HBO has finally arrived in the UK, and with it comes a catalogue of television that, for years, has felt just slightly out of reach. While there are plenty of long-running series to get stuck into but what HBO arguably does better than anyone else is the limited series: a story told over a single, carefully planned run, with a clear ending in mind from the start.
If you’re looking for something gripping that won’t take over your life for the next six months, these are some of the very best places to start.
Chernobyl (2019)
If you’ve heard of one HBO limited series, it’s probably this. A dramatisation of the 1986 nuclear disaster that is as tense as anything you’ll find on television, despite the fact that we all know how it ends. What makes it so effective is its restraint. There are no cheap thrills here, just a slow, creeping sense of dread as the scale of the disaster becomes clear. It’s meticulous, unsettling, and quietly devastating.
The Night Of (2016)
What begins as a seemingly straightforward crime story quickly becomes something far more complex. A single night leads to a murder accusation, and from there the series explores the long, grinding reality of the justice system. It’s less about solving the case and more about what happens to a person once they’re caught inside it, and the main players, Riz Ahmed and John Tutorro, really develop that sense of humanity through all the twists and turns.
Patient, detailed, and deeply absorbing.
Angels in America (2003)
Adapted from the acclaimed stage play, this is a series that leans into its theatrical roots. Set during the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, it blends politics, identity, and surreal imagery in a way that feels both ambitious and deeply personal. The performances are exceptional, and its themes remain strikingly relevant.
Mare of Easttown (2021)
On the surface, this is a small-town murder mystery. In reality, it’s something much richer. The series is just as interested in its characters as it is in the case itself: their histories, their relationships, and the quiet pressures of living in a place where everyone knows everyone. Kate Winslet is excellent throughout, and the whole thing feels grounded in a way that most crime dramas never quite manage.
Sharp Objects (2018)
A slow, unsettling psychological drama that showcases some of the best work that Amy Adams has to offer, and that says a lot. One of the real strengths of this is how it lingers long after it finishes-the story of a journalist returns to her hometown to cover a series of murders is one we’ve all seen before. Here, though, the real story lies in everyone reliving their past and working through the truth and lies they tell each other and themselves. It’s deliberately paced, almost hypnotic at times, and builds an atmosphere that is constantly just slightly off. Not one to binge lightly, but incredibly effective if you give it your full attention.
Band of Brothers (2001)
Arguably the greatest TV show ever made, and certainly one of the most ambitious war dramas ever made. Following a group of paratrooper soldiers through the Second World War from their training to the end of their involvement, it balances large-scale action with deeply personal storytelling. The battles are intense, but it’s the relationships between the men that give the series its emotional weight, driven, in part, by the knowledge that these are real stories based on the lives of real people. Over twenty years on, it remains essential viewing.
From the Earth to the Moon (1998)
As we finish writing this article. NASA are sending a crew to orbit the Moon for the first time in over 50 years. So what better time to revisit this masterpiece: a fascinating look at NASA’s Apollo missions, told across a series of episodes that each explore a different part of the journey to the moon. There’s a real sense of admiration here for the people involved, both the astronauts and the thousands working behind the scenes, who provide a reminder of just how extraordinary those achievements were.
The Plot Against America (2020)
An alternative history that imagines a very different political direction for the United States. Rather than focusing on grand events, the series stays grounded in the experience of one family, showing how quickly everyday life can shift under changing circumstances. It’s quiet, measured, and all the more unsettling because of how plausible it feels, especially if you’re a history buff.
Watchmen (2019)
Perhaps the most divisive on this list, but certainly the most under-appreciated. This isn’t a straightforward adaptation, but a bold expansion of the original graphic novel’s world. You won’t need to have read the source material, or even the film adaptation of it, as this show takes familiar ideas and uses them to explore contemporary themes around race, power, and history. At times, it asks quite a lot of its audience, but it rewards that attention with something genuinely thoughtful and distinctive, with an astonishing denouement that features one of the best constructed endings in recent memory.
