Best HBO Series: The Shows That Still Set The Bar
What Are the Best HBO Series?
The best HBO series combine critical acclaim, cultural impact, and narrative excellence. According to Rotten Tomatoes' 2025 rankings, Somebody Somewhere holds the #1 spot with 100% Tomatometer, while legacy masterpieces like The Wire (94%), The Sopranos (92%), Chernobyl (95%), and Succession (95%) remain essential viewing. For educational communities seeking content aligned with values-driven storytelling, shows like Task (96%, the most Catholic show of 2025) and The Young Pope offer compelling explorations of faith, morality, and institutional power.
Top-Rated HBO Series by Critical Score
Critics and audiences consistently rank these series among television's finest. The following table presents the top 15 HBO series ranked by Tomatometer score as of October 2025:
| Rank | Series Title | Tomatometer | Audience Score | Seasons | Year Debuted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Somebody Somewhere | 100% | 94% | 3 | 2022 |
| 2 | The Larry Sanders Show | 100% | 73% | 4 | 1992 |
| 3 | Pee-wee as Himself | 100% | 92% | 1 (doc) | 2024 |
| 4 | How to With John Wilson | 100% | 91% | 3 | 2020 |
| 5 | The Chair Company | 100% | 67% | 1 | 2024 |
| 22 | Hacks | 99% | 83% | 3 | 2021 |
| 23 | Barry | 98% | 89% | 4 | 2018 |
| 25 | My Brilliant Friend | 98% | 91% | 4 | 2018 |
| 39 | Succession | 95% | 88% | 4 | 2018 |
| 40 | The Wire | 94% | 96% | 5 | 2002 |
| 43 | Chernobyl | 95% | 97% | 1 (miniseries) | 2019 |
| 45 | Task | 96% | 77% | 1 | 2025 |
| 68 | The Sopranos | 92% | 96% | 6 | 1999 |
| 75 | The Leftovers | 91% | 90% | 3 | 2014 |
| 93 | Game of Thrones | 89% | 85% | 8 | 2011 |
Underrated HBO Series You Should Watch
Many exceptional HBO series receive less mainstream attention despite outstanding critical reception. These underrated gems deserve wider recognition among educators and families seeking meaningful content:
- Station Eleven (98%) - A post-pandemic saga about resilience and art that arrived during COVID-19, offering hope when it was most needed
- Treme (97%) - David Simon's love letter to post-Katrina New Orleans, celebrating music, culture, and community recovery
- The Night Of (94%) - Riz Ahmed and John Turturro deliver powerhouse performances in this wrongful incarceration drama
- My Brilliant Friend (98%) - Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels brought to life, exploring female friendship and educational aspiration
- Scavengers Reign (100%) - A stunning animated sci-fi series about survival on a dangerous yet beautiful alien planet
HBO Series with Catholic and Faith-Based Themes
For Marist education communities seeking content that engages with spiritual and moral questions, these HBO series offer rich material for reflection on faith, institutional power, and human dignity:
- Task - Described as "the most Catholic TV show of 2025," this gritty crime drama set outside Philadelphia explores redemption, justice, and moral choice
- The Young Pope (79%) - Jude Law plays Brooklyn-born Pope Pius XIII, challenging Vatican conventions while exploring faith, abandonment, and authority
- The New Pope (90%) - The sequel joins John Malkovich as a moderate English aristocrat pope, continuing exploration of Church politics
- The Righteous Gemstones (91%) - A dark comedy satirizing televangelist families and the intersection of faith, wealth, and power
- Angels in America (91%) - Tony Kushner's miniseries addressing religion, sexuality, and the AIDS crisis in 1980s America
Best HBO Series for Educational Discussion
School administrators and educators can use these educationally valuable series to facilitate discussions on ethics, history, social justice, and leadership:
| Series | Educational Theme | Discussion Topics | Content Warning Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Wire | Institutional failure, urban education | School systems, poverty, systemic inequality | Mature |
| Chernobyl | Scientific ethics, truth-telling | Government transparency, sacrifice, heroism | Mature |
| My Brilliant Friend | Female education, social mobility | Class mobility, friendship, Italian culture | PG-13 |
| John Adams | Founding Fathers, republic building | Democracy, leadership, Revolutionary War | PG-13 |
| Band of Brothers | WWII history, camaraderie | Sacrifice, brotherhood, moral courage | Mature |
How to Choose HBO Series for Your Community
When selecting HBO series for educational or family viewing, consider content appropriateness, thematic alignment with institutional values, and discussion potential. The Marist education tradition emphasizes holistic formation-film and television can complement this mission when chosen intentionally. Premium HBO content offers opportunities to examine moral complexity, institutional dynamics, and human dignity through compelling narrative.
For administrators seeking to integrate media into curriculum or community programming, prioritize series with strong educational themes, historical accuracy, and opportunities for critical reflection. Shows like Chernobyl, The Wire, and My Brilliant Friend provide rich material for interdisciplinary study while maintaining high artistic standards.
What are the most common questions about Best Hbo Series The Shows That Still Set The Bar?
What is the #1 best HBO series of all time?
According to Rotten Tomatoes' 2025 Tomatometer ranking, Somebody Somewhere holds the #1 position with a 100% critics score and 94% audience score. However, many critics and historians consider The Sopranos (premiered 1999) the most influential HBO series, establishing the template for prestige television.
Which HBO series are best for Catholic education communities?
Task is recognized as the most Catholic show of 2025, while The Young Pope and The New Pope offer compelling explorations of papal authority and Vatican politics. Angels in America engages deeply with religious themes during the AIDS crisis.
What are the most underrated HBO series?
According to critics and Reddit discussions, Station Eleven, Treme, The Night Of, Scavengers Reign, and My Brilliant Friend are consistently cited as underrated masterpieces that deserve wider audiences.
Which HBO series has the highest audience score?
Chernobyl holds the highest audience score at 97%, followed closely by The Wire at 96% and The Sopranos also at 96%. These series demonstrate exceptional critical and audience consensus.
Are there HBO series suitable for high school students?
My Brilliant Friend (PG-13), John Adams (PG-13), and Band of Brothers (Mature but historically valuable) offer educational content appropriate for advanced high school students with teacher guidance. Always review content warnings before classroom use.
