With a formidable catalogue of content material from cable networks like Comedy Central and TBS in addition to any variety of films, massive and small, outdated and new, HBO Max (sure, it’s HBO Max again) has one thing for everybody. That is very true, as one might surmise from the mentioning of Comedy Central, on the subject of their comedy lineup. For one, they’ve a whole lot of Cartoon Community’s again catalogue, so if you wish to get the kids hooked on classics like Braveness the Cowardly Canine, that’s an possibility. In fact, there’s then the choice for Cartoon Community’s late-night wing, Grownup Swim. However Grownup Swim isn’t the one community whose adult-skewing content material they host, as HBO Max has any variety of humorous exhibits that both they distributed but went below the radar or come from one other community and one may not understand is out there to stream.
In different phrases, no exhibits that famously on HBO Max right here. Which means no Mates, no Veep, no Barry, and no Curb Your Enthusiasm. Everyone knows they’re on HBO Max. The identical goes for South Park, although that one is heading over to Paramount+ in direction of the tip of June 2025.
1) Abbott Elementary
ABC’s vital darling sitcom Abbott Elementary, from genius creator Quinta Brunson, is likely one of the higher mockumentaries within the streamer’s roster. It follows a gaggle of hard-working lecturers at a Philly public college as they attempt to do their jobs even within the face of accelerating funds cuts.
Abbott Elementary is the kind of present that’s accessible on the macro-scale. There’s nothing in it that forestalls the youthful set from watching and it’s humorous and relatable sufficient to maintain members of all 4 quadrants hooked. The primary three seasons are presently on HBO Max. If you wish to watch the fourth season (which has the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia crossover episode), head over to Hulu.
2) Angie Tribeca
There have been a whole lot if not hundreds of police procedural exhibits, but just a few which have actively tried to parody their innumerable shared tropes. To a level Psych did it, as does Excessive Potential, however actually the perfect examples are Police Squad! (the predecessor of The Bare Gun!), the ridiculously underrated Murderville on Netflix, Reno 911! (extra a parody of Cops than procedurals, however nonetheless), and the TBS present Angie Tribeca.
Created by Steve and Nancy Carell, this was Rashida Jones’ main girl undertaking after a recurring function on The Workplace and a supporting function on Parks and Recreation. It’s a 100-jokes a minute type of present, and impressively sufficient about 75 p.c of these jokes land. That’s a fairly nice batting common, and it was sufficient to maintain the present alive for 4 seasons. The primary three (Season 4 was each a comfortable reboot and never as stable, so it’s not an enormous loss) can be found on HBO Max.
3) Avenue 5
I’m Alan Partridge co-creator Armando Iannucci primarily turned certainly one of HBO’s steady horses after his Veep took off on the community again in 2012. Since then he’s created two exhibits and, like Veep (one of many smartest, funniest, and most well-written exhibits to ever grace tv), they’re each on HBO Max.
The primary of those two was the quick lived (at two seasons) Avenue 5 whereas the second was the even shorter lived The Franchise, which started and ended its run in 2024. The higher of the 2 exhibits was Avenue 5, which featured Veep veteran Hugh Laurie because the woefully underqualified captain (Actually an actor) of the titular spaceship, which finds itself massively off target and years away from returning to Earth. Avenue 5 didn’t at all times hit, however when it did it was hysterical, and Laurie was his put-upon greatest within the lead function.
4) Awkwafina is Nora from Queens
Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens (AKA Nora from Queens) is likely one of the many Comedy Central exhibits HBO Max has of their lineup. It’s additionally certainly one of their greatest and a must-watch for any fan of the comic’s. The Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star performs Nora Lin, a 20-something younger girl who depends on her household bonds to get her by means of life within the massive metropolis.
Nora from Queens advantages vastly from Awkwafina’s distinctive contact, however it’s additionally a present that coasts because of the energy of its supporting performances. As an illustration, BD Wong of the Jurassic Park franchise, rapper Jonathan Park AKA Dumbfoundead, Every thing All over the place All at As soon as‘s Stephanie Hsu, and Saturday Night time Stay‘s Bowen Yang. All three seasons are on HBO Max.
5) Conan O’Brien Should Go
Conan O’Brien at all times deserves a shout-out. And, for many who have already binge-listened (or binge-watched on YouTube) his podcast, Conan O’Brien Wants a Good friend, HBO Max is the following logical cease.
For one, they’ve each seasons of his TBS journey present, Conan With out Borders. Then, when you’ve completed these 13 episodes, you may change over to his follow-up journey present, Conan O’Brien Must Go, which is a HBO Max unique and each bit as charming.
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6) Flight of the Conchords
One in all HBO’s higher mid aughts exhibits, comedy or in any other case, Flight of the Conchords is a masterpiece of deadpan humor and brilliantly-constructed goofy but touching songs. Like the following entry on this record, it’s additionally a meta comedy, as, in actual life, Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie genuinely are a musical comedy duo referred to as Flight of the Conchords.
Naturally, this results in them having some razor sharp chemistry on display screen. However the present wouldn’t coast on simply them alone, because it’s additionally a showcase for the skills of Rhys Darby and Kristen Schaal, each of whom have gone on to even larger issues. Schaal, as an example, ended up being a most important participant on the FX collection adaptation of What We Do within the Shadows (a film which Clement co-lead alongside Taika Waititi, each of whom ended up making visitor appearances on the small display screen model).
7) The Larry Sanders Present
The late Garry Shandling was one of many comedy world’s most revered figures (he’s extra acknowledged because the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Senator Sterns by trendy audiences). In his early days he wrote for traditional sitcoms like Sanford and Son earlier than he launched himself as a presence on stage in houses throughout the nation through his many appearances on The Tonight Present Starring Johnny Carson. He then acquired a sitcom of his personal in 1986 with It’s Garry Shandling’s Present on Showtime, which was one of many first mainstream initiatives to have a protagonist break the fourth wall. Shandling was a trendsetter, and with The Larry Sanders Present he mainly pioneered what Larry David did in Curb Your Enthusiasm, the place he performed a heightened model of himself and what 30 Rock did by staging a comedy present across the crafting of a comedy present.
However, whereas The Larry Sanders present was Shandling’s magnum opus, it wasn’t actually all his. For one, massive identify visitor stars had been at all times put to good use. Two, Jeffrey Tambor (enjoying the Andy Richter to Shandling’s/Sanders’ Conan O’Brien) and Rip Torn had been excellent for his or her roles. Tambor performed pathetic very nicely, however the gruff Torn runs away with the present as Sanders’ producer, Artie. All six seasons of The Larry Sanders Present are streaming on HBO Max.
8) Nathan for You
Nathan Fielder is comedy’s final individuals watcher. He likes to see what makes society tick and toy with that. And, for many who need extra of his stylings after going by means of The Rehearsal (presently in the course of its second season), there’s his classic Comedy Central show Nathan for You.
Nathan for You has Fielder go to numerous struggling companies and pitch an outlandish concept. A few of them really handle to assist the enterprise, and all of them are hilarious. The whole thing of Nathan for You‘s 4 seasons is streaming on HBO Max.
9) Robotic Hen
Seth Inexperienced and Matthew Senreich’s Robot Chicken was Grownup Swim’s longest-running flagship series. Every episode is a compilation of foolish, usually pop culture-referencing stop-motion comedy shorts, with subjects starting from Star Wars to a gummy bear stepping on a bear entice.
Like with any present that throws a bunch of shorts on the viewers, some segments are undoubtedly funnier than others, however those that can get on Robotic Hen‘s wavelength will discover that it hits extra usually than it misses. All 11 seasons of the present are steaming on HBO Max, as are the Robotic Hen DC Comics Specials and the Robotic Hen: Star Wars trilogy.
10) Vice Principals
Sure, like The Righteous Gem stones and Eastbound & Down, Vice Principals is a Danny McBride-fronted present that was an stays an HBO unique. Nevertheless it additionally went manner below the radar in comparison with these different two exhibits, but it’s equally value watching.
This was the primary actual show of McBride’s chemistry with Walton Goggins. If something, it’s a fair higher display than The Righteous Gemstones. As two warring turned co-scheming members of a highschool’s college (particularly, two vice principals), they’re sensible. And, at two seasons and 18 episodes whole, it’s additionally not a present that overstayed its welcome. It had a narrative to inform, it informed it, and people concerned moved on.
