Blood. Sex. Violence. HBO has made a name for itself on those things but also as the premier place for prestige television, with many of the most acclaimed shows of the 21st century coming from their lineup. And their domination in terms of critical and audience reception is no joke - the amount of Emmys their shows have produced should be the only proof you need of that.

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And while some shows like Game of Thrones are popular from the start, others like Succession take a couple of seasons before slowly turning into a phenomenon. But they can't all be hits, as sometimes shows get lost in the shuffle. This is a shame, as many of these shows are well worth the watch and sometimes just as good as HBO's more popular brethren.

Ballers

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Image via HBO

Despite having Dwayne Johnson in the lead role, Ballers never reached the popularity it likely should have even though it had strong ratings on it's debut episode. Following a former NFL player turned financial manager, the series is best described as Entourage meets Friday Night Lights, which alone should be a pitch worth checking out (pun intended).

It's mostly led by spirited performances across the board, particularly from Johnson whose against-type role is one of the best of his career and a far cry from the action blockbusters he's known for on the big screen. But it's also worth checking out to see the breakout role of John David Washington, whose performance in the show got the attention of Spike Lee and eventually landed him the lead role in BlacKkKlansman.

Big Love

Big Love

You wouldn't think that a polygamous Mormon family would be a good subject for a loving family drama, but Big Love proves otherwise as one of HBO's most interesting offerings. With Bill Paxton in the lead role, the show follows said polygamous family and the tensions that arise when a new member is introduced to the family while also dealing with their lives in the public sphere.

Writing team Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer take great care in making sure their extensive research on the subject is accurate and respectful, and that's what makes Big Love so great as a show. There is a sense the writers were less interested in asking "why are they polygamous" and instead wanted to just show their lives as is and have the viewers make their judgments for themselves. It's an honest, frank show at points, but it's also earnest and sincere, which is a breath of fresh air nowadays.

Carnivàle

The Carnivale cast
Image via HBO

Cut short early from its intended six-season story arc, Carnivàle is one of the weirdest shows HBO ever produced, but yet likely was ahead of its time in many ways. Taking place in the mid-1930s, the show follows two separate storylines about two separate forces who develop strange, unearthly powers and are on a collision course with one another.

Its surreal imagery combined with elements of dark fantasy was clearly a foreshadowing of things to come in terms of television in the 2010s, but Carnivàle was around 10 years too early and was unjustly canceled before its time. Nowadays, Carnivàle is one of those shows that retains a dedicated audience for good reason - its compelling characters, unique mythology, and willingness to treat its audience with intelligence make a great case for this one to be a show for HBO to reboot or bring back in some form.

Deadwood

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Possibly one of HBO's best ever, Deadwood's third season cancellation still stings and probably is what prevented it from becoming the household name it absolutely should be. The western drama is an ensemble piece, focusing on the rise of the town of Deadwood in the 1870s and the people that live there.

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What follows is some of the most compelling television ever put to our small screen, perfectly capturing the grit and grime of the western while bringing its own angle to genre. Every actor brings their A-game here, but it's Ian McShane and Timothy Olyphant who both are the standouts here as they give performances of a lifetime here and make the case as some of the best TV performances ever.

The Deuce

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Image via Fox Searchlight

Set in the Golden Age of Porn and starring James Franco as a pair of twins along with Maggie Gyllenhall as a porn actress, The Deuce is less about the people involved in the industry and moreso the industry itself. In a lot of ways, it's a docudrama, charting both the rise and fall of the 70s porno boom while also exploring the effects it had economically and politically.

As such, it's not surprising that The Deuce never managed to truly find an audience despite constant critical acclaim and finishing its planned three-season without much issue. Its fantastic dialogue, great character writing, and attention to historical accuracy make The Deuce a truly unique piece of television worth celebrating.

Flight of the Conchords

Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie playing guitars in Flight of the Conchords
Image via HBO

While the Flight of the Conchords band the show is named after retains a cult following, the show that it spawned sadly never got the spotlight is so deserved. The unique structure of the show - part music video, part sitcom - followed fictionalized versions of Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie as they try to find some kind of life in New York City.

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There is a good argument to be made that it's the funniest show HBO ever made, and despite it lasting only two seasons, it's infinitely rewatchable and timeless. The music is also fantastic, and you'll be humming at least one or two tracks from the show in no time.

His Dark Materials

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Image via HBO

While technically a co-production with the BBC, His Dark Materials is technically an HBO show, so it absolutely counts here. Based on the book series of the same name, the series follows a young girl named Lyra who discovers a conspiracy within the Magisterium, the political and religious body that governs their world.

Previously adapted in 2007 as The Golden Compass to mixed results, this new adaptation is a closer and faithful retelling of the original books, and definitely worth the time for those asking for a new fantasy world to get lost in. And with its third and final season on the way, there isn't much to catch up on either.

The Leftovers

Justin Theroux and Carrie Coon as older Kevin and Nora at a party in The Leftovers.
Image via HBO

While Damon Lindelof is best known for his work on Lost and Watchmen, this one might be his very best work and yet it's shockingly ignored by many people. After an event called "The Sudden Departure" makes 2 million people disappear, the series explores the aftermath 3 years later and what society would look like in the wake of such an event.

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The answer is extremely grim and dour, but purposefully so and with a message surrounding collective grief and loss that rings more true in a post-pandemic world. If anything, The Leftovers is a powerful reminder about not taking the people we love for granted, and Lindelof's writing works wonders here as he meticulously lays out his story slowly but surely before ending in a grand crescendo.

Rome

Rome

Without Rome, there would be no Game of Thrones. The most expensive show on TV when it was originally airing, Rome is the historical epic to end all historical epics as it follows the history of the Roman Empire through the eyes of two soldiers who participate in key moments throughout history.

From its copious amounts of sex to its brutal, gory violence, Rome is quintessential HBO, and while it was definitely cut off before it could wrap up its story, the two seasons that it was around for are sublime. The production values are immense, the acting is great across the board, and the sheer scope of the show must be seen to be believed.

Six Feet Under

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Image Via HBO

Death is an inevitability, so why not have some humor about it? That's the main focus behind Six Feet Under, the darkest of dark comedies about a family-owned funeral home and their lives. It's a show where every episode, save for one, opens with a death which gives you a perfect idea of what to expect from the show.

And yet it's also some of the best writing you may ever see on TV. Despite the grim subject, Six Feet Under never stops having an optimistic outlook and being genuinely funny to boot. Its series finale is one of the best ever made as well, in fact, it's so good that it manages to make the rest of the show better by comparison.

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