At a time when TV was nothing more than the usual band of steady but predictable cop shows and sitcoms, HBO came in like an absolute wrecking ball.
Starting in the 1970s, the US cable TV network really began to hit its stride a couple of decades later, forming a reputation for grown-up, fearless, and often shocking original programming. Without HBO we may never have got shows like Sex and the City, The Sopranos, True Detective and Curb Your Enthusiasm, for example.
And to think none of those even made into onto our list here just shows you how much quality the network has pushed over the years. Streaming services, such as Apple TV+, have definitely caught up in recent times, but these three series truly set the standard.
You can watch them on Max in the US and Sky / Now in the UK.
The Wire
Created by former crime journalist David Simon, The Wire gave us five seasons of slow, intelligent, brutal realism based on the drug scene of 1990s Baltimore. It focused on the antagonists on both sides of the fence – the police and dealers – and as such was like nothing else before.
The Wire also featured a cast of now household names at the early stages of their careers, including Idris Elba and Dominic West, and sported some of the sharpest dialogue written for screen. Indeed, after its debut in 2002, it has grown to be considered as one of the greatest television shows ever made.
Those expecting explosions, car chases and shootouts will be left disappointed, but the rest of us can revel in masterful, often brutal storytelling.
Band of Brothers
After showing us a rare glimpse at the brutality of war in Saving Private Ryan, Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks teamed once more for this bold dramatisation of the 101st Airborne regiment and their journey through WW2.
Again focusing on the personal and their experiences during the conflict, Band Of Brothers was an absolute stand-out show. It changed how action scenes would be depicted and filmed from then on.
We follow our protagonists through the war, their sacrifices, their survival (or not), and due to the level of writing and direction, we feel every second.
Band Of Brothers changed how we look at war on the small screen, just as Saving Private Ryan did in the cinema, and without it we wouldn't have had follow-ups The Pacific nor Apple's Masters of the Air.
Game of Thrones
Game Of Thrones blasted onto HBO in 2011 and forever changed how the average television audience saw the fantasy genre. No longer simply a domain for geeky Dungeons & Dragons nerds, this was lavish, exciting, violent, and sexy.
Based on the A Song of Ice and Fire novels by George R. R. Martin, it told the long-running tale of a land ruled by factions on the verge of war against a seemingly unstoppable supernatural enemy. It also dealt with political infighting almost as much as swordplay, and came to the screen with huge production values, a massive cast of (mostly) young and sexy people, and was unafraid to spill blood, get naked, and shock its audience.
Game of Thrones was (and still is) refreshing and amazingly popular from its very first episode. It was the ultimate "water cooler" show of its time, and became a key part of the cultural zeitgeist.
It's a shame about the final season... but you can't get everything right all the time.
