25 Must-Watch Drama Shows on HBO Max Right Now (April 2026): ‘The White Lotus’ and More

Each season of Mike White‘s The White Lotus takes place at a different branch of the fictional White Lotus resort chain, with season 1 taking place in Hawaii, season 2 in Italy and season 3 in Thailand (season 4 is set to take place in France), and a observes a murder that occurs there (how many murders can pile up at these White Lotus hotels, really?) Season 1 opens with a dead body being carted onto a plane, as the show then flashes back to chronicle a group of wealthy but dysfunctional guests checking into the White Lotus. It’s no spoiler to say that not all of them check out in one piece.

Though initially planned to be a miniseries, the massive critical and fan success of season 1 of The White Lotus allowed it to expand into an anthology series. The show is highly praised for its scathing satire of wealth and privilege, coupled with luxurious locales, an intriguing “whodunit” mystery and sharp comedy. Future seasons have included actors like Walton Goggins, Sydney Sweeney, Aubrey Plaza and Parker Posey. With season 4, set in the sunny French Riviera, currently underway, The White Lotus is more prolific than ever. 

Season 1 of True Detective follows detectives Rust Cohle (Matthew McConaughey) and Marty Hart (Woody Harrelson), who couldn’t be more different in terms of work ethic and point of view. However, their partnership is crucial in the investigation of the gruesome murder of a woman who has been ritually staged and posed. True Detective uses a nonlinear narrative showcasing three different time periods across Marty and Rust’s lives, as the bizarre case engulfs their lives and has them questioning the very nature of evil.

True Detective was ultimately turned into an anthology series, though the subsequent seasons have been met with wildly varied reception. Still, season 1 of the show handily reigns supreme as a Southern Gothic-tinged, cosmic horror crime procedural. It deftly interlaces philosophical themes with a compelling mystery narrative, and a pair of unique and richly written characters in Rust and Marty — who could have been played by no one other than McConaughey and Harrelson.

DTF St. Louis centers on weatherman Clark Forrest (Jason Bateman) and married couple Carol (Linda Cardellini) and Floyd Smernitch (David Harbour), three adults having mid-life crises who enter into a strange love triangle that results in one of them ending up dead. Ultimately, Clark’s best friend is Floyd, and Clark and Carol start an affair together. The series chronicles how the trio’s relationship could have wound up so deadly.

DTF St. Louis proves to be a fun, addictive and darkly comic good time. With three fantastic lead performances from Batman, Cardellini and Harbour, confident direction and sharp writing, the series is a must-watch for fans of twisty crime thrillers with great character-driven drama. 

Based on the novel of the same name by Laura Esquivel, the six-episode Like Water for Chocolate takes place in the early 20th century during the Mexican Revolution and centers on Tita (Azul Guaita) and Pedro (Andres Baida), childhood friends turned lovers whose romance is thwarted by the misogynistic traditions of Tita’s family. At the same time that Tita struggles to come of age, the backdrop of the war rages on, and Tita takes refuge from external and internal problems by focusing on her love of cooking.

Critics agree that this Spanish-language adaptation of Like Water for Chocolate is a sumptuous delight worthy of its source material. The show is rich both in decadent cuisine and decadent romance — the chemistry between Guaita and Baida is palpable — in addition to being stunningly faithful to the source material. The show boasts an impressive 100 percent Rotten Tomatoes score to boot.

Based on George R. R. Martin‘s series of Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes place a century before the events of Game of Thrones and centers on two unlikely heroes within the world of Westeros. Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his young squire Aegon “Egg” Targaryen (Dexter Sol Ansell) traverse the dangerous lands, as Dunk strives to become a knight and make the meaningful connections he needs to get there. However, doing so will force him and his diminutive friend (whom Dunk doesn’t know possesses royal blood) to cross many dubious characters.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has been hailed by both fans and critics as a refreshingly small-scale approach to the wide-spanning world of Westeros. Where Game of Thrones made its mark through big-budget spectacle and graphic sexuality, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms revels in what amounts to almost a buddy comedy approach that embraces humor and heart over shock and awe.

Troubled teenage drug addict Rue (Zendaya) struggles with getting sober, in addition to the already compounding, typical anxieties and problems inherent to being a high school student. In Rue’s orbit are fellow teenagers like Jules (Hunter Schafer), a new girl who enters into a whirlwind relationship with Rue; Lexi (Maude Apatow), Rue’s childhood best friend who has tried helping her beat her addictions; Nate (Jacob Elordi), a jock with anger issues and an abusive father; and Kat (Barbie Ferreira), a girl learning to be body positive while exploring her sexuality.

Euphoria provided the launching pad for the careers of Elordi, Ferrera, Schafer and Sydney Sweeney, and while it continues to generate controversy even when it isn’t on the air, viewers can’t get enough of its lurid, soapy drama. In spite of the show’s many detractors and criticisms, you can’t help but laud the impressive visual aesthetics, addictive, outrageous plotlines and a tour-de-force performance from Zendaya.

In 1960s Manhattan, advertising executive Don Draper (Jon Hamm) leads a team of copywriters and artists as Sterling Cooper’s talented creative director. Draper has a gift for advertising, but he’s an adulterer who does everything to keep his past hidden. Don balances the stressors of his family life while navigating his many coworkers, lovers and clients. Ultimately, Mad Men is a rich character drama tapestry that immerses the viewer into a time capsule of historic social change. 

Mad Men is frequently considered one of the greatest television shows ever made, and it was a devastating blow when the show was yanked from its longtime home on Netflix back in 2020. Five years later, the show gets a second streaming life on HBO Max, and fans both old and new everywhere are enjoying the indulgent, complicated pleasures of Sterling Cooper’s complex and beautifully written characters.

Based on the best-selling novel by Tom Perotta (who also serves as one of the show’s executive producers), The Leftovers follows the aftermath of “The Sudden Departure”: a massive supernatural event in which 140 million people disappeared. Three years later in Mapleton, New York, citizens attempt to maintain normalcy when the world is anything but. Paranoia and grief run rampant, and many turn to joining a cult. Police chief Kevin Garvey (Justin Theroux) struggles to maintain order between the cult and the townspeople.

With an all-star cast including Theroux, Carrie Coon, Margaret Qualley, Christopher Eccleston, Liv Tyler and Ann Dowd, The Leftovers underwent a shaky start in its first season but received a critical reevaluation during its second and third seasons, and it now frequently makes lists of the greatest shows of all time. The Leftovers has been praised for its stellar writing, performances and thematic depth.

In this chilling prequel to It (2017) and It: Chapter 2, a young couple moves to Derry, Maine around the same time that a local boy disappears, and strange occurrences start to befall the other townsfolk. The series takes place roughly twenty years before the events of the first It film, detailing the citizens of Derry dealing with Pennywise’s (Bill Skarsgård) horrific antics before the Losers club was even born.

It: Welcome to Derry has the same creatives behind it as both of the It films, which definitely has gone into what makes it such a successful show. The series has been praised for its gory visuals and expansion of the lore of Derry and Pennywise’s lasting influence over the town. Ultimately, it’s a suitable prequel and compelling drama in its own right that will satsify horror and TV fans alike.

In London, Pierpoint is a top investment bank where graduates vie for a position in full-time employment. The bank, however, only has limited spots, and so hopefuls must compete for their place over the span of six months, after which they will be brought on or laid off. Among the prospective employees are Harper (Myha’la), who leaves her life in New York for a shot, ambitious Yasmin (Marisa Abela) and Hari (Nabhaan Rizwan) from an Urdu-speaking immigrant family.

This delightfully soapy workplace drama features sharp writing and a fantastic ensemble cast that includes many familiar faces like Jay Duplass (Transparent), Sarah Goldberg (Barry) and Kit Harington (Game of Thrones). After a successful third season in 2024, the series was renewed for a fourth season to air sometime in 2026.

This Polish crime series centers on widowed detective Katarzyna Zawieja (Katarzyna Wajda) as she investigates the kidnapping and brutal murder of a young mother. The woman’s body turns up on a riverbank shortly after having given birth, and her baby is discovered to have died as well. As Katarzyna grapples with the dark circumstances surrounding the case, she simultaneously struggles to cope with the death of her husband.

The Thaw is a compelling neo-noir crime thriller that’s been praised for its dark, dour tone and elevating central performance by Wajda. The series does a great job at creating a bleak atmosphere that sucks you in, as you are gripped by the unfolding mystery with each new episode.

In the year 1900, the Knickerbocker Hospital in New York City is at the ground zero of medical innovation. The hospital’s lead surgeon, Dr. John Thackery (Clive Owen), is a brilliant doctor but struggles to offer care due to limitations of knowledge, technology and budget. Another wrench is thrown in upon the arrival of Black assistant surgeon Dr. Algernon Edwards (André Holland), as genius as Thackery, but hampered by the prejudices of the time period.

The Knick follows Thackery, Edwards and the rest of the workers at the Knickerbocker and beyond as they race to save lives, and as Thackery and Edwards use their joint minds to lead the charge on new techniques and inventions. The series was directed in its entirety by Steven Soderbergh and was sadly cancelled prematurely due to a Cinemax programming shakeup. Nevertheless, The Knick is one of the best drama TV shows out there. Gripping, dramatic, complex and shockingly gory, The Knick is anything but pulpy; it’s an affecting, emotional journey through the dark period of nascent medical discovery.

This new miniseries from the creator of Mare of Easttown stars Mark Ruffalo as Tom Brandis, a former Catholic priest turned FBI agent who has been taking time off due to a family tragedy. Brandis is called back to the field to investigate a series of armed robberies in a small Philadelphia suburb. Tom Pelphrey plays Robbie Prendergast, a garbage collector and father to two young kids who has secretly been robbing drug dealers’ trap houses. The two men are set on a collision course while both deal with the skeletons in their closets.

Task touches on America’s fentanyl crisis while dealing with themes of family, forgiveness and redemption. It just wrapped its stellar first season, with the only downside is that it will leave you wanting more.

A spinoff of The Batman starring Robert Pattinson, The Penguin sees the return of Colin Farrell, hidden beneath several pounds of prosthetics, as the villainous Oswald “Oz” Cobb. Determined to rise through the seedy underbelly of Gotham’s crime world, Oz faces off against Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone, daughter of the city’s fallen crime lord.

The show was a major Emmy winner in 2025 — Milioti took home Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, and it also won awards for costume design, makeup, hairstyling and music. A surprisingly vulnerable look at Gotham’s bad guys, The Penguin blends crime drama and character study, offering something for both superhero fans and prestige-TV audiences.

Peacemaker is definitely a dramedy, but it earns a spot on this list because of its surprisingly poignant character arcs and mysterious, twist-filled storyline. A spinoff of The Suicide Squad, the series delves deeper into the character of Christopher Smith, aka Peacemaker, portrayed by John Cena. After being recruited by a covert ops team following the events of The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker and his teammates Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks), Vigilante (Freddie Stroma), Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), John Economos (Steve Agee) and Clemson Murn (Chukwudi Iwuji) investigate a terrifying invasion of aliens who can take over human bodies. 

Drama fans will enjoy Peacemaker‘s exploration of its flawed protagonist’s childhood trauma and its exciting action sequences. Season 2 is now streaming.

Everyone’s favorite high society soap opera just wrapped up its third season. If you haven’t caught up on the adventures of Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson) and her wealthy aunts Agnes (Christine Baranski) and Ada (Cynthia Nixon), you now have three deliciously dreamy and dramatic seasons to binge. Created by Downton Abbey showrunner Julian Fellowes, The Gilded Age explores the opulent and complex lives of New York City’s high society in 1882. Performances by Carrie Coon and Audra McDonald were particularly noteworthy in season 3.

Drama fans will enjoy the stunning production design, meticulously crafted costumes and immersive recreation of a pivotal era in American history. The series’ exploration of class divisions, societal change and personal ambition is bolstered by Fellowes’ talent for weaving intricate storylines and memorable characters.

If you’re still dealing with a bad taste in your mouth from Game of Thrones‘ ending, don’t worry — House of the Dragon has been off to a really strong start in its first two seasons. Based on George R.R. Martin‘s book Fire & Blood, it’s set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones and chronicles the turbulent history of House Targaryen, focusing primarily on the events leading up to and during a civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons. One thing the series has going for it — the writers know how it’s supposed to end, unlike Game of Thrones, which had the books it was based on still being written simultaneously with the series.

The performances in House of the Dragon are top-notch, especially those of Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower. (Younger versions of the characters are played beautifully by Milly Alcock and Emily Carey, respectively.) Their complex relationship is the engine of the series, and its tragic dissolution is remarkably compelling. Matt Smith is equally hypnotic as the complex antihero, Prince Daemon Targaryen. Palace intrigue and dragon battles will hook you on this elegant, well-written series.

One night in October 2014, Nasir “Naz” Khan (Riz Ahmed) picks up a woman in his father’s cab and spends the night with her. When he wakes up the following morning, he discovers she’s been stabbed to death. He has no recollection of what happened to her or even if he’s guilty. He’s soon arrested, and as he awaits trial in Rikers prison, his only hope lies with John Stone (John Turturro), a lawyer too tired to feel anything other than cynicism.

That’s the set-up to The Night Of, an absorbing eight-episode limited series that is more than just an effective crime thriller. As it follows Naz as he’s booked, processed and tried in a court of law, it exposes all the deep flaws that exist in the criminal justice system. Ahmed is fantastic as a suspect who isn’t so sure of his own innocence, and Turturro is equally superb as an attorney who cares more about his next paycheck than his client’s well-being.

The Pitt is HBO’s first medical procedural that’s already one of the breakout TV hits of 2025. ER alum Noah Wyle returns to the onscreen hospital in this pulse-pounding drama, which mimics 24 with its storytelling style. Each episode coincides with one hour out of a 15-hour shift in the emergency room at Pittsburgh Trauma Hospital, meaning that literally every second counts.

The Pitt also stands out for its medical accuracy, which real ER doctors have praised, and for the powerful performances from Wyle (who plays Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, a wonderfully flawed and vulnerable character) and the rest of the cast. This series, which is in its second season in 2026, is perfect for fans of Grey’s Anatomy who desire a little less melodrama and a little more real-world grit. 

The Last of Us is a sci-fi show based on a video game, but don’t let that description mislead you. It’s a far cry from Super Mario or Call of Duty. Instead, it’s an intensely emotional, gripping drama about a broken man named Joel (Pedro Pascal) and an unusual girl named Ellie (Bella Ramsey) who venture across the country in hopes of helping to cure the terrifying mushroom parasite that has turned millions of people into vicious “infected.” While Joel and Ellie both have walls up, they form a father-daughter bond on their journey that comes at a terrifying cost. 

Season 2 of the critically acclaimed series is out now, and it’s just as shocking, innovative and entertaining as season 1. With mind-blowing special effects and gut-wrenching performances, The Last of Us redefines what we expect from genre storytelling.

When you watch the first episode of The Sopranos, it’s easy to see how the mafia drama blew people’s minds and changed television forever. The story of mob boss Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) made people understand that television can be an art form on the same level of feature films with its emotional complexity, gripping storylines and nuanced performances.

As Tony begins attending therapy with Dr. Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco) to try and stop his panic attacks and anxiety, his self-analysis leads the story into themes of identity, legacy, and morality. Created by David Chase, the series is not only a deep exploration of a mobster’s psyche but also a dissection of American family dynamics and the existential struggles faced by its characters.

The series boasts a talented ensemble cast that brings the world of New Jersey crime to life. Edie Falco is a force to be reckoned with as Carmela Soprano, Tony’s strong-willed and complicated wife; Michael Imperioli bristles with chaotic energy as Christopher Moltisanti, Tony’s impulsive protégé; and Dominic Chianese is intimidating as Corrado “Junior” Soprano, Tony’s uncle and a rival within the family business. The Sopranos has left an indelible impact on the landscape of modern television, setting a benchmark for character-driven narratives in the crime genre.

When Logan Roy (Brian Cox), the CEO of a major media conglomerate, suffers a major health scare, his four children and several of his employees begin scrambling for the title of CEO. Unfortunately for them, the Roy siblings, as Logan eventually says, are “not serious people,” having all been alternately spoiled, coddled and abused by their wealthy family. Connor (Alan Ruck) Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Siobhan (Sarah Snook) and Roman (Kieran Culkin) will constantly shock you with their ability to backstab and lie, even to themselves.

Yet despite the high-stakes drama, the writing on Succession is some of the most darkly funny material you’ll ever hear. Siobhan’s husband Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) and the ever-scheming Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun) are as slimy as they are duplicitous. It’s endlessly entertaining to watch these maladapted children squabble over billions, with little thought to the real-world consequences of their behavior. 

Succession took home multiple Emmys during its run and with good reason. The twists are thrilling, the performances are great and the insights into the lives of the privileged class are perceptive and shocking. 

Damon Lindelof (Lost, The Leftovers) oversaw this sequel/redo of the 1986 comic book series of the same name by Alan Moore. But if you never read that series, don’t worry — the show does a good job filling in the gaps, and a quick glance at the Wikipedia page for the original Watchmen will answer any questions you may have. 

Regina King stars as Angela Abar, a police officer in a world where law enforcement takes on costumed identities to avoid being targeted by terrorist groups. Angela fights crime in Tulsa, Oklahoma, under the name “Sister Night,” but when her boss Judd Crawford (Don Johnson) is murdered, she begins to uncover a conspiracy around crimefighting that reaches far back into history — starting with the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. 

Watchmen won eleven Emmys for its one and only season (so far). Between the compelling performances, stellar writing and shocking twists, it deserved every one of them.

Game of Thrones bears the unfortunate legacy of having an ending that almost nobody liked. And even a few years after the 2019 finale, it’s still easy to see that showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss kind of bungled it. But in the early seasons, it was one of the most exciting, well-written and moving shows on television, and the awe-inspiring moments are worth the so-so ending. Based on George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire novels, Game of Thrones tells the story of Westeros, a magical land where seasons can last decades and dragons once roamed the earth.

Leading the cast are Sean Bean as the honorable Eddard “Ned” Stark, Peter Dinklage as the cunning and sharp-witted Tyrion Lannister, and Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen, whose journey from exile to power is central to the series. Other notable cast members include Kit Harington as Jon Snow, Lena Headey as the ambitious Cersei Lannister, Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark, and Maisie Williams as Arya Stark. The intricate plot spotlights more characters and storylines than we can name, but they all have themes of loyalty, betrayal, revenge and family. 

David Simon‘s critically acclaimed Baltimore crime drama series dives deep into the different facets of the city’s ecosystem with a complex narrative that tackles the intricate relationship between institutions and individuals. The show was lauded for its focus on the operational challenges faced by working-class citizens as well as police officers and drug dealers. 

The Wire launched the careers of many talented actors, most notably Dominic West as Detective Jimmy McNulty and Idris Elba as Stringer Bell. The stories of these complex characters infuse social commentary into gripping storytelling with authenticity and depth, provoking nuanced conversations about the issues that plague urban society. It’s a must-watch for drama fans, especially those who appreciate gritty, grounded series.