‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ Is HBO Max’s Most-Watched TV Show of the Week

HBO Max is leaning hard into everything from gritty crime sagas and horror prequels to sharp late-night satire and intimate reality storytelling, and this week’s most-watched lineup reflects that range perfectly. From long-running talk shows that break down the week’s news to brand-new scripted series and sports docuseries, there’s something here for just about every kind of viewer. Whether you’re in the mood for supernatural horror, animated multiverse adventures, tense crime investigations, or unscripted looks at real people and real pressures, these are the shows that are currently drawing the biggest audiences on the platform.

10. ‘Baylen Out Loud’ (2025–)

‘Baylen Out Loud’ is a reality series following Baylen Dupree, a young woman whose social-media presence documenting life with Tourette syndrome led to her own show. The series chronicles her day-to-day routines, family dynamics, treatment choices, and major life events, including her relationship with her partner and her move away from her hometown. Originally airing on TLC, it is also available to stream on HBO Max, where new episodes appear after their cable broadcast. The production highlights not only Baylen’s personal milestones but also the medical, social, and emotional aspects of living with a complex neurological condition, often featuring her parents and siblings as part of the core cast.

9. ‘Alex vs ARod’ (2025)

‘Alex vs ARod’ is a three-part HBO documentary series that examines the life and career of baseball star Alex Rodriguez from multiple angles. Produced by Gotham Chopra and Erik LeDrew through Religion of Sports, the docuseries traces Rodriguez’s path from his childhood and early professional years through his high-profile tenure with the New York Yankees and the suspension that reshaped his image. The episodes incorporate interviews with Rodriguez himself, his ex-wife Cynthia, his daughters, former manager Lou Piniella, and fellow players including Derek Jeter and Ken Griffey Jr. Structured around themes of ambition, scandal, and reinvention, the series uses archival footage and contemporary interviews to chart how Rodriguez’s public persona diverged from his private life.

8. ‘Task’ (2025)

‘Task’ is a crime drama miniseries created and written by Brad Ingelsby, known for ‘Mare of Easttown’, and set in working-class suburbs outside Philadelphia. The story follows an FBI agent, played by Mark Ruffalo, who is assigned to lead a task force investigating a wave of violent home invasions linked to an outwardly ordinary family man portrayed by Tom Pelphrey. Over seven episodes, the show tracks both sides of the investigation, exploring how economic pressure, family ties, and community loyalty push characters toward difficult choices. The series features a large supporting cast and is produced by HBO as a closed-ended narrative, with all episodes available to watch on HBO Max once the initial weekly rollout concludes.

7. ‘Last Week Tonight with John Oliver’ (2014–)

‘Last Week Tonight with John Oliver’ is a weekly news-satire late-night show that combines studio segments with long-form deep dives into political and social issues. Hosted by John Oliver, the series uses a mix of archival footage, explanatory graphics, and scripted comedy to break down topics ranging from regulation and infrastructure to digital privacy and international politics. Episodes air on HBO and stream on HBO Max from late winter through late fall each year, with selected segments later released on the show’s official channels. The series has received multiple awards for its writing and structure, including recent recognition at the Emmy Awards for its work in the variety category.

6. ‘I Love LA’ (2025–)

‘I Love LA’ is an HBO comedy series created by and starring Rachel Sennott, centered on a tight-knit group of friends reuniting in Los Angeles after years of drifting apart. The show follows Maia and her circle as they juggle careers, relationships, and creative ambitions while trying to figure out what adulthood in a sprawling, image-obsessed city actually looks like. Its ensemble includes Odessa A’zion, Josh Hutcherson, Jordan Firstman, and True Whitaker, with additional recurring and guest roles from performers like Elijah Wood and Leighton Meester. The first season runs for eight episodes, airing weekly on HBO with same-day availability on HBO Max, and is produced by a team that includes Sennott, Max Silvestri, and Lorene Scafaria as executive producers.

5. ‘Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake’ (2023–)

‘Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake’ is an adult-oriented animated spin-off of ‘Adventure Time’, created for HBO Max and developed by longtime franchise producer Adam Muto. The series follows Fionna the Human and Cake the Cat, gender-swapped counterparts to Finn and Jake, as well as Simon Petrikov, formerly the Ice King, as they travel across a multiverse of different realities. Its episodes explore what happens when a seemingly ordinary world without magic collides with the stranger corners of the ‘Adventure Time’ universe, pulling Fionna and Cake into larger cosmic stakes. Produced by Cartoon Network Studios and Frederator-affiliated banners, the show deepens the original continuity while focusing on older themes like burnout, identity, and second chances.

4. ‘Real Time with Bill Maher’ (2003–)

‘Real Time with Bill Maher’ is a weekly talk and comedy series that has been a mainstay of HBO’s schedule for over two decades. Hosted by comedian and political commentator Bill Maher, each episode typically features an opening monologue, a one-on-one interview, and a panel discussion that tackles current events in politics, culture, and the media. The show is known for its recurring “New Rules” segment, where Maher delivers rapid-fire commentary on the week’s news and public figures. Alongside its television run, episodes are also available in an audio-only podcast format, giving viewers multiple ways to follow the show’s ongoing conversations.

3. ‘Smiling Friends’ (2020–)

‘Smiling Friends’ is an Australian-American adult animated series about a tiny company whose mission is to bring happiness to anyone who calls their hotline. Created by Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack for Adult Swim, the show centers on characters like Pim and Charlie as they take on increasingly bizarre assignments in a surreal, constantly shifting world. The production uses a mix of animation styles, weaving together traditional 2D, 3D, rotoscoping, claymation, and even live-action segments. Across its seasons, it has built out a larger roster of side characters and recurring clients, while the main quartet keeps trying to deliver “smiles” under stranger and stranger circumstances.

2. ‘The Chair Company’ (2025–)

‘The Chair Company’ is a comedy-thriller series created by Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin, built around an office embarrassment that spirals into a much larger mystery. The story follows Ron Trosper, played by Robinson, whose mortifying moment at work pushes him to uncover a strange corporate conspiracy that may stretch far beyond his own job. Produced by Hyperobject Industries and HBO Entertainment, the show combines cringe-heavy workplace scenarios with elements of a paranoid thriller. It features an ensemble cast including Lake Bell and Sophia Lillis, and new episodes are rolling out weekly on HBO and streaming the same night on HBO Max.

1. ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ (2025–)

‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ is a supernatural horror series that serves as a prequel to the ‘It’ films, expanding on Stephen King’s novel and digging into the town’s cursed history. Set in Derry, Maine in the early 1960s, it follows a family that moves into town just as children begin to disappear and ominous events escalate around them. The show was developed by Andy and Barbara Muschietti and Jason Fuchs, who also worked on the modern ‘It’ movies, with Bill Skarsgård returning as Pennywise. Episodes blend a period small-town drama with the mythos of Derry’s recurring evil, tracing how the town’s residents respond as the threat grows impossible to ignore.

Share which of these ‘HBO Max’ favorites you’re watching this week—and which one surprised you the most—in the comments below.