Game of Thrones, The Last of Us, and the 15 best HBO shows ever, ranked
5. Succession
It’s a sad year for Succession fans because the critically acclaimed series just came to a close in May. Fortunately, though, the finale is great. The drama series created by Jesse Armstrong follows the Roy family, the extremely wealthy and powerful owners of the fictional conglomerate Waystar RoyCo. We follow the Roy siblings as they compete for power, with nearly all of them wanting to be next in line as CEO after their father Logan.
Throughout the seasons, we watch as the siblings try to get the upper hand on each other and their father, along with other employees at the company. It’s always a power struggle on Succession, and the writing is so fantastic. It’s no wonder the show is so widely regarded, with viewers loving the compelling storytelling, sharp dialogue, and extremely complex characters.
Similar to Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, we’ve got morally ambiguous characters throughout Succession, though some might argue they’re just terrible people plain and simple.
So far, Succession has won 13 Emmy awards, including the award for Outstanding Drama Series in 2022 and 2020. For its final season, the show is up for 28 awards at the 2023 ceremony, and we’re pretty certain it’ll pick up the Outstanding Drama Series win yet again.
4. Chernobyl
Chernobyl is one of the best series ever made, let alone on HBO. The 2019 historical miniseries follows the leadup and aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster of 1986, following the plant workers, firefighters, scientists, and government officials who all dealt with the crisis in different ways. The show was created by Craig Mazin, the co-creator of The Last of Us, and features an ensemble cast of talented actors.
The series is a seriously harrowing look at the disaster, giving viewers a realistic and close look at the human stories of those impacted. One of the reasons viewers became so invested in each episode of Chernobyl is because of its exploration of heroism and human cost. It also sheds light on the systematic failures that contributed to the crisis and cover-up.
In just its one-season run, Chernobyl won a whopping 10 Emmy awards, including Outstanding Limited Series. It’s an absolute must-see.