO shows have redefined quality standards and pushed the boundaries of television, exploring challenging themes and defying norms.
• Their shows have had a major impact on acting, directing, and writing in subsequent series, influencing genres like comedy, crime, and drama.
• HBO's best shows have explored darker, more adult-driven concepts, making them trailblazers in the development of prestigious and critically acclaimed television.

HBO shows have consistently pushed the boundaries of modern television, and have redefined the quality standards, writing expectations, and production values, across broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms. The network strongly emphasizes creative freedom, challenging themes, and consistently defying television norms and expectations. HBO's best shows often explore darker, more adult-driven concepts than their competitors, and as such, have made a name for themselves as a trailblazing and unflinchingly courageous network when it comes to the development of prestigious, critically acclaimed, television.

Across a broad range of genres, HBO shows have had a major impact on the acting, directing, and writing of countless subsequent series. Their comedy shows have pushed the boundaries of what could be explored and addressed meta-commentary and satire in a way that felt new and exciting. Their crime series produced some of the best TV characters of all time, and anti-heroes like Tony Soprano have had a direct impact on the kind of protagonists that audiences were willing to accept. Their dramas allowed for unconventional storytelling techniques and levels of thematic complexity that pushed the medium into ever more sophisticated territory.

10 The Larry Sanders Show (1992 – 1998)

An early mockumentary-style sitcom

Based on a fictional late-night talk show, The Larry Sanders Show brought a level of meta-commentary and satire to television not previously seen. By mixing fact with fiction and featuring real-life celebrities on the talk show and behind the scenes, the series, which starred Gary Shandling, explored ego, insecurity, and ambition in show business. The Larry Sanders Show had a great influence on mockumentary-style comedies like The Office, satirical portrayals of real-world celebrities such as in Extras, and examinations of ego in the entertainment industry explored in Entourage.

9 Sex and the City (1998 – 2004)

Explored women's sexuality in a way not previously seen

It is difficult to get across just how revolutionary Sex and the City was when it first aired. The show broke down barriers around open discussions of women’s sexuality and offered a fresh perspective on female-centric storytelling. Sex and the City became a cultural phenomenon for its exploration of modern feminism and female empowerment and challenged social norms and expectations around these subjects.

While Sex and the City can be criticized today for a lack of diversity, stereotypical portrayals, and over-sexualization of certain characters, it was also one of the first to address these types of issues, and it laid the groundwork for later shows based around female friendship like Girls and Broad City. Following the release of two successful feature films, Sex and the City (2008) and Sex and the City 2 (2010), as well as the prequel series The Carrie Diaries (2013 - 2014), the show was revived for a sequel series in 2021 called And Just Like That... which HBO has renewed for a third and final season.

8 The Sopranos (1999 – 2007)

The original TV anti-hero

The single most important show in the modern television age, The Sopranos raised the bar for everybody and kickstarted the era of prestige TV, characterized by complex characters, psychological depth, and long-form storytelling. The mob boss Tony Soprano laid the foundation for other deeply layered anti-heroes like Breaking Bad meth cook Walter White and Mad Men ad executive Don Draper. The Sopranos stands today as a watershed moment in the history of TV. The Sopranos' influence extends far beyond the crime genre and can be seen in every subsequent television series that attempts to tell a compelling story with nuanced and developed characters.

7 Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000 – Present)

No laugh track; focused on improvisation

The improvisational style of Curb Your Enthusiasm brought a sense of urgency and spontaneity that had rarely been seen in comedy shows before it. Starring Larry David as a fictionalized version of himself, the show blurred the lines between fiction and reality in a way that felt authentic and relatable. By removing the laugh track that had been previously a staple of sitcoms, Curb Your Enthusiasm allowed the humor to arise naturally from situations, and it inspired a shift towards more cringe-inducing, awkward social encounters, and overall uncomfortable situations in comedic television.

6 Six Feet Under (2001 – 2005)

Explored death head-on

Focusing on a family-run funeral home, Six Feet Under addressed questions about death, grief, and mortality in a way not previously seen before. By beginning each episode with death, and centering on the Fisher family, who deal with these tragedies daily, the series was able to weave into characters' lives with explorations around the inevitability of death. Today, the show is best ed for its final episode, which stands as one of the greatest finales in television history. The thought-provoking and multilayered nature of the show influenced subsequent series dealing with family dynamics, like Transparent, Rectify, and This Is Us.

5 The Wire (2002 – 2008)

Raised the bar for social commentary and realism

David Simon’s incredible portrayal of crime and law enforcement in Baltimore brought a level of realism and social commentary never previously seen on television. The Wire delivered a complex portrait of a city’s political landscape that included drugs, education, police, politics, and poverty. The characters of The Wire were deeply layered and morally ambiguous. The show, much like real life, showcased that the reality of crime was much more complex than simply good versus bad, and even though the series struggled with ratings when it first aired, it redefined television’s potential for intricate storytelling and societal critique.

4 The Comeback (2005 & 2014)

Predicted the rise of celebrity-driven reality TV

Lisa Kudrow and Michael Patrick King’s criminally underrated series The Comeback is an incredible example of meta-television that predicted the rise of celebrity-driven reality TV in its portrayal of faded sitcom star Valerie Cherish. A faux documentary addressed ageism and sexism in Hollywood and was at times sentimental and vulnerable. The self-aware nature of the show and commentary on celebrity culture can be seen on the Netflix animated sitcom BoJack Horseman, which similarly dealt with a fading star trying to reclaim his former glory.

3 Game of Thrones (2011 – 2019)

Cinematic quality on the smaller screen

The ambitious scale of Game of Thrones brought a cinematic quality to the traditionally smaller medium of television. Based on the fantasy book series by George R. R. Martin, the show featured an ensemble cast with interwoven stories told over several years. Bringing together themes of political power, violent war, family drama, and survival, Game of Thrones became a global hit and contributed to the binge-watching culture of TV consumption today. The show was controversial in its final season for not fully delivering on the narratives it had set up, but its legacy is undeniable, and the series earned its place as one of the most influential ever produced.

2 The Leftovers (2014 – 2017)

Was not afraid to utilize unconventional storytelling

A deep exploration into existential questions around loss, grief, faith, and living, The Leftovers was rooted in mystery following the “Sudden Departure” of 2% of the world’s population. Starring Justin Theroux as police chief Kevin Garvey, the high-concept premise of the show was more focused on character development, emotion, and personal journeys than on providing definitive answers to the show's unusual narrative. Through unconventional storytelling, the use of symbolism, and a raw portrayal of human emotions, the series demonstrated that TV series did not need to hold audiences’ hands, and that not every question needed to be answered. The Leftovers influence can be seen in series like Dark, The OA, and Maniac.

1 Succession (2018 – 2023)

Unmatched writing that was engaging and witty

A complex family drama that brings together internal power struggles, deep-rooted insecurity, and a multi-billion-dollar organization, Succession was a sharply written satire that delivered its signature style and wit. Following the media mogul Logan Roy and his children’s fight to take control of his empire amid health concerns, the HBO show avoided action-driven plots and instead prioritized engaging dialogue and the character’s internal motivation. The sheer quality of Succession' scripts is what truly sets the show apart, and it has raised the game for how writers can meld comedy, drama, and satire to produce one of the most hyped series in recent years.