So, Game of Thrones is about to end and you still have your HBO subscription for the rest of the month and want to make the most of it? Or, you’ve opted to wait it out until Big Little Lies returns later this summer, and you’re looking for something to tide you over until then? Well, here’s my carefully curated list of HBO hidden gems* that can give you some bang for your buck.
*This won’t include huge pop culture hits like The Sopranos or Sex and the City (although I wouldn’t recommend that one). This will be the ones you might have missed during the heyday of HBO supremacy or some of the quiet shows that were beloved by critics but didn’t get the eyeballs they deserved in their initial run.
Deadwood (Originally Aired 2004-2006, 36 episodes)
From the annals of history, David Milch created an amazingly human drama set within the sex, drugs, and gun fights of the Wild West. Utilizing a number of stylized historical figures (Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane are the most famous faces, but a number of the show’s main characters are named after and based on real folks from Deadwood), the series explores how the growing pains of a nation can bring about the best and the worst in a place and its people. At the beginning of the series, Deadwood is alone in the South Dakota Territory, lawless (quite literally), and lacking federal protections. As the series continues through its three seasons, the creation of government and laws allows for safety from the baser elements of humanity, but also allows for the sinister aspects of capitalism to get its claws into the town and the people in it. Through all that, Milch crafts Shakespearean level dialogue and incredibly complex characters. It’s nearly impossible not to fall in love with Kim Dickens’ Joanie Stubbs or desperately want Jim Beaver’s Ellsworth to catch a break. The best part? The series will be back on May 31st for a long-awaited film, wrapping up the storylines of these incredible characters, 13 years after the series was unceremonially cancelled. There has never been a better time to take a look at this incredibly series.
Togetherness (Originally Aired 2015-2016, 16 episodes)
One of the best dramedies of the past decade, Togetherness was stymied by a lack of promotion and HBO not really knowing what to do with it. Smart, heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measure, the series looks at the lives of four Gen-X adults as they grapple with life – marriage, kids, family, friendships, feeling unfulfilled in life and work. It’s never preachy and, while the characters aren’t always likeable, they always feel real. The cast is also spectacular: Mark Duplass, Melanie Lynskey, Amanda Peet, and, the real find, Steve Zissis (one of the Duplass brothers’ friends who becomes the heart of the series). The stories are relatable, the characters are complicated but understandable, and the cast is top-notch. And, in this age of Peak TV, there are only 16 half hour episodes to watch (and yes, despite only running two seasons, there’s a satisfying conclusion). Togetherness is a joy of a show. Give it a chance.
The Leftovers (Originally Aired 2014-2017, 28 episodes)
I wholly believe that The Leftovers is one of the greatest television series ever made. Full stop. I wrote a long piece back in 2017 imploring folks to give this show a try (give it a read, I think it really gets into why this is such an exquisite series), but if you don’t have time for that, just watch the show. Seriously. It ruminates on grief, love, loss, life, and how each person copes with the like. Leftovers has gotten a number of mentions in light of Avengers: Endgame, seeing as both deal with the aftereffects of the shocking loss of a part of the population (with Leftovers having a much smaller rapture-like moment that is no less devastating to those left behind). Without Marvel magic to bring back those lost, the characters in The Leftovers are instead forced to soldier on and try to make sense of the new normal. The first season, I’ve been told, can be hard to watch, but the following two seasons mix the joy of life with the pain of loss in a way I’ve never seen on television before or since. It’s a series that builds and gets better each episode, as our relationships with the characters deepen and the series realizes that its true protagonist is the impeccable Carrie Coon’s Nora Durst. And, in light of the shaky ending to Game of Thrones, rest assured that The Leftovers completely sticks the landing, delivering one of the best series finales ever. It’s high praise, but it’s fully earned.
The Comeback (Originally Aired 2005 and 2014, 21 episodes)
The Comeback is a series that was ahead of its time during its initial run in 2005. The dark comedy about a narcissistic washed up actress would feel right at home in the 2010s television landscape – and when it came back for a final eight-episode wrap-up in 2014, it was just as good as it was back in 2005. Starring Lisa Kudrow in her first major post-Friends role, the mockumentary series follows Valerie Cherish, the most stereotypical Hollywood B-list actor you could hope to find. But the secret of the series comes in Kudrow’s performance. What could be a one-note look at the vapid nature of an entitled actor becomes a funny, complex, and deeply moving (and, at times, deeply sad) portrait of a woman trying to find relevance when she’s been told she’s past her sell date. Kudrow, who had just left the most popular television series in the world with more money than she could ever spend, could have chosen to do anything with her career (including just leaving Hollywood behind), and she selected this look at what Hollywood can do to women of a certain age and a certain level of fame. While the first series follows Valerie’s attempt to regain her fame and fortune via a new sitcom, season two takes things a step further, letting us really get into the nuts and bolts of how the industry can treat people it doesn’t see as valuable. It’s a dramedy, delving into some hard topics, but it never forgets the funny. And it never forgets to make Valerie a real person under the layers of professional armor she’s had to develop. This is one hell of a series, and it truly sticks the landing.
Succession (Originally Aired 2018-Present, 10 episodes)
I figured I should wrap this up with a show that is still airing on HBO (the second season premieres in August, and I cannot wait). Succession is an interesting show. When it first premiered last summer, most people hated it. And then, about midway through the season, the tide changed, and it became a critical darling. I wrote a bit about why you should be watching the series last year, so check that out if you want a deeper dive into its pros (and some cons). But, in short, this a series with a Shakespearean scope (father says he’s going to give his major media company to his children, then he decides not to, and the kids try various ways to cope/wrest control from him), is made up of characters that do heinous things with little regard for those around them, along with some spectacular performances. If you are a person who needs to like characters to watch a show, this one isn’t for you. But if you are someone who enjoys watching the world burn around people who, frankly, deserve it, this might be your jam. I found the series (once I realized there are no redeeming qualities to the sharks within the show) to be an absolute hoot and a joy to watch. This is the ultra rich acting horrifically, and while there haven’t been any real consequences for their actions yet, you can see that a reckoning will be coming for some in the near future. This isn’t an epic tale or a high prestige series, but it’s smartly written, very well acted, and has interesting arcs that pay off in the end. For a summer show, what more can you ask for?
