As the network expands into the streaming market with HBO Max - not long after the new owner AT&T began reportedly pushing for more of a Netflix-style “quantity first, quality if there’s time” approach to making television - it’s a good time to reassess what HBO’s programming team has brought to our screens, past and present. Starting in the late 1990s - and especially after the debut of The Sopranos in 1999 - the network developed a reputation as the place to find the kind of sophisticated original storytelling broadcasters and basic-cable outlets wouldn’t touch.īut not everything HBO executives sign off on has been solid gold. These days, HBO is still one of pay TV’s top draws, but it’s mostly because of shows like Watchmen and Succession and not because subscribers are eager to catch up with Ocean’s 8 and The Predator. ĭuring the rapid expansion of cable and satellite television in the 1980s, HBO was one of the new services’ biggest selling points, thanks to a lineup that featured uncut recent theatrical movies, concerts, stand-up-comedy specials, and even the occasional Broadway show … and not the same ol’ sitcoms and dramas. This story was originally published in 2019 and has been updated to reflect HBO’s more recent titles. Photo-Illustration: Emily Denniston/Vulture and Photos by HBO

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