While we all sit staring at the calendar waiting for 's third season to premiere on June 21, if you feel like a binge stop-gap guaranteed to hold a candle to the dragon-filled series, there's no shortage of shows on HBO Max that have proven themselves worthy on the Emmy Awards battlefield.To that end, I've pulled three prestige series with golden hardware aplenty—one about a hitman with stage fright, another about a gloriously petty vice president, nd ne that follows the exploits of a Prohibition bootlegger-gangster.3 Barry A hitman-turned-actor struggles to leave his old life behind In the dark comedy egendary alum Bill Hader is absolutely brilliant as Barry Berkman, a deadly hitman in the throes of a midlife crisis.
While trailing a target to Los Angeles, the PTSD-riddled cold killer wanders into a community acting class and has a revelation while improvising a scene—he wants to give up his life of murder and become an actor.That proves to be easier said than done, as Barry's handler, Fuches (Stephen Root, , ), doesn't want to let his cash-cow go, a Chechen crime boss (Anthony Carrigan) wants him dead, and Barry struggles to keep his acting coach (Henry Winkler) and girlfriend (Sarah Goldberg) alive in the process, and without them learning his deep, dark secret.Created by Hader and Alec Berg, ran for four seasons (2018-2023) and raked in 10 Emmy wins and 55 nominations—with Hader winning twice for lead actor and Winkler for supporting actor.
Barry Comedy Crime Action Release Date 2018 - 2023-00-00 Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH Streaming RENT BUY Powered by Expand Collapse 2 Veep Washington's most ambitious and least competent power player Before the current administration arrived to redefine the boundaries (or depths?) of Washington's political cesspit, there was Vice President Selina Meyer (Julia Louise-Dreyfus), 's vain, power-hungry, political climber, who spent seven seasons (2012-2019) on this groundbreaking political satire, moving from one disaster to another.Quiz 8 Questions · Test Your KnowledgeHBO Max movies and showsTrivia challengeFrom Westeros to the ER — how well do you know HBO Max's biggest hits and most talked-about originals?DramaComedyFantasyMoviesCharactersBegin 01 / 8DramaIn The Pitt, what type of medical facility serves as the primary setting for the series?AA trauma surgery wingBA Pittsburgh hospital emergency roomCA rural urgent care clinicDA military field hospitalCorrect! The Pitt is set in a Pittsburgh hospital emergency room and follows the staff through a single grueling 15-hour shift.The show stars Noah Wyle and was created as a spiritual successor to the classic ER.Not quite.
The Pitt takes place in a Pittsburgh hospital emergency room, not a surgery wing or clinic.The show unfolds in real time over one intense 15-hour shift, giving it a grounded, unrelenting pace.Continue 02 / 8ComedyIn Hacks, what is the profession of Deborah Vance, the character played by Jean Smart?AA retired Broadway actressBA veteran stand-up comedianCA Hollywood talent agentDA late-night talk show hostCorrect! Deborah Vance is a legendary Las Vegas stand-up comedian who reluctantly teams up with a young, struggling comedy writer named Ava.Jean Smart's performance earned her widespread critical acclaim and multiple Emmy Awards.Not quite.
Deborah Vance is a veteran stand-up comedian — a Las Vegas legend who is forced to collaborate with a younger comedy writer to reinvent her act.Jean Smart won Emmy Awards for the role.Continue 03 / 8FantasyHouse of the Dragon is a prequel to Game of Thrones — approximately how many years before the events of Game of Thrones does it take place?AAbout 50 yearsBAbout 100 yearsCAbout 200 yearsDAbout 300 yearsCorrect! House of the Dragon is set roughly 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones.It depicts the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons, a catastrophic conflict over succession to the Iron Throne.Not quite.
House of the Dragon is set approximately 200 years before Game of Thrones, not 50 or 100 years.The series is based on George R.R.Martin's Fire & Blood and covers the Targaryen dynasty at the height of its power.Continue 04 / 8MoviesIn the 2025 horror film Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler, what supernatural threat do twin brothers face in the Deep South?AA cult of witchesBVampiresCA demonic possession outbreakDA vengeful ghostCorrect! Sinners features vampires as the central supernatural threat.
Ryan Coogler's film stars Michael B.Jordan in a dual role as the twin brothers, and blends horror with themes of race, music, and history in 1930s Mississippi.Not quite.The supernatural menace in Sinners is vampires.
Director Ryan Coogler crafted the film as a genre-bending horror story set in 1930s Mississippi, starring Michael B.Jordan as twin brothers caught in a terrifying night of violence.Continue 05 / 8MoviesWeapons, the 2025 horror anthology film on Max, was written and directed by which filmmaker?AJames WanBAri AsterCZach CreggerDMike FlanaganCorrect! Weapons was written and directed by Zach Cregger, who previously broke out with the acclaimed horror film Barbarian in 2022.The anthology follows multiple interconnected stories tied together by a disturbing central mystery.Not quite.
Weapons was directed by Zach Cregger, best known for directing Barbarian.Cregger has quickly established himself as one of the most exciting voices in modern horror, and Weapons continued that momentum on Max.Continue 06 / 8FantasyA Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight is another Game of Thrones prequel series — which character does it primarily follow?AAegon the ConquerorBSer Duncan the TallCBrynden Rivers, the BloodravenDBaelor BreakspearCorrect! The series centers on Ser Duncan the Tall, a hedge knight, and his young squire Egg — who is secretly the young prince Aegon Targaryen.The story is based on George R.R.
Martin's Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas.Not quite.A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms follows Ser Duncan the Tall, a wandering hedge knight, alongside his squire Egg.The show is adapted from George R.R.
Martin's beloved Dunk and Egg novellas set a century before Game of Thrones.Continue 07 / 8DramaOne Battle After Another, the 2025 Max limited series, is based on a novel by which author?ACormac McCarthyBDon DeLilloCThomas PynchonDDenis JohnsonCorrect! One Battle After Another is adapted from Thomas Pynchon's novel Vineland.The series marks a rare screen adaptation of Pynchon's notoriously complex work, and generated significant buzz for its ambitious literary source material.Not quite.The series is based on the work of Thomas Pynchon, one of American literature's most elusive and celebrated novelists.
Adapting Pynchon for television is a rare and ambitious undertaking given the dense, layered nature of his writing.Continue 08 / 8DramaIn Euphoria, what substance addiction is central to the storyline of the main character, Rue, played by Zendaya?AAlcoholBPrescription pillsCOpioidsDMethamphetamineCorrect! Rue's battle with opioid addiction is a core thread running through Euphoria.The show uses her struggle as a lens to explore trauma, identity, and mental health among teenagers, and Zendaya won Emmy Awards for her portrayal.Not quite.Rue struggles primarily with opioid addiction throughout Euphoria.
Creator Sam Levinson drew on personal experience to shape her character, and Zendaya's raw, emotionally powerful performance earned her back-to-back Emmy wins.See My Score Challenge CompleteYour Score/ 8Thanks for playing!Try Again Of course, Selina couldn't screw it all up on her own, oh no—she had help from her staff, which includes her worshiping assistant Gary (Tony Hale), perpetually panicked chief of staff Amy (Anna Chlumsky), and various other incompetent bottom dwellers catering to Selina's ego.is one of the funniest, most brilliant HBO series ever to grace the network, and the show won 17 Emmys for its efforts, including Outstanding Comedy Series three years in a row and, most remarkably, six consecutive wins for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Louise-Dreyfus.Veep Comedy Release Date 2012 - 2019-00-00 Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH Streaming RENT BUY Powered by Expand Collapse 1 Boardwalk Empire A crooked boss rules Prohibition-era Atlantic City was must-see TV that I carved out time for every week when it aired on HBO from 2010 to 2014.
Its gorgeous sets and costumes immersed you in Prohibition-era Atlantic City, making for a compelling weekly escape into the seedy, cutthroat world of Enoch "Nucky" Thompson (Steve Buscemi in one of his greatest roles), the city's charming de facto political boss who also happens to be a ruthless gangster running a huge bootlegging empire.Created by Terence Winter, 's incredible supporting cast includes Kelly Macdonald () as Nucky's feisty, widowed wife, Michael Shannon () as the federal agent trying to take Nucky down, Stephen Graham () as Al Capone, and the late great Michael Kenneth Williams (The Wire) as Chalky White.won 20 Emmy awards during its run, and still holds a 92% RT score.
Boardwalk Empire Crime Drama Release Date 2010 - 2014-00-00 Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH Streaming RENT BUY Powered by Expand Collapse Gold-medal players If you're not going to take in the latest and greatest shows on HBO Max, why not treat yourself to some of the legacy shows that have made the long-time service the success that it is—whether you're rewatching or discovering for the first time, they're award winners for a reason.And when you're done, remember that How-To Geek pumps out weekly roundups of recommendations across all the major streaming services to help you cut through the noise and find something good to watch, quickly.HBO Max Subscription with ads Yes, $10.99/month Simultaneous streams 2 or 4 HBO Max is a subscription-based streaming service offering content from HBO, Warner Bros., DC, and more.
In 2025, the service re-branded itself as HBO Max after having previously cut "HBO" from its name.Live TV Live sports available in Standard and Premium plans Price Starting at $10.99/month or $109.99/year See available plans Expand Collapse
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