HBO Max: 17 best TV shows to watch tonight – CNET [CNET]

View Article on CNET

hacks-jean-smart
Watch Summer Camp Island if you miss other animated series Adventure Time.

HBO Max

It’s slim pickings for new TV shows hitting HBO Max this week, so if you haven’t caught last week’s premiere yet, that might be your best option: season 4 of animated comedy Summer Camp Island, which will bring some bizarre, adventurous fun.

Aside from that, go back and watch the recent finale of Hacks. The comedy-drama, starring the great Jean Smart, is one of the best new shows to come out of the streamer. You could also catch the recent season 4 of In Treatment, part 1 of entertaining steampunk series The Nevers and classic screwball comedy Starstruck. For even more options, check out the best of the HBO Max Originals below.

Read more: The 10 best movies to watch on HBO Max | Everything you need to know to sign up to HBO Max

Best HBO Max Original TV series

Comedy

Starstruck (2021—)

http://www.cnet.com/

HBO Max

Starstruck is a classic screwball comedy, starring the loveably goofy Rose Matafeo. She plays Jessie, a twentysomething Londoner who parties it up on New Year’s Eve, then later discovers she had a one-night stand with Tom Kapoor, a celebrity played by Nikesh Patel. Follow Jessie as she juggles odd jobs, from cinema worker to nanny, and her blossoming relationship with a film star that involves no hijinks whatsoever. Watch out for scene-stealer Minnie Driver as Tom’s agent in this witty, neatly crafted comedy package.

Hacks (2021—)

http://www.cnet.com/

HBO Max

The great Jean Smart rightfully takes the spotlight in this acclaimed comedy-drama series. Throwing iPads into swimming pools and delivering withering looks, Smart plays Deborah Vance, a legendary Las Vegas comedy diva who must face the prospect of appealing to a younger audience or disappearing into obscurity. She’s partnered with Ava (Hannah Einbinder), a young and equally snarky comedy writer, to freshen up her material. Perfectly balancing its biting insight into how the comedy business treats women, with the warmth of an odd couple buddy comedy, Hacks is one of the best originals to come out of HBO Max.

Made for Love (2021—)

http://www.cnet.com/

HBO Max

Black Mirror, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel. This satirical comedy hinges on Cristin Milioti’s comedic talents. Hazel Green escapes a 10-year marriage — until she realizes her husband, a tech billionaire, has fitted a chip into her brain. He can see her every move and track her down to negotiate their marriage. Hazel searches for freedom with the help of her dad, played by Ray Romano, who’s in an unorthodox relationship of his own. A few twists, a helpful dolphin and socially awkward people also tag along for this disturbing ride.

Sci-fi

Romance

Drama

Veneno (2020)

http://www.cnet.com/

HBO Max

HBO Max thankfully brings this lauded Spanish miniseries to screens around the world. Veneno chronicles the life of Spanish icon Cristina Ortiz Rodríguez, a transgender singer and ’90s TV personality better known by the nickname “La Veneno” or “poison” in Spanish. Her enigmatic story comes under the lens of a curious journalism student grappling with her own identity. By turns hilarious, explicit and heart-breaking, this must-watch biographical miniseries explores survival and the influence of mass media.

Animation

Infinity Train (2019-2021)

http://www.cnet.com/

HBO Max

Not a fan of cartoons? Let Infinity Train change your mind — all four seasons of the critically acclaimed show explore complex themes through character-driven storylines. Season 1 follows Tulip Olsen, a girl struggling with her parents’ recent divorce. Along with her pals — a confused robot and a talking corgi — she explores a seemingly endless train, whose passengers all have unresolved emotional issues or trauma. How do they leave the train? By resolving their issues, of course. Dark, challenging and magnificent, this is animated viewing like you’ve rarely seen it. Definitely not just for kids.

Crime