{"id":8487,"date":"2026-04-18T04:21:56","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T01:21:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/2026\/04\/18\/hbo-max-uk-starter-pack-your-guide-to-22-essential-tv-shows-and-movies-you-must-stream\/"},"modified":"2026-04-18T04:21:56","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T01:21:56","slug":"hbo-max-uk-starter-pack-your-guide-to-22-essential-tv-shows-and-movies-you-must-stream","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/2026\/04\/18\/hbo-max-uk-starter-pack-your-guide-to-22-essential-tv-shows-and-movies-you-must-stream\/","title":{"rendered":"HBO Max UK Starter Pack \u2014 Your Guide To 22 Essential TV Shows And Movies You Must Stream"},"content":{"rendered":"

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It\u2019s finally here. After years of watching Americans live their best, most streamlined streaming lives, HBO Max has officially landed in the UK and Ireland. The flagship streaming platform from Warner Bros. Discovery has settled into its new home across the Atlantic, and is giving British audiences direct access to the combined catalogue of HBO and Max originals, Warner Bros. films and TV, and DC Studios \u2014 all under one metaphorical roof for the very first time.<\/p>\n

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But here\u2019s the thing: with a brand new streamer on the block that\u2019s coming in hot, absolutely rammed with movies and series to get stuck into, figuring out where to start can be a bit of a daunting prospect. Luckily for you guys however, our crack team of critics here at Empire<\/em> are on hand with your essential HBO Max starter pack..<\/p>\n

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Whether you\u2019re looking for an adrenaline hit from The Pitt<\/em>, a trip to Westeros with A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms<\/em>, or a chance to revisit some modern and timeless cinematic classics \u2014 from One Battle After Another<\/em> and Sinners<\/em> to Lord Of The Rings<\/em> and Singin\u2019 In The Rain<\/em> \u2014 our list of 22 TV shows and movies you need to watch on HBO Max UK has got you covered.<\/p>\n

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So pull up a pew, grab some gabagool, and read on for our rundown of what needs to be on your shiny new watchlist\u2026<\/p>\n

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The Best TV Shows And Movies On HBO Max UK (April 2026)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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The Pitt (2025\u2014)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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\"The<\/div>\n

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Creator\/Showrunner:<\/strong> R. Scott Gemmill<\/p>\n

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Starring:<\/strong> Noah Wyle, Katherine LaNasa, Patrick Ball, Supriya Ganesh, Taylor Dearden, Isa Briones, Gerran Howell<\/p>\n

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R. Scott Gemmill\u2019s medical drama The Pitt<\/em> is the show that\u2019s been withheld from UK audiences the longest, and that HBO Max are most sure you\u2019ll be signing up to see. And honestly? It\u2019s more than earned that billing. Noah Wyle \u2013 yes, Dr. Carter from ER<\/em>, back in his scrubs \u2013 stars as Dr. Michael \u2018Robby\u2019 Robinavitch, a trauma physician running a punishing shift at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center. It\u2019s a simple but effective format, with each episode covering a single hour of the shift in real-time \u2013 meaning the tension never lets up, the clock is always ticking, and the patients\u2019 stories range from the bizarre to the heartbreaking. You can devour the whole of Season 1 now, then start tucking into Season 2\u2019s weekly-dropping episodes straight after. And just to seal the deal, we already know Season 3 is well on its way, so there\u2019s no better time to scrub up!<\/p>\n

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Streaming now on HBO Max.<\/p>\n

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Read Empire<\/em>\u2019s review of The Pitt Season 1.<\/p>\n

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Euphoria (2019\u2014)<\/h2>\n

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\"Euphoria\"<\/div>\n

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Showrunner\/Creator:<\/strong> Sam Levinson<\/p>\n

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Starring:<\/strong> Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, Hunter Schafer, Maude Apatow<\/p>\n

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One of the most anticipated \u2014 and, if the Hollywood trades have it straight, most toxic \u2014 seasons of TV in 2026 is the third instalment of Sam Levinson\u2019s Euphoria<\/em>, which finally manages to round up its numerous breakout stars (including Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Hunter Schafer and Jacob Elordi) and catch up with their chaotic characters several years after high school. Taking aim at America\u2019s synthetic opioids crisis while continuing to dive deeper into its own heady world of sex, trauma, and mental illness, Euphoria<\/em> Season 3 finds recovering addict Rue (Zendaya) trapped as a drugs mule smuggling gear between \u2018Murica and Mexico. Elsewhere, Cassie (Sweeney) is playing tradwife to slimeball Nate (Elordi), while Jules (Schafer) \u2014 now in art school \u2014 is apparently caught up in a sugar baby situation. All of which is to say, this is maximum Euphoria<\/em>: proceed with caution.<\/p>\n

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Streaming now on HBO Max.<\/p>\n

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One Battle After Another (2025)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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\"One<\/div>\n

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Director:<\/strong> Paul Thomas Anderson<\/p>\n

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Starring:<\/strong> Chase Infiniti, Leonardo DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Alana Haim<\/p>\n

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Paul Thomas Anderson has mastered so many genres and tones over the years, you\u2019d think he\u2019d done it all. And yet, in comes One Battle After Another<\/em>, an entirely singular cinematic experience \u2013 part kidnap thriller, part revolutionary drama, part shambling shaggy-dog comedy \u2013 in the form of a dad-and-daughter love-letter. Leonardo DiCaprio is hilariously addled as Bob, the former revolutionary who\u2019s been raising his daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti) and numbing his brain ever since his activist group went down. But when the past resurfaces, he has to dredge up his former life to chase Willa down, while pursued by Sean Penn\u2019s bone-chilling Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw. Like the best of PTA\u2019s work, there\u2019s a pace and energy to One Battle<\/em> that sees its significant runtime fly by \u2013 perfectly calibrated to make every gag, every emotional beat, every gut-punch land just right. Deservedly the movie that finally earned PTA his first Best Director and Best Picture Oscars, this is revolutionary cinema, delivered with no fear. Just like Tom Cruise.<\/p>\n

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Streaming now on HBO Max.<\/p>\n

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Read Empire<\/em>\u2019s review of One Battle After Another.<\/p>\n

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Sinners<\/strong> (2025)<\/h2>\n

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\"Sinners\"<\/div>\n

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Director:<\/strong> Ryan Coogler<\/p>\n

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Starring:<\/strong> Michael B. Jordan, Michael B. Jordan, Miles Caton, Wunmi Mosaku, Hailee Steinfeld, Delroy Lindo, Jack O\u2019Connell<\/p>\n

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After years spent earning his spurs taking existing IP and making it feel brand new, Ryan Coogler delivered a true original with our pick for the best movie of 2025. On the face of it, Sinners<\/em> is a vampire siege movie that sees bloodsuckers descending upon twin gangsters Smoke and Stack (Michael B. Jordan, on Best Actor winning form) as they open their juke joint. But a reheat of From Dusk Till Dawn\u2019s nachos this ain’t. Rather, Coogler marries the bloodsucking action with a music-fuelled blues explosion \u2013 galvanised by mercurial new talent Miles Caton \u2013 indelibly infused with the cultural context of 1930s Mississippi. Come for double Michael B. Jordan and a fearsome, fanged Jack O\u2019Connell: stay for a soul-stirring diegesis on the communal, cultural power of art and the stain on human history that is colonialism. And one helluva soundtrack. That, too.<\/p>\n

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Streaming now on HBO Max.<\/p>\n

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Read the Empire<\/em> review of Sinners.<\/p>\n

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Superman (2025)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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\"Superman<\/div>\n

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Director:<\/strong> James Gunn<\/p>\n

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Starring:<\/strong> David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult, Rachel Brosnahan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Skyler Gisondo<\/p>\n

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Bright, zingy, colourful, and positively overflowing with hope and optimism, James Gunn\u2019s DCU directorial debut, Superman<\/em>, is a far cry from the near-monochromatic Man of Steel that fans found in Zack Snyder\u2019s more po-faced DCEU outings. Sure, it would be fair to say Gunn\u2019s movie \u2014 which drops viewers into a world where David Corenswet\u2019s Superman has been known to the world for three years and finds himself facing geopolitical conflict, Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), and monsters galore all at once \u2014 is simultaneously more than a little bit daffy and a little bit much at times. But this cosmic caper, with its Silver Age stylings, terrific ensemble cast, and earnest belief in Supes\/Clark Kent\u2019s greatest qualities \u2014 his humanity, his resilience, his boundless empathy \u2014 is a real bright light amid dark times. In other words, it\u2019s pretty super, man. (Sorry.)<\/p>\n

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Streaming now on HBO Max.<\/p>\n

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Read Empire<\/em>\u2019s review of Superman.<\/p>\n

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Rooster (2025\u2014)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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\"Rooster\"<\/div>\n

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Showrunners\/Creators:<\/strong> Bill Lawrence, Matt Tarses<\/p>\n

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Starring:<\/strong> Steve Carell, Danielle Deadwyler, Phil Dunster, Charly Clive, Lauren Tsai, John C. McGinley<\/p>\n

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For almost four decades now, Bill Lawrence has been knocking out of the park delivering some of the best TV series on the box \u2014 from Spin City<\/em> and Scrubs<\/em> to Ted Lasso<\/em> and Shrinking<\/em>. And now, having explored the human experience on the pitch, in therapy, at Sacred Heart hospital, and in the mayoral office of NYC, Lawrence (alongside longtime collaborator Matt Tarses) turns his observational eye to faculty matters with sweet ten-part dramedy Rooster<\/em>. Steve Carell stars \u2014 and shines \u2014 as Greg Russo, an author whose complicated relationship with his professor daughter Katie (Charly Clive) comes into sharper focus when he finds himself contributing at her college campus and unexpectedly getting in with its frat crowd. By turns cringe-inducing, poignant, and gently profound, Rooster<\/em> is as Bill Lawrence-y as Bill Lawrence shows gets \u2014 but that\u2019s no bad thing.<\/p>\n

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Streaming now on HBO Max.<\/p>\n

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The Comeback (2005 \u2014 2026)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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\"The<\/div>\n

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Showrunners\/Creators:<\/strong> Lisa Kudrow, Michael Patrick King<\/p>\n

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Starring:<\/strong> Lisa Kudrow, Laura Silverman, Damian Young, Lance Barber, Dan Bucatinsky<\/p>\n

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Lisa Kudrow and Michael Patrick King\u2019s (Sex And The City<\/em>) industry satire The Comeback<\/em> has really lived up to its title over the years. Unceremoniously cancelled after its first season on HBO back in 2005, Kudrow and King\u2019s show \u2014 a mockumentary chronicling ageing sit-com star Valerie Cherish\u2019s attempts to return to the spotlight \u2014 came back with a triumphant second season in 2015, and is now back again, eleven years later, in 2026. Embracing the times we\u2019re living in, The Comeback<\/em>\u2019s swan song opens amid the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes before jumping to an alt-present day where Valerie, who\u2019s now added a podcast and a stint on The Traitors<\/em> to her portfolio, finds out the new sit-com she\u2019s making has been written entirely by AI. How absurd! If you dig The Studio<\/em>, then think of The Comeback<\/em> as its equally biting, also hilarious telly-centric equivalent. Don\u2019t skip it!<\/p>\n

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Streaming now on HBO Max.<\/p>\n

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A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms (2026\u2014)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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\"A<\/div>\n

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Showrunner\/Creator:<\/strong> Ira Parker<\/p>\n

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Starring:<\/strong> Peter Claffey, Dexter Sol Ansell, Daniel Ings, Shaun Thomas, Cara Harris, Sam Spruell<\/p>\n

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The main characters may be known as Dunk and Egg, but Ira Parker\u2019s Game Of Thrones spin-off A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms<\/em> is no yolk, people. Shifting the focus away from Westeros\u2019 halls of power to tell a street-level shaggy dog tale, AKOTSK<\/em>\u2019s set-up is simple: each episode, we follow as hedge knight Ser Duncan The Tall (Peter Claffey) and his impish squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) venture across Westeros, looking to prove their worth and find their purpose as they bond and trade barbs. Unmoored from Thrones<\/em>\u2019 grander plot (this is set a solid century before winter comes to Westeros), Parker\u2019s show is a refreshingly low-stakes affair full of charm, chivalry, and a brand of thematically important toilet humour that\u2019d bring a tear to Chaucer\u2019s eye. Also! Don\u2019t forget you can cop the whole of Game Of Thrones and House Of The Dragon on HBO Max, too, for even more fantasy fun.<\/p>\n

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Streaming now on HBO Max.<\/p>\n

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Read Empire<\/em>\u2019s review of A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms.<\/p>\n

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IT: Welcome To Derry (2025\u2014)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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\"IT<\/div>\n

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Creators\/Showrunners:<\/strong> Jason Fuchs, Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti<\/p>\n

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Starring:<\/strong> Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd, Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Brad Caleb Kane, Matilda Lawler, Blake Cameron James<\/p>\n

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Set within the same world as his two-part Stephen King adaptation (2017\u2019s IT: Chapter One and 2019\u2019s IT: Chapter Two \u2014 both also on HBO Max), Andy Muschietti\u2019s IT: Welcome To Derry<\/em> turns the clock back to 1962, 27 years before The Loser Club\u2019s first encounter with cosmic clown-faced child killer Pennywise, for a chilling, newly invented prequel. Really, this is a tale of two halves: one side of the narrative finds a new batch of outsider kids on a spooky adventure trying to solve a schoolmate\u2019s mysterious disappearance; the other finds Derry\u2019s adults dealing with the real-world terrors of racism, bigotry, and nuclear threat. And amidst it all, lay in wait, is Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd\u2019s Dancing Clown, whose ancient origins are unspooled as his hunger grows. If you\u2019re after legit chills couched in another intricately told coming-of-age tale, then look no further. And yes, a Season 2 is<\/em> on its way.<\/p>\n

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Streaming now on HBO Max.<\/p>\n

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Read Empire<\/em>\u2019s review of IT: Welcome To Derry.<\/p>\n

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The White Lotus (2021\u2014)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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\"The<\/div>\n

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Showrunner\/Creator:<\/strong> Mike White<\/p>\n

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Starring:<\/strong> Jennifer Coolidge, Carrie Coon, Walton Goggins, Aimee Lou Wood, Jason Isaacs, Parker Posey<\/p>\n

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With production on The White Lotus<\/em> Season 4 about to get underway during this year\u2019s Cannes Film Festival, there\u2019s never been a better time to check in to Mike White\u2019s anthological, hotel-based satire. The first three seasons of White\u2019s blackly comic show have whisked us away to luxurious White Lotus hotels from Hawaii to Sicily to Thailand, changing up the locales each time while sticking to the same basic recipe: take a bunch of bougie hotel guests, played by the best and most in-demand actors of the moment, and watch as their secrets, dramas, and fraught relationships unravel over a stay filled with sun, sea, and usually at least a death or two. It all makes for intensely bingeable, frequently eye-widening telly, and frankly it\u2019s way cheaper than actually going on holiday right about now. Winner!<\/p>\n

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Streaming now on HBO Max.<\/p>\n

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Read Empire<\/em>\u2019s review of The White Lotus Season 3.<\/p>\n

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The Last Of Us (2023\u2014)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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\"The<\/div>\n

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Creators\/Showrunners:<\/strong> Craig Mazin, Neil Druckmann<\/p>\n

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Starring:<\/strong> Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Isabela Merced, Young Mazino, Gabriel Luna, Kaitlyn Dever<\/p>\n

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In a landscape historically plagued by lazy videogame adaptations and half-baked dystopian TV, HBO\u2019s The Last Of Us<\/em> \u2014 Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin’s (Chernobyl<\/em>) adaptation of Naughty Dog\u2019s post-apocalyptic survival horror game \u2014 is the cure. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey share astonishing chemistry as Joel and Ellie, two fiercely guarded souls, both carrying their own deep-rooted traumas, who rediscover their humanity as they traverse an America that\u2019s both figuratively and literally losing its own. The zombie-like Clickers \u2014 human beings infected by a terrifyingly plausible fungus-based virus – are scary, but the real nightmare fuel is the series\u2019 sobering depiction of the monstrous things people will do to survive in a broken world. A stunning Season 2 cemented the show’s status among the greats, and we\u2019ve still got a third season to look forward to yet.<\/p>\n

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Streaming now on HBO Max.<\/p>\n

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Read Empire<\/em>\u2019s review of The Last Of Us.<\/p>\n

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Succession (2018 \u2014 2023)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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\"Succession<\/div>\n

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Creator\/Showrunner:<\/strong> Jesse Armstrong<\/p>\n

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Starring:<\/strong> Brian Cox, Kieran Culkin, Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook, Matthew Macfadyen, Alan Ruck<\/p>\n

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A recent but very high-ranking addition to our most recent 100 best TV shows list, Jesse Armstrong\u2019s lacerating comedy-drama Succession<\/em> \u2014 which chronicles the personal and professional dramas of the terribly rich and terribly, er, terrible Roy family \u2014 is rated so highly for a reason. That the show now so comfortably sits among the very greatest series ever made is a testament to the way its creator, his writers, his cast (Brian Cox! Kieran Culkin! Jeremy Strong! Sarah Snook!), and his crew continuously upped their game season after season. From first frame to devastating last, Armstrong and co never pulled their punches as they skewered the cannibalistic world of the mega-rich with spiky dialogue, barbed banter, and a frankly Shakespearean level of crossing, double-crossing, backstabbing, and familial feuding. Be warned though, the cringe level is high<\/em> with this one: just you wait until you hear Roman Roy\u2019s birthday rap. Now can we get an L to the mother-effin\u2019 OG?<\/p>\n

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Streaming now on HBO Max.<\/p>\n

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Read Empire<\/em>\u2019s review of Succession.<\/p>\n

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The Sopranos (1999 \u2014 2007)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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\"The<\/div>\n

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Showrunner\/Creator:<\/strong> David Chase<\/p>\n

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Starring:<\/strong> James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli, Steven Van Zandt, Robert Iler, Tony Sirico<\/p>\n

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Decidedly not<\/em> a documentary about opera singers, The Sopranos<\/em> is instead a dark, offbeat, psychologically needling drama about a New Jersey gangster with a fixation on the ducks who visit his swimming pool. As the first season wore on, viewers became hooked on creator David Chase’s uncompromising vision of an old-school criminal organisation beset by all the stresses and tensions of the modern day. It’s not hard to figure out why: Chase and his writers locked in on what made Tony and co. work. James Gandolfini delivered a career-best performance as our way into the show, while the family and “family” around him anchored stories that poked below the gangster surface to what made these people truly tick. When you think of HBO, it\u2019s not a coincidence that your brain probably goes straight to The Sopranos<\/em>. Load up on gabagool and get stuck in. To the show \u2014 and then the gabagool.<\/p>\n

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Streaming now on HBO Max.<\/p>\n

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The Wire (2002 \u2014 2008)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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\"The<\/div>\n

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Showrunner\/Creator:<\/strong> David Simon<\/p>\n

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Starring:<\/strong> Dominic West, Lance Reddick, Sonja Sohn, Wendell Pierce, Idris Elba, Michael Kenneth Williams<\/p>\n

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David Simon famously once said that he intended The Wire<\/em> as “lean-in” television. Here is a Baltimore-set series that demands your attention, its slow-burn storytelling never less than totally compelling: no scrolling necessary. Simon crafted a series that skips the usual procedural tropes, looking instead at the linked worlds of cops and criminals in a way that highlights the humanity clouded by labels. High stakes, big emotions and even a scene conducted almost entirely with creative use of the F-word are all part of the reasons why this show became one of the greatest. Later seasons expanded the focus to other areas \u2014 politics, the school system, and newspapers, to name a few \u2014 but the laser accuracy remained the same. The ensemble cast (the likes of Idris Elba and Michael B. Jordan among them) never put a foot wrong. If you’ve somehow never leant in before, then lean in now. You won’t regret it.<\/p>\n

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Streaming now on HBO Max.<\/p>\n

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Girls (2012 \u2014 2017)<\/h2>\n

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\"Girls\"<\/p>\n

Girls \u00a9TMDB tv 42282<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Showrunner\/Creator:<\/strong> Lena Dunham<\/p>\n

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Starring:<\/strong> Lena Dunham, Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke, Adam Driver, Zosia Mamet, Alex Karpovsky<\/p>\n

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Pitching itself as a sort of anti-Sex And The City<\/em> for the post-feminist mumblecore age, Lena Dunham\u2019s Girls<\/em>\u2014 which follows aspiring writer Hannah (Dunham) and her twenty-something gal pals as they navigate their twenties in the Big Apple \u2014 garnered a loyal following for its authentic depiction of young womanhood and Dunham\u2019s raw, almost confessional, entirely unapologetic mode of writing. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Girls<\/em> changed the game for half-hour dramedies, blazing a trail the likes of Michaela Coel\u2019s Chewing Gum<\/em> and Phoebe Waller-Bridge\u2019s Fleabag<\/em> would follow. Also, we can thank Girls<\/em> for Adam Driver\u2019s rise to prominence; his three-time Emmy-nominated supporting role as the at-once rootable and reviling Adam Sackler made the former Marine a household name. All of which is to say: watch Girls<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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Streaming now on HBO Max.<\/p>\n

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The Leftovers (2014 \u2014 2017)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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\"The<\/div>\n

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Showrunner\/Creator:<\/strong> Damon Lindelof<\/p>\n

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Starring:<\/strong> Justin Theroux, Carrie Coon, Christopher Eccleston, Liv Tyler, Margaret Qualley, Ann Dowd<\/p>\n

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Four years and a fistful of blockbuster movie writing gigs after Lost<\/em> came to an end, co-creator Damon Lindelof returned to our screens with another noodle-twisting, breathtaking work of water cooler television excellence. His adaptation of Tom Perrotta’s novel \u2014 co-written with him \u2014 for HBO takes place three years after two percent of the global population vanished for reasons that remain unexplained. The world is still trying to cope with the scale of the tragedy and the emotional ramifications, with cults springing up and madness slowly descending. Powerhouse performances from Justin Theroux, Christopher Eccleston, and a particularly outstanding Carrie Coon act as our way into and through a traumatised, fractured America. In lesser hands, this could be a real misery fest, but in Lindelof and Perrotta’s, the story rocks a rich vein of black humour and sticks the landing, cementing its place as one of the most gripping shows of the 21st century. Some<\/em> would say this is even better than Lost<\/em>. (We are some<\/em>.)<\/p>\n

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Streaming now on HBO Max.<\/p>\n

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Six Feet Under (2001 \u2014 2005)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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\"Six<\/div>\n

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Showrunner\/Creator:<\/strong> Alan Ball<\/p>\n

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Starring:<\/strong> Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Frances Conroy, Lauren Ambrose, Freddy Rodriguez<\/p>\n

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With dark, surreal comedy and stark, blunt truths about life and death, it’s little wonder that Six Feet Under<\/em> flowed from the same pen that gave us the equally incredible American Beauty<\/em>. Alan Ball’s series about a dysfunctional Pasadena family that runs an independent funeral home is a wonderful meditation on family, love and grief. Headed up by Peter Krause as prodigal elder son Nate Fisher and featuring Michael C. Hall, Frances Conroy, Lauren Ambrose and Rachel Griffiths, the cast, like every facet of this compelling production, oozes class, gifted with sharp writing and a finale that \u2014 no spoilers here \u2014 offers what remains to this day one of the most emotional wrap-ups in telly history. It\u2019s a bit of a hidden gem, but we assure you, it\u2019s dead<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

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Streaming now on HBO Max.<\/p>\n

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Friends<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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\"Friends\"<\/p>\n

\u00a9NBC<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Showrunners\/Creators:<\/strong> David Crane, Marta Kaufman<\/p>\n

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Starring:<\/strong> Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Courteney Cox<\/p>\n

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Okay, so technically it isn\u2019t<\/em> a HBO show, but Friends<\/em> very much is<\/em> a HBO Max exclusive \u2014 and you can find all ten seasons on the streamer right now. It seems almost redundant to say anything more about the show, because by now we surely all<\/em> know that this is the perfect sit-com, but over two decades later David Crane and Marta Kaufman\u2019s show remains worth shouting about. In its earliest days, the adventures of six beautiful New York-dwelling pals who apparently earned money by drinking coffee featured writing much sharper than the cuddly exterior suggested. Even when the quality dipped a little mid-run, the ensemble remained perfectly matched and the best comedy collective on TV. And by the time the show reached its conclusion, watching Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Monica, Joey, and Phoebe say their final farewells truly felt like the end of an era. Could it be<\/em> any more emotional? We think not!<\/p>\n

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Streaming now on HBO Max.<\/p>\n

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The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy (2001 \u2014 2003)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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\"Lord<\/div>\n

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Director:<\/strong> Peter Jackson<\/p>\n

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Starring:<\/strong> Elijah Wood, Sir Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, Sean Bean, Cate Blanchett, Sean Astin, Christopher Lee, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd<\/p>\n

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The Lord Of The Rings: The Hunt For Gollum is heading our way next year. Shadow Of The Past is set to follow soon after. And Prime Video\u2019s The Rings Of Power is due to continue apace with a third season very soon, too. But let\u2019s face it, you just can\u2019t beat the original trilogy, can you? (No, not that original trilogy.) From the idyll of The Shire to the Mines of Moria, the Battle of Helm\u2019s Deep to Frodo\u2019s final journey into the west, Peter Jackson\u2019s epic adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien\u2019s legendary fantasy saga is as irresistible and powerful as the One Ring itself. A singular tale of friendship, fellowship, and the ultimate triumph of light over darkness \u2014 of good over evil \u2014 rendered in the grandest cinematic terms, The Lord Of The Rings<\/em> trilogy exemplifies the immersive escapism that cinema is all about. And now you can rewatch \u2018em all, whenever you like. Anyone for second breakfast and a Rings marathon? We\u2019ll bring the Lembas.<\/p>\n

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Read Empire<\/em>‘s reviews of Fellowship Of The Ring,<\/em> The Two Towers and Return Of The King.<\/p>\n

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The Wizarding World Saga (Harry Potter & Fantastic Beasts)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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\"Harry<\/div>\n

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There isn\u2019t a child (or indeed adult) alive who doesn\u2019t know the name of Warner Bros. behemothic blockbuster series of Wizarding World adventures. The Harry Potter<\/em> franchise is the perfect example of a page-to-screen adaptation done right. Helmed by four distinctive filmmakers, each of whom offer their own unique yet faithful take on J.K. Rowling\u2019s source material across eight blockbuster adventures, this franchise \u2014 and its young stars \u2014 pulled off something singular. Seeing them \u2014 and it \u2014 grow and evolve before our very eyes was\u2026 well\u2026 magical. And even if they had a little rockier a road, David Yates\u2019 Fantastic Beasts<\/em> movies \u2014 which follow Eddie Redmayne\u2019s Magizoologist Newt Scamander and his pals\u2019 adventures and take the Wizarding World global \u2014 still have plenty to spellbind. Those eleven films \u2014 and HBO Max\u2019s exclusive documentary on the making of Mark Mylod and Francesca Gardiner\u2019s upcoming Harry Potter reboot \u2014 should tide you over \u2018til Christmas. Accio, remote!<\/p>\n

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Streaming now on HBO Max.<\/p>\n

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Read Empire<\/em>‘s Harry Potter ranked list.<\/p>\n

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The Conjuring Universe (2013\u2014)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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\"The<\/div>\n

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Boy wizards not so much your thing? Fancy something a little darker to dig into? Well, look no further. While there\u2019s no shortage of horror goodness to get stuck into on HBO Max (The Exorcist, Malignant, Final Destination), one of the streamer\u2019s real boons is having all of The Conjuring Universe in one place. Yes, now you can enjoy\/cower in fear from all of couple goals duo Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren\u2019s (Vera Farmiga) paranormal investigations in the four mainline The Conjuring movies, get your creepy doll fix with the complete Annabelle trilogy, and bore \u2014 sorry, scare \u2014 your socks off with The Nun duology without having to switch platforms once. Heck, you can even watch TCU adjacent flick The Curse Of La Llorona as a spirit-filled chaser if you fancy. And when that Conjuring TV series finally materialises? Yeah, that\u2019ll be on HBO Max as well. You lucky ducks!<\/p>\n

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Streaming now on HBO Max.<\/p>\n

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SIngin\u2019 In The Rain (1952)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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\"Singin<\/div>\n

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Director:<\/strong> Stanley Donen<\/p>\n

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Starring:<\/strong> Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O\u2019Connor, Jean Hagen<\/p>\n

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Another rabbit hole you\u2019ll likely find yourself tumbling down with HBO Max is its seriously deep catalogue of Hollywood classics. We\u2019re talkin\u2019 Gone With The Wind, The Wizard Of Oz, An American In Paris, Barry Lyndon, Gremlins, The Goonies, The Shawshank Redemption, Little Shop Of Horrors, Casablanca, Excalibur for crying out loud! But if we\u2019re going to spotlight a deepcut in the library, and a movie that\u2019s dipped in and out of streaming availability that we\u2019re particularly recommending now that it\u2019s got a permanent digital home, then it\u2019s surely gotta be Stanley Donen\u2019s 1952 shot of pure cinematic sunshine, Singin\u2019 In The Rain<\/em>. It\u2019s Gene Kelly splashing in puddles. It\u2019s Debbie Reynolds beaming as she sings \u2018Good Mornin\u2019\u2019. It\u2019s Donald O\u2019Connor running up the walls \u2014 literally<\/em> \u2014 during \u2018Make \u2018Em Laugh\u2019. And it\u2019s Jean Hagen squeaking \u201cI can\u2019t standim\u201d in glorious three-strip Technicolor. Whether you watch it on your own, with the family, with whoever and indeed wherever, this is the kind of masterpiece that should always<\/em> be on your watchlist.<\/p>\n

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Streaming now on HBO Max.<\/p>\n

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Read Empire<\/em>\u2019s review of Singin\u2019 In The Rain.<\/p>\n

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\u2013<\/p>\n

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So, there you have it. Whether you’re signing up solely to finally watch The Pitt<\/em>, working your way through a prestige back catalogue that puts most other streamers to shame, or are just really glad Friends<\/em> has found its rightful home, HBO Max has arrived in the UK with something for everyone. We didn\u2019t even mention all the Nolan films, or the Tim Burton Batman movies, or Barry<\/em>, or Deadwood<\/em>, or\u2026 okay, you get the idea. There\u2019s still a lot<\/em> to explore beyond this list. At its best though, HBO Max is now home to some of the greatest movies and TV shows ever made \u2013 and with new Euphoria<\/em>, House Of The Dragon<\/em>, Lanterns<\/em> and an entire wizarding saga still to come, it sounds like it\u2019s going to have been worth the wait.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s finally here. After years of watching Americans live their best, most streamlined streaming lives, HBO Max has officially landed in the UK and Ireland. The flagship streaming platform from Warner Bros. Discovery has settled into its new home across the Atlantic, and is giving British audiences direct access to the combined catalogue of HBO […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8488,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8487","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-47"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8487"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8487\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8488"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imdbnews.ir\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}