When you want quality TV, that static-noise HBO logo at the start of a show is a surefire sign that you're in for a treat. HBO's taken a couple of decades to establish that reputation, one that some of the best streaming services on the planet still doubtless envy.
Whether you're in the US watching through Max, in the UK using Sky Atlantic or a Now TV Entertainment pass, or in another region accessing HBO through your local license holder, 2024 has been a bumper year for the network. It's released a heap of shows, many of them excellent – so I've gathered the seven that I think should have been on your radar, to put them there belatedly. To head off any controversy at the pass, these are also in no particular order!
True Detective: Night Country
Sometimes when you look back on the year that was, you can forget to go back far enough – and for this one, you have to head all the way back to January 2024, when the latest anthology season of True Detective arrived. Starring Jodie Foster and Kali Reis, it brought the series back to its very best.
Featuring a string of unexplained murders, just as you'd hope, the show oozed unease and tension, with its protagonists feeling constantly vulnerable in the face of a cultish conspiracy that they couldn't always grasp clearly. It looked amazing, too, and surged to a phenomenal conclusion.
House of the Dragon (Season 2)
Some criticised this season of House of the Dragon for treading water, and while it's true that it ended with a pretty similar array of strategic positions, there were some unbelievable moments along the way. Some big characters bit the dust, crucially, and there were extremely tense sequences.
Basically, as a defender of the season as a whole, I think it's worth pointing out that House of the Dragon at its worst is still extremely capable TV, and it's generally much better than that. It's got some of the most compelling actors in the game engaging in whip-smart dialogue with obscured motivations, and that's basically everything I want from a fantasy drama by HBO.
The Penguin
Being hit by a bolt from the blue – that's how it felt to watch the first handful of episodes of The Penguin. A spin-off from the incredibly stylish The Batman, but with nary a glimpse of the caped crusader, it's basically a crime saga set in Gotham, and it's improbably excellent.
Collin Farrell is superb under a metric ton of prosthetics and makeup, but the big breakout star has been Cristin Milioti. Plenty of people knew she was hugely talented, but her reputation has been enhanced massively by her role as Sofia Falcone, working to secure her family's criminal empire.
Dune: Prophecy
This was another show that took me by surprise – after the phenomenal pair of Denis Villeneuve films, trying to match that quality on TV is a tall order. I'm not saying Prophecy quite gets there, but it's laudable for how it tries, with dense lore and a highly political plot.
It's set ages before the original book and those two films, concerning itself with how the Bene Gesserit order of, well, space witches established its power and influence. That involves a lot of manoeuvring and not a little bargaining, but also fending off threats from other factions, which makes for a fun balance of interests to watch.
Industry (Season 3)
Another returning show in 2024 was Industry, and it actually felt like this might have been the year it broke out into a more mainstream sort of success. Part of that might have been casting some more big names, with Kit Harington's new character Henry Muck generating headlines in particular.
A lot of that was down to his bedroom proclivities, a subject that Industry has never shied away from, but he's also a great actor in this sort of drama. If you want to get a sense of what the very worst traders get up to, this is a portal to a dark world of amoral action.
Hacks (Season 3)
Hacks is proof that the HBO treatment can apply to almost any industry – including ones you barely knew existed, like the world of comedy writing. It turns out that the biggest stars don't always perform material they wrote themselves, as depressing as that might sound.
This excellent, extremely sharp-witted show follows the travails of a young writer brought in by an ageing comedian to freshen up her stuff, and it's developed a real cult following. Like some of the others on this list, 2024 saw a season that broke out in popularity - here's hoping the show goes from strength to strength.
Curb Your Enthusiasm (Season 12)
One of the best and most beloved comedy series of all time drew to a close this year, with the final season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. It's a testament to just how brilliant this painfully cringe-inducing series has been that Larry David might just be better-known for it than for creating Seinfeld, another comedy titan.
This final season might not actually be the show's must cutting ever, but its latter stages are actually extremely touching for anyone who's been watching for years (as so many have). Expect more unbelievably awkward standoffs, incredibly niche complaints and downright deathly misunderstandings.
