5 Most Important HBO TV Shows Of All Time, Ranked

The premium cable channel HBO just bid farewell to "Euphoria." The show, which started airing in 2019, had tremendous creative ups and downs during its years on the air. However, "Euphoria" was also a kind of provocative program that few other networks (even among premium cable outlets) would take a chance on. That's the legacy HBO has cultivated after decades of original programming, often regarded as giving life to some of the best pieces of television ever produced. Whether it's "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Sharp Objects," or "Big Little Lies" (among many others), HBO has redefined what's possible in this storytelling medium.

Given the expansive library of shows HBO now has under its belt, it's worth asking an important question: What are the most important HBO programs in the network's history? What are the productions that defined the HBO aesthetic and its perception by the public? The five most important HBO TV shows (ranked below from least to most important) capture the wide array of artistry and narratives that this network can house. They also reflect a collection of programs that each redefined what kind of projects HBO pursued.

The television industry as a whole owes a lot to these enterprises. These five programs didn't just change everything for HBO as a network; their importance also eternally changed television as an art form for the better.

A collaboration with the Sky Atlantic network, "Chernobyl" was released in May 2019 with minimal fanfare. It didn't take long, though, for this outstanding project to pick up major steam. Very quickly, this five-episode miniseries garnered a notable fanbase that was profoundly invested in this program. The timely relevance of this project's central storylines (which concerned what happens when governments prioritize lies over all else), its evocative atmosphere, and compelling performances all ensured that the show became a steady viewership juggernaut. People just had to see what was going on with this buzzy endeavor.

Elements like the most disturbing scenes in "Chernobyl" solidified this project as a gutsy enterprise whose eventual domination on the award season circuit was inevitable. This tremendous success came at just the right time in HBO's history. "Game of Thrones" was wrapping up as "Chernobyl" premiered, and this must-see miniseries ensured that HBO could still deliver new hit shows beyond Westeros. More importantly, "Chernobyl" head writer and series creator Craig Mazin would become crucial to this network in the years that followed.

Not only was Mazin the creative mastermind behind "The Last of Us," but HBO has also hired him to create a "Baldur's Gate" program for the network. Mazin has become a vital genre storytelling voice for the platform, and his essential relationship with HBO can be traced back to his unforgettable work realizing the sleeper hit "Chernobyl."

HBO was no stranger to acclaimed limited series before "True Detective" premiered in 2014. "Mildred Pierce," "Band of Brothers," and "John Adams" were just a few examples of the revered miniseries programs that this network delivered prior to "Detective" hitting the airwaves. However, the immense popularity and cultural impact of "True Detective" forever altered HBO's programming strategy. For the next decade, the miniseries would be an inescapable fixture of HBO's exploits. Previously, HBO had only done one or two miniseries a year, but by 2019, it would house several different limited-run shows that ranged from "Chernobyl" to "Watchmen."

Meanwhile, "True Detective" leading men Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson scoring such rich roles on television helped upend long-standing norms that movie stars should avoid the small screen at all costs. The road to "I Know This Much Is True" being led by Mark Ruffalo or Kate Winslet anchoring "Mare of Easttown" was paved by "True Detective." Meanwhile, the entire rural dark mystery aesthetic of the series has remained influential on subsequent HBO productions. The Missouri backdrop of "Sharp Objects," for instance, echoes the "True Detective" tableaus.

Most notably, the "Lanterns" marketing campaign has evoked "True Detective" (with its grim tone, Southern setting, and emphasis on a grim mystery) far more than "Superman" in atmosphere and visuals. Even DC superhero shows are caught in the "True Detective" gravitational pull. This was far from the first HBO miniseries, but it's the network's most influential, considering it keeps reverberating through HBO's shows.

The original "Game of Thrones" unaired pilot is infamous. Hailing from director Tom McCarthy, the whole thing backfired so poorly that HBO went back to the drawing board entirely. Series creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss were appalled by how poorly this episode had been realized, so they had no problem with a creative overhaul. Adapting George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" books wasn't as easy a task as it may have seemed on paper. For a moment, it looked like "Game of Thrones" would be a massive misfire for HBO. Eventually, though, a better series premiere was cobbled together, and "Game of Thrones" found its legs and then some.

In the seasons that followed, countless "Game of Thrones" moments stunned audiences and left people across the globe chattering about what an incredible program this was. Just a few years into its run, "Game of Thrones" reached unprecedented levels of popularity for an HBO show. By the time the series finale grabbed a staggering amount of eyeballs, it was apparent "Game of Thrones" had forever altered HBO's history. To boot, this show established that the network could flourish in the genre television space. It wasn't just grounded mobster and relationship stories where HBO's television could excel.

Fantasy and dragon-oriented sagas also now had a place on this network. Subsequent HBO shows like "Lanterns" and "Dune: Prophecy" would've been unthinkable in a pre-"Game of Thrones" world, or even when that pilot first came in.

When it comes to "Sex and the City" and its popularity, let's take a cue from Salt-N-Pepa and "talk about sex." This show could engage in far more candid discussions of intimacy or relationships than any broadcast network program constrained by Standards & Practices restrictions. In 1998, when "Sex and the City" first premiered, programs like "Home Improvement" and "Jesse," with their very clean-cut visions of reality, were dominating the airwaves. Meanwhile, Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and friends provided a dose of realism in their frank exchanges that allowed viewers to truly see themselves and their friend groups on the small screen.

The tremendous success of "Sex and the City" set a precedent for relaxed, dialogue-driven comedies to flourish on this network, including fellow New York-set shows "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Entourage," "Girls," and more. In other words, "Sex and the City" didn't just give HBO one hit show; it opened the door for several other successes, too. On top of all that, "Sex and the City" helped solidify HBO's dominance of Sunday nights for original programming. This day of the week would remain for decades the network's default launchpad for new, exclusive programming, including "The Sopranos."

If you have fond memories of watching "Barry" or "Game of Thrones" on Sunday nights, you have Carrie Bradshaw to thank. Sure, there are plenty of "Sex and the City" moments that haven't aged well, but the show had a towering impact on HBO.

There's simply no other HBO show that has had such a profound effect on this network as "The Sopranos." There were successful HBO productions before it, but none punctured the zeitgeist like "The Sopranos." Immediately, the world of Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), his family, and his friends captivated audiences. Weekly television inherently lets audiences grow close to characters, usually amiable friend groups like the leads of "Cheers." In "The Sopranos," that element was masterfully utilized to provide an intimate gaze of morally complex psychologies rarely seen on television or in any artistic medium before.

With this unprecedented level of depth and grimy storytelling, "The Sopranos" took over the world. Inevitably, countless programs, both HBO-bound or otherwise, utilized the new storytelling possibilities that this production unleashed. The best TV shows like "The Sopranos" were often amazing in their own right, but they inevitably couldn't measure up to the endeavor that started it all. Plus, "The Sopranos" reinforced that HBO was in a league of its own when it came to television dramas. No wonder key cast members of this mobster show have appeared in subsequent HBO hits, such as Michael Imperioli's memorable turn in the second season of "The White Lotus."

Artistically, "The Sopranos" is considered one of the most perfect TV shows ever made. In terms of HBO's legacy, though, it's also a staggeringly impactful achievement. There really wouldn't be an HBO as we know it without Tony Soprano waking up in the morning and getting himself a gun.