The 20 Best Shows on HBO Max Right Now (December 2022)

Many viewers on streaming services saw a plethora of true crime series getting released this year. This genre is gaining much popularity these days- probably awards-winning Sherlock Holmes, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Homicide: Life on the Street, and Deadwood could have played some part in it. 

While the crime genre is popular in fiction, there is growing interest in true crime drama. While there is hardly any mystery to the stories, watching how the investigation team solved the cases is interesting. 

One such miniseries is The Staircase which is based on a true docuseries of the same name that was released in 2004. It follows a writer named Colin Firth convicted of murdering his wife, Kathleen Peterson. His wife was found lifeless at the bottom of their home's staircase.

The series premiered on HBO Max on May 5, 2022. Colin Firth played the role of Colin Firth, whereas Toni Collette played Kathleen Peterson. Other main actors in the series are Michael Stulhbarg, Dana DeHaan, Olivia DeJonge, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sophie Turner, Odessa Young, Rosemarie DeWitt, Tim Guinee, Parker Posey, and Juliette Binoche.

We Own This City is a miniseries based on a nonfiction book of the same name. It was released on HBO Max on April 25, 2022, with six episodes. 

The story portrays Sergeant Wayne Jenkins, one of eight officers of the Baltimore Police Department's Gun Trace Task Force who were convicted on various corruption charges in 2018 and 2019. Thus, the series details the rise and fall of the task force and the corruption surrounding it. 

Many viewers have recommended the show to those who want to know about things that plague big city police. Moreover, it follows true events, which makes people want to watch it. 

With the mixture of crime and comedy, HBO released Barry on its streaming site on March 25, 2018. It portrays a hitman from Cleveland who travels to Los Angeles to kill someone but enrolls in an acting class taught by Gene Cousineau.

There he meets aspiring actress Sally Reed and begins questioning his life's path. But despite his effort to change the direction of his life and become an actor, his dark past keeps hunting him. 

There are three seasons now, and in May 2022, it was renewed for the fourth season. Bill Harder plays Barry, and Sarah Goldberg is seen as Sally Reed. 

The kids of the mid or late 2000s may remember Finn and Jake from the animated television series Adventure Times. It aired on the Cartoon Network from 2010 to 2018. 

It follows the adventures of a boy named Finn, his best friend and adoptive brother, Jake, and a dog with magical powers who can change shape and size at will. Finn and Jake live in the post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo, interacting with other main characters from the series, such as Princess Bubblegum, Marceline the Vampire Queen, and BMO.

The story of the trio continued through Adventure Time: Distant Lands. In Distant Lands, there are stories of the duo in the unexplored area of Adventure Time. It follows a common storyline of them going on adventures, discovering strange creatures, and fighting monsters to help others. 

Distant Lands is a four-hour-long streaming television special released on HBO Max On June 25, 2020. 

A novel-based teen drama, Gossip Girl, features the lives of privileged upper-class adolescents living in Manhattan's Upper East Side. The unknown, omniscient blogger, Gossip Girl, narrates the story.

It begins with the return of a beautiful teenage girl named Serena van der Woodsen after her mysterious disappearance, who reunites with her parents. She also meets an aspiring Brooklyn writer who becomes her main love interest throughout the show. 

It ran on the CW network for six seasons from September 19, 2007, to December 17, 2012, but a sequel series with the same name was released on HBO Max in July 2021. 

Starstruck is a comedy series that follows a New Zealand woman in her 20s living in Hackney, London. She works in a cinema and as a nanny, but her life changes drastically when she finds out that the man she had a one-night-stand with is a famous movie star. 

The first season was released on April 25, 2021, and the second premiered on February 2, 2022. The show became popular, received positive critical reception, and was renewed for the new season in June 2022. 

The major role in the series is played by Rose Matafeo, Nikesh Patel, and Emma Sidi. Rose has added much charm to her role through her comedy and acting in the show. 

With the settings of the 18th century, this show is a romantic period comedy that follows the misadventures of gentleman-turned-pirate Stede Bonnet and his crew. 

Captain Bonnet, a member of Barbados' landed nobility, abandons his wealthy life and family in 1717 to prove himself as a pirate during the Golden Age of Piracy. But he has a little aptitude for the position and kills people with kindness. He and his paid crew sail on the Revenge, battling grave threats from navy cruisers and other savage pirates.

Then, the Revenge crew meets famed pirate captain Edward Teach and his crew during their exploits, and a new journey of Bonnet's piracy begins with much laughter and comedy. The series was renewed for a second season in June 2022. 

The Other Two is a comedy series about two millennial siblings, Cary and Brooke, who must deal with their 13-year-old brother's sudden rise on the internet. 

Chase become famous overnight with his Youtube video under the moniker ChaseDreams. But, his brother Cary and sister Brooke have their own struggles. Cary is an aspiring actor who is into men's expertise, humiliating auditions for a commercial. And Brooke is in the middle of a career transition after leaving her shoe-designer boyfriend.  

There are two seasons now, and it is being renewed for a third season. The main cast includes Helene Yorke, Drew Tarver, Case Walker, Ken Marino, and Molly Shannon. 

Doom Patrol follows the adventures of the unlikely heroes of the eponymous team, many of whom gained their abilities through tragic situations and are rejected by society. They live with a medical doctor who offered them residency in his house to help protect them from the outside world and treat most of the team members.

The series is based on the DC Comics superhero team of the same name. It exclusively premiered in 2019 in DC Universe. The second season premiered in 2020 on both DC Universe and HBO Max. But, the third season was exclusively released on HBO Max.

The storyline is emotional, but there are comical scenes as well. Thus, viewers loved the show and praised the production team and the cast for their efforts. 

The White Lotus is a sharp social satire about guests and employees of the fictitious White Lotus resort chain. It features Murray bartlett, Jennifer Coolidge, Steve Zahn, Alexandra Daddario, Molly Shannon, and many other actors who will keep the viewers entertained with their antics throughout the series. 

The first season won several awards and accolades, which made HBO renew it for another season. The second season was released on October 2022 and is being renewed for the third season. 

The main cast for the series includes Murray Bartlett, Connie Britton, Jennifer Coolidge, Alexandra Daddario, Fred Hechinger,  Jake Lacy, Brittany O'Grady, Natasha Rothwell as Belinda Lindsey, Tanya Sydney Sweeney, Steve Zahn, and Molly Shannon. 

Succession is a dark comedy-drama that features the Roy family. They own a conglomerate, Waystar Royko. The family's children start to plan for a future when their father, Logan Roy, the family patriarch, experiences a decline in his health. 

His four children have different personalities. The oldest son Connor is removed, and another is power-hungry Kendall, irreverent Roman, and politically astute Shiv. Thus, all of them battle to take over their father's company. 

For those viewers who are looking for a great plot twist and drama laced with comedic moments, then Succession can be the one to go for. People may come to dislike the characters, but that is what makes the show and the storyline interesting. 

The Australian and British television comedy-drama series, Frayed, has set its story in the late 1980s. It takes the viewers through the journey of the misfortune of a newly widowed woman named Sammy, who has lost everything after her husband's untimely demise. 

She was a wealthy housewife in London, but after losing everything after her spouse's demise, she was forced to return to her hometown with her two children in New Castle in Australia. As she begins to live there with her mother and brother, she realizes that everyone in the community hates her. 

But, when she tries to return to London, there are several obstacles along the way that stops her from returning. Thus, viewers can watch how she tackles every situation that life gives her. 

There are two seasons that were released in 2019 and 2021, respectively. It has also been nominated for several awards and has won RTS − Craft & Design Awards.

South Side is a sitcom that revolves around two graduates from a community college who are ready to take on the world. The two friends are seeking business success while working at a rent-to-own shop. 

It features Sultan Salahuddin as Simon James, Kareme Young as Kareme Odom, Chandra Russell as Sergeant Turner, and Bashir Salahuddin as Officer Goodnight. These actors are the main cast, whereas Lil Rel Howery, Diallo Riddle, Antoine McKay, LaRoyce Hawkins, and many others have recurring roles. 

The first season premiered on July 24, 2019, on Comedy Central. Then, on November 11, 2021, it moved to HBO max for the second season and is now being renewed for the third season. 

People who are looking for some laughter and fun can opt for South Side or keep this one on their watchlist for the future. 

Hacks is an American comedy-drama series that is a story about legendary Las Vegas stand-up comedy diva Deborah Vance and unemployed comedy writer Ava. She must appeal to a younger audience with her acts if she wants to keep her residency at the Palmetto Casino. 

Ava cannot find work because of her insensitive tweet and her reputation for being arrogant and self-centered. They meet when Ava's manager sends her to Deborah to be her head writer, where they bond and help each other to work through personal problems. 

Jean Smart portrays Deborah Vance, and Hannah Einbinder features Ava Daniels. With the help of two women, the series shows how they are treated in the comedy industry. With its amazing storytelling and actor's performance, the show has received several critical acclaims and won accolades, including Primetime Emmy Awards and Golden Globe Awards.

A thriller drama series with Jamie Dornan in the lead role follows him as a car crash victim who wakes up in the hospital with amnesia. Dornan plays the role of Elliot Stanley, a Northern Irish man who wakes up in an Australian hospital without knowing his identity. 

Thus, he must use a few clues he has to find out about his identity before his past catches up to him. The first season premiered on HBO Max on March 3, 2022, and is being renewed for the next season. 

Other casts in the series include Danielle Macdonald, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Victoria Olafur Darri Olafsson, Alex Dimitriades, Genevieve Lemon, Danny Adcock, Damon Herriman, Alex Andreas, Maria Mercedes, Michael Ibbotson, and Kamil Ellis. 

Search Party was initially released on TBS on November 21, 2016. But, after the third season, it moved to the HBO Max streaming service. The fourth and fifth seasons were released on HBO. The final season premiered on January 7, 2022.

It portrays the events that occur after a group of friends get involved in a search for a missing young woman. The characters in the series are New York resident Dory Sief, her boyfriend Drew Gardner, flamboyant show-off Elliott Goss, and flighty actress Portia Davenport.

The first season was released in 2016 and ended in 2022 with the fifth and final season. The dark comedy television sitcom features Alia Shawkat as Dory Sief, John Reynolds as Drew Gardner, John Early as Elliott Goss, and Meredith Hagner as Portia Davenport. 

If you are up for some American teen drama, then Pretty Little Liars could be the one for you. It follows four former friends who reunite one year after the disappearance of their clique leader, Alison DiLaurentis. 

They began to receive threatening messages from a mysterious person named A, who was aware of their mistakes, lies, and secrets before and after their group fell apart. 

Pretty Little Liars launched a media franchise with a web series called Pretty Dirty Secrets and two spin-offs, Ravenswood and Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists. But, they were discontinued after one season. Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, a fourth series focusing on a new cast in a different setting, launched on HBO Max in 2022.

A mockumentary sitcom follows a documentary team filming teachers' lives working in underfunded and poorly run schools. They choose Willard R. Abbott Elementary School, a primarily Philadelphia public school with people of color to film. 

The school's conditions are tough, and most teachers leave after two years. Janine Teagues, a second-grade teacher, and Jacob Hill, a history teacher, are two of three instructors in a group of twenty who have made it through the first year.

They work with veteran kindergarten teacher Barbara Howard, second-grade instructor Melissa Schemmenti, tone-deaf school principal Ava Coleman, and new substitute recruit Gregory Eddie.

The series premiered on December 7, 2021. It soon became a massive hit, and the first season was nominated for seven Primetime Emmy Awards. It even won three of them. Likewise, the second season premiered on September 21, 2022.

Another teen drama not to miss out on HBO Max is Euphoria. The show that premiered on June 16, 2019, became the third most-watched show in HBO History besides Games Of Thrones and House of Dragons. 

The series takes place in the fictional town of East Highland, where a group of high school students find hope while balancing the strains of love, friendships, loss, and addiction.

The show has portrayed the issues like child abuse, toxic relationships, drug dealing, dating, toxic masculinity, mental illness, homosexuality, hookup culture, and similar problems that teenagers go through. With different characters, the show portrays real problems that many teenagers go through these days. 

House of The Dragon, the prequel to Game of Thrones, premiered on August 21, 2022. On the first day, the series premiere drew over 10 million viewers across linear channels and HBO Max, the most in HBO's history.

And into the fifth day of the premiere, the series was renewed for a second season. 

The cast of the series included Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Emma D'Arcy, Milly Alcock, Rhys Ifans, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Sonoya Mizuno, Fabien Frankel, Olivia Cooke, Emily Carey, Graham McTavish, Matthew Needham, Jefferson Hall, Harry Collett, Tom Glynn Carney, Ty Tennant, Ewan Mitchell, Bethany Antonio and many other actors as recurring characters and guest. 

The first season ended with ten episodes, and fans eagerly await the next season, possibly released in late 2023 or 2024.