HBO Max Series You Are Sleeping On (But Shouldn’t)

There is a ton of good television tucked away on Max, and plenty of it never got the spotlight it deserved. If you like strong writing, sharp direction, and casts that bring the goods every episode, these are the shows to pull up next. You will find thrillers, comedies, docu curios, and genre blends that quietly raised the bar.

Each pick below includes the essentials so you can decide fast. You will see who made it, what it is about, and the little production details that make it stand out. You will also see the home network mentioned naturally so you know where each series first lived before landing on Max.

‘Station Eleven’ (2021–2022)

This limited series adapts Emily St. John Mandel’s novel with interwoven timelines and a traveling theater troupe at its heart. Creator Patrick Somerville builds the story around an actor, a child, and a comic that links strangers across a fractured world. The production shot in North America with large scale practical locations and grounded set design that favors lived in spaces over spectacle.

The show arrived as a Max Original release on the platform and carried the signature dramatic tone audiences expect from HBO. The ensemble features Mackenzie Davis, Himesh Patel, and Danielle Deadwyler, with Hiro Murai directing key episodes that set the visual language and pacing felt across the run.

‘Tokyo Vice’ (2022– )

Based on Jake Adelstein’s memoir, this crime drama follows an American reporter embedded with detectives and the underworld in Tokyo. The series uses extensive on location shooting, Japanese language scenes, and a newsroom procedural structure to anchor its larger arcs.

It launched as a Max Original in the United States while partnering locally with the Japanese broadcaster WOWOW. Executive producer Michael Mann directed the pilot, setting a neon soaked look and a measured tempo that later directors maintain as the story expands across police, press, and yakuza circles.

‘Warrior’ (2019–2023)

Inspired by the writings of Bruce Lee, this period action drama centers on tong wars in 19th century San Francisco. The production leans on detailed sets, practical stunt work, and long take fight scenes coordinated by veteran martial arts teams.

The series began on Cinemax and later continued under the Max banner, bringing its audience along as the network family shifted. Creator Jonathan Tropper works with Justin Lin and Shannon Lee as executive producers, with Andrew Koji leading a cast that blends Cantonese and English dialogue to reflect the setting.

‘Made for Love’ (2021–2022)

This dark tech comedy follows a woman who escapes a controlling tech billionaire and discovers a surveillance chip implanted in her head. The tone mixes satirical corporate culture with intimate character beats, and the episodes move briskly with half hour runtimes.

It premiered as a Max Original and fits the platform’s dramedy lane alongside other HBO rooted fare. The show stars Cristin Milioti, Billy Magnussen, and Ray Romano, and uses a split visual palette that contrasts desert small town life with sterile high tech campuses.

‘Search Party’ (2016–2022)

What starts as a missing person mystery evolves into a sharp satire that reinvents itself each season. The creators push the story through legal drama, cult dynamics, and a skewering of influencer culture, always keeping the core friend group at the center.

The series began on TBS before moving to HBO Max, and the shift allowed bolder creative swings while staying within the same WarnerMedia network family. Alia Shawkat leads a cast that embraces tonal pivots, with tight episode lengths that make the show easy to binge.

‘The Other Two’ (2019–2023)

This comedy tracks two struggling siblings whose teenage brother becomes an overnight pop star. The writers use the entertainment industry to fuel fast moving jokes, music video spoofs, and pointed commentary on fame management.

It originated at Comedy Central and then found its home as a Max Original for later seasons, keeping continuity within the same corporate umbrella as HBO. Heléne Yorke and Drew Tarver headline, and the production uses New York locations and studio builds to sell a showbiz world that feels familiar and absurd at once.

‘Industry’ (2020– )

Set inside a London investment bank, this drama follows young graduates navigating turbulence on trading floors and in boardrooms. The series focuses on process and detail, with storylines built around deals, risk, compliance, and the personal costs of high pressure work.

It is a co production between HBO and the BBC, airing on HBO in the United States and on the BBC in the United Kingdom. Creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay bring authenticity from industry research, while directors like Lena Dunham helped shape the early tone before the show settled into its sleek house style.

‘Hacks’ (2021– )

A legendary stand up comedian and a young writer forge an uneasy creative partnership that becomes the heart of this comedy. The series balances tour life, writers rooms, and casino residencies with tight character work and layered jokes.

It launched as a Max Original and sits comfortably within the broader HBO comedy tradition. Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder lead the cast, and the production uses Las Vegas stages and tour stop locations to track how material evolves from draft to performance.

‘Starstruck’ (2021–2023)

A meet messy romance between a Londoner and a movie star unfolds across short episodes that track the ebb and flow of modern relationships. Creator and star Rose Matafeo brings a naturalistic tone that favors awkward honesty over grand gestures.

The series comes from BBC Three and streams on Max in the United States through the long running HBO and BBC partnership. Filming takes place around East London neighborhoods, and the writing room keeps episodes lean so jokes and character turns land quickly.

‘Our Flag Means Death’ (2022–2023)

This seafaring comedy follows a gentleman who abandons a comfortable life to captain a crew of pirates. The production builds out ships and open water environments with a mix of practical sets and visual effects that support playful, character driven storytelling.

It arrived as a Max Original and shares creative DNA with other HBO affiliated comedies via executive producer Taika Waititi. The ensemble cast leans into improvisational rhythms, and the costumes and props team craft a distinct look that mixes period detail with a lighthearted touch.

‘Los Espookys’ (2019–2022)

A group of friends in a Latin American city turns a love of horror into a business staging elaborate scares for clients. The series blends Spanish and English dialogue and uses handcrafted practical effects to celebrate low budget ingenuity.

It airs on HBO in the United States and traveled to Max with the network’s slate of offbeat comedies. Created by Julio Torres, Ana Fabrega, and Fred Armisen, the show films on location to capture a sun drenched vibe that contrasts with its spooky assignments.

‘How To with John Wilson’ (2020–2023)

This documentary style series pairs deadpan narration with street level footage gathered around New York City. Episodes begin with simple prompts and spiral into unexpected corners, guided by meticulous editing and a curious eye.

It is an HBO production and streams on Max alongside the network’s documentary and comedy offerings. The crew works with a small footprint to capture candid moments, and each episode closes with callbacks that tie seemingly unrelated encounters into a cohesive theme.

‘The Rehearsal’ (2022– )

Nathan Fielder stages elaborate practice runs of real life situations using sets, actors, and branching flowcharts. The show explores how planning collides with messy human behavior, and the production builds full scale replicas to test choices before anyone makes them.

This is an HBO series that migrated to Max for streaming, sitting next to other conceptual comedies from the same network. The team coordinates logistics across casting, construction, and data modeling to make each rehearsal feel both precise and unpredictable.

‘Perry Mason’ (2020–2023)

This period legal drama reimagines a classic defense attorney at an earlier stage of his career. The series emphasizes case work and courtroom strategy, with careful attention to investigative steps and procedural detail.

It airs on HBO and streams on Max, continuing the network’s run of prestige crime dramas. The production uses backlot builds and location work to recreate Los Angeles, with a design approach that foregrounds texture, signage, and practical vehicles.

‘Love Life’ (2020–2021)

Each season follows one person from first love to lasting partnership, with chapters built around formative relationships. The anthology format allows the show to reset its cast and city focus while keeping the same narrator driven structure.

It launched as one of the first Max Originals and helped define the platform’s half hour storytelling lane. The production features actors like Anna Kendrick and William Jackson Harper, and uses real bars, apartments, and workplaces to ground each chapter in recognizable spaces.

‘Rap Sh!t’ (2022–2023)

Two friends in Miami try to break into hip hop while balancing day jobs, family, and social media. Episodes integrate phone screens, live streams, and music making sessions to show how songs and brand building evolve in real time.

It is a Max Original from creator Issa Rae, aligning with HBO’s broader commitment to character forward comedies. The production records original tracks and stages performance sequences in local venues, giving the series a distinct regional sound.

‘Raised by Wolves’ (2020–2022)

This science fiction drama follows android caregivers raising human children on a distant planet after a global conflict. The show leans on stark production design, practical creature work, and philosophical debates about belief and programming.

It premiered as a Max Original while drawing on Ridley Scott’s genre sensibilities that are long associated with HBO’s prestige pipeline. Filming took place in South Africa to capture wide open landscapes that help sell the alien environment.

‘Minx’ (2022–2023)

Set in the adult magazine world, this comedy tracks a feminist writer and a scrappy publisher as they build a glossy startup. The series mixes office politics with print production details, from layout to distribution, and uses period props to show the mechanics of making a magazine.

Season one debuted on HBO Max before the show moved to another outlet, illustrating how projects sometimes shift within and beyond the HBO family. Ophelia Lovibond and Jake Johnson lead the cast, and the writers room pulls from archival research to ground the business side of each episode.

‘Somebody Somewhere’ (2022– )

Bridget Everett plays a woman finding her place in a small Midwestern community through music and friendship. The storytelling favors gentle humor and everyday rituals, with an emphasis on chosen family and creative expression.

It is produced by HBO and streams on Max, where it sits alongside other intimate character studies from the network. The series uses real town locations and a modest visual approach that lets performances take the lead.

‘Irma Vep’ (2022)

Olivier Assayas revisits his own film with a meta series about an actor starring in a remake of a French silent serial. The production blurs lines between set and life, weaving costume fittings, rehearsal footage, and on camera scenes into one narrative.

It is an HBO limited series that arrived on Max as part of the network’s international leaning slate. Alicia Vikander headlines, and the crew shot across Parisian landmarks and studio spaces to mirror the layered story within a story.

‘The Baby’ (2022)

This horror comedy follows a woman whose life is upended by an unsettling infant that seems to bring danger wherever it goes. Practical effects, creature work, and tight bottle episodes keep tension high while the scripts explore control and responsibility.

It is a co production between HBO and Sky, streaming on Max through the HBO pipeline. The production teams in the United Kingdom handle location work that gives the show a distinctly British flavor within the broader network lineup.

‘Landscapers’ (2021)

A true crime limited series about a quiet couple whose past draws renewed attention after a discovery in their garden. The show mixes stylized sequences with police interviews and solicitor meetings to explore perception and memory.

It is an HBO and Sky collaboration that streams on Max, reflecting the long standing relationship between those networks. Olivia Colman and David Thewlis anchor the story, while the production design shifts between theatrical sets and realistic interiors to echo the characters’ inner worlds.

‘We Own This City’ (2022)

From the creators of ‘The Wire’, this limited series chronicles corruption within a police task force and the investigations that followed. The narrative moves between case building, departmental oversight, and community impact.

It is an HBO production streaming on Max, continuing the network’s tradition of civic minded dramas. The series uses Baltimore locations and a documentary influenced shooting style to track how paperwork, surveillance, and testimony come together in accountability efforts.

‘C.B. Strike’ (2017– )

Based on the Cormoran Strike novels by Robert Galbraith, this detective series adapts each book across tightly structured cases. The leads work from a cramped office and tackle investigations that hinge on interviews, timelines, and forensic breadcrumbs.

The show began on Cinemax in the United States before aligning with HBO for streaming on Max, keeping it within the same network group that handled its early distribution. Filming in London provides authentic streets and pubs that recur across episodes as familiar anchors.

’30 Coins’ (2020– )

This Spanish supernatural thriller follows a priest entangled in a conspiracy tied to ancient relics. The series leans into practical monsters, gothic churches, and rural town settings, giving each episode a distinct horror flavor.

It is an HBO Europe project that streams on Max under the international banner of the HBO network. Director Álex de la Iglesia brings a pulpy tone that meshes with elaborate set pieces, and the visual effects team blends in camera tricks with digital augmentation to heighten shocks.

Share the sleeper series you think more people should try in the comments and tell us what we missed.