Available on Max: 5 Best HBO Dramas of Recent Years You Might Have Overlooked
These one-season masterpieces aren't talked about enough.
Over the years, HBO has produced some of television's finest dramas, including Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, and The Gilded Age. But while these shows are known around the world, some of the network's chef d'oeuvres remain neglected by viewers.
Here are just five HBO drama series you may have never heard of, but should definitely try.
The Casual Vacancy (2015, 6.5 on IMDb)
When you think of J.K. Rowling, you probably think of the Harry Potter universe, but the author has written several other novels as well. Her book The Casual Vacancy was adapted into this BBC/HBO drama series, which follows the residents of Pagford, a small, seemingly idyllic English town, after the untimely death of the town's chairman. The vacancy brings to light the underlying conflicts between the townspeople, who go to war over the position.
Gunpowder (2017, 6.5 on IMDb)
Starring Kit Harington, this BBC/HBO historical drama explores the events before, during, and after the infamous Gunpowder Plot, which took place in London in the fall of 1605 when a group of Catholic conspirators plotted to blow up the House of Parliament along with the MPs and King James I. The plot was foiled, tragedy was averted, the conspirators were convicted of treason, and the beautiful tradition of celebrating Guy Fawkes Night across Britain began. Harington plays Robert Catesby, one of the leaders of the failed plot.
The Outsider (2020, 7.6 on IMDb)
Based on Stephen King's novel of the same name, this horror crime drama follows Jason Bateman's Terry Maitland, a middle-aged baseball coach who is arrested as a suspect in the murder of a young boy. The police are at a crossroads with the case. On the one hand, they have Maitland's fingerprints as evidence of his guilt. On the other hand, they have a CCTV tape showing that Terry was over fifty miles away from the scene of the murder when it was allegedly committed. As a result, the police begin to suspect that something supernatural is involved.
We Own This City (2022, 7.6 on IMDb)
Inspired by Justin Fenton's book, this crime drama tells the story of the creation and demise of the Baltimore Police Department's newly formed Gun Trace Task Force, charged with stopping the illegal gun trade in the city. Focusing on Sergeant Wayne Jenkins, the show explores the corruption within the unit, whose officers were indicted for fraud, racketeering and extortion.
Scenes from a Marriage (2021, 8.1 on IMDb)
Starring Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain, this romantic drama follows their characters, Jonathan Levy and Mira Phillips, a married couple in crisis when Mira, an ambitious tech executive, becomes dissatisfied with their relationship. The series explores themes of love, hate, conventional marriage, sexual desire and divorce from the perspective of a contemporary American couple.