The 10 best HBO series for all tastes

The arrival of HBO Max in Spain in October 2021 was a great joy for lovers of quality series. Despite the stiff competition that exists between the different streaming platforms such as Netflix o Disney +, has managed to carve out a significant niche in the market. Today we are going to review some of the best hbo series, for viewers with varied tastes.

See also: The best Netflix series according to your interests

Barry

"HBO's Breaking Bad". This definition can only be taken as a huge compliment from the creators of Barry. The plot of this 2018 series is really fun and original: Barry Berkman is a hit man who is in deep depression and trying to start a new life as an actor in the city of Los Angeles.

Barry mixes drama and comedy in just the right doses, something that isn't always easy to achieve. A perfect balance that has dazzled viewers from all over the world. To highlight the fact that the main actor, Bill Hader, is also one of the creators of the series.

Barry (3 seasons, 17 episodes)

Boardwalk Empire

This successful series that lasted 5 seasons between 2010 and 2014 is still one of the most watched on HBO, for obvious reasons. Boardwalk Empire is a period drama set in the years of the Dry Law in the United States, a very well accomplished production that also featured the participation of great actors.

The story focuses on the life of Enoch J Thompson (masterfully performed by Steve Buscemi and based on a real character) and his relationships with gangsters, smugglers and corrupt politicians in order to control everything that happens in the city of Atlantic City.

As a plus of quality, we must highlight the participation of established directors for the different episodes. One of them is none other than Martin Scorsese

Boardwalk Empire (5 seasons, 56 episodes)

Chernobyl

Simply shocking and shocking. Chernobyl It was the great standard of HBO in its landing in Spain and, of course, it is a series of the highest quality that has not disappointed anyone.

The plot of this miniseries is sadly well known: everything that happened regarding the Chernobyl plant nuclear disaster, in April 1986, in the final years of the Soviet Union, as well as the unprecedented cleanup efforts that followed the disaster.

Much of the script is inspired by the book Voices from Chernobyl, from the Belarusian Nobel Prize winner Svetlana Aleksievich from the testimonies collected in the town of Prypiat.

Chernobyl (1 season, 5 episodes)

Station Eleven

This post-apocalyptic fiction miniseries is one of the great gems that 2021 left us. The plot of Station Eleven takes us to a United States devastated by the devastation of a virus known as Georgia Flu, where a group of survivors (a theater troupe) wanders the Great Lakes region as nomads.

It is based on the homonymous novel by the writer Emily St. John Almond, with a well-crafted script, good actors and a good number of surprises that keep the viewer hooked on the screen.

Station Eleven (1 season, 10 episodes)

hacks

The most demanding critics have agreed to point out hacks as one of the great revelation series of recent years, with overwhelming public success.

The series tells the story of two characters: Deborah Vance and Ava Daniels. The first is a comedy star from Las Vegas who is at a delicate moment in her career: the beginning of the decline; the second is a young writer of comedy scripts who has been ostracized because of a controversial tweet. Although there are great disagreements between them, both come together to join forces and trace their respective careers.

In addition to the magnificent performances of the leading actresses (Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder), the key to the success of this series lies in the courageous criticism of the cancellation culture and the suffocating political correctness prevailing in the United States today.

Hacks (2 seasons, 18 episodes).

Band of Brothers

More than 20 years have passed since the premiere of this great miniseries and even today it is still wonderful. Band of Brothers (band of brothers) is the adaptation of the book of Stephen E Ambrose, in which the vicissitudes of a company of American paratroopers are narrated from their training until their entry into combat in Europe at the end of World War II.

The series was backed by the guarantee of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks as producers and creators. The result, although it distorts the original text of the book in many aspects, is an exciting series of the highest quality. It is fortunate, after so many years, to be able to continue enjoying it on HBO.

Blood Brothers (1 season, 10 episodes)

The great friend

the enigmatic writer Elena Ferrante (pseudonym of an unknown author) is the creator of a popular tetralogy whose central setting is the city of Nápoles: «the saga of the friends». The first part, set in the harsh post-war years, has been brought to television with an emotional and beautifully crafted series: The wonderful friend.

Unlike other titles on this list, the series' director, Saverio Costanzo, has scrupulously respected the original text with all its details. This effort for the fidelity and magnetism of the story of the two friends has been enough to dazzle viewers from all continents.

The wonderful friend (3 seasons, 24 episodes)

The Sopranos

What to say about The Sopranos What hasn't already been said? Qualified by many experts as the best series of all time, it is undoubtedly one of HBO's great bets. It was originally broadcast between 1999 and 2003, although it later went on to become a cult series acclaimed everywhere. Some have even claimed that The golden age of the series began with this one.

This is so much more than just a mobster series. It is a drama with comedy points, which demystifies the false glamor of the Italian-American Mafia and presents varied plots that are interwoven around the capo's relationship Tony Soprano (brilliantly played by the ill-fated James Gandolfini) and his psychotherapist, the Doctor Melfi.

The Sopranos series became a true phenomenon. A production that shines in all aspects: acting, setting... Almost two decades later, it is still a five-star series that can (must) be seen.

The Sopranos (6 seasons, 86 episodes)

The Wire

"Bass listen", which is the title under which this series was broadcast in Spain, is set in the US city of Baltimore and revolves around judicial wiretapping led by a specialized police group. The script is written by the journalist david simon, which for many years has investigated this type of action.

Each of the five seasons of The Wire follows a different plot line: drug trafficking, smuggling of goods, political corruption, youth gangs and dirty laundry from the press.

Much of the popularity of The Wire is due to the fact that President Obama publicly declared that it was his favorite series. It is also, it must be said, that of millions of people around the world between 2002 and 2008. And it still is today.

The Wire (5 seasons, 60 episodes)

Watchmen

It is one of the great claims and flagship of the current offer of HBO series. Watchmen ("The Watchers") is based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore published by DC Comics. I mean, she comes from the world of paper superheroes.

The plot of Watchmen takes place in an alternate world in which the vigilantes, previously considered heroes, are now viewed with suspicion and are prohibited from using their powers, for being too violent. In this context, a terrible threat arises: a group of white supremacists calling themselves the XNUMXth Kavalry, whose goal is to exterminate racial minorities. The authorities, worried about the drift of events, will be forced to rectify and request the help of the vigilantes.

With a multimillion-dollar production, Watchmen became one of the most watched series in 2019. Since then, fans around the world have been eagerly awaiting the announcement of the second season.

Watchmen (1 season, 9 episodes)