31 greatest hbo dramas of all time
by Mokun0810 | created - 01 Jul 2014 | updated - 15 Jul 2019 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. The Wire (2002–2008)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
The Baltimore drug scene, as seen through the eyes of drug dealers and law enforcement.
Stars: Dominic West, Lance Reddick, Sonja Sohn, Wendell Pierce
Votes: 377,903
2. Treme (2010–2013)
TV-MA | 55 min | Drama, Music
Life after Hurricane Katrina as the residents of New Orleans try to rebuild their lives, their homes, and their unique culture in the aftermath of one of the worst natural disasters in the USA.
Stars: Khandi Alexander, Rob Brown, Kim Dickens, Melissa Leo
Votes: 15,914
3. The Deuce (2017–2019)
TV-MA | 1,583 min | Drama
A look at life in New York City during the 1970s and '80s, when porn and prostitution were rampant in Manhattan.
Stars: James Franco, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Lawrence Gilliard Jr., Margarita Levieva
Votes: 31,959
4. Deadwood (2004–2006)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, History
A show set in the late 1800s, revolving around the characters of Deadwood, South Dakota; a town of deep corruption and crime.
Stars: Timothy Olyphant, Ian McShane, Molly Parker, Brad Dourif
Votes: 117,738
5. My Brilliant Friend (2018– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama
A woman recounts the lifelong friendship and conflicts with a girl she met at primary school in Naples during the early 1950s.
Stars: Alba Rohrwacher, Margherita Mazzucco, Gaia Girace, Annarita Vitolo
Votes: 17,745
6. Big Little Lies (2017–2019)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The apparently-perfect lives of upper-class mothers of students at a prestigious elementary school unravel to the point of murder when a single mother moves to their quaint California beach town.
Stars: Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Zoë Kravitz
Votes: 224,454
7. Game of Thrones (2011–2019)
TV-MA | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Nine noble families fight for control over the lands of Westeros, while an ancient enemy returns after being dormant for millennia.
Stars: Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Kit Harington, Lena Headey
Votes: 2,286,845
8. The Sopranos (1999–2007)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama
New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano deals with personal and professional issues in his home and business life that affect his mental state, leading him to seek professional psychiatric counseling.
Stars: James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli
Votes: 472,015
9. Boardwalk Empire (2010–2014)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama
An Atlantic City politician plays both sides of the law by conspiring with gangsters during the Prohibition era.
Stars: Steve Buscemi, Kelly Macdonald, Michael Shannon, Shea Whigham
Votes: 203,240
10. The Leftovers (2014–2017)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
Three years after the disappearance of 2% of the global human population, a group of people in a small New York community try to continue their lives while coping with the tragedy of the unexplained nature of the event.
Stars: Justin Theroux, Amy Brenneman, Christopher Eccleston, Liv Tyler
Votes: 112,450
11. Oz (1997–2003)
TV-MA | 55 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A series chronicling the daily activities of an unusual prison facility and its criminal inhabitants.
Stars: Ernie Hudson, J.K. Simmons, Lee Tergesen, Dean Winters
Votes: 106,740
12. Gentleman Jack (2019–2022)
TV-MA | 60 min | Biography, Drama, History
A dramatization of the life of lesbian trailblazer, voracious learner, and cryptic diarist Anne Lister.
Stars: Suranne Jones, Sophie Rundle, Gemma Whelan, Ben Hunter
Votes: 15,956
13. Westworld (2016–2022)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
At the intersection of the near future and the reimagined past, waits a world in which every human appetite can be indulged without consequence.
Stars: Evan Rachel Wood, Jeffrey Wright, Ed Harris, Thandiwe Newton
Votes: 533,219
14. Succession (2018–2023)
TV-MA | 60 min | Comedy, Drama
The Roy family is known for controlling the biggest media and entertainment company in the world. However, their world changes when their father steps down from the company.
Stars: Nicholas Braun, Brian Cox, Kieran Culkin, Peter Friedman
Votes: 273,619
15. Rome (2005–2007)
TV-MA | 60 min | Action, Drama, Romance
A down-to-earth account of the lives of both illustrious and ordinary Romans set in the last days of the Roman Republic.
Stars: Kevin McKidd, Ray Stevenson, Polly Walker, Kerry Condon
Votes: 185,505
16. In Treatment (2008–2021)
TV-MA | 25 min | Drama
A psychotherapist questions his abilities and gets help by reuniting with his old therapist, whom he has not seen for ten years.
Stars: Gabriel Byrne, Uzo Aduba, Dianne Wiest, Michelle Forbes
Votes: 18,291
17. Six Feet Under (2001–2005)
TV-MA | 60 min | Comedy, Drama
A chronicle of the lives of a dysfunctional family who run an independent funeral home in Los Angeles.
Stars: Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Frances Conroy, Lauren Ambrose
Votes: 149,539
18. Vinyl (2016)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Music
Richie Finestra, a shrewd record executive from New York, tries to promote American Century, his music label, amidst the changing music scene in the 1970s.
Stars: Bobby Cannavale, Paul Ben-Victor, P.J. Byrne, Max Casella
Votes: 24,938
19. Luck (2011–2012)
TV-MA | 52 min | Drama, Sport
A television series centered around characters who are tied to the same horse-racing track.
Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Dennis Farina, John Ortiz, Richard Kind
Votes: 6,214
20. Euphoria (2019– )
TV-MA | 55 min | Drama
A look at life for a group of high school students as they grapple with issues of drugs, sex, and violence.
Stars: Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Jacob Elordi, Maude Apatow
Votes: 242,371
21. Big Love (2006–2011)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama
A Utah polygamist who owns home improvement stores in the Salt Lake City area juggles relationships with three wives while trying to keep his complex family life from becoming a public scandal.
Stars: Bill Paxton, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloë Sevigny, Ginnifer Goodwin
Votes: 23,281
22. True Blood (2008–2014)
TV-MA | 55 min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
Telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse encounters a strange new supernatural world when she meets the mysterious Bill Compton, a southern Louisiana gentleman and vampire.
Stars: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten
Votes: 260,220
23. Tell Me You Love Me (2007)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Romance
A drama about three couples and the therapist they share.
Stars: Michelle Borth, Tim DeKay, Aislinn Paul, Adam Scott
Votes: 4,298
24. The Newsroom (2012–2014)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama
A newsroom undergoes some changes in its workings and morals as a new team is brought in, bringing unexpected results for its existing news anchor.
Stars: Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer, John Gallagher Jr., Alison Pill
Votes: 124,767
25. K Street (2003)
TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy, Drama
A semi-improvised lobbyist satire.
Stars: Mary McCormack, John Slattery, Roger Guenveur Smith, James Carville
Votes: 321
26. Carnivàle (2003–2005)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
During the Great Depression, an Oklahoma farm boy and a charismatic minister learn that they are key players in a proxy war being fought between Heaven and Hell.
Stars: Michael J. Anderson, Adrienne Barbeau, Clancy Brown, Debra Christofferson
Votes: 46,886
27. Philip Marlowe, Private Eye (1983–1986)
60 min | Action, Crime, Mystery
Private detective Philip Marlowe solves many crimes in Los Angeles during the 1930s.
Stars: Powers Boothe, Billy Kearns, Kathryn Leigh Scott, Ken Pogue
Votes: 483
28. Lifestories: Families in Crisis (1992–1996)
TV-14 | 30 min | Short, Drama, Family
Based on true stories, this series depicts a variety of important and critical events that can happen in the lives of children and teenagers.
Stars: Craig Wasson, Calista Flockhart, Wil Wheaton, Dina Spybey-Waters
Votes: 196
29. John from Cincinnati (2007)
TV-MA | 55 min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
In Imperial Beach, California, the dysfunctional Yost family intersects with two new arrivals to the community: a dim-but-wealthy surfing enthusiast, and a man spurned by the Yosts years ago.
Stars: Rebecca De Mornay, Greyson Fletcher, Willie Garson, Bruce Greenwood
Votes: 5,031
30. Here and Now (2018)
TV-MA | 60 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
A dark dramedy about a progressive Portlandian family made up of husband, wife, three adopted children from Liberia, Vietnam and Colombia, and one biological daughter, who find their sanity tested and values challenged in 2018 America.
Stars: Tim Robbins, Holly Hunter, Daniel Zovatto, Jerrika Hinton
Votes: 5,146
31. Maximum Security (1984–1985)
60 min | Drama
Prisoners and a prison psychiatrist struggle with life in maximum security.
Stars: Robert Desiderio, Geoffrey Lewis, Trinidad Silva, Jean Smart
Votes: 38
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