Station Eleven and Other Popular HBOMax Originals
Station Eleven is one of several HBO Max original series to make waves with critics and audiences. The series is based on the national bestseller written by Emily. St. John Mandel and released in 2015. The novel chronicles the collapse of modern society in the wake of a flu-like pandemic. Set two decades after the initial outbreak, the non-linear narrative primarily follows protagonist Kirsten Raymonde as she joins The Traveling Symphony, a group of artists who strive to retain important aspects of art and humanity in the post-apocalypse.
The Station Eleven cast includes Mackenzie Davis and Matilda Lawler as Kirsten, as well as Himesh Patel, Lori Petty, and Daniel Zovatto. The 10-episode mini-series was well received, with an 81 percent rating on Metacritic, indicating “universal acclaim.” Emily St. John Mandel produced the series with Claire Welland, allowing the author to make several changes to the narrative. The series received numerous nominations from organizations such as the Directors Guild of America, the Hollywood Critics Association, and the Peabody Awards.
The Staircase is another popular HBO Max limited series. Starring Colin Firth and Toni Collette, the series tells the story of Michael Peterson (played by Firth) as he and his family deal with the mysterious death of his wife, played by Collette. The eight-episode, true crime series is based on the 2004 docuseries of the same name. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that more than 90 percent of critics gave the series a positive review. Both Firth and Collette received nominations for their performances.
In terms of continuing HBO Max series, the streaming platform renewed the David Jenkins romantic pirate comedy Our Flag Means Death for a second season in June 2022. The first season starred Rhys Darby as gentleman pirate Stede Bonnet opposite Taika Waititi’s Edward Teach (better known as Blackbeard) in a story loosely based on true events. In addition to receiving strong reviews from critics and audiences alike, the series has been praised for its representation of LGBTQ characters and relationships. The show has also garnered a number of award nominations, including the Dorian Award for Best TV Comedy and Best LGBTQ Show.
HBO Max has also broken into the world of animation with original series such as Harley Quinn, based on the DC Comics character created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm. The series boasts one of the strongest casts on the HBO Max roster. In addition to Kaley Cuoco and Lake Bell as series leads Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, respectively, the voice cast includes comedic talents like Jason Alexander, Ron Funches, Alan Tudky, Tony Hale, Jim Rash, and J.B. Smoove. The show also features dramatic actors such as Christopher Meloni. The R-rated, animated show began its run with a 26-episode order to air on the DC Universe platform. However, the show proved so successful that it was renewed for a third season and moved to HBO Max as an ongoing HBO Max original. The show’s third season premiered on July 28, 2022. Harley Quinn has been nominated for a number of awards and was named Best Animated Series at Pena de Prata in 2020.
In addition to HBO Max originals, the platform is home to HBO original series such as The Time Traveler’s Wife, Irma Vep, and Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.