They’ve revolutionized television as we know it, ushering out movies as the dominant high art on the screen. Sit back and take a look at the series that made HBO dominate the world of TV.
It’s almost cliche to say that you need to watch The Wire, but seriously you need to watch The Wire. Probably one of the best offerings that television has given us in the past… ever. The cast is made up of some of the best actors around, and they work to draw you in from the first moment.
Ali G is a creation of Sacha Baron Cohen, which he first brought to the airwaves via the UK’s Channel 4. HBO brought Da Ali G Show across the pond to bring happiness to the banks of the United States. The show was part talk show and part investigative reporting, well, as much investigative reporting as Ali G was capable of.
HBO brought the Roman Empire to the airwaves with their award winning Rome. They gave us a historical look into the machine that was Rome, which as it turns out was quite naughty.
Mr. Show with Bob and David first hit HBO in 1995, and made some serious waves with its irreverent humor and shenanigans. There wasn’t a topic that was off limits with them, which ultimately led to them getting taken off of the channel in 1998. Since the show the two stars have gone on to be in Arrested Development and Breaking Bad.
With Deadwood HBO once again went down the historical road. They took us all out of our homes and placed us smack dab in the middle of the 19th Century Dakotas. To a place where law wasn’t really a thing and gold was on everyone’s minds.
The makers of Saving Private Ryan went to HBO and gave us the amazing Band of Brothers. Follow Easy Company as they go from preparing for war to the actual horrors that befell the group of soldiers. This is based on a true story and the characters are all based on real people, with interviews with the actual soldiers who fought providing context – pretty amazing lives they led.
Eastbound & Down follows down on his luck pitcher Kenny Powers. Whether you love baseball or not, you will be left laughing by this show. The antics and wacky shenanigans that Kenny gets himself into are more than enough to keep everyone in stitches.
True Detective may have just ended, but it’s still one of the best things to happen to television since the remote control. The cast features Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey at the top of their game. They’re detectives that are searching for a serial killer in Louisiana. If you’re in the mood for something good, then go and watch the eight episodes of this show.
