HBO Max still has Netflix’s number all these years later, and the gap doesn’t seem to be closing anytime soon. Netflix and HBO Max are like the two pillars of streaming television. Sure, Peacock, Apple TV, Hulu, Disney+, and Prime all have their uses, but Netflix and HBO stand above as the quintessential streamers.

Netflix is ol’ reliable, the first streaming service many of us had. One with a never-ending supply of shows and movies that also makes sure to ask us if we’re still there when we’ve let a Great British Bake Off marathon go on too long. HBO Max is prestige TV brought from the pay-per-view to everyone’s cellphone.

The years have gone on, streamers have come and gone, but Netflix and HBO Max stay winning. Between the two, which has better selections, though? Well, the answer’s obvious. It’s HBO Max. Even ignoring the hyper-popular series on Max, I can name five multi-season shows that blow anything Netflix has out of the water.

Somebody Somewhere (2022-2024)

Bridget Everett stars as Sam Miller in Somebody Somewhere, a slice-of-life comedy drama that is jam-packed with hilarious moments and performances, and touching scenes that catch you off guard in beautiful ways. Sam is a 40-year-old woman who’s moved back to her Kansas hometown to take care of her sick sister.

After her sister passes in the pilot, Sam finds herself back in the place she tried so hard to escape from and now has to adjust to getting reacquainted with a part of her life she’d probably rather ignore. It’s a beautifully shot and written series that explores the deepest wells of characters through mundane experiences.

Rome (2005-2007)

Rome was so good it got canceled. Well, not really, but the series was so expensive to make that even HBO could not eat the costs. Despite the sudden ending, it is absolutely worth watching. The ending of season 2 is less of a cliffhanger and more of a “future adventures await” kind of ending.

The epic historical series is set just before Julius Caesar (Ciarán Hinds) begins his campaign to become emperor of Rome, with the ensuing political and military battle seen through the eyes of two soldiers: Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson). It’s beautiful, fascinating, and as real a depiction of ancient Rome as you’ll find in fiction.

Silicon Valley (2014-2019)

Mike Judge’s live-action comedy series Silicon Valley should be ranked high among his impressive catalog of TV shows and movies, despite often being forgotten. Silicon Valley is a hilarious comedy and a brilliant skewering of “tech-bro” culture that has only gotten more incisive in the years since its finale.

The series follows Richard Hendricks (Thomas Middleditch), the socially awkward founder of a tech company who develops a game-changing form of data compression. Once his company becomes a “unicorn”, everyone wants a piece of it. Weirdos of all types descend upon Richard to help, for money, and more in this satisfying and full-throated comedy.

Girls (2012-2017)

Girls is the exact type of show that Netflix could never do. A half-hour comedy starring the series creator that includes frank depictions of sex and romance and is unafraid to steer a story into completely unrelated directions is downright indulgent. But TV should be indulgent, we’re all indulging it, aren’t we?

If you’re a girl, watch Girls. If you’re a boy, watch Girls. If you identify as neither, watch Girls. If you’ve already watched Girls, wait five months and watch Girls. It’s an insightful, laugh-out-loud look at growing up. You don’t have to identify with the characters to understand what it’s like to feel listless in your 20s.

My Brilliant Friend (2018-2024)

My Brilliant Friend

Release Date

2018 – 2024-00-00

Directors

Saverio Costanzo, Alice Rohrwacher, Daniele Luchetti

Writers

Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci, Saverio Costanzo

If you think the best of HBO Max is behind it, check out My Brilliant Friend, an Italian-language series that ended in 2024 and ranks among the best shows the network has to offer. My Brilliant Friend is based on the 2011 novel by Italian author Elena Ferrante (a pseudonym), and details a female friendship over six decades.

Elena “Lenù” Greco and Raffaella “Lila” Cerullo, played by different actors over the years, grow up together in their poor neighborhood of post-war Naples. Over the years, the pair make decisions that dramatically alter their lives, but it’s the magic of the HBO Max show that you’re glued to the screen no matter where they are.