It’s undeniable that HBO Max has delivered some of the best TV series of all time, with compelling stories that linger long after the credits roll. And since the streamer ended 2025 with more than 130 million subscribers, it’s clear that there’s still a healthy appetite for the prestige storytelling it delivers.
If you’re looking for a series to dig into this week, these HBO Max shows offer the perfect escape, as well as some enlightening real-life wonder.
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Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
“I was born to make people laugh,” says comedy legend Mel Brooks in one of the incredible archival interviews in the new two-part HBO Max docuseries Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! Brooks, an EGOT winner and the genius behind cinematic riots such as Blazing Saddles, Space Balls, and Young Frankenstein, gets a well-deserved homage by comedy heavyweights Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio, who also gave us the Emmy-winning George Carlin’s American Dream doc.
The 99 Year Old Man! is a love letter to the living legend that moves chronologically through his storied career, from his experiences in the Second World War, his time writing on Sid Caesar’s Show of Shows and the birth of his iconic “2,000 Year Old Man” routing he performed with Carl Reiner, to becoming the godfather of spoof comedy films in the ’70s, to his success on Broadway with The Producers, and beyond.
The doc features hilarious and candid interviews with Brooks himself, as well as with some of the biggest names in comedy who worship the comedy king, including Ben Stiller, Dave Chappelle, Nick Kroll, Sarah Silverman, and Jerry Seinfeld. With the long-awaited sequel to Space Balls in the works, the timing couldn’t be better for a documentary that pays tribute to this giant.
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I Know This Much Is True
Mark Ruffalo’s gritty, Emmy-winning dual performance
There are few things more attractive to actors than a juicy, intense dual role. With that being said, there are few actors with the chops to pull it off other than Mark Ruffalo, who won an outstanding lead actor Emmy for his stunning portrayal of 40-year-old twin brothers Dominick and Thomas Birdsey in the 2020 HBO limited series I Know This Much Is True.
Adapted from the 1998 bestselling novel of the same name by Wally Lamb, the six-episode psychological family drama is set in 1990s Connecticut as Dominick struggles with the care of the schizophrenic Thomas, who has committed a shocking act that lands him in a psychiatric prison. But Dominick is working through his own issues, too, including still dealing with the trauma of growing up in a violent household and the recent tragic death of his baby daughter that ended his marriage to Dessa (the excellent Kathryn Hahn).
Fine, it’s not exactly light weekly viewing, but Ruffalo’s chemistry with himself is legendary as the twins, and apparently, he shot all his scenes as Dominick, then took a six-week break to gain 30 pounds to do Thomas’s scenes.
I know this much is true
Release Date
2020 – 2019
Network
HBO
Mark Ruffalo
Dominick Birdsey / Thomas Birdsey
Rob Huebel
Concettina Ipolita Tempesta ‘Ma’ Birdsey
Kathryn Hahn
Boyfriend of Dr. Hume’s Daughter
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The Leftovers
A deliciously mind-bending supernatural mystery
If you’re a fan of mindbending, reality-hopping, existential series like Lost, Dark, or more recent masterpieces like Pluribus, then roll up your sleeves and buckle up for what was deemed one of the best shows of the mid-2010s, the supernatural mystery thriller The Leftovers. Co-created by Lost‘s Damon Lindelof, the three-season series starts three years after a global event called the “Sudden Departure,” where 2% of the planet’s population inexplicably vanishes.
Based on Tom Perrotta’s 2011 hit novel of the same name about The Rapture, the show is less about figuring out the how or why, though; it instead focuses on what it’s done to society, religion, power, and how those left behind deal with it. It’s a surreal show at times, and like Dark, you need to pay attention as the show plays with time and space, jumping from the present day to the future and even to alternate planes of reality.
The show mostly focuses on a police officer named Kevin Garvey, played perfectly by Justin Theroux, and Nora Durst, a woman whose entire family was taken from her, played with equal excellence by Carrie Coon. The Leftovers was a critical darling and features one of the most satisfying series finales ever. It has a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is a must-watch for cerebral-minded TV lovers.
The Leftovers
Release Date
2014 – 2017-00-00
Showrunner
Damon Lindelof
Writers
Damon Lindelof, Tom Perrotta
This week’s picks should keep you laughing, biting your nails, and pondering pretty hard about life, the universe, and everything. But at the end of the day, you’ll be totally entertained.
Subscription with ads
Yes, $10.99/month
Simultaneous streams
2 or 4
HBO Max is a subscription-based streaming service offering content from HBO, Warner Bros., DC, and more. In 2025, the service re-branded itself as HBO Max after having previously cut “HBO” from its name.
