I've watched a lot of HBO over the years and nowadays I'm rewatching shows I really enjoyed. In order, this is what I'd watch for dramas and comedies. They're all good in their own way.

Dramas:

The Sopranos: One of the greatest series of all time. I just finished rewatching and it's still amazing. Gandolfini alone makes it worth it. If you haven't watched this yet I'd say this should be your #1.

True Detective: Definitely worth the watch. A slow-building noir 8-episode series with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. It has a dark an entrancing tone with a disturbing storyline and interesting format. The finale disappointed some viewers but it's one of the best recent HBO shows and the second season (with a different story and cast) will be premiering in the summer.

Deadwood: Sometimes I say this is my favorite HBO show. If you like Westerns definitely give this a go. The writing is superb and the acting and characters are top-notch. Got cancelled too early but the three seasons are definitely still worth it.

Rome: Criminally underrated show. Great characters, excellent set pieces, and an unrivaled look at Rome. Also got cancelled too early, yet the show still provides enough closure so don't let that scare you off.

Carnivale: Another slept on early HBO show. Follows a traveling carnival in the 30's and a mystical fight between good and evil. Clancy Brown is fantastic in this show. Once again, got cancelled too early, but still worth watching. After you finish read up on how they would have continued it. As much as I love HBO, they seem to cancel the wrong shows and continue some duds.

Band of Brothers: Miniseries, but why not count it. This series brings more character development than any movie can and is a great depiction of WWII. You'll recognize a lot of young actors before they got their break, such as Michael Fassbender and Tom Hardy. Highly recommend this one.

Treme: I would say this show serves as the greatest example of character development. David Simon takes over a dozen characters and makes them all relateable and interesting while balancing their stories. Other shows falter in divvying up screen time between characters (especially Boardwalk Empire) but this show nails it. Great music too and will really make you want to visit New Orleans.

Boardwalk Empire: This show always showed a lot of potential but seldom reached it. Really good period piece with excellent sets, costumes, etc. and exceptional acting by Buscemi, but it drags on at times and spends too much time on annoying characters while ignoring or killing off those you care about. It can be a frustrating show but still delivers and is definitely worth the watch.

The Leftovers: Another good recent series. It can be a bit depressing, but the story is unique and surreal and the characters are very interesting.

Luck: This only ran for one season but I enjoyed it a lot. If you have any interest in horse racing then check this out. Dustin Hoffman & Kevin Dunn shine in this, but sadly they had to cancel it because too many horses were being injured.

In Treatment: I only watched a couple of episodes but they were pretty captivating. Gabriel Byrne is a psychotherapist and each episode focuses on one patient. There are several episodes with the same patient throughout the season. If you don't want to watch the whole thing (which I didn't) you can pick whichever patient or actor interests you and just watch their episodes.

Comedies:

Curb Your Enthusiasm: 30 minute comedy series. If you like Seinfeld, check this out. Some misses but when Larry David is on he's hilarious. A lot of seasons, I like the later ones better.

Flight of The Conchords: Might be my personal favorite comedy show from HBO. It's an off-brand type of humor that not everybody will like, but I loved it. Story about two struggling New Zealand musicians in New York. 30 minute show with quirky musical performances. The two leads play off each other well and make for a very funny show.

Entourage: Kind of like a Sex In The City for guys. A total bro show about a rising star in Hollywood and his crew. It's entertaining.

Veep: Julia Louis Dreyfus kills it in this. A comedy about politics.

Silicon Valley: Only one season so far, with 2nd season premiering in the spring. Funny show about the IT world in Silicon Valley.



As you can tell there's a lot of great HBO shows to explore. Pick any of the above and you can't go wrong. I remember Generation Kill and The Pacific being good but I watched them too long ago to recommend. I never got into Six Feet Under, Oz, True Blood, or Big Love.

I recently finished watching Twin Peaks for the first time. Not an HBO show, but you can see the effect it had on television. I'd recommend watching it before the sequel comes out in 2016.