The 10 Best HBO Original Comedy Series, Ranked

HBO has long been the gold standard for original programming. Whether it was as a cable outlet back in the 1990s and 2000s or the streamer station of the 2010s and today, audiences have looked to HBO to raise the bar for both dramatic series and comedic shows. Some performers have carved out entire careers by allying with the streamer. Take Danny McBride, for instance. He has partnered with HBO for a trio of shows that all appear in our top ten list. Vice Principals, The Righteous Gemstones, and Eastbound & Down have largely defined his powerhouse career in comedy. He has been excellent in movies as well, but he is well known for his HBO comedy series.

HBO started delivering original comedies back in the 1980s with shows like 1st and 10 starring Delta Burke. The momentum continued into the 90s with the late great comedian Gary Shandling lifting the curtain on late-night talk shows with The Larry Sanders Show. Over the last twenty years, the laughs have just kept on rolling with Larry David carrying the torch from Shandling through 12 stellar seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Television and movie royalty like Julia Lousie Dreyfuss, Danny McBride, Jean Smart, and John Goodman have all found another level of success by starring in HBO original comedies. Here are the ten best.

10 'Vice Principals' (2017-2018)

Number of seasons: 2

Danny McBride makes his first appearance on our list and his first of two hilarious collaborations with Walton Goggins on Vice Principals. These two also appear together in The Righteous Gemstones, but paired off first in 2017 to play two school administrators who are vying for the same promotion to Principal. With only two full seasons, it feels like there was so much more TV goodness to be tapped here, but at least we got a handful of episodes.

What more can you say about the chemistry between McBride and Goggins than what they have already delivered on the screen? McBride has his misguided polecat swagger in full effect here, while Goggins is terrific as a mild-mannered but crafty foil who will do almost anything to undermine his arch-nemesis. Together they are the ideal nincompoops who may look like full-grown men on the outside but have the mentality and maturity of the students they are supposed to be supervising.

Vice Principals

Comedy

In a competitive scramble for the top position at a high school, two vice principals engage in a no-holds-barred rivalry filled with elaborate pranks and manipulations. As their feud escalates, both combatants must confront their flawed perceptions of power and the quirky realities of educational leadership.

Release Date

June 17, 2016

Cast

Walton Goggins , Danny McBride , Georgia King , Busy Philipps

Main Genre

Comedy

Seasons

2

Studio

HBO

WATCH ON MAX

9 Entourage (2004-2011)

Number of seasons: 8

What is it like to be a planet in the orbit of the sun that is a big Hollywood star? HBO tackled this question with a laugh-out-loud take on the Entourage dynamic in show business. Drama (Kevin Dillon), Eric "E" Murphy (Kevin Connolly), and Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) all jockeyed to find the sweet spot on the coattail of rising movie star Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) while also trying to put together their own careers in Tinseltown. Jeremy Piven has never been better than the narcissistic but dedicated agent Ari Gold working to get Vince the hottest and biggest starring roles. The show is based on the real-life experience of megastar Mark Wahlberg.

There were so many characters and such a dynamic maelstrom of relationships between this circle of friends and Ari. Each of them occupied just the right amount of space and contributed just enough to make Entourage a must-watch, appointment viewing every week in the 2000s. The show was so revered and well-received that a full-length film was made in 2015 with brand-new escapades for Vince and his pals.

Entourage

TV-MAComedyDrama

Release Date

July 18, 2004

Cast

Kevin Connolly , Adrian Grenier , Kevin Dillon , Jerry Ferrara , Jeremy Piven , Debi Mazar , Perrey Reeves , Rex Lee , Rhys Coiro , Gary Cole , Emmanuelle Chriqui , Scott Caan

Main Genre

Comedy

Seasons

8

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8 'Barry' (2018-2023)

Number of seasons: 4

Bill Hader knocks it out of the park as Barry, a former marine with PTSD who tries to balance his career as a hitman with a quixotic desire to become a Hollywood actor. What could possibly go wrong? Barry is one of the most innovative and fresh ideas for a television show ever, and Hader leads a stellar cast that includes Emmy-worthy performances from both Henry Winkler as washed-out acting coach Gene Cousineau, Stephen Root as Barry's relentless handler Monroe Fuches, and Anthony Carrigan as the driven but clueless gangster NoHo-Hank.

The way that Hader and fellow creator/producer Alec Berg establish the two separate worlds of their titular lead is a glorious piece of TV. The dichotomy plays out beautifully over the first several seasons before eventually dovetailing together and providing for some of the funniest and most dramatic moments within only a thirty-minute episode. Hader has come a long way from his SNL days and his breakout recurring character Stephan.

Barry

TV-MAComedyDramaAction

Release Date

March 25, 2018

Creator

Alec Berg, Bill Hader

Cast

Bill Hader , Stephen Root , Henry Winkler

Main Genre

Drama

Seasons

4

Watch On Max

7 'The Larry Sanders Show' (1992-1997)

Number of seasons: 6

"Heyyyy Nowww!!!" It's Garry Shandling as Larry Sanders in what was an important comedy win for HBO. The Larry Sanders Show is the only comedy from the decade of the 90s on this list and propelled the streamer as the preeminent carrier of original programming. The behind-the-scenes look at what went on before, during, and after, you catch your favorite late-night TV show was spot-on, but ridiculous enough to leave a lasting impression and a worthy top-five entry on this list.

The chemistry between Shandling and Rip Torn as show producer Artie and Jeffrey Tambor as not-so-subtle Ed McMahon knockoff Hank Kingsley was not only dynamic entertainment but a bridge into the twenty-first century for a new style of hour-long HBO comedies. And it was a veritable who's who for guest stars and cameos each week who played along with the antics of the grind that is putting daily talk show together.

The Larry Sanders Show

Comedy

Release Date

August 15, 1992

Cast

Garry Shandling , Jeffrey Tambor , Wallace Langham , Rip Torn , Mary Lynn Rajskub , Scott Thompson

Main Genre

Comedy

Seasons

6

WATCH ON MAX

6 'The Righteous Gemstones' (2019-present)

Number of seasons: 4

The first three seasons of The Righteous Gemstones is Danny McBride at the peak of his powers both as a comedic performer and as a guy calling his own shots with the brass at HBO. In his third collaboration with the streamer, he is a writer and executive producer of a story about a horribly dysfunctional family of televangelists. As the eldest of three, Jesse rules the roost as he tries to pry power away from his father, Eli Gemstone (John Goodman).

The ensemble of the show is exceptional, with McBride, Goodman, Edi Patterson, Walton Goggins, and Adam DeVine. All have terrific comedic chops and their timing is top-notch. The third partnership between HBO and McBride is pushing Eastbound & Down to be the best and still has more seasons in the works. Be on the lookout for a fourth season of the comedy due out sometime in 2024.

The Righteous Gemstones

TV-MA

Release Date

August 18, 2019

Cast

John Goodman , Danny McBride , Adam Devine , Edi Patterson , Cassidy Freeman , Tony Cavalero , Skyler Gisondo , Gregory Alan Williams

Main Genre

Comedy

Seasons

4

WATCH ON MAX

5 'Eastbound & Down' (2015-2018)

Number of seasons: 4

Here is a case study of what happens to our favorite athletes when they start believing their own headlines and lose focus on what they are doing on the field. Danny McBrideis larger than life as Kenny Powers, a professional baseball player who flames out of a gold-paved road to millions of bucks and superstardom as an athlete because he just can't get right mentally. Eastbound & Down is McBride's second of three entries on this list. He has used the HBO platform perhaps more than anyone to take his career to an elite level.

Powers is the brash and irreverent precursor to McBride's take on Jesse Gemstone in The Righteous Gemstones. He is obviously at his best when he can just riff and write his own dialogue like he does in Eastbound & Down. Born in Statesboro, Georgia, the 47-year-old actor is a natural for the southern-based show that dissects the hilarious downfall of a narcissistic and self-centered pro athlete. Katy Mixon is terrific in a supporting role as well.

Eastbound & Down

Comedy

Release Date

February 15, 2009

Cast

Danny McBride , Katy Mixon , John Hawkes , Jennifer Irwin , Andrew Daly , Ben Best , Ike Barinholtz , Tim Heidecker

Main Genre

Comedy

Seasons

4

WATCH ON MAX

4 'Hacks' (2021-present)

Number of seasons: 3

Jean Smartis one of the best actresses working today. She cut her teeth on roles in sitcoms like Designing Women in the 80s and 90s and has had a memorable turn in another HBO drama, Mare of Easttown in 2021. She has an uncanny ability to do both funny and drama, unlike any other female performer. In Hacks, she taps into that funny bone and delivers the character of washed-up Las Vegas comic Deborah Vance. Her relationship/mentorship with co-star Hannah Embinder as Ava Daniels is brilliant to the tune of a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

What separates Smart from the rest of the pack in not only Hacks, but Hollywood, in general, is her knack for delivering performances that have both an element of elegance and class with a touch of crass. It's not an easy recipe to duplicate and Smart is one of the elite players who has been turning in stellar parts for over 45 years. Enjoy Ms. Smart now, while she is still killing it, as she won't keep delighting audiences forever.

Hacks

TV-MAComedyDrama

Release Date

May 13, 2021

Cast

Jean Smart , Hannah Einbinder , Carl Clemons-Hopkins , Mark Indelicato

Main Genre

Comedy

Seasons

3

Creator

Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, Jen Statsky

Watch On Max

3 'Veep' (2012-2018)

Number of seasons: 7

It makes sense that two of the top three entries on the list would originate from Seinfeld graduates. Julia Louis-Dreyfuss is as talented a comedic actress as has ever lived on the level of Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett. She's got enough awards to back this claim up with more Emmy statuettes than she can carry. Veepwas a triumph for her on the heels of a third criminally underrated comedy sitcom called The New Adventures of Old Christine.

Veep feels more like an HBO docuseries than the absurd sidesplitting comedy that it is. With all the nonsense and inability of the politicians in Washington D.C. these days, Vice President Selina Meyer and her flying circus of a staff were a brilliant send-up of some of the most incompetent people in the United States. Tony Hale is stellar as the blindly loyal personal assistant Gary Walsh, who is at the beck and call of the Veep. Anna Chlumsky and Matt Walsh deliver standout performances on top of the comedy jewel that is Dreyfuss.

Veep

TV-MAComedy

Release Date

April 22, 2012

Cast

Julia Louis-Dreyfus , Anna Chlumsky , Tony Hale , Reid Scott , Timothy Simons , Matt Walsh , Kevin Dunn , Gary Cole

Main Genre

Comedy

Seasons

7

Creator

Armando Iannuci

Studio

HBO

WATCH ON MAX

2 'Silicon Valley' (2014-2020)

Number of seasons: 6

HBO looked at the technology revolution taking place in the Bay Area of California to find 6 seasons of hilarious hijinks from a group of computer savants in Silicon Valley. Together they were the perfect storm of wringing every last laugh from the real-life story of the quest to create the latest and hottest app. From creating brilliant algorithms to trying like hell to monetize their ideas, the cast of Silicon Valley never seemed to be able to get out of their own way.

The best part of Silicon Valley is watching these geniuses played by Thomas Middleditch, Kumail Nanjiani, Martin Starr, and stoner T.J. Miller (okay maybe he was not a M.E.N.S.A. member) and their unyielding desire to be the valley's new I.T. "it" stars. If only their social skills were on par with their I.Q.s, all those meetings with the venture capitalists would have gone much smoother. Nonetheless, maybe being that smart makes it impossible to have the accompanying sophistication necessary to make it in Silicon Valley.

Silicon Valley

TV-MAComedy

Release Date

April 6, 2014

Cast

Thomas MIddleditch , Kumail Nanjiani , Martin Starr , Amanda Crew , Matt Ross , Josh Brener

Main Genre

Comedy

Seasons

6

Creator

Ronald D. Moore

Studio

HBO

WATCH ON MAX

1 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' (2000-)

Number of seasons: 12

We're "prettayy, prettayy, prettayy" confident with the masterpiece by Seinfeld co-creator Larry David taking the top spot on the list. Curb Your Enthusiasm proved that David was indeed a comedic genius if there were any doubts following Seinfeld. The show proved to be more than a worthy successor to the seminal 90s show and as we enter the final season of the Curb, it's still hard to believe that this cinema-verite offering has been in existence since 2000.

Do we enjoy Curb Your Enthusiasm so much because viewers can watch it and feel pretty confident that they are not the most neurotic, miserable person in the world? Not since Archie Bunker have we seen a dyspeptic misanthrope on the level of Larry David. Everything he touches turns to poop, and we love watching him fall flat on his face over and over again. Alas, it will be David who will be laughing all the way to the bank as the success of both Curb and Seinfeld has made him the most apoplectic billionaire that ever lived.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

TV-MAComedy

Release Date

October 15, 2000

Cast

Larry David , Jeff Garlin , Cheryl Hines , Susie Essman , J.B. Smoove , Richard Lewis

Main Genre

Comedy

Seasons

12

Creator

Larry David

Studio

HBO

WATCH ON MAX