“It’s not TV. It’s HBO,” the slogan used to go. Now it’s not HBO, either: It’s Max…but it is the home of HBO’s multiple Emmy-winning original TV series. But that’s not all: Under the Max umbrella, you’ll also find titles from the Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, shows produced by Warner Bros. studios, imports from around the world, and so much more. Find your next binge in this list below.
The titular public school is one of the most underfunded in Philadelphia, but that just means newly minted second-grade teacher Janine Teagues (Quinta Brunson, who also created the show) has to get creative about reaching her students and making do with what she has. Her fellow teachers—veterans Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) and Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph), and fellow rookies Jacob (Chris Perfetti) and Gregory (Tyler James Williams)—may lack Janine’s indomitable spirit, but they are all united in disdain for their diva of a principal, Ava (Janelle James). If you haven’t sampled it yet, find out what has made Abbott Elementary so dominant during awards ceremonies for its first two seasons, and catch up before one of the funniest shows on Max returns for its third season on February 7.
Some will tell you that no pop-culture figure is more closely associated with the state of New Jersey than Bruce Springsteen. Those people haven’t seen Aqua Teen Hunger Force, in which sentient fast-food items—carton of french fries Frylock (voice of Carey Means), milkshake Master Shake (Dana Snyder), and ground beef clump Meatwad (series cocreator Dave Willis)—share a suburban house and fend off incursions from Mooninites, cybernetic ghosts, and their obstreperous neighbor Carl (Willis again). If it’s not the weirdest Adult Swim cartoon ever, it’s certainly in the conversation.
Though Conan O’Brien made his name in show business hosting a late-night series primarily located within a traditional studio, his trips outside—known as remotes—to visit interesting businesses or events and interact with the general public are also legendary. O’Brien’s facility with improvisation in these contexts led TBS to spin Conan Without Borders off from his talk show on the network, Conan; in the show, viewers follow O’Brien to such far-flung places as Greenland, Mexico, Berlin, and Armenia. And the concept continues to this day: The Max original Conan O’Brien Must Go joined the Conaco family in the spring of 2024.
In 1876, the titular gold-mining camp has attracted people from all strata of society: monied interests from back east, “hospitality” entrepreneurs attracting miners with gambling tables and sex workers, members of the clergy, and men desperate to make their fortunes. The two main antagonists soon emerge: criminal operator Al Swearengen (Ian McShane) and marshal turned hardware-store proprietor Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant). Creator David Milch has been praised for the complexity of his dialogue, but you might not want to watch it with your kids if you don’t want them to repeat some of his favorite words. Deadwood is not merely one of the best drama series on Max: At least one critic called it “the best drama ever made.” (A wrap-up movie followed in 2019, which you can also stream on Max.)
