The Last of Us is currently airing on Sunday nights, dominating the social media conversation and cementing its place as a TV phenomenon. Before it, The White Lotus fulfilled that duty, and before it, it was all about House of the Dragon.
For years, HBO has owned Sunday night. Redefining the meaning of "appointment television," the premium cable network has aired some of the new millennium's most iconic and groundbreaking shows on Sunday night. From The Sopranos to The Last of Us, Sunday night belongs to HBO, and it doesn't look like things will change any time soon.
10 'Sex and the City' (1998 - 2004)
If The Sopranos established HBO as the home for prestigious television, Sex and the City cemented it as the place for groundbreaking phenomenons. Sarah Jessica Parker starred as Carrie Bradshaw, a writer living in New York City and navigating the complications of being single and over thirty.
Sex and the City is among the most influential TV shows in history. It pushed boundaries about what audiences could see on television, especially regarding its fresh and honest portrayal of female sexuality. The show spawned a franchise that includes two movies and a spin-off show. However, none of the latter projects has managed to recapture the original's essence and sense of disruption; if anything, they've soiled the original series' once-enviable reputation.
9 'Big Little Lies' (2017 - 2019)
Big Little Lies reunited Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, Zoë Kravitz and Laura Dern in a story about suburban mothers who become embroiled in a murder mystery. Based on the eponymous 2014 novel, the show became an addiction on Sunday nights, attracting high ratings and receiving universal acclaim.
Although promoted as a limited series, Big Little Lies' success prompted HBO to produce a second season. However, it was considerably inferior to its predecessor, despite the reliable returning cast and the addition of the mighty Meryl Streep. Still, Big Little Lies is now considered one of the all-time best HBO shows, thanks to its addictive quality and the career-best performances of its talented ladies.
8 'Succession' (2018 - )
Already a modern classic, Succession is among HBO's sharpest and most ruthless efforts. The show stars an ensemble led by Brian Cox and Jeremy Strong and tells the story of the powerful Roy family and the internal struggles for control of its legacy, the media entertainment conglomerate Waystar RoyCo.
Succession has received universal acclaim from critics, with particular praise for its writing, acting, and musical score. It might not have the enduring legacy of other HBO properties, but it's on its way to achieving it. Succession's highly-anticipated fourth season will premiere following the ninth and final episode of The Last of Us, cementing HBO's long-time ownership of Sunday nights.
7 'Game of Thrones' (2011 - 2019)
Arguably HBO's most influential show of the new millennium, Game of Thrones was a bonafide television phenomenon, the last of its kind before streaming's eventual dominance. The show adapts George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire and chronicles the dispute between several noble houses for control of the Iron Throne of Westeros.
Game of Thrones received critical acclaim throughout its first six seasons, with high praise for its production values and the cast's performances. The last two seasons received mixed reviews, with its now-infamous last episode ranking among television's all-time worst finales. And while its reputation has suffered an irreparable blow, the heights achieved by GOT during its first four seasons are worthy of praise and admiration, allowing it to keep its coveted place among HBO's all-time crown jewels.
6 'Veep' (2012 - 2019)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus was already a television icon thanks to her Emmy-winning work in the seminal 90s sitcom Seinfeld; however, HBO's Veep turned her into a living legend. The show follows the political career of Selina Meyer, the conceited but ineffective Vice President of the United States and her equally unproductive team.
Veep benefitted from wickedly sharp writing and a game cast of stellar performers. However, the show lived and died with Louis-Dreyfus, who won a record six consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Veep ranks as one of the best modern comedies, with its satirical and dark look into American politics garnering considerable acclaim from critics and audiences. Most importantly, it was consistent until the end, maintaining its wicked and biting humor and ending on a high note.
5 'Six Feet Under' (2001 - 2005)
Alan Ball's Six Feet Under starred a large ensemble led by Peter Krause, including Frances Conroy, Michael C. Hall and Rachel Griffiths. The show revolves around the trials and tribulations of the Fisher family, owners of a funeral home in Los Angeles.
Debuting in the summer of 2001, Six Feet Under would become a Sunday night favorite for the next five years. The show is often considered among the best in HBO, and its satisfying and now-iconic finale ranks as one of the best in television history. Six Feet Under's acting and writing have aged particularly well, although it infamously never won an Emmy for either during its original run.
4 'Angels in America' (2003)
HBO's ambitious adaptation of Tony Kushner's seminal Pulitzer Prize-winning play Angels in America ranks as one of its best and most accomplished projects ever. The two-part mini-series follows a series of characters in New York City, particularly Prior Walter, a gay man living with AIDS who receives an angel's visit.
Universally praised for its faithfulness to the demanding source material, Angels in America was an instant success. It aired on two Sunday nights in December 2003, becoming the year's most-watched television film. Angels in America swept the 2004 Emmy Awards, winning every major category eligible category and cementing its place in tv history.
3 'Band of Brothers' (2001)
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For the past twenty years, HBO has produced some of the best and most acclaimed limited series on television; 2001's Band of Brothers is a prime example. The ten-episode miniseries, based on the 1992 non-fiction book of the same name, is a dramatization of the "Easy Company," 2nd Batallion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regime of the 101st Airborne Division's actions during World War II.
Band of Brothers aired on Sunday night throughout a particularly difficult time in US history, with its first episode premiering two days before the September 11 attacks. However, the show still attracted universal acclaim from critics and audiences, who praised its harrowing and deeply affecting look into the horrors and sacrifices of war.
2 'The Wire' (2002 - 2008)
Created and written by former police reporter David Simon, The Wire is an institution in the crime genre. The show starred Dominic West, Michael K. Williams and Idris Elba and focused on the illegal drug trade business, as seen from the eyes of law enforcement and the criminal side. Future seasons would explore other Baltimore institutions, including the government and the school system.
The Wire received universal acclaim from critics, with many considering it as good as, if not better than, HBO's other iconic shows like The Sopranos. However, unlike these other shows, The Wire was overlooked and received surprisingly little attention from awards organizations, receiving only two Emmy nominations throughout its five-season run. Still, The Wire's legacy endures, even twenty years later.
1 'The Sopranos' (1999 - 2007)
The show that "made" HBO, The Sopranos starred a large ensemble led by the late James Gandolfini. The story centers on the eponymous crime family, led by the ruthless Tony Soprano, who tries to balance his home life with his duties as the head of a violent and powerful syndicate.
The Sopranos is one of the best television shows ever made. The golden era of prestige TV is said to have begun alongside it, as did HBO's dominance of Sunday nights. The show earned rave reviews and won twenty-one Emmy Awards, building a legacy that has endured nearly twenty years after its surprising and divisive finale.