Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Top 10 HBO Shows

It’s not TV. It’s HBO. While that slogan is debatable, it is certainly inarguable that HBO has delivered some of the best television shows of all time throughout its run.

Shows currently on the air were not considered here. Why? True Blood, that’s why. If I made this list soon after True Blood finished its third season, it would be near the top. But as it stands now, True Blood wouldn’t crack the Top 30. A show isn’t over ‘til it’s over.

10. K Street (2003)
Created by Steven Soderbergh

I fully admit that much of the reason I love K Street is because of the ingenuity in which it was made. The show focused on up to date political events, so in order to keep up with topical headlines, Soderbergh would film from Monday–Wednesday, edit on Thursday, complete sound editing and final touches on Friday, send the episode to the studio on Saturday, and the show would air on Sunday. Ten straight weeks with that schedule. Damn impressive.

The show was a fly on the wall capture of the inner workings of the Washington political system. Many politicians (including stars James Carville and Mary Matalin) played versions of themselves, while other fictional characters were written in to flesh things out. The result was a critical success that was respected among Washington elites, but regrettably failed to gain a wider audience.

9. Tell Me You Love Me (2007)
Created by Cynthia Mort

Tell Me You Love Me is perhaps best known for its graphic depiction of realistic sex. For a long while, the actual content of the show was trumped by speculation that the actors involved were partaking in unsimulated fornication. It’s a shame that viewers were so distracted, as Tell Me You Love Me was a brutally honest portrayal of domestic love gone array. By depicting three different couples going through a host of individual problems, Mort and her cast created a landscape unlike anything I’ve seen before or since. Sadly, the show only lasted for one season, which was enough time for overly curious viewers to realize the actors were acting, not fucking.

8. Six Feet Under (2001-2005)
Created by Alan Ball

Creating and sustaining a show that aims to perfectly mix comedy and drama is certainly no easy feat. But it’s a delicate balance that Six Feet Under handled so well. So often during this show, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry; to be enraged or feel hopeful. Also, props must be given to the show for locking itself into such a gimmicky introductory concept for each episode. Those opening deaths never grew tired.

7. Entourage (2004-2011)
Created by Doug Ellin

I’ve always loved Entourage, even those seasons toward the end there. But I never knew how much I loved it until I moved to L.A. and rewatched the entire series. This show is so L.A.

6. Da Ali G Show (2003-2004)
Created by Sacha Baron Cohen

For a while, it looked like Sacha Baron Cohen was all but going to own comedy. All comedy. This monumentally ballsy HBO show lead to three separate feature film spinoffs, which were met with varying degrees of success. And although Cohen’s unique brand of humor has been dormant for a while, I so love revisiting episodes of this show and laughing my ass off. Impossible to pick a favorite interview.

5. In Treatment (2008-2010)
Developed by Rodrigo Garcia, based on BeTipul by Hagai Levi

Similar to my fondness for K Street, much of my appreciation for In Treatment is credited to the way in which the world saw it. Thirty-minute sessions, five times a week. Every Monday, we saw the same patient suffer through their life traumas. Every Tuesday was owned by the same character. Wednesday, Thursday, and so on. This very audacious structure allowed the viewer to feel like they were actually sitting in on a person’s therapy session. And because every episode was written so compellingly, the time always flew by. All of that, coupled with a starring performance by a career-best Gabriel Byrne, makes In Treatment one of the finest shows I’ve ever seen.

4. Deadwood (2004-2006)
Created by David Milch

In what may be the most heavily discussed cancellation of all time, the masterful Deadwood was unceremoniously scrapped after its third season. Milch and his crew weren’t expecting to get shit canned, which meant that the Season 3 finale wasn’t intended to be the show ender.

Yet it works. It shouldn’t, but it does. Don’t get me wrong, I would’ve loved to have seen Milch rip up the Old West for many (many, many) additional seasons, but I’m certainly thankful that we got to see at least a portion of Deadwood come alive.

3. Oz (1997-2003)
Created by Tom Fontana

Oz is the show that started it all. Set inside the unforgiving walls of a maximum penitentiary, everything featured on Oz was completely new. It’s as if Fontana was making up the rules as he went along. But the show was more than gratuitous sex, violence, and language. It was a goddamn experience. Fontana and his dedicated cast did a perfect job of immersing us in this horrific world.

2. The Sopranos (1999-2007)
Created by David Chase

Now we’re in inarguable landmark status. By so expertly capturing the wheelings and dealings of Tony Soprano and his two families, David Chase created something otherworldly. He created a place that is indistinguishable from all others, and a tone that was as funny as it was horrifying. It’s shows like The Sopranos that will forever hold my respect for HBO. If they never create another hit TV show again, we all would still marvel at the lasting impact of this series.

1. The Wire (2002-2008)
Created by David Simon

The Wire is the finest show to ever appear on television. That’s a comment tossed around a lot that has, unfortunately, lost a bit of its meaning. But the fact remains, David Simon’s Baltimore-set drug epic is simply unparalleled. Similar to Oz (which was created by Simon’s good friend, Tom Fontana), The Wire felt like it was making up the rules of television as it went along. And some of that is actually true. When Simon wrapped the first season, it was his idea to set the second season in a completely new area, thereby introducing us to fresh horrors of the drug game. It was an unprecedented move that Simon was able to convincingly pull off for five straight seasons.

People like to debate which season is best and which faltered noticeably. Me, I opt out of such debates. While some seasons may have been stronger than others, there certainly was not a weak moment among any of them. At least not through my eyes. It’s all in the game.

46 comments:

  1. OZ.... I miss it.. I remember seeing it as a kid, I was so innocent and that show kind of ruined that.. in a good way.

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    1. Oh same here. That show was so intense and corruptive, but yes, in the best possible way.

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  2. I could never afford HBO growing up... and still can't... so a wide swath of these shows have gone unseen. That said, I wholeheartedly agree with your No. 1. I bought the entire series on DVD on sale a few years ago and revisit it every now and again. It's the most realistic depiction of the life of a city I've ever seen, while at the same time making very cogent, nuanced points about crime and bureaucracy.

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    1. So happy to hear you're a fan of The Wire. I've just never seen anything like it. Superb in every form. As for the other shows, I highly recommend them all, but yeah, nothing tops The Wire.

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  3. Many of these I know I need to catch up on but I wasn't even familiar with Tell Me You Love Me. With only 1 season, I threw it to the top of my queue. Thanks!

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    1. My pleasure! It's a very, very audacious show. I mean, they show things that would NEVER pass for an R rating. But it's much more than sex - really a great drama all around.

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  4. I so agree with you on True Blood, that show really went down hill after season three. I keep meaning to start watching The Wire n HBO Go. I hear nothing but good things about it.

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    1. Gotta do The Wire. It's so damn good and detailed. Really something otherworldly.

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  5. I forgot how long some of these shows ran for.....and how brief others were. "The Wire", "Sopranos" and "In Treatment" were definite favorites though I wish there could have been more seasons of "Luck". Would have liked to see the direction that might have gone in.....

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    1. So glad you pushed me to watch Luck. They could've kept that one going for a great long while. Damn fine show.

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  6. I just caught up with K Street last year. I love the tone of the show and think Carville and the other real people mesh well with the actors. It takes an interesting turn in the second half too. I'm a little surprised to not see Rome on there, but I know there's limited space to list them all. You are definitely right on with your #1 and #2 picks.

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    1. You know, I never finished Rome, even though it's only two seasons. And although I appreciated what I saw, it was never fully my thing, if that makes sense.

      So glad to hear the K Street praise. I think we're 2 of 14 people who have actually seen that show.

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  7. For me, my favorite HBO series are:

    1. The Sopranos
    2. Boardwalk Empire
    3. Eastbound & Down
    4. Tales from the Crypt (until its last season)
    5. Dream On (its last season sucked)
    6. Entourage (loved the show until the end of the 5th season where I felt the show jumped the shark)
    7. Tell Me You Love Me (very underrated)
    8. Big Love

    That's all I have for now as I haven't seen a lot of the other shows you mentioned. Don't get me started on True Blood as I think it peaked in its third season and then went downhill since then. I want to think that it no longer exists right now.

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    1. Great list. I'd love to hear your thoughts on The Wire. I think you'd really love it. Boardwalk is fantastic, but I hope it doesn't drag on for too many seasons. Still, I'm sure they'll end it just right.

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  8. My top two television shows of all time have - for a long time - been the top 2 shows atop your HBO list. For me, The Sopranos gets the nod over The Wire. Both are amazing shows: revolutionary, powerful and never matched by any show trying to emulate them (many when it comes to the former, very few even attempt to mimic the latter). Sopranos gets my nod for one not-particular-critical reason - it's very challenging to rewatch after a couple viewings because it's so damn depressing when you know where most of the storylines end up - and one more valid reason, which is that the idiosyncrasies and weird moments in Sopranos makes it more interesting than the more consistent The Wire. There are bizarre, almost-inexplicable moments spotted amongst Chase's epic series, and while they might turn some people off the show, for me they elevate it to greatness.

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    1. You're certainly not going to hear me argue about you choosing The Sopranos over The Wire. Both are flawless shows that I absolutely adore. I often wonder if TV will ever do better than those two shows.

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  9. Haha, you just basically listed my TV watchlist. The Wire and The Sopranoes are at the top. I also really want to dig into Boardwalk Empire.

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    1. The Wire and The Sopranos are both perfect. It'll take you a while to get through them, but oh so very worth it.

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  10. Great list! Nice to see The Wire in first spot, that's a show I just had to keep watching..

    As for Da Ali G Show, I think my favorite moment is when he interviews Buzz Aldrin, and gets all the names mixed up. Hilarious.

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    1. Thanks man! I LOVE that Aldrin episode. Buzz tries to go with it best he can, but wow... hilarious. I also love the Donald Trump interview. Cohen really created something revelatory there.

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  11. What, no True Blood?! (Just kidding).

    I'd have Veep and Game of Thrones on mine, other than that, I completely agree with your list. Ahh Oz, good memories :)

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    1. I wasn't including shows currently on the air, or else Veep would've made the cut, for sure. Haven't seen GoT yet. Waiting to take the plunge.

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  12. I was pretty sure The Wire and Sopranos would top the list and I have to say, I wouldn't have done it any different.

    I haven't seen anything else on the list but I do mean to check out Oz, Deadwood and Six Feet Under soon. After checking The Wire, The Sopranos and The West Wing off the list, Oz and The Shield are at the top of my TV watchlist.

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    1. The Shield is my third favorite show of all time, behind The Wire and The Sopranos. So I highly recommend that one. A fantastic and gritty cop thriller.

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  13. Darn shame I haven't seen any of these - wish I could comment more on them! Some of my favorite HBO shows are Big Love and Carnivale. I definitely recommend them! :)

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    1. I've heard nothing but good things about Big Love and Carnivale. Sadly, I've never seen an episode of either!

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  14. What, no Sex and the City or Fraggle Rock?

    Of all the shows you listed I only ever watched The Sopranos. And that was only for the first two seasons. I can't remember if season 3 was the one after the long layoff, or if it came back at the regular time the next year, but in either case when it was time for it to debut I found I just didn't care enough about the characters anymore to sit down to continue watching it.

    And while you excluded currently running series Game of Thrones is easily the best show on television right now, in my opinion.

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    1. I need to dive into GoT soon. I've never seen an episode of it, but everyone I trust says I'd love it. It's definitely time to take the plunge.

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    2. Here is my spoiler-free intro of the first season and book to give you an idea of why I like it and whether you might as well: http://tipsfromchip.blogspot.com/2011/08/tv-and-book-game-of-thrones.html

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    3. Wow man, that's some high praise right there. As soon as some time frees up for me, I'm going to check it out. Thanks for coming back and posting the link.

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  15. Great to see Six Feet Under and Ali G in there. Still need to try The Wire and Deadwood. Game of Thrones is currently topping my list... such a brilliant adaptation!

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    1. The Wire and Deadwood are brilliant, for sure. GoT is the only TV I wish I was watching. I need to get on that ASAP!

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  16. I love to see Six Feet Under here, one of my fav shows of all time. But where is Game of Thrones? :)

    I agree that The Wire is most brilliant show ever made and definitely deserves its first place

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    1. I wasn't including shows currently on the air, so GoT wasn't considered. Glad you're a fan of Six Feet Under and The Wire!

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  17. This is the sort of list that makes me want to start watching more tv since I haven't seen any of these shows lol (though I certainly know of most of them).

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    1. Some quality stuff here, no doubt. The Wire is as good as I'm sure you've heard. Perfection.

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  18. What, no Sex and the City? :)

    I have only seen four of these, but yeah, The Wire and The Sopranos are pretty much the best TV shows out there, HBO or otherwise. Glad you included Six Feet Under, too, which seems to get overlooked more often than not.

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    1. Sex and the City was too good for this list. It wouldn't have been fair for the other HBO shows if I included it. Ha.

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  19. Ah ... The Wire. That's a great show. I'm still trying to talk my husband into seeing the first season with me. We all HATE watching police shows with him, because he's been a cop forever and he distracts everybody from the show by tearing apart the way police procedure is portrayed. It seriously pisses him off that they hardly ever get that shit right. So I am curious about his take on The Wire. I tried several episodes of Oz, but it wasn't my cup of tea.

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    1. I would love to hear his take on the show. When I covered the police beat in college, every cop I spoke to said the only accurate depiction of police work ever filmed was The Wire.

      Oz is so intense. Totally understand how you may not like that one.

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  20. Great list! I just finished seasons 2 ad 3 of The Wire, and I cannot get Stringer's final scene out of my head. So chilling. I also found out that The Wire has never been nominated for Best Drama Series at the Emmys. For shame.

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    1. Thanks! Wasn't that Stringer scene just insane?! That's when you know that NOTHING is sacred on the show, which I love.

      The Emmys... oh, screw 'em. The way a network submits a show for awards is very obscure: the entire show is not judge, only whatever 3-4 episodes are submitted for competition. The Wire is not a show that can be coherently viewed out of context, so offering 4 episodes from, say, Season 1, won't make sense to the Emmy voting committee. I agree, a damn shame.

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  21. Great list! I have just finished watching seasons 2 & 3 of The Wire. OMG, Stringer's final scene is so chilling. I can't get it out of my head. Also, Omar is my favourite character. What a badass. I just found out that The Wire has never been nominated for Outstanding Drama Series at the Emmys (or in fact, any other category apart from writing, I believe). WHAT?! Well, at least The Sopranos have won it twice.

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    1. Sorry you had to post your comment twice! I have it set so that I have to approve comments on posts more than 15 days old, as a way of measuring spam. But yeah, isn't Omar great? He's the highlight of the whole show for me. So glad you're liking the show!

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  22. Hey Alex! I actually just recently finished the first season of The Sopranos, which I absolutely loved! I honestly think that it may be the greatest first season of television ever.

    However, I have to disagree with your notion of television where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The prime example of this being The Simpsons. I honestly believe that if Fox would have ended The Simpsons after season 8, people would look back on it as the perfect TV show. There's plenty of good/great stuff after season 8 (as well as a TON of bad stuff) but those first 8 seasons are enough to solidify it as the greatest TV show of the 20th century.

    Also, I haven't gotten around to Twin Peaks yet, but I've been consistently told that despite how much it goes downhill; the first season and a half are enough for fans to label it as one of the greatest television programs ever.

    -Dan

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    1. Hey Dan, good to hear from you. I'm a little confused by your "sum of its parts" comment though. The intention of this list was to showcase the best shows that have already gone through their entire run. I 100% agree with you that most TV shows peak, then are followed by a few weak or bad seasons. The Sopranos is one. Last season is good, but some of the latter seasons weren't nearly as compelling as the earlier ones.

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