Since at least the early the 2000s, HBO has changed the game of what it means to be a prestige television series. From “The Sopranos” and “Sex and the City” to “Girls” and “True Blood” to “Hacks” and “Succession,” what was once a means to get big-screen films onto home TV screens has now become the go-to destination for award-winning original programming with viewers in the tens of millions. They weren’t kidding back in the 80s when they said it’s not television — it’s HBO. So now the Great Pop Culture Debate podcast wants to decide: what IS the best HBO original series? And we need YOUR help to do it!
Below find a list of 100+ HBO original series (you can also take the poll by clicking here). Select up to 32 of your favorites. Note that for this poll, we only looked at shows that were developed FOR HBO and intended to run for more than one season. So no miniseries (“Mare of Easttown,” “Band of Brothers,” “Mildred Pierce,” etc. — that’s a separate topic), no shows that started on other networks (“Sesame Street”), and we opted to leave out kids shows and sports shows.
Did we miss one of your favorites? Write it in in the field provided below and we may discuss it in the episode! Then please send the poll along to your friends and family; the more responses we get to the poll the more balanced the brackets will be.
The poll will run until January 12, 2022. Make sure to submit your answer by then!
The 32 top vote-getters will be discussed in an episode of Season 5 the Great Pop Culture Debate podcast, debuting in March 2022. Find out more at greatpopculturedebate.com.