![Why are HBO shows so good?](https://cdn.stories.shwmx.co/media/2018/09/cq5dam.web_.1200.675-74.jpeg)
18 September 2018
Why are HBO shows so good?
With smash-hit classics like The Wire and The Sopranos as well as brand-new fan favourites including Ballers and Insecure, HBO is the undisputed home of many of TV’s most celebrated series. What’s their secret? What sets the studio apart in a landscape of over 500 scripted shows that viewers can choose between at any given time?
Here are a few factors that contribute to the greatness of HBO and how it got its reputation. As Rolling Stones writes, one of the things that HBO has going for it is the sense of “I don’t know about this new show, but HBO has vetted it, so I’ll give it a try.”
1. Curation, not volume
On a panel titled “The Best of HBO” at a conference in Israel in March this year, HBO programming boss Casey Bloys said of rival Netflix, “They’re in the volume business, we’re in the curation business”. And that really gets to the heart of the difference between HBO series and the slews of new 0riginals that Netflix and Amazon are producing. Netflix has plans to release 700 original series and films in 2018, whereas HBO usually has around 15 new series on the go at once (of course, part of this is because HBO doesn’t have the luxury of Netflix’s unrivalled spending on new shows).
It’s only natural that focusing on a smaller number of shows will have brilliant results. At the same conference, Bloys said that the reason Game of Thrones became the phenomenon it is, is because its curators only had one series to focus on, instead of trying to juggle multiple projects at once. Francesca Orsi, head of drama series at HBO, went on to suggest that the sheer number of new shows coming from streaming services is “diluting” the quality of TV. Though, of course, that’s not how everyone feels about the streaming service’s “more is more” attitude – as Rolling Stones says, having so many new shows in the TV landscape has led to more and more new, fresh voices we’d never hear from otherwise.
But Orsi also said that some of the new creators they’re working with refused to go to an Amazon or a Netflix because they wanted the focused attention that HBO could give them.
2. Unique, not familiar
Does it feel to you like you’ve seen a few Netflix originals before? Ben Travers, writing for IndieWire, says that’s because you have. Not in exactly the same form, of course, but part of the streaming service’s success, says Travers, is because they create originals by algorithm, relying on a formula that they know will appeal to their subscribers, because they know exactly what they’re watching and what they love.
“Netflix is building series off algorithms; it knows what viewers are watching and it’s catering to those pre-established tendencies,” he says.
HBO, on the other hand, is spending time and money creating shows that are different, not as easily digestible or as predictable. He uses the supernatural family drama Here and Now as an example. “It’s not going to put you to sleep,” writes Travers, and it’s series like this that remind viewers to step out of their comfort zone every now and then.
3. It was the original
We’re not talking about “original series”, here – we’re talking about HBO as the first studio that looked at creating original TV shows instead of putting all their eggs in the movies basket.
Former HBO employee James Altucher writes that, right from the very beginning, HBO invested in good relationships, rather than throwing money at the “problem” of creating new TV series.
“HBO was a breeding ground of the most successful executives in the industry and basically created quality original programming across all of cable. HBO did this by not just focusing on good shows but bringing in and training and mentoring great talent. Note the many actors that appear on multiple HBO shows (Steve Buscemi is a great example),” he writes.
And because, unlike other networks, they did not have to cater to advertisers (HBO has always run on subscriptions, even before the era of internet TV), they could take chances with riskier series that might not have attracted a lot of ad revenue, but which were helmed by big names and were seen as edgier and less predictable than other, “safer” shows.
A good example of this was HBO’s Vinyl, executive produced by Mick Jagger and Martin Scorsese. The cast included Bobby Cannavale, James Jagger, Ray Romano and Olivia Wilde. It was a big-budget period drama that Jagger and Scorsese had been trying to get off the ground for 20 years. And it tanked. “Vinyl didn’t launch in the way we were hoping it would; it’s disappointing, but it happens,” HBO’s outgoing head of programming Michael Lombardo told Deadline when the network announced that the second season was cancelled. And that’s one of the things that sets HBO apart – it’s a network willing to take a risk.
But, more often than not, HBO shows become smash hits, huge cultural moments for TV viewers around the world – like these:
HBO shows you won’t find anywhere else
Camping
HBO boxsets to binge on Showmax
Winner of the Best Drama Primetime Emmy Award for the third time this year, this really is the show to beat. All eight seasons are on Showmax.
HBO shows to watch again on Showmax
Big Little Lies S1 (S2 lands in weekly episodes from 10 June 2019)
Original African stories by local talent
![Subterranea on Showmax](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.stories.shwmx.co%2Fmedia%2F2024%2F09%2FSubterranea-Rapture-Poster-L-No-Logo-798x449.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Subterranea
Subterranea follows eight participants of a psychological experiment, trapped in an underground bunker. Stream from 26 September, with new episodes every Thursday.
![Nai-Rich on Showmax](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.stories.shwmx.co%2Fmedia%2F2024%2F08%2FNaiRich_S01_2024_KV_1200x1200-798x412.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Nai-Rich
Nai-Rich follows five influential Kenyans, giving a glimpse into the glitz and glam of their daily lives in the entertainment industry. Stream now, with new episodes every Friday.
![False Glory on Showmax](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.stories.shwmx.co%2Fmedia%2F2024%2F08%2FFalse-Glory_2024-795x449.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
False Glory
Fake Glory is a three-part documentary series that delves into those moments when sporting figures did the unthinkable for personal gain. New episodes land Mondays.
![Law, Love and Betrayal (LLB) is on Showmax](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.stories.shwmx.co%2Fmedia%2F2024%2F09%2FLaw_Love_and_Betrayal-798x445.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Law, Love and Betrayal
Law, Love and Betrayal follows a tough township lawyer who forces her way into a slick, family-owned firm in Sandton. Stream now, with new episodes every Thursday.
![Shebeen Queens on Showmax](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.stories.shwmx.co%2Fmedia%2F2024%2F08%2FShebeen-Queens-S1-798x449.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Shebeen Queens
Shebeen Queens is a reality show about the indomitable women behind popular Soweto shebeens. Stream now, with new episodes every Thursday.
![Die Ondernemers on Showmax](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.stories.shwmx.co%2Fmedia%2F2024%2F08%2FDie-Ondernemers_2024-798x449.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Die Ondernemers
Die Ondernemers follows three entrepreneurs in the funeral business. Stream now, with new episodes every Monday on Showmax.
![Dark Side of Glory on Showmax](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.stories.shwmx.co%2Fmedia%2F2024%2F07%2FDark_Side_Of_Glory_S1_2024-798x445.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Dark Side of Glory
Dark Side of Glory tells the stories behind shocking cases of murder and unexplained deaths in the world of sport. Stream now on Showmax.
![One Weeks S1 on Showmax](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.stories.shwmx.co%2Fmedia%2F2024%2F07%2FOne_Weeks_S1_2024-1-798x449.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
One Weeks
One Weeks follows Fana, a charming high-school dropout from Soweto, who can’t believe his luck when he finds himself dating successful lawyer Lihle. Stream now, with new episodes every Monday.
Princess on a Hill, coming November 2024
Stream BBNaija S9 live on Showmax
The best of West Africa
![Princess on a Hill on Showmax](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.stories.shwmx.co%2Fmedia%2F2024%2F09%2FPOAH_1-789x449.png&w=3840&q=75)
Watch the trailer for Nigerian Showmax series Princess on a Hill
Showmax has just announced the latest Nigerian Original drama series, Princess on a Hill, to hit the platform in November 2024.
![BBNaija S9: The Buzz on Showmax](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.stories.shwmx.co%2Fmedia%2F2024%2F09%2FThe-Buzz-BBNaija-S9-798x446.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Pregnancy scares and more drama on The Buzz episode 5
In episode 5 of BBNaija S9: The Buzz, Toke Makinwa is joined by Olufemi Daniels and Taymi B to dissect the juiciest moments of the week. New episodes every Thursday on Showmax.
![BBNaija S9: The Buzz on Showmax](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.stories.shwmx.co%2Fmedia%2F2024%2F08%2FThe-Buzz-BBNaija-S9-1-798x449.jpeg&w=3840&q=75)
Rhuthee vs Wanni X Handi: The Buzz episode 4 recap
In episode 4 of BBNaija S9: The Buzz, Toke Makinwa is joined by Austin Betha and Dr Kelly Sampa to discuss this week’s inside scoop and buzz-worthy moments.
![The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip - South Africa on Showmax](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.stories.shwmx.co%2Fmedia%2F2024%2F05%2FReal-Housewives-Ultimate-Girls-Trip-South-Africa--798x449.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Where to watch The Real Housewives franchise online
Showmax is the home of The Real Housewives, giving an inside look at the lives of these glam women from Durban, Abuja, Lagos, Joburg, Nairobi and more. Plus, go on vacation with The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip!